Job interviews – proven strategies that can get you results
If you are attending a job interview, one thing you must avoid doing is going in with a written script of exactly how you will answer each question. Excessive rehearsal can result in you sounding like an automaton that has been programmed with stock responses.
Instead, try the following. Think ahead and anticipate common interview questions like for example, tell me about yourself. Figure out how you are going to answer these questions without losing spontaneity. You should adopt strategies that will allow you to be versatile enough to adjust to the unforeseen twists and turns that are inevitable at job interviews.
Rule number one – DO answer the question that has been asked! Not very profound, right? The sad reality is that fat too many candidates avoid answering at least a few of the questions that are thrown at them. This is disastrous and kills their chances of getting selected for whatever position they were targeting. Make sure you pay careful attention to what is being asked and answer that. It does not matter if your answer isn’t perfect – an imperfect answer is better than none.
In addition, avoid yes / no answers as far as possible. Plan how to respond. However, avoid the pitfall of being long winded. You have to work somewhat like copywriters do. They have a limited space in which to get a powerful message across. In that situation, they need to make sure that every word counts. You should take the same approach when it comes to job interviews.
During the preparation phase for job interviews, good time management is critical, because there are many things you must plan for. In this context, try out a few useful techniques on productivity training and related areas. It will stand you in good stead. This applies whether you are a student or a no-time-to-breathe working professional.
In the end, realize that success at interviews is not about getting the wordings of your responses right. So don’t obsess over it. Specifically, do not memorize answers to individual questions. If you do, you will likely come across as artificial and lacking spontaneity, which can hurt your chances of getting that job.