Heading out to a job interview can be a source of anxiety. Even if you have a tremendous work history or the perfect educational background. If you are like many people, negative thoughts may creep into your mind…
“Oh no! I do not know the answer to that question! Everyone is staring at me. What should I do? I am going to ruin this job interview. No one told me they would ask this!”
How many times have you been in this situation? Where the job interviewer asks a question and you sit there, confused, not being able to answer.
As a matter of fact, such a situation is quite normal. Especially if someone is appearing for a job interview for the very first time.
According to research conducted by StandOut CV, globally, 93% of interviewees tend to experience job interview anxiety. Out of this, 41% experience stress due to the uncertainty associated with the possible interview questions.
Sounds scary? Yes.
However, all one needs is a little bit of planning and a little bit of practice to make it out of such a mess.
Related: 15 Emotional Intelligence Interview Questions to Spot—or Show—EQ
Why Plan for a Job Interview?
Whether it’s your first job interview, or you’ve been on dozens, it is always a good idea to know what you are getting into. For that, one needs to check a few boxes before setting foot in an interview hall.
- Apply for jobs you are good at
- Take risks that match your skillset
- Know what you can about the company and its employers
- Keep your emotions in check - it is important to be confident but crucial to not be over or underconfident
- Lastly, practice your answers to the most common job interview questions
Planning all these things helps one to be in control of the situation. Or at least feel like being in control. This helps to get rid of quite a few nervous jitters that one might have.
Also, it is always better to prepare yourself ahead of time.
If you haven’t read our Do’s and Don’ts for Job Interviews article yet, you may want to do that — especially if you are a first-timer!
Job Interview Skills to Master
Once an individual is done planning for an interview, then comes the part of setting up the right tools. These tools are called job interview skills.
Such skills help to establish a solid base for a potential employee to stand on. They allow one to present their best foot forwards in a professional setting. After all, the first impression matters the most.
Some of the most common (and important) skills to have are:
- Being punctual — not only at the interview but also in all pre-interview communications.
- Being well informed — the company will want to know what you know about them and maybe their competition.
- Being well dressed — always dress according to the job profile you are interviewing for.
- Being good at communication — verbal and non-verbal both.
- Being a good listener — listen well, and your interview will go well, too.
- Being confident — speak up and ask questions, do not shy away because of intimidation.
- Lastly, being comfortable — if you are too nervous, they will know.
The way you portray your job interview skills will help a lot in your evaluation. Employers never want someone who works like a machine. Rather, they want people who are flexible, resilient, experienced, and a good match for the company. They also want someone whose work values match theirs because it increases job satisfaction.
Job Interview Questions — Competency Assessment
Polished job interview skills paired with impressive interview answers equals a great job offer.
However, the question remains: what questions should one prepare for?
The main focus of every job interview is to assess how an interviewee will benefit the company.
The simplest way of doing that is by identifying key competencies that an individual holds. This gives an idea of what skill set they carry, how they used those skills in previous roles, and how it will add value to their new position.
Some of the most common competencies include:
- Leadership qualities
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking
- Time management
- Creativity and innovativeness
More or less, all job interview questions revolve around such key competencies.
Talking About Yourself
One of the most common job interview questions involves discussing one’s own self. A quick tip to tackle such a question would be to not repeat what is already there on the resume. Rather, one should talk about topics that would showcase a variety of professional qualities in an individual.
A good way to go about it would be to start with a self-marketing line. Be impressive!
Follow this by talking about your professional achievements and competencies.
In the end, state your future goals and aspirations in accordance with the company values.
Past Work Experience
Interviewers are interested in knowing about your professional outcomes.
There are numerous questions that help to do so. Such questions focus on discussing how the interviewee managed new responsibilities, workload, and expectations in their previous role.
One might be tempted to list down all their completed projects as an answer. Rather, it is important to pinpoint professional achievements that are relevant to the job one is interviewing for.
This adds value to how capable and proficient an individual is.
For jobs that are more manual and skill-based in nature, it helps to have a portfolio in hand. Portfolios allow the work to speak for itself.
Uniqueness
Interviewers always look for something new. They want to know what makes an individual stand apart from the crowd. At the same time, they also want to know if a candidate sees what makes them different.
Under such a circumstance, it is better to avoid praising yourself without a break. Rather, focus on discussing what you would bring to the table. Add in how your experience and expertise would help the company grow.
A good way to do that would be to know what the job description requires from you. Once you do, make sure you communicate that to the interviewers. After all, to stand out, you will have to speak up.
Reason For Shifting Jobs
This topic allows the interviewer to assess a candidate’s weaknesses.
Regardless, it is always better to speak the truth.
Be it quitting a job or getting fired from it, one should self-reflect and see what went wrong. Along with that, also see what new things they are looking for. This conversation helps to set certain expectations both ways.
For example, if an individual leaves a workplace because of not enjoying their work, it is okay to say so. After all, if one cannot enjoy what they do, how are they supposed to bring value to it?
If you have a habit of changing jobs quite a lot, you may want to read our guide on how to find a job you love.
Time Management Skills
Questions that talk about time management skills are usually directed toward women. Especially if they are married and plan on starting a family soon.
A great way to go about this is to ensure that one repeats their proven ability to excel at their career. Even with other responsibilities at hand. Especially when it comes to knowing how to separate one’s personal responsibilities from professional ones.
Along with that, it also becomes crucial to guarantee that work-related deadlines will be met in a timely manner.
A Job Interview Can Tell You A Lot
A job interview is an individual’s first step to becoming part of a workplace. A lot can be assessed by it.
One should make sure to ask as many questions as one wants. After all, it is the interviewee who would be investing their time, energy, skills, and expertise in the company. A few examples of such questions would include asking about:
- The work culture of the company
- Work values and ethics that employers hold
- Employee wellness programs that might be offered
- Clarity in job descriptions and expectations
Remember, a lot can be told about a workplace from a job interview. Especially if it has a toxic culture or not. For that, it is always important to look out for any possible job interview warning signs.
In the end, be confident, well-planned, and well-prepared. All will come easy after that.
To give you a hand, BrainManager has put together a Job Interview Cheat Sheet to help you prepare for the questions your interviewer may ask. It’s available as a printable download in the Careers Section of our free member’s area.
Not sure what the perfect job is for your personality?
Take our mini free career quiz for some quick highlights. Want to learn even more about yourself? Take our career interest test to help you determine whether the job you’re interviewing for will be a good fit for you!
