4 Hacks To Cracking Any Interview Changing your perspective and preparation method for interviews helps make the experience less daunting. Follow these four tips to find out how to crack any job interview and stand out from other candidates.
By Kavya Pillai •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
One of the most essential steps in securing a job is acing the interview. Job interviews are a great opportunity for you to highlight your skills and experiences. Yet, the whole ordeal of meeting a stranger in a position of authority, talking about oneself, and being judged and evaluated on your appearance and demeanour is extremely nerve-racking. Surprisingly, interviews do not always have to be this way though. Changing your perspective and preparation method for interviews helps make the experience less daunting.
In a broad sense, interviews are just conversations between individuals trying to understand each other. Employers opt for interviews to have a better understanding of applicants whose experience matches the job role. The success of any interview depends on presentation, performance and follow-ups post the interview by the interviewee. Follow these four tips to find out how to crack any job interview and stand out from other candidates:
1. Understand the Job
Learning about the job you are applying for is crucial. You could do this by reviewing the job description to understand the skills and qualifications the job requires. These descriptions perfectly outline an employer's expectations from employees in the role. This piece of information also helps you customize your CV to fit the position better and make you an appealing candidate. Go one step further and categorize your strengths and weaknesses vis-a-vis the requirements of the job to understand how you should approach the interview.
2. Learn about the company
Employers generally prefer candidates who know about the company and its work. As an aspiring employee you should research the company by visiting its website and social media accounts to gauge its mission, work and work culture. While you are researching you should also go through employee reviews on third-party sites so you gain an insight into employee experiences. You can align your responses with the company's culture and values by reading up about the place and interviewer. This will also help you familiarize yourself with the interviewer's personality and temperament beforehand.
3. Revise your CV
After gaining enough insight into the position and the company, go ahead and customize your CV to match the job and company. Make sure to highlight the skills and strengths the employer had specified in the job description. Also, see if you have any additional experiences or skills that you have not previously mentioned but find the company culture would appreciate. While you are trying to sell yourself and match the place, keep in mind to be genuine and honest on your resume. Note that an impressive but fictional resume will not win you any laurels. Anuj Gosalia, CEO and Founder of Terribly Tiny Tales said, "I can't emphasize enough on the importance of having a strong portfolio when pursuing a career especially in the field of content and marketing. Employers want to see evidence of your writing skills, creativity, and ability to drive results, and a portfolio is the perfect way to showcase these abilities."
4. Prepare till the point you are comfortable
Apart from domain-related questions, some of the common interview questions include, tell us about yourself, why do you want this job? Why are you looking to shift jobs? What are some of your strengths and weaknesses? And Where do you see yourself in five years? So be sure to have a clear answer to these simple questions. Apart from this, plan your travel well in advance so that you reach the venue at least fifteen minutes before the scheduled time. Showing up early to the job interview allows you to relax and freshen up before you meet your interviewer. Lastly, make sure you carry all the necessary documents required and present yourself in appropriate attire. While you do want to dress to impress it is important to also be comfortable so that you are focused only on the interview.
