A Guide to Impressing Your Interviewer and Acing That Job Interview

Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need a lot to be able to impress recruiters especially if you want a job you love. If you have an upcoming interview, fret not.  

Following are first hand tips on how to do well on your first few meetings with potential employers.

Be Yourself

It is important to unveil your true self to potential employers. Hiring managers look for raw, pure talent in their respective fields — they are in search of you. Be confident, smile and stay calm. If you don’t know how to answer a certain question, politely and confidently say so.

Don’t put on any airs. If you’re suited for the job and have prepared, you’ll do well in the interview.

Power Posing

In order to express yourself, you have to be confident. And the way to do that is by power posing i.e. how to adopt the right posture for the right occasion. A few years ago, Amy Cuddy delivered a powerful TED talk explaining the impact our posture has on the way we feel.

The psychology behind it is simple: when we arrange our expressions or posture a certain way, our brain adapts to it.

When you smile, your brain produces happy hormones. To feel confident, sit with your back straight and shoulders relaxed.

Don’t try to cover your vital organs (heart, lungs and stomach) in a defensive posture. And do not touch your neck. These signs give your recruiters the feeling that you are uncomfortable in general.

You can also power-pose before an interview or presentation for an afterglow. Raise your arms in a gesture of victory. Stand in front of a mirror and give yourself a grin for a minute to experience the effect.

Interview Preparation

Spontaneous answers are great. But it’s good to know what interviewees are going to ask, and making mental notes for how you can respond to those questions.

Here is an infographic for the most common interview questions you are going to be asked:

Practice them!

Expected Salary

This is a trap! Do whatever you can to avoid answering this question. Only declare that you’re happy to accept market competitive rates. This is the unspoken rule of all interviews, and must always be remembered.

Ask Questions

An interview is always two-way. Do not hesitate to ask anything you have in mind.

At the end of the day, only accept an offer you are passionate about.

Our next post in career series will focus on how to excel in your career. Have a question? Let us know!