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How To Shine During an Interview

The biggest mistakes that you can make in an interview are lying and not being yourself. Yes, your qualifications matter. But they don’t matter near as much as your authenticity. If you want to shine during an interview, you need to know and do these things.

Research:

We’ve said it before, and we will say it until the end of time. Do your research before you go into an interview. Research the company, its history, purpose, management, etc. Look up recent news articles about them and any press releases. Knowing your facts and being able to showcase that in the interview will give you so much confidence and help you put your best foot forward.

Practice

There are several common interview questions that you need to be prepared to answer. Those include things like “Tell me about yourself,” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and “Why do you want to work here?”

Practice your answers to these questions so that you aren’t spending the entire interview trying to think of answers. Just be careful not to over practice so that you sound like you’re reading from a script.

Be honest

While an interview is meant for you and the recruiter to get to know each other better, the recruiter did their research on you just like you did on the company. They performed reference checks and reviewed your resume. If they haven’t done that before your interview, you can bet they will after, so don’t lie. Don’t embellish your work experience or qualifications. They will find out and it will not be good for you.

Be yourself

You were called to the interview because the recruiter wants to get to know YOU. Not the person you think they want to see. The most important thing you can do to shine during an interview is to be yourself.

Do you have any more tips on how to shine during an interview? Drop them in the comments!

How to Win During Your Virtual Interview

Lisa Yannett Interview Tips Comments Off

To keep in line with social distancing protocols, many companies that are still hiring employees have switched to a new interview process – virtual interviews. Platforms like Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts allow companies to interview potential employees without being in the same room. Even though you are interviewing from the comfort of your home, it is still an interview and you should treat it with the same importance. All interviews can be nerve-wracking, but the changes that come with a virtual interview can make it especially overwhelming. Though the essence of the interview won’t change, many aspects of it will require you to prepare differently. That’s why we want to give you the do’s and don’t’s of virtual interviews. If you take our advice, you’re sure to win during your virtual interview!

Do

Practice interview questions – typical interview questions include “Tell me about yourself,” “What are your strengths and weaknesses,” and “Tell us about a time you overcame an obstacle in the workplace.” Practicing answers to these kinds of questions will help ease your nerves and confidence during your interview.
Wear a professional outfit – Even though you won’t be in the office with your interviewers, you still need to dress the part. You may think that because you will be sitting and the interviewers will only be able to see your top half, you still need to wear a complete professional outfit. So, yes, you have to wear pants.
Print your resume – Your interviewer will most likely have a copy of your resume on hand, but you need one too. During your interview, you may want to make references to your resume, and having your own hard copy will show your preparedness and only help you during your interview.
Make sure your computer is updated – Imagine this: your interview is scheduled at 2 p.m. You power up your laptop at 1:30 p.m. to find out you have a hefty update required before you can log on. The day before your interview, check your laptop for any needed updates and get those taken care of.
Do a trial run – practice using the app, website or software that you will be using for your virtual interview. Have a friend pretend to be the interviewer and practice the interview, from start to finish to get all the kinks out before the real-deal.

Don’t

Wing it – This is still an interview, so you need to treat it with the same significance you would if you were driving to an office to interview.
Wear stripes or loud patterns – Camera don’t like patterns or stripes. They create weird images on your interviewers screen, so stick to solid colors that look good on camera.
Chew gum – This goes for in-person interviews also. You might think ti will keep your breath fresh during your interview or help you focus, but really it can be a horrible distraction for your interviewers. Plus no one wants to see you smacking on gum while you’re talking to them.
Go to a public place – Unless you absolutely have to, don’t go to a public place for the interview. Instead, find a quiet area in your house. Make sure the decor behind you isn’t too distracting.
Panic – No matter what, keep calm. Your interviewer is most likely conducting virtual interviews for the first time. They have their own struggles and nerves coming into the interview. Keep your cool and you will do great!

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