Interview Prep Guide: How to Prepare for a Job Interview? Interview Questions, Tips, Body Language, Electronic Interview and More.

Interview Prep Guide: How to Prepare for a Job Interview? Interview Questions, Tips, Body Language, Electronic Interview and More.

Is the thought of giving an interview scaring you? Failed one too many interviews? Our experts have put together a guide with everything you could possibly need to ace the interview. We have tips on business attire, body language, interview questions, electronic interview and more. Keep reading for answers to all your queries!

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Preparing for a Job Interview

Preparing for an interview might seem complicated, but there are several steps that can help you ace any interview. Knowing the fact, that you're going to be judged for every movement and every word that you say, people fear to appear for an interview. But instead of feeling anxious, you can think of an interview as an opportunity to show your work ethics and professional skills.

If you've got the right skills and talent, you can ace any interview by learning how to be presentable. It is said that you never get a second chance to make the first impression, so make sure that you present yourself positively and make a terrific impression on the employer. While preparing for an interview, take time to consider your goals, qualifications, and opportunities. To succeed in an interview, all you have to do is prepare. Many questions come to mind before going to an interview, What to wear? What to say? What to prepare? Here are several tips for you that can help you prepare for a successful interview.

First Things First, Your Attire & Looks: How to Dress for an Interview

How you present yourself in your interview is an absolutely crucial part when you're preparing for an interview. How you look, how you smell, and how confident you are leaves a profound impact on the interviewer. What outfit you pick, what accessories you wear, and what deodorant you choose, the things that you think don't matter, but they do!

Grooming is really important because looking your best makes you feel your best. Moreover, feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence, and confidence is the key to success. So, choose your perfect interview outfit and make sure it is cleaned and ironed, and you have appropriate accessories and shoes to go with it. Look your best, but keep it basic. Not sure what to wear? The most important thing to keep in mind is that you look professional and polished. Here are some suggestions:

Tips for Men

Pair your attire with a mild perfume and make sure that your clothes are clean and wrinkle-free and you're comfortable in what you wear.

  • Formal Interview Suit: A formal suit is a must-have for any interview, so choose wisely. A matching jacket and trousers, a dress shirt, a tie, socks, and dress shoes are possibly the best combination a man can wear. The best two colours for a suit for men are navy blue and grey (contrary to popular belief – black).

  • Shirt and Trousers: If not a suit, you can go for formal trousers and a shirt, preferably white or nude shades.

Tips for Women

There are endless options for women to wear to an interview.

  • Suit: Whenever you're unsure, a suit is always a good option. Whether the suit has pants or skirts, the choice is up to you. Pick an outfit that fits you well and stick to darker colours. For skirt length, knee-length is most appropriate.

  • Traditional Indian Suit: A well fitted classic Indian suit can also be a good option for women. While avoiding anything fancy and keep it simple.

  • Saree: A simple cotton saree can also be opted as it makes you look elegant and beautiful.

  • Black dress with tights: Depending on the kind of interview you're applying for, black dress with tights is a classic combination that is simple yet refined.

Taking Care of Your Body Language & Personality

It's important to make a positive and strong impression during the interview process. Excellent body language helps you create a lasting impression. Personality is what you're as a person and how you carry yourself. You can improve your personality by just practising several habits.

  • Posture
    Your posture says a lot about you. While waiting for your turn, sit appropriately with your back straight and maintain a good body posture. Keep a smile on your face and be polite to all the people present in the room.

  • Be confident
    Confidence is the best thing that a person can wear. Answer all the questions with a strong speaking voice and confidence. Maintain eye contact while talking and stay calm and composed.

  • Gesture
    Greet the interviewer with a smile and firm handshake. Don't move your hands too much while talking or give too many expressions. Try and stay as much real as you can, don't try too hard. The small gestures help you create the right energy and a friendly environment.

  • Smile
    A smile is complementary; wherever you are, whatever you say, a friendly smile on your face adds a charm to your personality. It makes you look confident and helps you calm your nerves.

While these things occur naturally to most people, you can practice it with your friends and family or talk to yourself looking in a mirror. Basic conversation skills play a vital role in creating impressions. Talk to yourself, practice, and prepare yourself to be presentable. Pay special attention to smile, handshake, and eye contact.

General Interview Questions You Must Always be Prepared About

While preparing for an interview, it is not possible to predict every question that'd be asked, but certain questions can be practiced before appearing for an interview. You need to spend time thinking carefully about your skills, achievements, interests, and what you actually expect from the job that you want for yourself. There are a few questions that are certain to be asked, some of the questions that you are required to prepare for an interview. It can be summed up as follows:

Tell Me About Yourself?

Always have a precise answer to the question, "tell me about yourself". Interviewers always ask about this. Introduce yourself, talk about your skills, habits, or achievements, and keep it to the point. Avoid talking too much, keeping it simple will surely help you nail this particular question.

Why Do You Want This Job?

Don't forget to google or do a little research about the company you're interviewing for. Go through the company's website, blogs, and social media to know about the products, history, services, and client-base. Mention the aspects and values of the company that appeals to you and align with your priorities and career goals. You can talk about the working environment, work ethics, and ranking of the company.

Why Should We Hire You?

