Interview Day Tips!!

Hi! Yesterday I showed you, how to prepare for an interview. Today I like to add more to it by discussing “how to face the interview confidently”. Let’s start. Be sure that you’ll follow these steps very carefully.

Dress professionally.

First impression matters!! If you want to make a good impression to your interviewers, then you have to start off by dressing professionally. That means you have to spend some money on a business-appropriate outfit (at least one solid interview outfit can really help you land the job of your dreams). Even if the office is a bit more casual, there’s nothing wrong being a bit overdressed, which is far better than looking casual in front of formally-dressed interviewers.

• · Make sure to groom yourself well and to pay attention to your hygiene, too.
• · Try on your outfit at least a few days before and make sure that there are no problems with it.

Arrive at least 10 minutes early.

Showing up a little bit early to the interview shows that you’re punctual and that you really care about your job. If you rush in there just before it’s time to begin, you won’t have time to get into a relaxed state of mind. If your interviewers see that you can’t even arrive to on time, they’ll think that there’s not a big chance that you’ll show up to work on time, either.

Introduce yourself with confidence.

When you walk into the room, stand tall, make eye contact, put a smile on your face, and give your interviewers a confident handshake when you introduce yourself. You can say something simple like, “I’m Kalpani. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”

Be articulate.

Speak as clearly and confidently as you can and make eye contact when you share your thoughts and ideas. Try to avoid saying “like” or “um” too much and focus on getting your points across, even if that means pausing to think. The most important thing is that you deliver your words with confidence and sound like you really mean what you say.

Practicing saying what you have to say aloud can help you gain the confidence. You should make sure your words sound natural, not rehearsed.

Avoid sharing overly personal information.

Though you may feel like your interviewers really like you, you should avoid mentioning anything overly personal about yourself. This shows that you’re not focused on the job and that you’re unprofessional.

Make sure to thank your interviewers in person.

When the interview is over, show that you’re grateful for the fact that your interviewers took the time to meet with you and to get a chance to talk to you about your skills and qualifications. As you leave the room, shake your interviewer’s hand again and make sure to look her in the eye and give her a sincere smile and a real thank you; this shows that you’re considerate and that you’re really grateful for the opportunity.

• · Say something simple like, “Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me. This has been a wonderful opportunity and I really appreciate it.”
• · As the conversation wraps up, you can also ask about a time frame and next steps.

Don’t criticize your current employer.

Even if your boss is a rude and inconsiderate person, and your current job is too boring, you should say something like, “I’ve gained a lot of great experiences at my current position, but I’m ready for a new challenge.” If you say horrible things about your job or your boss, then your future employers will think that you may turn around and say the same about them in the future.

Follow up.

Once you’ve finished your interview, you should send your interviewer a quick email thanking him or her for taking the time to meet with you. This shows that you took the process seriously and that you’re eager to find out about the next steps of your job interview.

Hope you learnt something!! Thank you,

Kalpani.

Originally published at kalpaniranasinghe.blogspot.com.