15 Powerful Interview Tips
In the past 20 years, thousands of people have been helped to pass their job interviews at the first attempt. Here are 15 powerful tips that will help you get hired. Tip number one: the best color to wear for a job interview is navy blue.
Navy blue represents trust and loyalty. The worst color to wear for a job interview is red because it can signify overconfidence and risk. Tip number two: the best first impression for a job interview is good eye contact and a firm handshake.
Essential First Impressions and Mindset
The worst first impression is slouching in the chair, weak or no eye contact, and fidgeting because this signals nerves, low confidence, or disinterest in the interview process. Tip number three: the worst mindset to have for a job interview is seeing it as an interrogation because nerves will then get the better of you.
The best mindset to have for your job interview is seeing it as a professional meeting with a potential employer to see if they want to hire you and you want to work for them. This will help reduce nerves and anxiety. Tip number four: the best time to arrive for a job interview is 10 to 15 minutes early.
This shows professionalism, reliability, punctuality, and respect for the interviewer’s time. The worst time to arrive for a job interview is either late or too early, such as 30 minutes early, because this suggests poor timekeeping and it can inconvenience the interviewer.
Answering Personal and Skill-Based Questions
Aim to arrive early but not awkwardly early. Tip number five: the worst way to answer the question, tell me about yourself, is by giving your life story and what you get up to outside of work. The best way to answer tell me about yourself is to keep it job focused and under 60 seconds long.
Talk about your skills, education or experience, achievements, and the type of person you are and what you will do in the role if they hire you. Tip number six: the best words to use in a job interview when describing yourself are diligent, industrious, and results driven.
The worst words to use when describing yourself are nice, hardworking, and perfectionist. Tip number seven: the easiest question to answer in a job interview is, “What are your greatest strengths?”. Simply align your strengths with the skills and qualities listed on the job description.
Handling Difficult Questions
The hardest interview question to answer is what is your biggest weakness? Because most people think it’s a trick question and they should say they don’t have any weaknesses. However, this question assesses honesty and self-awareness and what you are doing to improve on your biggest weakness.
Tip number eight: the worst weakness to give in a job interview is saying you are a perfectionist. The best weakness is saying yes too easily, which means you sometimes overcommit. However, you are learning to assess your capacity for additional work before committing to ensure high quality work standards are always maintained. Tip number nine: the worst thing to say in a job interview is, “What does your company do around here?”.
This tells the hiring manager, “You have carried out no research and you are only interested in a paycheck”. The best thing to say in an interview is, “I have researched your company and I am excited about the possibility of working here long term”.
Strategy and Behavioral Questions
Tip number 10. The best way to answer behavioral interview questions such as tell me about a time you worked on a team is by using the STAR method. Situation, task, action, and result. The worst way to answer behavioral interview questions is rambling without any structure because this makes it hard for the hiring manager to remember your answer and it also demonstrates poor communication skills.
Tip number 11. The best reason to give for wanting the job is that your values align with the company’s values. You are passionate about the role and you can see yourself working at the company long-term. The worst reasons to give for wanting the job are saying, “I just need a job or it’s close to where I live”. These reasons show zero motivation or commitment. Tip number 12.
The best way to talk about why you want to leave your current employer is to be respectful and professional.
Finishing the Interview Strong
Say you want to leave because you have reached your full potential and you are ready for a new challenge. The worst thing you can do is criticize your employer or the company because the hiring manager will think it’s you who has the problem. Tip number 13.
The best way to handle a question you don’t know the answer to is to stay calm and either ask if you can revisit the question later in the interview, which gives you time to think, or to say you will research the answer and follow up by email after the interview. And the worst way to handle it is by saying I can’t answer that question because that shuts the conversation down completely. Tip number 14.
The worst questions to ask at the end of a job interview are about holidays, time off, perks, or benefits because they tell the hiring manager you are only interested in what you can get from the position.
Closing Statements and Next Steps
The best questions to ask at the end of a job interview focus on what you can do to help the company thrive, such as, “What are the biggest challenges the team is currently facing and what can I do in this role to help overcome them?”. Tip 15. The worst way to close a job interview is to say,
“When will I hear from you?”. The best way to close a job interview is to say, “Thank you for this opportunity. I genuinely believe I can add value in the role, and I look forward to hearing from you soon with the result of my interview”.
Additional Interview Preparation Resources
A job interview preparation pack is available at passmyinterview.com. Literally thousands of people are getting hired at the first attempt after they use this pack. Here’s what you get. A salary negotiation script covering how to answer the difficult question, what are your salary expectations?.
Also included are the 17 best questions to ask at the end of a job interview — choosing three questions from the list of 17 to ask the hiring manager is recommended. Also included are body language techniques training and 30, 60, and 90-day plans for interviews, which are recommended when answering the difficult question,
why should we hire you?. Also included are the top 25 best words to say in a job interview and a formidable job interview closing statement.
Getting Started and Connecting
Also included are ready-made CV and resume templates, plus 50 top scoring hiring manager approved answers to difficult interview questions. To get everything, visit passmyinterview.com.