Carry
Your portfolio
We’re sure you know enough about job interviews to carry your portfolio
along but don’t leave your WITfolio behind! One of the greatest marks of an
impressionable person is their ability to find humour in even the most
nerve-racking situations. Being witty in an interview could earn you those
much-needed brownie points from your interviewer.
Initiating friendly and humourous banter with your interviewer leaves a
lasting impression on the interviewer. It makes you stand out from most other
applicants who tend to be very formal and stressed. As a matter of fact,
being witty can help break the ice and make you feel more confident and
comfortable, too.
So, the next time tricky interview questions are thrown at you, try getting
witty with your response. Oftentimes, the best answers come to you when
you’re in a stress-free and relaxed state of mind.
Listen Carefully
Nervousness is an expected part of a job interview. No matter how many
times you’ve faced job interviews before, a bit of anxiousness is bound to be
there. It makes you overthink everything, which is why you may try to fill in
gaps of silence without really having something of value to say.
Worse yet, if you’re nervous, you may end up rambling, talking too fast,
and cutting the recruiter off midway. If you don’t let the recruiter finish
what they’re trying to say or ask, chances are that whatever you say will be
unrelated and irrelevant. It may also be interpreted as a lack of knowledge
in the particular subject. You need to be attentive and wait until the
recruiter has finished their question.
This can help you respond appropriately and impressively to what’s being
said.
Don’t know the answer? Don’t Panic!
A lot of the times, recruiters only throw tricky interview questions at you
to assess how well you formulate your thoughts. So, the point is not whether
you answer it correctly. If you’re unnerved, formulating good answers can be
very challenging. In fact, the more you panic, the less sensible you’re
likely to sound. By remaining calm and composed in the face of sudden
curveballs, you give your mind the space to handle them tactfully.
Stay Calm and Focused
However qualified you may be, a wrong answer to any question can change the
recruiter’s mind and they may reconsider your fit. Similarly, however good
your answer may be, if you aren’t calm and composed, the interviewer may take
note of your nervous tick rather than your answer itself. So, take a deep
breath and stay focused. That should help you make a pretty good
impression.
Engage and Ask Questions for Clarity
Sometimes, your answer could be a personal take on the matter and not the
answer the recruiter was expecting. Since your answer provided a different
opinion on the same question, it could be refreshing to the recruiter so long
as it’s befitting the question. But on the other hand, if you’ve misunderstood
the question, you might end up saying something completely unrelated to the
question.
In such a case, the recruiter may be swift to spot the gap in communication
and this will work against you. That’s why it is important to ensure that
you’ve understood the question completely before answering. Feel free to ask
a question or two to make sure you get exactly what you’re asked.
Take Time to Think
We’ve already established that staying calm and present helps to formulate
better answers. While this is true, it’s slightly different from what we mean
when we say, ‘take time to think’.
Being calm and present doesn’t mean you have to answer the question
immediately after you’ve understood it. It’s perfectly acceptable to tell the
recruiter if you need a moment to think about what you’d like to say. Doing
this is much better than coming up with a spontaneous answer that’s weird and
unrelated.
Let Your Individuality Shine!
This is the last but most important one on the list. There is always a
reason why an interviewer throws a curveball question. It isn’t a question
they ask just for the sake of fun and interaction. If you’re asked something
like, “if you could be an animal, what would you choose to be?” Or, “if
tomorrow is your last day on earth, what would you do?” it’s possible that
the interviewer is trying to understand your personality, and judging whether
you’d be a good fit in the company. Take your time, but let your
individuality stand out by being honest in your answer.
Conclusion
Recruiters have to scout through thousands of applications every day, and
each company has its own recruiting process. In the light of that, interviews
can sometimes be daunting and in some cases have tougher processes.
Knowing what skills your recruiter is looking for and understanding the
nature of the sudden curveball thrown at you, can go a long way in acing that
job interview. Staying objective under pressure will help your brain develop
that much needed optimism, and help you focus your energy on positive
thoughts. Take sufficient time to process every question, and you’ll be
surprised at how the answers come to you. |
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