Job Interviews: Do's And Dont's

We are all familiar with the nerves and pressure that come with an upcoming job interview. Whether it’s a fresh graduate facing the first-ever interview of their career or a seasoned top-level executive looking for greener pastures, it’s a nerve-racking process to face a job interview. The time leading up to the interview is filled with apprehension, so many questions riddle your head. What to wear, how to present yourself, how to create a good first impression, and to convince the interview panel of the suitability of your skillset for the opening you are trying to nab. It is tough to convince strangers who are already hard to impress and ready to catch any irregularities in your narrative. That too in a very short amount of time. And as they say, the first impression is the last impression! This saying fits perfectly here and to achieve a good first impression, you should make a list of bullet points to be followed before any interview.

The first thing that anyone notices about you is how you look. This holds true for interviews also. Presenting yourself in a well-dressed and well-groomed manner tells the interviewer that you take this commitment seriously and want to create a good impression. Appearing disheveled, in informal clothes, and untidy means you don’t care much for this job and is also an indicator of unprofessional behavior in the workplace. Men should wear a well-tailored suit for an interview. If you can’t afford a high-end branded suit, you can always choose a simple and cheaper option, just make sure that it fits you well. Loose and baggy clothing makes you look nervous and less confident, not a quality you want your future employer to conceive about you. Wash your hair and set it nicely, make sure you don’t have any dandruff issues; as it will be visible on your suit jacket and make a bad impression. Don’t wear any accessories, just a nice formal watch and a leather belt are good enough. And if you have it, your wedding ring. Properly clean and polish your shoes before heading out the door. Use a mild perfume, as we tend to sweat more when nervous. 

For women, there are more dressing options available. You can choose to go with a fitted pantsuit or a nice pencil skirt. You can pair them with a light-colored shirt or a modest formal blouse. Do not use any heavy accessories, pair it with small stud earrings, maybe a simple thin chain, and if you have them, your engagement or wedding ring. Unnecessary heavy jewelry does not look well with formal attire. Wash and arrange your hair in a nice formal hairstyle and use a mild, pleasant fragrance. Preferably don’t wear too high heels, opt for flat matching pumps or small heels. 

Other than the attire, our body language is also a big part of our personality. First and foremost, never be late for an interview. Always arrive at least 15 minutes earlier and get settled. A nice firm handshake with your interviewer while enquiring how they are and their day has been, makes for a good conversation starter and sets a good positive vibe for your interview. Women should especially pay attention not to slouching or fidgeting, as it shows low confidence. Sit straight and look directly at your interview panel. Don’t wave your hands or gesture too much while answering questions. Tapping your feet or distractedly looking somewhere else are also indicators of nervousness, try to avoid that. Try to be friendly. Keep a smile on your face and be engaging with everyone you interact with. When it comes to interviewing etiquette, there are some dos and don’ts that will help you to be prepared.

 

Sr. No.	Dos	Don’ts
1	The most important task before any interview is to study the company. Be well versed in how they operate, which services they provide, their work culture, and company policies. Also, research the exact job profile of the company that you are interviewing for so that you can tailor your past experiences accordingly.	If you skip the company research task and head into the interview without any background knowledge of the job profile, you may get blindsided by some important questions in the interview. It also shows a lack of effort and a disinterest in the job on your part.
2	Try to focus on your past achievements. Frame your answers in such a manner that they are relevant and also highlight your experience in similar jobs.	Don’t pull focus from the main questions or repeatedly keep talking about your past achievement, even when they are irrelevant to the question asked. This might seem like bragging.
3	Listen attentively to the interviewer and nod and smile at every member. Ask relevant questions or ask to elaborate if you don’t understand their question properly. This will help to develop a good two-way conversation.	Repeatedly interrupting the interviewer, not letting them complete their questions, and asking irrelevant or uninformed questions to appear as if you know everything about the matter at hand doesn’t work well.
4	Be honest about your past professional experience and put emphasis on the skill sets that are most relevant to the post you are applying for. Be clear about why you left your last job and your future expectations.	Don’t badmouth any of your former employers or colleagues, as this will make you look capable of similar behavior in the new workplace as well. Don’t lie on your resume and try to be honest about your abilities and skills.
5	Prepare relevant questions beforehand and don’t hesitate to ask them to the interviewer in a polite manner. Any information or queries related to the products or services they offer or the job profile are also welcome and show initiative on your part.	Don’t wait till the end of the interview to ask your questions. Instead, work them in the conversation early on, this shows your confidence and the effort you took beforehand to prepare well for the interview.
6	At the end of the interview, shake hands with every member of the interview panel and part ways with a “Hope to hear from you soon”. This will help to create a good parting impression.	Don’t leave in a rush or nervously hesitate for a handshake. Leaving without a smile on your face or any polite greeting might put a damper on an otherwise good interview.

 

Even before the workplaces changed due to the worldwide pandemic, people used to give distance interviews over phone calls or zoom video meetings. And this has increased more after travel restrictions everywhere. So if you are interviewing on a phone call, you have to be extra attentive to what the other person is saying. There is no need to be worried about your attire or body language but then you have put all your efforts into being a good listener and simultaneously conveying your answers in a precise and convincing manner. If your interview is via a video meeting, then make sure to dress well and appear professional. Get your audio and video equipment ready and tested well before time and ensure proper light is available for good video quality. Reduce background noises and don’t use any digital background, keep it natural. Be relaxed and pay attention to the interviewer and be prompt in answers. 

If you have a face-to-face interview, then you must appear well-groomed and at your best polite and professional behavior. Try to calm your nerves and appear confident, like fidgeting and slouching are a dead giveaway of lack of confidence. A firm handshake and smile and nod in response to the conversation can make a big difference.

There are some very common interview questions that need to be answered in a unique way to set yourself apart from your competition.

1. Tell us about yourself: To answer this question, you are not supposed to tell your whole life story, but about your professional journey and your relevant work history. But you are allowed to tell your “Work Story”, which will focus on your skill set and work experience.

2. What do you know about the company?: Here you can use all the research that you have done in your preparation for the interview. Try to focus on how well-reputed the company is in its field and the impressive work culture they are known for. Also focus on the products of the company, that will showcase your study about their offerings.

3. How are you suitable for this role?:  For this answer, showcase your passion for the job, and explain precisely how your past experience is relevant to the particular job profile and what new and unique offerings you can bring to your company.

4. What are your strengths?: This is a tough question, as you don’t want to appear bragging. Say that you are “excellent at working under pressure. . “ or “ good at planning and attention to detail like. . “ or “ efficient in tough situations and can troubleshoot well. . “ with relevant examples from your past.

5. What is your weakness?: It is best to relate this answer to one of your past experiences in the workplace. How you came to realize your weakness and the efforts you have taken since then to better yourself will put a nice spin on your response.

6. Why do you want to leave your current employer?: The most important point to remember here is don’t badmouth your previous employer. Just explain that you have had a great experience working till now and are ready to take on a more challenging role. That this position will help you to broaden your horizons and expand your knowledge.

7. Can you handle tough situations?: Here you should focus on a particular example from your past working experience, describing the task you were involved in, the particular challenge that arose, and the strategy you devised to troubleshoot. Also, include the positive results at the end to emphasize your success.

8. Why do you want to work for this company?: This is the best place to create a segway into your suitability to work in that specific job profile. Relate your information about how reputed the company is and its offerings are better than its competitors to how you are a perfect fit for the role and what unique qualities you can bring to your new team. (Link)

 

Following all of these little tips and tricks will surely help in your search for better work opportunities.