After much effort, you have received a call for that interview, and you have emotions rushing through your mind on the possibilities. Interviewing for a new job can be stressful as many variables to consider.
Do you struggle to give effective answers to interview questions? Are you unsure how to share your accomplishments during an interview without sounding boastful? Do you find yourself stressing about the outcome of that job interview with your dream company?
Above all, If you limit yourself to the same strategies that everyone else does, preparing to answer the most common interview questions, how does that set you apart?
Additionally, Suppose you’re like many job candidates, especially those who’ve been employed for a while. In that case, you don’t have a lot of experience interviewing for jobs, and you don’t enjoy selling yourself. Plus, interviewing for a job isn’t a skill set taught in most colleges.
As a result, the only way candidates can prepare for an interview has been limited to studying the recommended answers to common interview questions.
This is where Effective Interview Preparation Coaching comes to your rescue.
We will discover the proven and effective job interview techniques in this article; you will surely leave an impression on the interviewer and boost your performance in the interview to get your dream job. With the secret job interview acing method in this read, you can ensure that not only do you shine in those hard-earned interviews but also that you get more and better offers.
Most Importantly, Your interview success will not come exclusively through preparing for the most common interview questions but rather through psychological influence on your interviewers.
Remember, everyone invited to an interview has already been deemed qualified based on their resume. So, now it’s your turn to impress the interviewers with your uniqueness and stand out in your job interview.
How would you feel if you received effective and tailored job interview tips, one-on-one interview practice, mock interviews from an accomplished and leading interview coach who has cracked interviews with Amazon and other leading companies in the Consumer and Tech Industry?
As a Career Coach, I am passionate about helping people achieve their career goals, and hence have distilled my experience into this proven 10 step Interview Preparation Coaching Method which you can use to ace any job interview live the life of your dreams.
10 Step Interview Preparation Coaching to Ace Common Interview Questions
1. How to Prepare for an Interview? Start with In-Depth Research
I can’t stress enough the importance of in-depth research about your target company and the role on offer as an important starting step to your job interview preparation.
Moreover, there are some key aspects that you need to look at during this research phase to nail your job interview like a pro. Let’s look at some of those critical areas you must research before the job interview:
Culture – One of the critical areas of assessment during a job interview at most companies is to check if the candidate will be a good culture fit.
Role Clarity – The job description is a great starting point to prepare for a job interview as you can understand the critical skills needed for the role, gain insight on what experience you can expect in the role, and also pick on some powerful keywords which you can use during the job interview to make a great impression.
Values or Principles – Check out the company site to understand the Mission, Purpose, and Key Values or Principles the company expects all employees to demonstrate. We will cover this critical topic in greater detail below.
A deeper look at the Company – Check out the company site, press release, LinkedIn handles, and listen to the latest earnings call if it is a listed company. You will gain compelling insights into the company’s performance and strategy, which will be immensely beneficial during your job interview.
Current Employees – Check out the people you can expect to work with if selected for the role, try to make a connection, or find alumni with who you can reach out and get a more inside perspective.
What are employees telling – Refer to sites like Glassdoor to understand what the current employees are telling about the company culture, the pros and cons of working at the company, what to expect in the interview process, and more.
2. Perfect your response to Tell me About Yourself in the Interview
One of the most frequently encountered questions in a job interview is “Tell me about yourself.” It should be easy to answer, right? After all, no one knows your experience better than yourself. But it happens to be one of the interview questions job-seekers bomb the most.
You say too much or too little; you forget crucial information about your professional background while including many useless details. It’s time to forgo improvisation and develop a clear, concise answer.
By preparing your backstory, you’ll be ready to show interviewers your unique personality along with the strengths of your qualifications. This is one of the most important elements to crack your job interview.
3. Master your responses to the Most Common Interview Questions
- Could you tell me about yourself and describe your background in brief?
- How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
- Do you prefer working independently or on a team?
- When you’re balancing multiple projects, how do you keep yourself organized?
- What did you do in the last year to improve your knowledge?
- From your resume, it seems [Any gaps in your resume.] Would you like to tell us more?
- What Is Your Greatest Strength and Weakness?
- Why Did You Leave (Or Why Are You Leaving) Your Job?
- How Has Your Experience Prepared You for This Role?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
4. Leverage the SBI or STAR Technique for Common Interview Questions
The STAR interview method helps you prepare for interview questions that determine whether you’ll handle specific situations associated with a job.
Most Importantly, using the STAR technique of answering interview questions allows you to provide concrete examples or proof that you possess the experience and skills for the job at hand. You’ll be able to share examples of how you successfully handled situations at work.
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Using this strategy is very helpful in response to competency-focused questions, which typically start with phrases such as, “Describe a time when…” and “Share an example of a situation where….” or behavioral questions during a job interview like “How do you manage conflict at work?” or “Tell me about a time when had to complete a task in a tight deadline.”
In addition, another popular technique to respond to job interview questions effectively is called SBI. SBI stands for Situation-Behavior-Impact, and this method is direct and straightforward: You capture and clarify the Situation, describe the specific Behaviors observed, and explain the impact that the person’s behavior had on you.
Certainly, the SBI Feedback Model is one of the most effective tools for both the talent and interviewer during a job interview, as it keeps the conversation and feedback very objective.
