How to ace a job interview as competition among workers increases

The unemployment rate has been creeping up in recent months, creating more competition for open jobs —?and putting more pressure on prospective employees to nail any job interviews.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nation's unemployment rate reached 4.3% in July . That's up from 3.4% in January 2023 and surpasses the 3.5% rate posted in February 2020, before the onset of the pandemic. Unemployment surged to 14.8% in April 2020 as the pandemic took hold.

Job openings, meanwhile, have fallen from a historically-high 12.1 million in March 2022 to 8.1 million earlier this year, though that total still comes in above pre-pandemic job-opening figures.

The rise of so-called "ghost jobs," where employers post jobs they have no intention of filling , further complicates the employment market — and makes it even more important for job applicants to excel in any in-person interviews they might get.

We asked the experts how to nail a job interview. This is what they said.

Research the company and job before the interview?

Juriana Sperandio, global chief human resources officer for food company JBS USA, said it’s critical candidates understand the company’s mission, products and recent news prior to an interview — not only to demonstrate interest, but also to help make the interview a two-way conversation.?

“Understanding the role is also very important so the candidate can tailor examples to the job description and focus on accomplishments that demonstrate both the skills they have and what company is seeking,” Sperandio said.

Not asking questions or failing to prepare for an interview can show a lack of interest, Sperandio added.?

That research can be pretty straight-forward too, said?Danielle Hipwell, director of people experience at Customer.io .

“A simple Google search on recent news articles or an overview of their LinkedIn page is a great start to help you with an understanding of the business,” Hipwell said. “I also recommend looking up the individuals you are interviewing with on LinkedIn so you can prepare some questions around their background.”

Communicate clearly and effectively

It's not just what jobseekers say — it's how they say it, experts stress.

“Candidates have a short period of time to present themselves, so how they communicate is very important," Sperandio said. "Also, avoid speaking too fast, mumbling or using jargon that can compromise clarity."

Speak about previous employers with care, as well. Be thoughtful about negative experiences, and always focus on what you learned versus speaking poorly about a former company or job, Sperandio said.

"And negative body language can undermine verbal messages, such as crossing arms or avoiding eye contact," she said. "Be present, listen actively to the questions and always read the room."

Verity Creedy, vice president of product management at leadership-consulting firm DDI, said clear communication includes speaking in specifics, not generalizations. Don’t say you always hit deadlines; instead spell out a previous situation when you managed to hit deadlines despite obstacles.

DDI is credited with creating the STAR Format for interviews, something Creedy said applicants can use to create good examples of their work. The “ST” stands for the situation or task you were facing, while “A” describes the action you took, and “R” represents the results you saw.

“By preparing these STARs in advance, you have a set of stories ready to share in your interview so you aren’t left fumbling for an answer — and it will help boost your confidence about what you’ve accomplished,” Creedy said. “Plus, interviewers love being able to capture succinct candidate examples. You’ll get bonus points for clear communication.”

Advocate for your skills and showcase your potential

Marc Cenedella, founder at high-paying jobs site Ladders.com , said the best thing jobseekers can do is clearly articulate their past experiences and their potential for the new job.

“Don’t just ramble on about your job duties," Cenedella said. "Provide concise, concrete examples of the value you bring for the table."

For example, don’t say you supervised a large team. Instead, say what impact that had, such as having developed new team training and then having implemented it across 20 people.

Also show in an interview how you might be able to help that company in particular, Cenedella said.

“I read that New York Times story about your production facility struggling to increase efficiency,” Cenedella offered as an example of what a candidate might say. “I think a similar program to the one I implemented in the past could work here as well."

Ask good interview questions

Cenedella has one simple rule for job interview questions: Don’t overthink it.?

“Ask questions about things you genuinely want to know about the job. That could include what the day-to-day schedule looks like, the company culture, or the interviewer’s most and least favorite things about working there,” Cenedella said.

Michelle Enjoli, a career coach and TEDx speaker, offered the following as some good questions to ask during a job interview:

• What does success look like in this role in the next 60 to 90 days?
• What are the company's goals in the next year?
• How will this role contribute to those goals?
• What are some challenges the company is facing?
• What about my experience and skills was of interest to you?

How to flub a job interview

Punctuality is key, experts agree.

“Don’t be late,” Cenedella said. “It demonstrates a lack of time-management skills and a lack of respect for the interviewer. It may also suggest you’re not all that interested in the job and you’re not a team member who others could count on.”

Another tip: Don’t memorize stock answers. If you have a good understanding of the company and you know the key data and stories to highlight about yourself, there's no need to try and memorize the answers.

“No one wants to work with a robot,” Cenedella said. “You’ll come off as more natural and friendlier if you look at the interview as a conversation rather than an interrogation.”

At the same time, don’t reveal too much personal information.

"When you talk about things like your graduation year or your young children, you could inadvertently make yourself a discrimination victim,” he said.

That's why job interviews can be a hotbed for lawsuits for employers .

Artificial intelligence is something else to be avoided, said Edward Tian, CEO of AI-detection tool GPTZero.?While more and more job seekers are using AI to write cover letters or answer job-application questions, that same technology could put a candidate at a disadvantage.

“You may find yourself in an interview being asked about details of your written application materials — only that presents a problem for you because you didn’t actually write those things and thus don’t remember what you 'said,'" Tian said.