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What is one of the most important things in a job interview?
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11 answers
Updated
Matthew’s Answer
It does vary from industry to industry. For example, strong social skills are more important in a role where you're interacting with clients, rather than, let's say someone in computer programming. An interview can generally be said to have two main components - the behavioral and the technical.
The technical component includes having an understanding of their business, being prepared for "can you explain ______ to me" and "how does this work" types of questions - the ones that test your knowledge in a particular subject. It definitely helps to know your stuff and the more of these questions you can answer the better, but unless you're entirely clueless in said subject/topic, it usually won't make or break the interview. If you don't know the answer to something, just say I don't know, but offer something else by explaining how you would go about finding the answer based on what you do know, or give an example of a resource you would use to find that answer. which brings up the second component, the behavioral.
The behavioral aspect of the interview is IMO the most important part of the interview, and the part where you can separate yourself from the rest of the candidates. This is the part where the interviewer is looking to see who you are as a person, what your goals and motivations are, how you communicate, etc. We can also say this component is further divided into 2 subtopics
1. Behavioral questions such as...
->tell me about a time when you had to step up as a leader, or a time you had to deal with conflict, or maybe a time in your life when you were
facing adversity. These questions can seem a bit daunting, if you need a minute to recall don't be afraid of a brief silence, and try to maintain
eye contact or at least don't look down as that shows lack of confidence (which is a good tip for life in general). The key to these questions is
being able to demonstrate how you handled that situation - what actions you took and your mindset. Key word: Demonstrate. You don't want
to talk the talk, you want to show how you walked the walk, be careful not to over qualify yourself in a way that doesn't have depth to it, it's
show AND tell, not just tell.
->What are your strengths/weaknesses? Tell me about yourself *hint* the key to this one is don't just tell them your life story, yes talk about
the experiences you had but don't forget to demonstrate how those experiences impacted you as a person.
2. The second "subtopic" of the behavioral component is called Sub-communication. As it suggests, this goes beyond the words you say. When you meet someone for the first time, you are subconsciously, or consciously, forming an opinion on them based on how they carry themselves, their body language, their tone of voice, facial expressions, confidence, charisma, personality, and EYE CONTACT. If you takeaway just one thing from this, focus on improving your eye contact. It's one of the most important social skills if not the most important, and most people have too much or too little eye contact. You're not trying to peer into their soul, but you're letting them know that you are present, confident, and have the ability to handle social pressure. If it feels uncomfortable for you, work on it, be mindful of your eye contact even in casual settings, you can also look between their eyes (the unibrow area) while you're building the skill. Focus on having upright posture, being mindful of your facial expressions - maintaining a subtle grin shows you're happy to be there and that you're super confident. When you greet your interviewer, look them in the eye and give them a relatively firm handshake - what I mean by that is don't set out to break their hand, and be mindful of who is interviewing you. You wouldn't shake the Rock's hand the same way you would with Betty White!
And it may be harder to do this when you're young and likely have little work experience, but try to flip the script. The best way to do that is to go into the interview with the mindset that you're a great candidate with a lot of skills with a lot of companies interested in having someone like you. They're seeing if you are a good fit for them, but you are also seeing if THEY are a good fit for YOU. If you can convey that you're a high value candidate with other options (even if you don't actually have any) it will dramatically increase your chance of getting the job. You don't have to lie and say you have a bunch of other offers if you don't actually have any, most interviewers can sniff that out, and it comes off as arrogant. What you can, and should do, is talk about what is important to you. What are your values and is this role/company aligned with those? Where do you want to be in the future? What's your potential to move up within the company? This shows that you're thinking about your own values and career development rather than just being desperate for this one job. At the end of the interview (assuming you believe the role is a good fit for you) you can solidify this frame by explaining why you believe the job is a good fit for you. This will separate you from the pack, because most people will just say things like "You should hire me because" or "I'm good at x, y, and z" but they don't demonstrate that or back it up, so they come off as insincere and possibly even arrogant. Again, this last paragraph will be more applicable and usable down the road when you have some experience under your belt, but try to at least have this frame of mind. You want to nail the interview and get the job, but even if you don't, there will be other opportunities that are also a great fit for you.