Situation: Outline the Situation you’re referring to so that the context is clear and specific.
Behavior: Discuss the specific behavior that you want to address.
Impact: Highlight the impact of the person’s behavior on you, the team, and the organization.
5. Rapport Building is a Key Factor to your Interview Success
Building rapport is how humans connect, identify shared feelings, and establish two-way communication. Rapport is essential because it allows us to connect and build relationships. It promotes connection with others on a personal level.
Watch your Tone – Mirroring the behavior or tone of the people you’re conversing with is a crucial way to influence others. Observe if the interviewer is using a formal tone, casual tone, is in a conversational mood – watch out for these cues and mirror them to amplify your connection and impact during the job interview.
Use a Positive Body Language: Positive body language helps the interviewer focus on what you are saying rather than how you look. When the interviewer can quickly process what you say, you are more likely to be called back with a job offer. Make eye contact and Smile – It has a contagious effect. 😊
Be Authentic – Practice but don’t over-rehearse; stay Curious; take a pause – after all, you want to build a human connection.
6. Company Culture Interview Questions for which you must prepare
Every company you apply to for a job interview has a set of values or principles they expect their people to embrace. In most cases, you will notice that these would form the core of assessment. Hence, you must identify these company values and think of relevant high-impact examples from your experience which highlight how you live those values.
For an amazon job interview, it’s the 16 Leadership Principles at Amazon you can refer to here; for a Google job interview, think about the 10 Core Google Values, or refer to the Microsoft Values here. These are just some examples which you can refer to get inspired, and then research about the culture and values of the organization to make a great impression in your job interview.
7. Review Job Description in detail to pick on Meaningful Experiences and Keywords
I found this one of the most insightful elements during Job Interview Preparation Coaching. This is about delighting the interviewer by coming across as a perfect fit for the profile. Find elements from your experience that match the job description and stitch that into your responses.
Additionally, remember to use some keywords that appear in the Job description in your articulation, which will enhance the impact and familiarity aspect with the interviewer.
8. Prepare some Unique Interview Questions to ask the Employer
- What’s one thing you’re hoping a new person can bring to the role?
- Where do you see the company in three years, and how would the person in this role contribute to this vision?
- What are the top skills and traits you’re targeting for this position?
- What do the day-to-day responsibilities of the role look like?
- What has been your best experience working here?
- What’s the first problem or challenge the person you hire will need to tackle?
- What does success look like in this position, and how do you measure it?
- Is there anything about my background or resume that makes you question whether I am a good fit for this role?
- What are the next steps in the interview process, and when can I expect to hear back?
- If hired, what are the three most important things you’d like me to accomplish in the company’s first six to 12 months?
9. Be aware of biases during interviews
Watch out for some of these biases which can exist with the interviewer:
First impression bias: involves making judgments based on a positive or negative first impression.
Confirmation bias: This involves listening only for details that confirm our preconceptions. This manifests as shifting from assessing the complexities of a candidate’s responses in an interview.
Contrast bias: This involves evaluating a candidate in comparison to other candidates.
Halo and horn effect bias: This involves allowing one positive finding (in the halo effect) or one adverse finding (in the horn effect) to overshadow the candidate’s “total package.”
10. Expert Interview Coach is your Key to Nail the Job Interview
A job interview is a crucial part of job hunting, so whether you’re looking for an entry-level job or an executive role, it’s never a bad idea to get some help polishing your skills. Hiring an interview coach is a great way to prepare for the interview process and give yourself an edge over your competition. So Executive Coach Career is the best option.
Interview coaching services are designed to help job seekers master the art of interviewing. Coaching sessions can cover anything from practicing common interview questions, nailing your elevator pitch and personal brand, as well as brushing up on more general presentation and public speaking skills.
In addition, Interview coaching programs can help identify strengths and weaknesses in your presentation skills, give you insight into what current employers are looking for, and help you build confidence. These are skills that are always worth fine-tuning, regardless of experience.
Write to anurag@digicrusader.com for custom Interview Preparation Coaching package to help you ace any interview at USD 99 only.
- Resume and Cover Letter Review
- Supercharge your Linkedin Profile with Tips from our Expert
- Job Portal Profile Optimization Guidance
- Proven Toolkit tailored to your Target Company – In-Depth Research to Equip you with consequential insights to rock your interview
- One on One Interview (Mock Interview Session) with an Industry Expert
Feel free to reach out to me or comment on this thread with your questions, and I will be happy to respond and support you.
In conclusion, you need to bring the best version of yourself during a job interview, which needs preparation and mentor support. With this 10 Step Proven Interview Preparation Coaching Guide, I hope you are now feeling confident about nailing your job interview.
Feel free to reach out to me by contacting us here or commenting on this thread with your questions, and I will be happy to respond and support you.
To your success. 🚀
About the Author: Anurag Jain is an accomplished Leadership Coach with 15+ Years of International Business Leadership Experience working with 100s of CEOs and managing a diverse set of teams in Multinational companies including Johnson & Johnson, Amazon, Abbott, Colgate Palmolive, and more across the Consumer and Tech Industry. Anurag is passionate about helping people accomplish their career goals as a leading Career Coach in the Consumer and Tech Industry.
Prepare for your upcoming interview with Amazon and More US Companies – Best Guide on Interview Preparation Questions
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