Employers would definitely want to make sure that you understand the role that you've applied for. You have to present yourself positively and accurately while answering this question. Talk about your professional skills and experience that sets you apart from other applicants. Highlight your relevant skills by comparing them against job requirements. Tell them how passionate and excited you're about your work, and you're willing to give it all that it takes. You will fit in beautifully and be a great addition to the team.

What Are Your Strengths?

When you're asked about your strengths, it's an opportunity for you to showcase your skills. Share the qualities and personality traits that make you a perfect choice for the role that you're interviewing for. You can talk about your leadership skills, problem-solving abilities, honesty, discipline, patience, or about being hardworking and determined.

What Are Your Weaknesses?

When you talk about your weaknesses, don't just start listing your weaknesses instead talk of something that you struggle with, but you're willing to work on it, or you're working on it. Your weaknesses might include being too honest or lacking patience or taking too many risks. You must mention that this is something that you've been working on, and you like challenging yourself.

What are Your Salary Expectations?

This discussion will happen, so you better prepare yourself. Don't set your numbers on the top unless you're very experienced in the job. Know your target salary, prepare options to increase your income, and know your minimum acceptable salary and demand accordingly.

Bonus Tip: Make It Seem Natural

When you're preparing certain questions, make sure that you don't memorise the answers or write the answers in a notebook. Ask these questions to yourself and practice the answers sitting in front of the mirror. When you speak out loud, you'll have a clear understanding and vision of what you're going to say. Try and keep it natural. Be honest with yourself.

Study Your Resume Properly & Keep It Real

Always carry a copy of your resume. One important thing is to study your resume properly and know everything written on it. Your resume is all that the interviewer has to go by while asking you questions. So, make sure that everything that is mentioned there, skills and work experience are true. You may be asked to elaborate things out of it, you might be asked about the work you did or your experience, and you'll have to be sure and confident of it. Only you are responsible for providing an answer to every question related to your resume.

It is crucial for you to be skilled and talented in order to qualify for a certain job, but, at the same time being real is of utmost importance. Usually, people fail because they try too hard and pretend to be someone they are not. Accept yourself and have faith in yourself and you'll succeed. Even if you don't know an answer to a particular question, it's acceptable. Take your time to think and feel free to pass the question. You're never expected to know it all, but you're expected to be true and honest. So, answer all the questions with honesty, look confident, smile, and nail it!

Tips for a Electronic Interview - Telephonic or Over Video

Electronic Interviews are held over phone calls or online video calls. In the last few years, online job interviews have become popular, and many companies are using various technologies to conduct interviews. Electronic interviews are a little more demanding because, in addition to preparing for the interview, you're also required to make certain arrangements. Though, many people find it quite convenient to talk over the phone or video calls, while for some people recording answers over the machine can be stressful. Going for an online interview for the first time can be scary, but it is not as hard as it seems. Here are 6 tips for you to ace an online interview.

  • Technology The first and foremost thing that you need to do in order to appear for a virtual interview is to test your technology. Check your connections properly and make sure you have the right equipment set up. Test all the pieces of equipment before the interview starts.

  • Environment Pick the perfect spot. Make sure that there is a good light source in the room where you set up the camera, and there are no distractions. The environment should be neat, clean, and appropriate. Also, switch off your mobile phone before the interview starts.

  • Dress professionally Think of the interview as if it were in-person meetings and make sure that you look perfect. Dress appropriately and look your best.

  • Body Language Be it virtual or in-person, body language counts. Sit with your back straight and look directly into the camera. Mind your body language and avoid your at-home habits.

  • Prepare yourself Preparation is the key to ace any interview; being prepared is really important. Practice general questions, speak out loud and clear and have confidence in your voice.

  • Stay Calm While many people can find it a lot easier to talk over the phone or video calls, some might panic. If you're nervous, practice your main speaking points and take your time to answer. Most importantly, be yourself.

Summarising: Just Keep These Points in Mind & You Are Sure to Nail It!

First impression is very important in an interview. With the following tips, you can nail your interview and impress your interviewers.

  • Don't arrive late for the interview.
  • Be polite and patient.
  • Maintain eye contact while talking and keep a friendly smile on your face.
  • Don't forget a copy of your resume and necessary documents.
  • Don't speak loudly over the phone or to people present in the room.
  • Don't use any bad words or ask any personal or irrelevant questions to the interviewer.
  • Don't carry too many accessories or makeup. Keep it natural.
  • Be organized and stay calm.
Writer
Parth Kohli
Parth has been writing for BP-Guide India for well over a year. He is a budding entrepreneur and an avid learner, pursuing his education in business management (B.B.A.) from one of the central institutions in India. He is presently working on projects based on e-learning and digital marketing. In his spare time, he likes to read and write on various niches, such as the latest developments in sciences, technologies, cyberspace, among many other domains and topics.
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Ask Questions in Every Job Interview!

Interviews should not be you answering the questions of the interviewer. You should be able to assess the interviewer and the company in the interview as well. The only way to do this is to ask questions. They help you assess if your goals align with their and if you would be able to grow in the organization. Questions also convey your enthusiasm to prospective employers. So, be prepared with your own questions next time you attend an interview. Learn as much as you can about the organization as well as it will help you formulate your questions.