Outline your answers to potential interview questions, especially the "tell me about a time when" questions
Make sure you are well groomed and in suit & tie unless specifically told otherwise
Create a list of your skills and think about how you can demonstrate those skills in an interview setting
Take a deep breath and relax, anxiousness will negatively impact your performance
Let us know how it goes!
The technical component includes having an understanding of their business, being prepared for "can you explain ______ to me" and "how does this work" types of questions - the ones that test your knowledge in a particular subject. It definitely helps to know your stuff and the more of these questions you can answer the better, but unless you're entirely clueless in said subject/topic, it usually won't make or break the interview. If you don't know the answer to something, just say I don't know, but offer something else by explaining how you would go about finding the answer based on what you do know, or give an example of a resource you would use to find that answer. which brings up the second component, the behavioral.
The behavioral aspect of the interview is IMO the most important part of the interview, and the part where you can separate yourself from the rest of the candidates. This is the part where the interviewer is looking to see who you are as a person, what your goals and motivations are, how you communicate, etc. We can also say this component is further divided into 2 subtopics
1. Behavioral questions such as...
->tell me about a time when you had to step up as a leader, or a time you had to deal with conflict, or maybe a time in your life when you were
facing adversity. These questions can seem a bit daunting, if you need a minute to recall don't be afraid of a brief silence, and try to maintain
eye contact or at least don't look down as that shows lack of confidence (which is a good tip for life in general). The key to these questions is
being able to demonstrate how you handled that situation - what actions you took and your mindset. Key word: Demonstrate. You don't want
to talk the talk, you want to show how you walked the walk, be careful not to over qualify yourself in a way that doesn't have depth to it, it's
show AND tell, not just tell.
->What are your strengths/weaknesses? Tell me about yourself *hint* the key to this one is don't just tell them your life story, yes talk about
the experiences you had but don't forget to demonstrate how those experiences impacted you as a person.
2. The second "subtopic" of the behavioral component is called Sub-communication. As it suggests, this goes beyond the words you say. When you meet someone for the first time, you are subconsciously, or consciously, forming an opinion on them based on how they carry themselves, their body language, their tone of voice, facial expressions, confidence, charisma, personality, and EYE CONTACT. If you takeaway just one thing from this, focus on improving your eye contact. It's one of the most important social skills if not the most important, and most people have too much or too little eye contact. You're not trying to peer into their soul, but you're letting them know that you are present, confident, and have the ability to handle social pressure. If it feels uncomfortable for you, work on it, be mindful of your eye contact even in casual settings, you can also look between their eyes (the unibrow area) while you're building the skill. Focus on having upright posture, being mindful of your facial expressions - maintaining a subtle grin shows you're happy to be there and that you're super confident. When you greet your interviewer, look them in the eye and give them a relatively firm handshake - what I mean by that is don't set out to break their hand, and be mindful of who is interviewing you. You wouldn't shake the Rock's hand the same way you would with Betty White!
And it may be harder to do this when you're young and likely have little work experience, but try to flip the script. The best way to do that is to go into the interview with the mindset that you're a great candidate with a lot of skills with a lot of companies interested in having someone like you. They're seeing if you are a good fit for them, but you are also seeing if THEY are a good fit for YOU. If you can convey that you're a high value candidate with other options (even if you don't actually have any) it will dramatically increase your chance of getting the job. You don't have to lie and say you have a bunch of other offers if you don't actually have any, most interviewers can sniff that out, and it comes off as arrogant. What you can, and should do, is talk about what is important to you. What are your values and is this role/company aligned with those? Where do you want to be in the future? What's your potential to move up within the company? This shows that you're thinking about your own values and career development rather than just being desperate for this one job. At the end of the interview (assuming you believe the role is a good fit for you) you can solidify this frame by explaining why you believe the job is a good fit for you. This will separate you from the pack, because most people will just say things like "You should hire me because" or "I'm good at x, y, and z" but they don't demonstrate that or back it up, so they come off as insincere and possibly even arrogant. Again, this last paragraph will be more applicable and usable down the road when you have some experience under your belt, but try to at least have this frame of mind. You want to nail the interview and get the job, but even if you don't, there will be other opportunities that are also a great fit for you.
