Ace the Interview: 16 Expert Tips to Land Your Dream Job

16 Expert Tips to Land Your Dream Job. It is commonly observed that only 10% to 20% of job applicants make it to the interview stage of the hiring process. If you have a job interview scheduled, you are competing with an unknown number of candidates who have already been deemed promising based on their resumes. However, you can follow specific tips and tricks to ensure that your interview will go smoothly and you will be seen in the best light possible, significantly increasing your chances of getting a job offer.

Some of the tips may not apply to your situation. Consider your unique circumstances and use the advice outlined here to create your job interview “toolbox” to turn you into one of the most promising and well-prepared candidates.

Preparation

Preparing for your job interview is essential and will be more time-consuming than the interview itself. With every job interview, be aware of the four primary qualities hiring managers look for in candidates.

• Ability to communicate effectively
• Being capable of doing the job
• Being a good fit for the company
• Being an agreeable person

Here are 17 additional steps to help you nail the next job interview.

Research the Company

The first step in preparing for your job interview is researching the company. If this is a company for whom you’ve wanted to work for a while now, you are probably already quite familiar with it. But if you are not, take the time to visit their website and social media profiles. Learn about their mission, vision, and goals.

Try to get a sense of the company culture and the general vibe of those who already work there. That way, you can figure out if you are a good fit for the company – one of the four main qualities that are important to recruiters.

Learn About the Role You Have Applied For

Being able to do the job you’ve applied for is essential. But you have to keep in mind that this is something that goes beyond professional skills and competencies. Every job comes with specific aspects that are usually not well understood by inexperienced candidates. So take the time to research the role that you have applied for and what it entails. Your main priority is to understand its primary responsibilities, the required critical skills, and what it is like working full-time.

Prepare Your Answers to Common Interview Questions

Prepare a short introduction stating a few general facts about your background. This might include where you grew up, your school, and your broad interests. Stick to surface-level facts about yourself, and certainly don’t go into stating any polarizing controversial opinions.

After this, you should expect some general common interview questions:

• Why did you apply for this job?
• What do you know about the company?
• Why do you want to work for this company?
• Where do you see yourself in one year?
• Why should we hire you?

Prepare answers for all these questions and memorize them. These questions have a secondary purpose that goes beyond your answers. Most recruiters want to know if you are genuinely interested in the role. They would like to hire somebody who is intrinsically motivated to work this job, not a person who is simply in need of employment and income.

The hiring managers will pay attention to how you answer these questions and how you behave while you respond to them. If you answer any of these questions in a vague and disinterested way, that would be a major red flag for any recruiter and would seriously harm your chances of getting the job offer.

Prepare Notes and a List of Questions

Using notes during job interviews is normal. Also, recruiters will perceive you as organized and well-prepared when they notice that you have brought notes. Your notes can contain specific facts about your career, such as notable professional achievements, dates, numbers, statistics, etc., and any questions you might have for the recruiters. While using notes is perfectly fine, how you use them also matters. You shouldn’t use them to read answers to job interview questions out loud.

Prepare Examples of Your Skills and Experience

You can prepare examples that showcase your professional skills and competencies based on the job specifics you have applied for. For example, if you have worked in Sales, you refer to the impressive numbers you have achieved. That speaks to how you can bring value to the company.  

Prepare Copies of Your Resume and Any Other Relevant Documents

You should bring printed copies of your resume, just in case, as well as any other relevant printed materials. Your goal is to make things as convenient as possible for your interviewers. That demonstrates that you are a team player and can plan.

Dress Appropriately for Your Job Interview

Three distinct dressing styles are associated with the office work environment – smart casual, business casual, and business professional. It is crucial to dress appropriately for your interview because it is part of fitting in. So visit the company website and check out their social media profiles. See if you can find pictures of employees and pay attention to what they wear. This should give you a pretty good idea of how to dress for your interview.

In any case, if you can’t find any reliable hints on what to wear, in most cases, it is safe to opt for a business casual outfit. However, a business professional would be safer if you applied for a higher management position.

Arrive on Time for Your Job Interview

The golden rule for job interview arrival time is this: it’s better to be a few minutes early than one minute late. However, arriving way too early would be problematic as well. In most cases, you’d want to arrive about 10 to 15 minutes early as this would usually be enough time to go through a reception process and then be taken to the room where your job interview will occur.

Be Mindful of When Your Interview Takes Place

When your interview takes place matters and could affect its outcome. Interviewing early in the week and early in the day is possibly better because the interviewers won’t be tired from conducting numerous interviews. This means they will be much more present and energetic during your interview. So be mindful of when your interview is taking place and do your best to read the room once you are in there with the interviewers.

Be Mindful of Your Body Language and Voice

When you finally meet your interviewers, be mindful of your body language and how you speak. You’d want to keep your head up high and shoulders straight. Take a deep breath before you speak, and don’t shy away from meeting the gaze of your interviewers. If you are struggling with social anxiety, your body language and tone of voice reveal your nervousness. Your interviewers should immediately notice this if they are well-trained and experienced in observing kinesics.

Experienced interviewers are pretty good at making nervous candidates comfortable. They will ask you how you feel or if you’re scared. It is perfectly fine, to be honest, and there is nothing shameful, so don’t waste your energy by pretending. The interviewers would appreciate your honesty. You can say you are a bit nervous but excited to be there.

Let Your Interviewers Take the Lead

In the beginning, let the interviewers take the lead. Listen carefully to what they say and trust them to guide you through the process. Eventually, they will ask their first questions, allowing you to speak. Hopefully, all the preparation and visualization you did prior will kick in, and you can provide them with clear, concise, well-thought-out answers.

Showcase Your Ability to Communicate to Land Your Dream Job

Every job entails communication and teamwork. So, one of your main priorities should be demonstrating that you can effectively communicate and collaborate. Through active listening, you can show that you are paying attention and fully engaged in the discussion. Use your body language to your advantage by nodding, gesturing, and making eye contact as you listen to the hiring manager. Also, don’t hesitate to ask clarifying questions when it is appropriate to interject. But when you speak, do your best to be clear and concise. You should be able to express your thoughts and ideas with simple statements that are easy to understand.

Use Examples to Illustrate Your Professional Skills and Knowledge

Instead of using general statements about your professional competencies, do your best to present the hiring managers with relevant examples. This is where the notes you are going to bring with you are going to come in handy. For example, you can talk about what you worked on during the last 6 to 12 months at your previous job and what you were able to achieve. You can also take a quick glance at your notes to refer to specific numbers and time periods. Don’t avoid discussing your most notable professional achievements throughout your career – this is not the time to be too humble. But still, let the facts speak for themselves – there is no need to brag. Also, this will show the interviewers that you are a goal-oriented professional, which is usually a major green flag.

Engage the Interviewers With Relevant Questions

One of the best ways to show the hiring managers that you are proactive is to ask them questions about the company and role. You can prepare your list of questions in advance and include them in your notes. Include questions telling the interviewers that you have researched the company and the role. This way, you won’t have to come up with questions on the spot and waste time thinking. Also, asking questions about benefits and salary is perfectly fine. Which kind of brings us to the next point.

Negotiate Salary Without Losing the Job Offer

Negotiating salary during a job interview is not out of the question but a delicate process. You wouldn’t want to come off as greedy and self-serving. Your primary focus should be to figure out how you could bring extra value to the company through your work and then ask for higher compensation based on your capabilities.

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