Interviews are a crapshoot. While recruiting has become a science with all the data we have on candidates and AI, interviews are still an art form.
In interviews, you get the best version of yourself. You would not yourself be the best version every day, but in interviews, first impressions matter. Prepare for your interview by studying the company you are interviewing for and the person (or people) who are interviewing you. In addition review the most common questions in job interviews as well as what tools the employers will provide and what they’re looking for in the position.
While preparing and talking about your skill set confidently is vital, your non-verbal cues are important as well. Think of it as poker; people are reading you to see if you have a hand or not. They want to see if you have nervous ticks, behavioral patterns, sitting position, and other tendencies. That is what hiring managers will see. If you portray yourself as confident, more likely the hiring manager feels more positive about hiring you.
Interviews are not one-sided conversations. The applicant can ask questions, to the employer, about what to expect, what they can provide to make the applicant grow on the job and with the employer. Hopefully at the end of the interview, there is an understanding, on both sides, on what to expect for this job.
When you do an interview, do not come list your skills and accomplishments or come looking for a job. Ask yourself, “What can I bring to the employer?” Also, read the room/offices of what you might potentially deal with and if you can imagine be in that workplace.
Tracy Tran is the Sourcer and Social Media Specialist for The HR SOURCE.