Matthew recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Before the job interview, you would have the job specification and the company you will have the interview.
Firstly, you will have to think about how you fit the role in terms of your qualification, experience and background. Any area that you are not so good at? You may need to stress on the areas that you best fit the role and determine how you bridge the gap, e.g . attend training, etc.
You may also do the research on the company background on their business, organization, etc.
Also, before the interview,
1. Try to find the location and plan for the transport before the interview
2. Be Punctual on the date of interview.
3. Dress properly on the interview day. Better try it before the interview
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Firstly, you will have to think about how you fit the role in terms of your qualification, experience and background. Any area that you are not so good at? You may need to stress on the areas that you best fit the role and determine how you bridge the gap, e.g . attend training, etc.
You may also do the research on the company background on their business, organization, etc.
Also, before the interview,
1. Try to find the location and plan for the transport before the interview
2. Be Punctual on the date of interview.
3. Dress properly on the interview day. Better try it before the interview
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Updated
Juan’s Answer
Know the position you are applying for. Do some research and reach out to individuals already on the team or are currently in the same position you are applying for.
Updated
Jason’s Answer
Many people talk about the importance of answering behavioral questions like "Tell me about a time when..." I would add that your answer should always include the concept of "This is what I learned from that situation and this is how I might do it different next time."
Here's an example: Tell me about a time that a project went wrong?
Situation: I was working on a data report to track some important business results and almost missed the deadline so I rushed to finish it and I realized all the numbers were wrong after the report was submitted.
What did you do: I quickly communicated the mistake and gave some context as to why the numbers were wrong. Then I quickly worked to get the correct numbers updated.
What did you learn: I learned that its more important to double check your work than to rush a deadline
What would you do differently next time: Next time I would ask for an extension and communicate to my manager that we need to renegotiate priorities.
Interviewers like to see a complete story. The one above shows growth and learning. If your story doesn't have a learning element or some kind of growth, it might not be the best story to use.
Here's an example: Tell me about a time that a project went wrong?
Situation: I was working on a data report to track some important business results and almost missed the deadline so I rushed to finish it and I realized all the numbers were wrong after the report was submitted.
What did you do: I quickly communicated the mistake and gave some context as to why the numbers were wrong. Then I quickly worked to get the correct numbers updated.
What did you learn: I learned that its more important to double check your work than to rush a deadline
What would you do differently next time: Next time I would ask for an extension and communicate to my manager that we need to renegotiate priorities.
Interviewers like to see a complete story. The one above shows growth and learning. If your story doesn't have a learning element or some kind of growth, it might not be the best story to use.
Updated
Ravi’s Answer
Hi Gabrial,
Following are the most important things in a Job Interview:
1. Be on time. Be Calm.
2. Dress Well. You will feel confident.
3. Always put a smile on your face. Don't behave like you are worried/tensed.
4. Don't just hurry to answer questions. Listen to questions properly.
5. Answer with confidence.
6. If you don't know the answer to any questions, say clearly instead of answering wrong.
7. Take a deep breath in case you are feeling nervous.
8. Be You.
Following are the most important things in a Job Interview:
1. Be on time. Be Calm.
2. Dress Well. You will feel confident.
3. Always put a smile on your face. Don't behave like you are worried/tensed.
4. Don't just hurry to answer questions. Listen to questions properly.
5. Answer with confidence.
6. If you don't know the answer to any questions, say clearly instead of answering wrong.
7. Take a deep breath in case you are feeling nervous.
8. Be You.
Updated
Lillian’s Answer
Hi Gabriel,
I would say when answering questions, follow the STAR method to stay specific and concise. Make sure you show that you're interested in the company and role, and stay engaged during the entire interview.
I would say when answering questions, follow the STAR method to stay specific and concise. Make sure you show that you're interested in the company and role, and stay engaged during the entire interview.
