Stand out in your Job Interview

When applying for a job, you need to put your best foot forward. Companies interview as many as 20-30 applicants in a day, and since Human Resources personnel are only human, you can imagine them drifting off when the applicants drone off generic answers to their questions. What if your scheduled interview falls in the afternoon, when the interviewer is already too tired, or worse, too sleepy to pay significant attention to your answers? Here’s a solution. Give them answers that will jerk them back to reality, yes, you need to stand out from a sea of faces. Separate yourself from the crowd. Here are some tips how:

• Dress for success. This is a business interview, be sure to wear a business attire. You may look good in your little black dress but this is neither the time nor the place to wear it.
• Be prompt. Arrive early. It is better to wait. This will give you ample time to prepare physically and mentally for your interview.
• Be sure you researched some pertinent information on the company you are applying to and the industry it belongs to.
• Show confidence the moment you step in the room. First impression is very important.
• Have a firm handshake and a bright smile.
• Eye contact is key.
• Think before answering. Easy enough to say, but very difficult to follow.
• Admit if you didn’t understand the question, and politely request the interviewer to repeat the question.
• Have a sense of curiosity. This will show how interested you are in the job and the industry you are applying for.
• Be creative when asked to find solutions to given problems.
• Be able to clearly communicate. No fuss. Don’t bother with the big words if you’re not really sure what they mean, or how they are pronounced.
• Listen carefully to the questions and suspend judgment until all facts have been considered.
• Ask pertinent questions when given a chance.
• Be assertive, but not annoying.
• Be comfortable but not too comfortable, this can be interpreted as being too assuming and cocky.
• Panic gracefully. So what if you don’t know the answer to his question, smile and give the nearest answer you can give. Act as if you’re giving the most brilliant answer in the world

After the interview, smile and shake the interviewer’s hand. Thank him sincerely, no matter how disastrous the interview went.