The employee market is booming currently and there are abundant growth opportunities! But it’s no secret that the face of the workplace has changed tremendously in the last two years. And with the changing trends, the interview process has gotten even tougher. Compared to pre-pandemic, employers now have six times more number of candidates applying for jobs – allowing to work remotely has been an added advantage for candidates.
In this cut-throat competition, getting an interview call is difficult, and these 5 strategies will ensure you get selected.
- Approach the interview call differently: Send a video response instead of the usual written email response for the interview call. Use the technology to your advantage and create the best pre-first impression even before you meet the interviewer. Follow these steps to record a perfect introductory video.
- Dress in formals – Even if it’s a video, dressing like you are actually sitting across from the interviewer will elevate your posture. This in turn will up your confidence game and improve your tone as well.
- Work on the aesthetics – This one’s a big winner. Put some thought into how you want to look in the video. The surrounding, background, and lighting in which you record this video will get you brownie points. Sit with ample light on your face and minimum audio distractions.
- Thank the recruiter – Express a bit of gratitude towards the recruiter for selecting you for the following round of interviews. Insider tip – this person has the potential to set the right tone for your interview by sharing initial feedback so go impress them!
- Talk enthusiastically yet professionally – Pay attention to your tone, don’t go too high and squeaky but definitely add energy while sharing why you applied to this particular role in this particular organization. Show them how interested you are in this role.
- Look and be confident: Feeling nervous about an interview is a common human behavior. And one of the best ways to deal with this nervousness is ‘Displayed Confidence’. Displayed confidence is a technique I teach my students in which they learn to display confidence in a way that they eventually start feeling confident. This eventually builds confidence in a conversation and allows the interviewee to lead the interview. Apart from this, follow these steps to look uber-confident.
- Work the mindset – Only 15-20 job applications out of almost 200 get called for an interview. You being one of those 15-20 candidates already means you stand a chance to get selected. Take pride that you have been called for the interview, and that the recruiters think you are the right fit. Now step in for the interview with this thought and you will notice a boost in your confidence level.
- Practice – Rehearse several mock interviews to feel confident. Make a list of all the possible questions that can be asked, then curate personalized responses and finally practice answering them. Prepare for cross-questioning and further probing as well, a technique used by recruiters to know how well you fit the role.
- Don’t talk too fast – I can’t even begin to emphasize the importance of this point. Take time to understand the question, and thoughtfully answer it. Don’t rush with your responses. I’ve seen many candidates get rejected due to the pace of their responses. Every response you give should be your selling point not just an answer to the question asked.
- Watch the non-verbal signs – One of the quickest ways to give away that you are nervous is by letting your body language ruin the game for you. Fidgeting with your pen, CV, or hair, tapping your feet, or quick movements, all of these shout nervousness and lack of practice. Sit calmly in an upright posture and be in control of what signs your body gives out – confident or nervous.
- Dress to Express: Do not take this one lightly. Even if it feels not fair, the fact remains that the first impressions are created in the initial 3-7 seconds of someone seeing you. So one can’t help but notice the way you have dressed up and hence that plays a pivotal part in creating a positive or not-so-positive impression. Read on to create an impactful impression.
- Pick the right outfit – I’ve been asked many times – what is the right outfit for an interview and the answer remains the same – formals. Unless you are specifically told that you can dress casually for the interview – always dress in formals. If the company follows a casual dress attire, always dress in semi-casuals and go for the interview.
- Feel good factor – We all know how the outfits we wear have a direct psychological effect on us. Pick something that is comfortable and makes you feel confident. Wearing too loose or too tight clothes indicates low self-esteem. Regardless of what position you are applying for, wear clothes that look professional and polished.
- Colors to wear and avoid – Every color has a meaning and conveys a different emotion. You want to ensure you are sending out the right message to the interviewer. Wear colors that are subtle to the eyes like blue, gray, white, brown – these indicate reliability, confidence, and a solid foundation. Bright colors like red, orange, yellow, purple, green show a more casual and fun approach so avoid wearing them to an interview.
- Go minimal – An overpowering or a distracting accessory can ruin your impression. Turning up for an interview heavily scented or wearing an accessory that makes clunky sounds is a big no-no. If you are applying to a conservative company, you may want to cover up that tattoo and the piercing as well.
- Connect Passion to Purpose: Introverts or Extroverts, you need to express your passion and excitement during the interview. This doesn’t mean, you need to be loud and jumping around. But these simple strategies while answering interview questions have helped my students a lot.
- Why + What – Instead of just rambling about how great you are (if you are a fresher) or talking plainly about your achievements (if you are experienced), connect your why (passion) to your what (purpose). Your CV should be designed in such a way to highlight your achievements but your interview shouldn’t be the audio version of your CV, it should highlight why you love working in this role.
- Share your motivation – Tell the interviewer what motivates you to achieve more at work. Share examples from your previous experiences or college projects to showcase how your passion has helped you succeed. Talking about what you achieved is great but telling what motivated you in the journey is a different high altogether and sets you apart from other candidates.
- Be genuinely interested – Hiring managers can see right through your lies or disinterest. If you are not interested in the role, there’s no way you will clear the interview. As harsh as it may sound, this is the truth. And even if in a best-case scenario you are able to fake it, you won’t last in the job even for 6 months. So choose to turn up for an interview if your goals, value, and vision align with the role and the company. If not and you desperately need the job despite your liking, start liking it.
- Be strengths-focused – Showcasing your strengths to highlight why you are the perfect candidate goes a long way. This step not only helps you get the offer letter but also an attractive package. Talk numbers here – don’t just say I am a team player but share some statistics of what your team could achieve because of this trait. Don’t shy away to tell how your strengths will bring value to the table even in this role.
- Use story-telling: Story-telling helps you to answer behavioral questions with perfection and ease. Behavioral questions are asked to see how you handled a situation in the past and to evaluate your behavior to see how you will act in a new role. The best way to answer these questions is by telling a story that reflects your strengths and skills.
- Get creative – Reading out what’s already on your CV doesn’t help at all. Instead, use story-telling to weave a connection between your role and your skills. Have multiple stories (real-life experiences) ready, I suggest a minimum of two at least, to address the employer’s pain points and show them you are the best candidate for the job!
- Be strategic – Study beforehand what five impressions you want to make in the interview, what do you want the interviewer to understand, like, and appreciate about you. You should have at least three and a maximum of five characteristic traits that the interviewer remembers even after they have met several other candidates. Eg – How reliable you are towards commitments, how you follow through with the team to meet deadlines, and how you handle feedback/stressful situations with a client. Now recall/create stories to highlight these impressions.
- Consider adding personal stories – Do not restrict story-telling to only professional stories, add a few relevant personal experiences as well. This will help especially if you are a fresher – you can talk about stories of how you could easily persuade or inspire a group of people or a close friend, or of a time when you learned to make adjustments to achieve a common goal with a team.
- Practice and practice more – Storytelling is a skill that can be learned, sharpened, and perfected with practice. So once you’ve mapped out your stories to drive the desired message in an interview, practice them, out loud. Verbal delivery of your stories makes them convincing. You will also know if you need to work through any bumps or challenges before your interview, not during it. Practicing out loud doesn’t mean you need to memorize your story, it’s about internalizing your story and getting the desired result.
Cracking the interview in the right company can help you achieve career success and live your dream life. Unfortunately most candidates wait for the opportunity and then prepare for the interview. My encouragement to you is to be prepared – you never know when the opportunity knocks on your door.
I wish you the best in landing that dream job!
