What we mean by surviving a job interview is that you come away from it not all battered and bruised mentally and downhearted about your chances but that you came out on top and gave of your best. Then you can satisfy yourself in your mind that it is only the competition that can beat you to the job. There is, of course, a degree of luck with interviews because your success also relies on how many other interviewees had the same skills as you. All you can do is keep trying until you become the only one who has all the skills that the employer is looking for as well as coming over well enough at an interview to demonstrate that you are the best candidate to put those skills to good use.
So, here are some tips.
Research the Company Thoroughly
Don’t be caught out by not knowing enough about the company that you have applied to work for. There will be more to know about than just the job that you are applying for. There is less of an excuse these days because the internet will provide many of the answers you will be expected to know.
Anticipate Concerns
Think about in advance what concerns a potential employer might have with regards to any skills that you might be lacking. This is unlikely to relate to the skills that are essential for the job but those that are preferred. It is in this area you will need to shine above the other applicants. You will need to compensate in other ways for skills that you are lacking on paper by coming up with scenarios that demonstrate you would be quite capable of a job requiring that skill because of life experiences. It pays to think of some skill-related scenarios and things you might have done that have been tucked away at the back of your memory.
Practice Your Interview Technique
It is a good idea to have mock interviews with friends and family to practice your interviewing technique. They could come up with a selection of relevant questions that test your answering abilities. It is okay to pause for a moment to consider your answer carefully, but not for too long. You should have rehearsed because the chances are that the other candidates will have done.
Film yourself as the interviewer would see you answering questions during a mock interview. We do not always realize how we come over from another’s perspective.
The more interviews you have, the better you will get at them. It will give you a sense of confidence that you know more or less what is expected. More often than not they will be panel interviews, making it seem that you are outnumbered. You are only in truth outnumbered in an interview when you feel that way. Only one person can ask a question at a time, so it is no different from having one person asking all the questions.
Therefore company well that you are applying to and be ready to answer the question about what you know of them in detail. Think how an employer is likely to interpret any skill gaps and be ready to explain any shortcomings and turn them into a positive. A willingness to learn and undertake more training always goes a long way. Then, the number one way to succeed at an interview is to be practiced enough to think of them as just a walk in the park. That is as if it means nothing when in fact it means everything. This is how to deal with nerves and feel more relaxed about the whole process. It is a good tip to end on that we should not overthink things, just have thought about them enough to be and feel fully prepared. You will get to know, by experience, how far to go with interview preparation, so as not to give yourself sleepless nights. You have to remember that there is always the next interview to do better at if we do not succeed at the one before.