How to nail your next in-person job interview

When was the last time you gave an interview and did not feel nervous?

No matter where we are in our career journey, either as first-time jobseekers or mid-career professionals, we still find these nervous jitters to be a normal experience.?

For the past three years, people have been used to social isolation and virtual interactions, weakening their interpersonal skills and ability to adapt to new environments.?

There is no doubt that the hiring process is becoming more adaptable and futuristic with time. Yet, most managers still prefer meeting a candidate in-person, as it offers the best opportunity for a genuine engagement. Especially where social and interpersonal skills are required, such as in senior leadership and client-facing roles.

Now that the pandemic has ended, many organisations are getting back to offices.?

Even though virtual interviews and meetings are still prevalent in some companies, a majority of them have reverted to in-person interviews.??

To be a suitable candidate for a wide range of companies, you must not only be comfortable with virtual interviews but equally comfortable with in-person interviews and up your interview game.

With these few steps, you can master in-person interview skills in no time and land the job of your dreams. Here you go!

Before the Interview

How you prepare before the interview can help you maximise your chances of success. Some basic steps could help you reorganise your efforts-

Reassess your skills and goals:

When you apply for a new job, don’t just update your resume but also verify that it matches the role requirement. Make sure to read and understand the job description in detail.?

For instance, if you have applied for a marketing role,?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you possess the required communication and creative skills for this role?
• Have you kept yourself updated with market trends and analytics??
• Can you make these skills transferable to other roles?
• How can you add value to the organisation??

Career self-assessment is not a one-time event, but a continuous process. It serves as an important tool to evaluate your progress and development. While you count your accomplishments, don’t forget to highlight your areas of improvement.

Brush up on your hard and soft skills such as, interpersonal, listening, leadership, and communication skills. It is always smart to identify your selling point before you head for the interview.???

Research the Company:

As a potential employee, researching your employers before any interview will help you gain information about their products and services.?

Go through the company’s website and understand its financial health, competitors, and social interactions. It’ll help you warm up to the company’s culture, values, and mission and in a way show your keen interest in the profile.?

Revise some basic questions:

Wouldn’t it be great if you could predict which questions the interviewer might ask during the process???

Unfortunately, you can't predict how the job interview is actually going to be, but you can prepare in advance for some common questions.?

Here are some job interview questions and answers?

These may seem familiar and cliché questions, but through these, the interviewer hopes to find out more about your personality and experiences.?

Refine your answers by taking a humble and genuine approach. Discuss the factors that excite you about the role and the company.

To elevate your answers, use the show not tell strategy. Use relevant examples to highlight your strengths and achievements. It is important to admit your weaknesses and talk about the steps you would take to improve them.?

Try to avoid generalised answers. Instead, align your answers with the company’s culture and mindset.?

Reduce your interview stress:

Although the idea of giving a face-to-face interview can be daunting, it's possible to learn to calm our interview nerves with practice and preparation.

Some simple ways to counter stress are:

• Meditation and Exercise: Practise meditation regularly to release the excessive nervous energy and clear away the information overload.? Being mindful and focusing on your breath can raise your awareness level. You’ll be able to replace your negative and what-if thoughts with positive affirmations. Regardless of the situation, you learn to be open, flexible, and accepting.?
• Visualise the interview:? Visualise yourself in the interview situation and give answers to the questions.? You could also practise in front of a mirror and talk to your reflection. This will increase your self-confidence and help you communicate clearly.??
• Interview Warm-up: If you still feel unsure, try practising your answers with the help of Mock interviews. You could take the help of your family and friends and do role play.? During the practice, try giving different answers to the same questions. This way you’ll be able to choose the best answer for the real job interview.

During the Interview

Here are a few simple steps to help you portray the best version of yourself:

1. Make a Great First Impression:?

We’ve all heard the saying “first impression is the last impression”. And it’s true. It takes only a few seconds for the interviewer to form an opinion about you. Their observations can influence the job outcome and set the scene for future interactions. While you may have the required skills and experience to ace the interview, you may still fall short of gaining the job due to a poor first impression

So, how can you create a good first impression?

Our communication skills and ability to connect with people depends majorly on two things:

• Verbal Cues: Your choice of words (whether in written or oral form) can have a great impact on how your message is received. To maximize your communication skills, You should try to expand your vocabulary and keep yourself updated with the keywords required to phrase your interview answers.
• Non-verbal Cues: Communication goes beyond just words. Nonverbal cues like gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact can influence your image in many ways.?

It is said that 80% of the communication happens non verbally.The choice of words, spoken or written makes up our verbal element of communication.

When you start your interview introduce yourself with a warm genuine smile while maintaining a confident posture. Try to grab the interviewer’s attention with positive and persuasive language.

A good attitude and demeanour will let your personality shine through.?

2. Highlight Your Skills with Examples

A recruiter can use different job interview types and formats. In addition to traditional one on one, there may be hiring events, open interviews, and panel discussions.

?During the interview, you could be asked various questions depending upon the requirements of the position, whether they are generic, job-specific, or behavioural.?

For instance,?

• What are some critical traits that would make you stand out from others?
• What software tools and platforms did you use in your last job?
• Explain your most rewarding professional experience.
• How would you handle mistakes and work under pressure??

You may wish to answer these questions in a precise and effective manner, something that would resonate with your resume, covering your education, skills, and experience.

The aim is to provide a gist of your capabilities in a short span, and the best way to do this is by describing your traits with the help of recent accomplishments. Support your answers with vivid examples and real work-related scenarios.?

3. End on a high note:

Regardless of how spectacular or terrible the interview went, make sure to leave the interviewer with a positive last impression. Final impressions are as important as first impressions.?

As you are about to close the interview,?

• Ask some well-thought questions:?

For example:

1. Does the company offer any learning opportunities??
2. What are some projects I would be working on?
3. What is your expectation from this role?

• Restate your interest in the company:

Employers are keen to know if you are interested in the position. So don’t end the interview without emphasising your passion for the role. Try to convey the message through short but strong statements.?

Finish the interview with a polite conclusion by thanking the interviewer for their time and consideration.?

Wrapping It Up

Think of interviews as a learning experience. This can turn out to be an excellent opportunity to brush up on your personal, professional, and communication skills.

Remember, no two interviews are the same, nor are the interviewers. They would vary from company to company and person to person. The constructive feedback that you receive from every interview will help you find answers to even tough questions.?

?Most importantly, familiarizing yourself with the process gives you confidence. This way when you attend a bunch of interviews, you’ll gain insight into your growth which in turn will help you re-shape your career graph.?

So, keep networking and applying for jobs. You never know when the right one will appear!

Author Kaneesha Salesha and Co-author Vanya Goyal