Mike had finally landed an interview with his dream employer for his dream job. Something was wrong though, he was terrible at interviews and he was currently terrified. He got tongue-tied, sweaty, and became shifty and all fidgety.

Mike, an IT guru, was exemplary at what he does. But he was stuck at a job he felt he had outgrown long ago because he could barely make it past the interview stages. He is not alone; a lot of people are terrified of interviews for many different reasons.

Even if you don’t get the job, it is important that you have a self-satisfactory interview and do not beat yourself up afterward. You need to leave the interview room, knowing you gave it your best, and your best was your absolute best.

Here are a few tips to guide you in your perfect interview.

1. Research on the Company.

Nothing is more irritating to an interviewer than an interviewee who knows nothing about the company. Google is your friend, scratch that, Google is your best friend. When you get that call, get online, read and internalize everything you possibly can on the organization.

Do not skim through, read widely and intensively. This is not just for the interview, but also for you to know what to expect if you get this job.

2. Practice your Answers

Interviews are pretty standard all over the world and their objective is the same. They want to get to know you better, to know the depth of your knowledge of the job, and most important, what are you going to bring to the table if they hire you. Knowing this, then you are armed with all you need to proceed.

Even the best of speeches by all great men of this world have been practiced. As such, you must practice how to answer the anticipated questions. “Tell me about yourself” has to be the most common. Most people tend to ramble on this one but you must know to keep your answer short and precise. Your greatest achievements? Surely that one is easy but you cannot spend thirty minutes talking about it.

Practice, practice, practice, in front of a mirror, in front of a baby (they don’t judge), or with a willing muse.

3. Be Punctual

You cannot afford to be late for an interview. Arrive at least 20 minutes earlier. Take time to get comfortable in your surroundings, catch your breath if you went up the stairs. If you get sweaty, this is the time to air out your wet patch. If the interviewer requested that you present your certificates, take this time to put them out, organize them and keep them within reach.

If under totally unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances you are running late, call the organization and inform them of the development. Whatever you do, do not be late.

4. Dress Well and Smell Nice

Dressing well does not mean buying expensive flashy clothes. It simply means you need to be presentable. Wear clean, neat, and well-ironed clothes. Polish your shoes and ensure they are not muddy or dusty.

Wear a deodorant to absorb that nervous sweat trying to break through. The way we are dressed plays a huge part in dictating how high our confidence levels will go.

5. Active Listening

When you get into that interview room, you must remind yourself to listen and understand the questions, not just listen to respond. If you do not listen to understand, you will respond to questions that have not been asked.

Listen well, do not interrupt, and ensure you understand what the interviewer expects. it is okay to ask the interviewer to repeat or rephrase the question as you did not understand.

6. Look Confident.

Looking confident and being confident are two different things. If you do not feel confident, muster your acting skills and act like you are!

If the interviewers want to shake hands, make sure yours is firm. If your voice is threatening to start being shaky, clear your throat, take a minute, and start again. Try to take it easy, and remind yourself that this is an interview you prepared well for and just this thought, will make it easier.

7. Have a Parting Shot

When all is said and done, make sure you have a parting shot. Thank the interviewers, let them know you are glad for the opportunity they presented you and that you look forward to further engagement.

Do not beg them to give you the job because you have a lot of problems and this job is your salvation. Completely unacceptable!

8. Get an Interview Coach

Notice how this came as the last tip? Because an interview coach will take you through the above steps more intensively. Not everyone can afford an interview coach, however, if you can, that is your best bet. The Coach will walk you through the preparations, train you on how to conduct yourself through the interview, and even have evaluation sessions to see where you may have gone wrong.

You Got This!

Interviews are a nerve-wracking affair for sure. Whether for entry-level or C-suite positions. Even the greatest of Actors and Speakers get butterflies when they get on stage. So remember that what you feel is normal.

Remind yourself, when you get into that interview room, that no one except knows how you feel. Put on your brave face and let them see your confidence (Real or Imagined) and get ready to ace your interview!

You Got This!

Natalie sat on a cold bench in the park on a hot sunny afternoon.

She was tired, she was thirsty, she was hungry and she was frustrated. She had spent all day going door to door trying to get a job. Nothing had come forth; no one seemed interested in offering her even a glimmer of hope. She wanted to cry, but that too, would not help.

Job hunting is a difficult affair, mentally and physically draining.

It means doing and redoing your resume until you don’t even recognize it yourself, writing countless cover letters, opening your email a hundred times over to see if anything has come through, dressing up, and showing up to an interview hoping that it will be the last, picking a call and hoping that it is the life-changing one.

In 2021, going through the same job-hunting motions must end.

With everything being classified as smart; smartphones, smartwatches, smart computers, we must turn it into a smart process too.

Here are a few smart tips to finding your way to a job.

1.   Network

 

This one has to be the smartest job-seeking move today. As they say, your network is your net worth. It is not cliché, it is the reality.

How does one network? First, you have to decide what line of work you want to get into. Look out for events that host people in the same profession or business and attend.

When you attend these events, ensure you are presentable and confident. Do not be afraid to approach and engage people. Do not be shy about the fact that you are open to opportunities and inform of skills that you possess.

It is just a matter of time until you are talking to the right person at the right time.

 

2. Social Media

Social media has moved away from being a space to exchange banter on, meet up with people you knew in primary school, and read about the latest Kardashians gossip.

LinkedIn is a great space to showcase your professional skills, engage like-minded professionals, learn from them and even get to know of openings in different organizations.

You must remember that in job hunting, it is you selling yourself, you are the product, and you must package yourself appealingly so that potential employers are attracted to you.

Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp are all platforms that give you a chance to get into the right spaces with the right people.

Use your Social Media Pages Wisely.

3. Cold Pitching.

 

You know how sometimes you stumble on an outfit that makes you look so good and feel even better? Then you realize it is what you needed but you did not even know?

Sometimes companies do not know they need your skills until they see your email detailing what you have on offer and how it will benefit their organization.

Do not be afraid to pitch yourself to your dream employer, it is a smart job hunting move and it could pay off.

There is absolutely nothing to lose.

4. Volunteering/ Internship/Job Shadowing

 

Sometimes, you do not get the job you want because you don’t have enough experience or exposure. Again, you may not have the experience or exposure you need because you don’t have the job. Crazy, right?

Instead of going around in a vicious circle, volunteer your skills and services to an organization that you would one day like to work for. This means you would offer your services for an unspecified time.

You may offer to intern for a specific period and if you are lucky, they could pay a stipend.

You could search for an organization that offers Job Shadowing opportunities, whereby you are allowed to follow an individual already doing what you aspire to do, and learn from them.

Although these opportunities may come at no pay, it is an investment you would want to consider as it builds your skill and as a bonus, gives you insider information into openings at the organizations you are attached to.

5. Announce your Job Search.

You are not going to hire a public address system and go round the neighborhood announcing your job search. You will do something similar but more subtly.

Do not be ashamed of the fact that you are searching for a job. If you get a chance to talk to someone who you know may be in a position to help, do not hold back. Your friends, relatives, lecturers, gym buddies, neighbors, and any acquaintances.

It may seem like a lot but you never know who they may refer you to. Sometimes, HR and Hiring Managers do not want to spend too much time and resources on hiring.

They also want to hire smart and guess who they will remember when they need a referral?

Do not wear yourself out.

It may not look so near but a day of rest when you land your dream job is coming and it needs you to be well prepared.

Take a break from the conventional ways of sending endless CVs and cover letters and try to find your job the smart way.