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Job Interview: step by step guide

Once you get over the excitement of having got the interview call that you have been looking forward, the next step would be to convince your interviewers that you are the correct person for the job. A little known secret to secure the job that you desire is to control the interview process.

You can enhance the chances of your success by staying optimistic, remaining calm and confident and expecting good results. This approach will present you as different and refreshing in the eyes of the employer. The thing that you should remember is that companies don’t like to waste time so you are not there because they want to evaluate multiple candidates. You are called in because they want to hire you.

Now that we have discussed how to prepare for a job interview It is now up to you to go out there with confidence and impress upon your future employers that you are the perfect candidate for the job.

How to control the interview process

The important aspect of the interview is to control your interview and you can do that by not waiting for the interviewers to ask you the questions.

You should remember the phrase – “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”

It is important that you create your best impression the moment you say “Hello” as this is the moment that your interview begins

You should be smiling, be full of enthusiasm and be positive of about what is coming

You should not be overeager giving the impression that you have been bowled over by the company

You should relax and show that you are curious to know whether the job is the right choice for you

Taking the steps mentioned below can dramatically improve the chances of your success

Job Interview Step 1 – Control the job interview process by asking questions

You can control the interview process by asking questions instead of waiting for the interviewers to ask you the questions. You should remember that it is the first 15 minutes of the interview that would determine whether you would succeed or not. This makes it imperative for you to know about your future company and what your employers expect from you at outset itself. The importance of controlling the interview from the word go is that it would give you an insight into what the employer is looking for in you.

The moment you shake hands you could ask the interviewers about themselves. You can ask them the following questions about the company

How long have you been with the company?

What do you find rewarding about working here?

What is the culture in the company like?

What is the reason that this position is open?

What are the future growth opportunities?

What are the main challenges and problems I would be dealing with?

What results would you like to see in first 3 months?

Job Interview Step 2 – Feed the answers back to them

The first step will have given you the insight of what your future employers are looking for in you even before they could ask the question

So tell me about yourself

If they still ask you the question you can simply ask them

What aspect in me would you like to know more about

You should keep your answers short and crisp not exceeding 30 seconds as you would not like your interviewer to get bored. The reality is that most recruiters follow a general script that has been build up over the years.

Having created our little stories and knowing a bit more about what the company is looking for we can confidently answer the interview questions

Job Interview Step 3 – Creating rapport with your future employers

As you are already aware of what the employers are looking for you should take the opportunity to deepen the rapport with them on the basis of the same. An example of how you can achieve this is that if the interviewer says

We are looking for a candidate who is resourceful, proactive and keen to look for solutions independently so that we do not have to hold his or her hands every time.

You can reply

I know what you mean and I believe that the person should be proactive and look at different approaches to find solutions. In my previous position (insert story here), because of this I believe myself to be very resourceful and proactive enough to get ahead on my own.

Such an approach would bring you closer to being hired as the interview process is basically about the employers liking the person that they are hiring.

Job Interview Step 4 – Make them answer questions with you in mind

The next step for you would to make your employers believe that they have already hired you. You should build upon the rapport that you have created with your interviewers to ask about the future. You can ask them about

Who are the people with whom I would be working with?

What are your expectations in the first six months of being hired?

Can you describe what a typical day is like and what I would be accomplishing on a daily basis?

This question would invariably make the interviewer’s answer the questions with you in mind. Amongst the competition it’s very important to be remembered. It’s not uncommon for a recruiter to refer to a candidate by “the guy with the red shirt”. That is exactly why stories and questions mentioned above are important to develop.

Step 5 – Make them consider you immediately

By this time a nice conversation should be unfolding. When you notice the interview coming to end or even after you shake hands. You can tell them

I have worked with several companies and along the way I have come to know what I am looking for. From my personal experience I believe that the no matter how great the company or the position or the title is the most important thing for me is to work with people with whom I am comfortable with both on a professional and personal level.

You can add

Although we are having a pleasant interaction, it’s also very important for me to possibly meet the people I would be reporting to before I am given the offer? – If it is a position where you are working primarily by yourself you can ask for a quick tour of the workplace.

This can often time move you faster thought the recruitment process. The recruiters and hiring managers are not always the hiring authority. Often times they report to other internal managers who receive a report afterwards which can trigger the second stage of the interview process. The more people you meet and have a good interaction with the higher your chances (often the secretary will have input on your behavior in the waiting room and how pleasant you are).

Asking proactive questions as the one above would invariably catch them by surprise and create a positive impression about you. It is highly likely that they would say that we are a fantastic team and they would be open to showing you around to meet other people in the department. If you are introduced to anybody else make it a strong habit to remember ones name. Try to have memorable interactions with everybody. Expanding upon what the interviewer has told us you can ask for further input into the challenges, your impressions, and try to be inquisitive about the details.

Once you are home it’s time to follow-up and thank everybody. If you remember their name a quick search in LinkedIn can uncover their profile. Read our guide to how to find a job on LinkedIn for more details. Connect with them, thank them for their time and try to bring up something from the brief interactions you had. This interview technique is bound to create an immediate and profound rapport with your future employers.

Pictures by Victor1558

I wish you guys the best of luck and let us know if you have any specific questions regarding your upcoming job interview. Help us grow the site by sharing this article, we have provided social sharing buttons below. one click from you helps us immensely. Stay tuned much more to come including a few give away contests towards the end of the year. – Ibro Leave This Blank: Leave This Blank Too: Do Not Change This: Your email:

