The Art of the Interview: Selling Yourself by Creating a Rapport with Your Interviewers
You sent your application and are anxious to hear back from the employer. The phone rings. That’s it, you’ve got the interview. What’s next? You have come a long way, but the process is not over yet. Actually, you have been sheltered so far, but will now have to “perform live.” What should you do?
Recognize that the finish line is close and that the competition has narrowed down. You’re among the finalists. Will you stand up to the pressure? It is here that the good work methodology that you have followed so far will prove useful. If you have researched the organization and the industry, all you have to do now is refresh your memory and get ready to answer questions that go your way. Anticipate questions and practice out loud. Be ready to discuss your experience and qualifications. Be ready to make positive statements about how you can contribute to the employer. Be ready to give concrete examples.
There is no way for you to know what questions will be asked at the job interview, but that’s not what “being ready” means. It doesn’t mean to know what to expect. It means to be prepared for the unexpected. There is just so much you can do to prepare for the interview. Once you have done your part, lay back and put things in perspective. “Absorb” the information as opposed to memorizing it and be ready to discuss.
WorkAlpha’s Interview Section is a collection of articles, each shedding a different perspective on the job interview process, to help you prepare for that crucial meeting. As you read through the material in this section, keep in mind that confidence is key when interviewing for a job. If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody will. If you want the interviewer to think that you are the best fit for the job, you must first believe it yourself. Notice that we used the word “fit” as opposed to “qualified.”
Newly Added Articles on The Job Interview
Job Interview Process Explained
The job interview process consists of three parts. It starts with the introduction, goes on to the purpose of the interview, and ends with the closing of the interview. If you understand the objective of each part—from the interviewer’s point of view—you can increase your chances of beating your competition. After all, someone will be […]
Strategies for Deflating the Ageism Myth
Recently, a client in her fifties told me that in a job interview an employer told her outright that they were really looking for someone much younger. She said that this experience caused her a lot of anxiety and has made her very self-conscious. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. In a coaching session, […]
How to Overcome Your Insecurities
Are you insecure at times? Of course you are, because this is how we keep checks and balances over our daily behavior. As a practicing career coach, I see this personality trait every day. And because about 70% of my clients are in transition, I see it more than others do. I remember that when […]
Good Practices When Asking for a Letter of Recommendation
Whether you are applying to a university program or for a new job, you will eventually find that you need to stockpile some letters of recommendation (also called reference letters). While requesting and writing letters of recommendation were once a common practice, neither are as prevalent as they once were […]
Interview Question: Why Do You Want to Work for Us?
In our series on interview questions that you can expect, this is one that will come up in almost every interview. And, consider yourself fortunate: This interview question is one of the top ones to separate the people who are 100% interested in a position from those […]
