Job Interview: Our nightmare, our proving point. It is the marketplace where we sell ourselves. There is always so much fuss going on about it. Millions of sites to guide you, and millions of them confuse you.
To impress the interviewer, we try to convince them to believe that we are born for the job. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t because you underestimate the interviewer and act either overwise or too naïve. So here are a few things that may commonly go wrong and steps to take to avoid them.
Job Interview – The Do’s and Don’ts
Presenting you with a list of Things to Say and do and avoid at a job interview.
1. Dress with a Professional touch
Do not overdress or wear something too casual. Show some seriousness in your dressing style. First impressions should always be the best impression.
For girls: Do not wear heavy make-up or too many accessories.
2. Say something about yourself
When the interviewer asks you to say something about yourself, just a brief of what person you are would do, you need not brag about all you have done from childhood or give them your personal history.
Don’t talk too much. Listen more and answer aptly.
Stick to the basics, such as your educational background, interests, or hobbies, that should not include anything inappropriate.
3. Your Resume
Make sure your resume holds the right and clear objective focused on your career aspect or position you are applying for rather than adding ridiculous statements like “looking for an opportunity that uses my talent and skills which helps the firm”
PS: all firms recruit a PR to help the firm.
4. Questions about the Future
When they ask you about your plans, we all know it gets a little bizarre when asked for the plans for the next 5-10 years.
Never disclose if you have any plans apart from this job. Usually, we want recruiters to know how goal-oriented we are and how we plan, but that might be one of the negative points for a particular job interview and may lead to rejection. Every firm looks for employees who will work for them in the long run. Let the recruiters know your 2-year plan in the company if necessary. Make it sound genuine and catchy.
5. When asked about Strengths and Weaknesses
5.1. Strength
Do not get personal during a job interview. Do not be highly emotional and say be compassionate and able to empathize with others. No, no, no, don’t say that. You are not looking for a theatrical position at Opera.
5.2. Weakness
Be honest and intelligent. Trusting others easily is the lamest excuse you can ever give. They will think you can’t analyze who is bluffing with you or who is true to you. You must be brilliant and decisive with your clients, saying that “working hard is my weakness,” a big NO! You cannot put that as a weakness as you have to convey that you will be ready to work and do everything in your power.
Note: Adding strengths related to your job and weakness not related to your position would be a helpful asset.
6. Do not sell yourself
But at the same time, do not be overconfident. Be an actual employee and show enthusiasm to work in that company. Before the interview, do some research about the company you are working for.
Give examples of any employees finding better opportunities in the company and looking at the brighter side of the job. Ask some questions regarding the profile. Don’t be desperate.
7. Do not stress yourself much or get scared
The more you fear, the more you stutter. Be confident and relax. You always have to give your best no matter what the result. Show them how much you would love to work with them.
8. Time gap between jobs
If you have a time gap between jobs, explain it with a valid reason. Recruiters will be very particular about why you were idle. Usually, people think they might get in by giving a health reason, but few firms give utmost importance to health conditions. When you resign or have a career change, don’t give them a reason “I don’t know what I was looking for.” Instead of that, say that you were interested in the profile, you gave it a shot and learned some professional skills.
9. Salary Negotiation
The most challenging thing is negotiating the salary. Always give HR or their representative a chance to tell them how much they are ready to pay for the post concerned. Sometimes, you may quote less or offend/annoy the recruiter. You cannot jump on them with your expected CTC.
Know how much they are willing to offer and then negotiate accordingly.
10. Calm Down
Just in case they put you on hold. Take deep breaths. Reply with a smile. You are going to hear this several times during your interview trials.
To sum up, the key points to remember during job interviews are.
Everyone has to know that each interviewer is different and what each firm expects from its employees. Their visions and beliefs are different. Nevertheless, all employers want basic and definite things like being flexible, better communication and interpersonal skills, and mostly the commitment & interest to work for the firm. For more job search tips, have a read here. For more informative content make sure you read Icy tales.
All the very best! Bonne chance!
– Madhuri Naidu
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