How to Stand out at Interviews – What they don’t tell you...PART 2

5.      Relax – Be cool, calm and collected

Just as you are being assessed for a position in the company, you should also be assessing whether the company, environment and job are right for you. Be unflappable, unfazed. Don’t rise to certain questions or perceived slights. Sometimes it is a way to assess how you react. Choose wisely what to react to and how to react. Use silence to your benefit. Don’t get agitated, just smile and wait. You’ve answered the question and it’s now over to me your interviewer to continue. Just look at the interview expectantly they will get the message loud and clear. However, if you are one of those people that really don’t know how to be quiet, you can say something like ‘Was there anything else you wanted to ask me?’ or ‘I hope that has answered your question satisfactorily, please let me know if you would like me to expand further.’ However, I still say just keep quiet, like the Dalai Lama said ‘Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.’ and I wholeheartedly agree.

Have a relaxed smile, not a cheesy grin or a wide smile or straight face, but a polite smile as if you were about to meet the Queen or Barack Obama for the first time. This will help to lend an aura of approachability.

 

6.      Mind your Language

Just like the popular 1970/80s British comedy series, ‘Mind your Language!’ Ensure that whatever you say cannot be misconstrued. Speak clearly and to the point with no double entendres and avoid any puns intentional or otherwise. Ensure that you tailor your language to the industry the company is in as well as to your job field. Make sure you use industry-speak/ terminology.  Where applicable, use quantifiable achievements as much as possible (sure winner especially in roles that involve reporting and monitoring trends etc). Also when asked certain competency questions, tailor your response to show how your experiences relate to the company and the job you are coming to do and how it can thus benefit the company.  When asked about yourself and experience, again, emphasize areas that most closely relate to the job in question and the company/ industry.

If swearing is a pastime, while I don’t think I should mention this, I still will...CUT IT OUT. Be polite to all whether cleaner or receptionist, you never know who is watching. Sometimes the interviewers ask receptionists their impressions and use that in their assessment. Also, always ensure there is a clear progression in whatever you are saying and that your answers flow smoothly while giving the requisite information. Practice by looking in the mirror to see how you look when you speak and improve your grammar and tense usage.

 

7.      Expert Knowledge

How do you answer your interview questions? (this will be discussed in-depth in the subsequent post, but I will highlight a few things here)

Be sure you know exactly what is needed from a question. What characteristic is required to be portrayed for a competency based question? What part of your experience relates more closely with the job in question? What do they want to know? Listen carefully and ensure that your answer shows you have what it takes and whatever they are looking for. If you are not sure, ask for the question to be repeated, you will never lose points for asking an interview to ‘please repeat the question’. When answering, get straight to the point, you will most likely be interrupted if you are waffling and while that may not necessarily detract from that answer that will most likely ruffle you, make you more uncomfortable and may adversely impact your subsequent answers. Answer confidently and calmly and show that you have complete mastery of your area of expertise. Let them know that you know what you are talking about. Use the structure for answering questions that I will explain in my subsequent posts that will address answering normal and competency based questions. When used effectively, it never fails. Also, if it is a question that can be answered different ways, answer in the way that relates to the job. E.g. if it is a HR administrator job and you are asked if you have experience of redundancy, talk about the administrative processes involved; if a HR manager role and the same question comes up then talk about the redundancy process itself. So essentially are they looking for the technical answer of the managerial answer? It will always depend on the job.