Even if you are an experienced professional, it is always good to prepare for an interview beforehand. The first reason for doing this is that things change with time, so familiarizing yourself with latest interview trends and Interview tips will help you prepare better, and the second reason is that an interview can take on the nerves of even the most professional and experienced people so going through Interview tips can really help.
Being experienced does not mean that you know everything, and Interview tips will always help you to sharpen your answering skills. Convincing the hiring panel can be a tough job in the competitive scenario and Interview tips can help you to do this impressively. If you are not aware of the most recent interview protocols, then here are a few Interview tips that can help you shine your interviewing skills.
- Do your homework: This is not the first time that you are facing an interview, so remember that fluency and confidence is expected from you. The recruiters might also anticipate that you understand the job and the industry in a better way as compared to entry-level applicants. To stand up to their expectations, you should do some preparation before the interview. The main Interview tips say that you should know about the background of the employer, goals and mission of the enterprise, recent news or trends associated with the employer, major projects that the company is involved in, growth parameter of the company, qualifications required, job responsibilities, and even the long term objectives of the company.
- Highlighting the required facts: One of the most important Interview tips is that experienced candidates should be able to highlight their accomplishments and skills that are most relevant to the job. You should also be able to describe what all you learned in your earlier job and how it is useful for the present job. You should also be able to enumerate your success record and explain why are you enthusiastic for this job. Remember that you should emphasize more on your transferable skills.
- Questions to prepare: Other than the above Interview tips, you should take account of the following questions.
- One of the questions that you will definitely come across is, “Why are you leaving your current job. The reasons can be many, but answer that you choose to give should always be positive. If you state that you are looking for better prospects, then the interviewer might ask what kind of prospects you are looking for. Phrase your answer carefully, as your statements can change the direction of the interview.
- Another common question can be about your interest in the particular job. This question is normally asked to get an idea of how you can add more value to the enterprise. When answering this question, it is always better to put your personal qualities, experience, and your skills in the limelight. Another important point to consider while answering this question is that you should not defame or criticize your previous employer.
- The next question on the list is about your strengths and weaknesses. Although, you should be honest while answering this question, but when mentioning your weaknesses, you can put a more positive answer. For instance, you can say that fighting against wrong or working all round the clock are some of your weaknesses. This shows that you are a professional person and know how to turn such questions in your favor.
- Pay attention to what the recruiter is looking for: Interview tops for professionals emphasize more on understanding the needs of the recruiters, and how you fulfill those needs. If you have done some initial research about the company, then you might be aware of the key qualities that the hiring manager is seeking. If you know this, then try to match your skills with the requirements. You can put forward some examples that show your ability in tackling different situations. Not all the examples need to be from your job experience. You can also give examples from your academic work, social service, or other life experiences.
- Interview tips for case interviews: If you are giving interview in a marketing, financial, or consulting firm, then you need some additional Interview tips. You might be given a hypothetical problem to assess in such interviews. This is normally done to analyze your ability to tackle typical business situations. The best way to tackle such situation is to prepare in advance and practice. To solve such questions try to gather as much information as you can, and systematize your analysis, make recommendations, just use your deduction power and common sense to answer such question.
- Show your ability of learning, adapting, and innovating: A number of times recruiters wish to hire people who are ready to learn in every situation even if they are experienced professionals. If the hiring manager asks you to show how you can be adaptable and be a consistent learner, then too you can cite an example from your previous job experience, where you faced an unexpected challenge and had to choose a completely new approach to handle the situation.
- Collaborative communication: Even if you hold extensive experience or an executive position, donot try to dominate the interview. Let it be a two-way conversation, and assure that the recruiter know the advantage of hiring you. Selling yourself is the key in any kind of interview you face. Try to dig out the key points of the job specifications and show how you match these specifications. If you have conducted a thorough research about the company, then show it in your answers, but donot be overconfident and neither give any negative information about the company.
- Make a good exit plan: Every aspect of your interview should speak of your professionalism and experience, and even the wrap up part should be planned. You can thank the panel, if there is a panel interview or the recruiter for the time he spent with you.
Even after considering all the above interview tips, you should always keep a nice smile on your face, as this shows your confidence level as well. You can also check out interview tips to improve your professional etiquette.
Apart from all these Interview tips, remember that you are an experienced professional and your experience is your wealth, so focus more on your experience and on what you are capable of achieving.