Job Hacks: 5 Interview Tricks to Boost Your Chances at a Job

“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ‘em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.” –Theodore Roosevelt

As one of the Presidents of the United States those were some interesting words parted by him. Job Interviews continue to be a staple on how to get a job in today's society as it was for the past 200 years or so. Yet there seems to be a lack of training or education when it comes to it - yes there are some agreed upon norms but never anything formal. Mastering the art of the interview is very important nowadays because people are changing jobs more often, some people do it every 6 months. No longer are the days where you get one job and stay at it for 25 years getting a clock or a watch to commemorate the occasion, the average person will change jobs 12 times in their lifetime.

Interview Hack #1 - Fake it till you make it

Theodore Roosevelt's advice has been passed down and been given the new idiom 'fake it till you make it' which is the first trick we will dig into. I believe this is where a lot of people fall short because they become insecure or too modest which make them seem unqualified for a job. Every job that you will ever interview for will involve something you haven't done before, whether that is the environment, infrastructure, technologies, people. office politics, job duties itself, etc. Which means that you aren't going to be able to know and have done everything during the interview! This is where you act confidently, tell them you can do it and then FIGURE IT OUT. This is something I learned very quickly at my old job, they called it the FIO(Figure It Out) factor and it was something people strive for and was admired for it.

With that being said, there's only so much you can fake that you won't be able to make up for. If you are interviewing for a position and they ask you if you can do something that would require YOU to get 3 months to a year training to actually do then you probably let that one go. But if it's something you can teach yourself or learn quickly within 1 month or less than I feel that it's fair game. Be careful with this trick because it can put you into awkward situations, make sure your walk can eventually match your talk.

Interview Hack #2 - Timing is key

This trick takes some ingenuity to master, you don't want to be too busy to not get an interview but you don't want to be too free to show all your cards. When scheduling an interview with the HR or with a Recruiter it is important to be flexible but you don't want to show them your desperate. If they believe you interviewing other places, busy with work, etc it shows strength in your brand that you are a wanted candidate. If you say you are available anytime anywhere and it's the only interview you have it may show them that you aren't able to get other interviews or you're not working or that you really want this particular job so they can low ball salary to you. According to Forbes job tips the best time to go for an interview is on Tuesday at 10:30AM, so you don't get either end of the week (mon/fri) and it's before lunch but after people's coffee. I have to say that definitely is a great time if you are able to get that time.

One other thing to keep in mind about timing is that when interviewing for a job you should consider how many other people are interviewing, if it's more than just yourself it's probably best to go first. The reason I say that is because there is first interview bias and if you can knock it out the park the company WILL cancel the other interviews or they will judge each other candidate with you as the pedestal. This is a bit more risky because you do have to do great in the interview but isn't that the goal anyways? As a Recruiter I've helped hundreds of people with interviews and there has been one too many occasions where I schedule an interview for a candidate and they go 2nd or 3rd and the interview gets cancelled because they went with the first candidate. There is some debate about people going 2nd or 3rd have a better chance because some hiring managers like to have comparisons but at the end of the day if you don't even get a chance to interview then you are out of luck.

Interview Hack #3 - Dress to impress

The traditional interview advice is always wear a suit and tie to show off your professionalism which is definite safe advice. But now in the modern society of startups and companies being less traditional the casual look is rising in interviews. I've had clients where they expected or were more impressed with candidates that showed up with jeans and a t-shirt because that's how their culture was. When you are playing ping-pong, eating pizza and have nap pods there is little time to dry clean dress shirts and do a double Windsor knot. I was in a more traditional environment where it was required to wear the dress shirt/pants combo but I know so many other companies that are more loose with their dress code.

They say that you should dress for the job you want and I always look at pictures of Mark Zuckerberg and his famous grey shirt and jeans. But it really depends on what industry you are in and what job you actually want, if you are going for a job at the bank then a suit and tie would probably be best. This is where you have to exercise caution and do your research beforehand - once you know the culture and the dress code make sure you know the basics. Have good fitting clothes, clean, neutral colours, deodorant and definitely no hats!

Interview Hack #4 - Know the Stats

I'm a very data driven person and I love statistics, even though 75% of stats are always wrong. Let's see some of the most important statistics out there, the first being that 33% of hiring managers know if they will hire someone within the first 90 seconds. Talk about first impressions... Whether the statistic is accurate or not I think based on psychology and your own experiences when you first meet someone you quickly make judgement of them as a person. It's tough to acknowledge but being aware of this fact can make or break your chances in an interview. That is why it is important to smile, dress well, have a firm handshake, speak smoothly, eye contact, be on time and have good posture. 

Another statistic that I found interesting is that 48% of hiring managers google their candidates before an interview. I've already talked about the future of resumes in my last post being more about your social brand but it's time to reiterate some important points. If you google yourself right now would a potential boss be impressed? Or would they find something less then desirable about yourself? Making sure you know what you want your brand to be and gear everything digital towards it will ensure that if you were ever to be googled that it shows accomplishments, achievements, things that would give a positive bias towards an interview.

Interview Hack #5 - Questions, questions, questions

This is something not a lot of people think of or prepare for. Whether it is questions that might be asked or questions you ask your interviewer. Questions are the staple of the interview so being prepared for it is crucial. If you have a network within your industry it is always a good practice to call them up and ask what type of questions are they usually asked in interviews, if there is a common theme amongst them then prepare for those questions. If you are using a Recruiter this is another benefit of them because if they've had candidates interview before or know the interviewer they can give you more insight.

Glassdoor reviews is also a good website to use not only for research but sometimes people describe the interview process and give you tips. When it comes to questions you ask the interview I would have about 3 questions prepared. One question about the company and where it's heading, one question about the job and the impact is has and last question about asking for the job. A lot of people miss that last one, the question alone can actually get you the job. If you confidently ask if there are any concerns about whether you are capable of doing the job you address it and if not then you go straight for the close and ask for the job - you might just get it!

These are the major interview hacks I've accumulated over the years as a Recruiter. Of course you should keep in mind the more basic advice given such as researching the company, the job, review your resume, etc. Even though job interviews are not the best indicator of job performance it doesn't seem like it is going away anytime soon. It is best to know the fundamentals of how to interview because you never know when your next one will be. If you have some of your best practices or tips feel free to comment below I would love to hear everyone's thoughts!

 Get more career advice at www.joblessjames.com

Sources:

-https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonyoushaei/2014/10/20/12-surprising-job-interview-tips/#707e03a050f4

-https://www.monster.ca/career-advice/article/interview-performance-tips-canada

-https://www.careergeekblog.com/2012/01/06/what-happens-in-job-interview

-https://www.adweek.com/digital/new-survey-reveals-lessons-for-job-seekers-about-interviews/