Updated
Rahul’s Answer
Hi Gabriel,
Lot's of very good advice here. Here's my two cents:
- Be punctual
- Dress appropriately
- Make eye contact throughout
- Give a firm (but not crushing) handshake
- Be humble - if you don't know an answer, admit it, but show determination in finding out
- Don't sound rehearsed, be natural - a few stutters here and there makes for a more genuine experience than a textbook statement
- Be bold were necessary - don't be afraid to say "I really want this job because...." or "I think I'll be the right person for this because...."
Interviewers like people with an edge, whether that's something different in their resume, a quirky personality, or humility which hits deeper. Don't try to be a model candidate, be yourself.
Good luck,
Rahul
Lot's of very good advice here. Here's my two cents:
- Be punctual
- Dress appropriately
- Make eye contact throughout
- Give a firm (but not crushing) handshake
- Be humble - if you don't know an answer, admit it, but show determination in finding out
- Don't sound rehearsed, be natural - a few stutters here and there makes for a more genuine experience than a textbook statement
- Be bold were necessary - don't be afraid to say "I really want this job because...." or "I think I'll be the right person for this because...."
Interviewers like people with an edge, whether that's something different in their resume, a quirky personality, or humility which hits deeper. Don't try to be a model candidate, be yourself.
Good luck,
Rahul
Updated
Alexandra’s Answer
Hi Gabriel!
Preparation, showing genuine interest, and showing your personality. Be professional, but be open and honest about why you want that specific role and what you are hoping to learn from it, as well as what unique skills you can contribute. No one expects you to know how to do everything, but having a positive attitude and professional answer will get you far!
Preparation, showing genuine interest, and showing your personality. Be professional, but be open and honest about why you want that specific role and what you are hoping to learn from it, as well as what unique skills you can contribute. No one expects you to know how to do everything, but having a positive attitude and professional answer will get you far!
Updated
Katie’s Answer
Hi Gabriel - Make sure to always prepare for interviews in advance. Think through your key accomplishments from school and/or work experiences. Highlight your strengths and best quality - what will you add to a team? Also, dress professionally and send thank-you notes (or emails) to the interviewers following your meetings.
Updated
Matt’s Answer
Hi Gabriel-
Interviewers will often ask questions like "Name me a time when you" or "Describe a situation when..." I've observed many "interviewees" whose responses lack detail. When responding to this type of question, it's important to describe the situation, clearly state your role in the situation (including any decision points you were responsible for), describe the outcome, and any learnings or successes from the situation.
Interviewers will often ask questions like "Name me a time when you" or "Describe a situation when..." I've observed many "interviewees" whose responses lack detail. When responding to this type of question, it's important to describe the situation, clearly state your role in the situation (including any decision points you were responsible for), describe the outcome, and any learnings or successes from the situation.
Updated
Jake’s Answer
Hi Gabriel,
There are many important things when it comes to interviewing for a job. One of the more important things during an interview that gets overlooked is being yourself. Many employers when interviewing a candidate want to hire someone that of course meets the requirements of the job posting but also someone that will be a great fit with their company's culture. Obviously interviews are nerve wrecking but being able to be your true self and show the hiring manager that you have the personality traits that are a great fit with the company can go a long way.
Another important thing that will help out when interviewing for a job is coming prepared to the interview. It might sound silly but knowing what the company does and some of their history is very important when interviewing for a job. There were a few interviews when I first started interviewing for an internship where I didn't know entirely what the company did which obviously didn't help my chances of being hired. It's very time consuming to know what every company does that you are planning on applying for especially if you applied for numerous positions, but it's well worth the time.
There are many important things when it comes to interviewing for a job. One of the more important things during an interview that gets overlooked is being yourself. Many employers when interviewing a candidate want to hire someone that of course meets the requirements of the job posting but also someone that will be a great fit with their company's culture. Obviously interviews are nerve wrecking but being able to be your true self and show the hiring manager that you have the personality traits that are a great fit with the company can go a long way.
Another important thing that will help out when interviewing for a job is coming prepared to the interview. It might sound silly but knowing what the company does and some of their history is very important when interviewing for a job. There were a few interviews when I first started interviewing for an internship where I didn't know entirely what the company did which obviously didn't help my chances of being hired. It's very time consuming to know what every company does that you are planning on applying for especially if you applied for numerous positions, but it's well worth the time.