Whether you are starting as a certified ethical hacker or a social media manager, you will face similar struggles in your job interview. Here are a few things that will help you ace that big meeting smoothly. Remember that an interview is like your first date with your potential future employer, so do not take it lightly and use all the help you can get.
1. Dress your way to success
The number one thing that impacts how the interviewer sees you is how you are dressed. It’s crucial to look the part when you are asking someone to give you a particular job. Always wear sharp formals and manage your hair properly. Use a proper folder or a bag to hold your documents. And if you are giving an online interview, then make sure you are sitting in a well-lit room with a desk so that you are properly visible to the interviewer.
2. Do your homework
If you are going for a technical interview, like a quality inspection manager or an ethical hacker, then do your homework properly before the big meeting. Keep your ethical hacking course online notes handy with you so that you can quickly brush up on the technical knowledge that you will need to showcase.
3. Clean your replies
When the HR manager or your to-be boss asks you something, give clear and crisp replies. Practice your communication skills, and make sure you don’t talk in circles. Be succinct and definite in whatever you say. If you sound confused and talk with a lot of ‘Uh’ and ‘Er’ in your sentences, then you won’t make a good impression.
4. Know about the organisation
The interviewer already knows you a little bit before they get to know you in detail through the meeting. Just like you send them a resume and a cover letter to give them a glimpse of who you are and what you do, you should also research about the organisation and what they do before you get to know the work in detail through the interview.
5. Give yourself a pep talk
Before you step in for the interview (or log in for it), give yourself a quick pep talk to boost your confidence. If you don’t believe in YOU, then don’t expect anyone else to. The interviewer is not your best friend who will give you a pep talk and make you see your value. In fact, you need to be that person in front of the interviewer. Don’t shy away from admitting how good you really are and why you are suited for the job.
6. Prepare for the most important question
When the interviewer asks you about yourself, don’t blabber about your life events unnecessarily. Your life could be a rollercoaster ride, but the interviewer didn’t ask for a ticket. Make them see your life clearly and concisely by using the ‘now, from, how’ technique: tell them where you are now, where you started from and how did you get here. This will cover all that the interviewer needs to know about you.
7. Calm your nerves
It’s okay to be nervous before an important interview. Take a few breaths and calm yourself before you start. You need to be composed and confident to stay aware and be in the moment, rather than be mentally absent during the interview. Don’t let your nerves get the best of you and stay sorted in your head with just a simple breathing exercise.
If you have any more tips, add them to your personal ‘interview preparation’ checklist.
All the best!
