Top 10 Dos and Donts when in an Interview

Interview is one of the most important events in once life. It’s one of the events that make you anxious and excited both at once .You study through 3-4 years of your digress courses in the hope of landing a fine job one day, but even though of scoring merits in academics it doesn’t ensure you that you will get through an interview successfully. Handling an interview is kind of an art and there many people who hold expertise in cracking them successfully with their confidence, but there are few things that if you manage to take care in your interview you can make it through successfully. In an interview it’s not only about how you present verbally it’s also matters a lot how presentable you are in your own self. Everything from being confident to well dressed up matters while going through an interview. It’s once in a life time kind of experience when you go through the one in your life and it’s better to be prepared for what might be coming on while you go through this process. Below are few do’s and don’ts for an interview that will help you to get an idea of how you need to act while in the room with your interviewer and through the process of interview.

 

Do’s:

1.Your personal presentation:

personal presentation

Dress up in formals even though if it’s not mandatory, no matter what profile you are applying for, a well-dressed person delivers an impression that he/she has a respect for professionalism not only in terms of their attitude but too in their own presentation. It reflects out that you are in for the job with all perspectives.

 

2. Know About yourself:

know about yourself

Always know your strength and weakness before entering an interview room, it’s generally the first question on interviewer’s head. If you can’t be quick and clear in expressing about your strengths and weakness it shows off that you are not even on the first step of your career development.

 

3. Eye Contact:

eye contact

Keep a regular eye contact with your interviewer, it helps in creating a comfortable environment in interview plus indicates that you know what you are talking about. A constant eye contact with the interviewer while your responding to their questions defines that you are self-confident and knows where you are leading them with conversation.

 

4. Think before you speak:

think before you speak

Understand the question before you start with your answer, make sure that you know what points you want to highlight about yourself, it’s better to take your time in analyzing all different expects of question rather than just shooting whatever comes to your head on to interviewer. Don’t just pick one key point in the question and start speaking endlessly about that, try referring and answering to all possible aspects to questions being asked.

 

5. Body Language:

body language

Body Language in an interview is one of the things that you should be conscious about, your body language tells a lot about your personality so for start up keep yourself on a vertical plane to ground, make sure that you are making almost a 180 degree angle with the interviewer sitting in front of you and your legs making a 90 degree to the ground. Try to be comfortable with yourself and the people in the room.

 

6. Know what you are going for:

know what you are going for

Do your homework about the job you had applied for, know about the company you intend to work in, about its background and present and how you can relate yourself to the coming future of it, keep your tracks on changing market values and advancement in your respective field. Knowing about what you wanted to achieve from working in this job and with the respective company is a total do for interview.

 

7. Experience count:

experience count

If you had a prior experience working in same field or some other profile then it’s good to quote real life experience as examples in your conversation, it’s a total do to let the interviewer know that you already know how the professional life works and that you already had an idea what he might be getting in with this job.

 

8. Career Expectations:

career expectations

Be clear about your career expectations, set a common ground while your conversation so that you can set and express your career goals to the interviewer.

 

9. Be Awake:

be awake

Be active in your conversation, even a general nodding while listening to the interviewer reflects that you are on the same page with him. Dozing should not be in at least 100 ft. of you while you are in the interview room.

 

10. Lookout for your expressions:

look out for your expressions

Be quite and relax in terms of your facial expression, a frequent change in your facial expression tells a lot about your discomfort or about yourself consciousness, keeping a firm smile on your face while your interaction maintains a healthy environment in the room.

 

Don’ts:

1. No chances for latecomers:

latecommers

Interviewer’s time is as much important as yours, don’t be late , it’s better to be 10 minutes earlier for your interview than being 1 minute late, it represent how discipline you are with your time commitments.

 

2. Think before you talk:

think before you speak-2

Think before you talk too much fumbling or talking out of necessary just leads you to a point where your answer stop making sense to you or to the interviewer in the room.

 

3. What you wear is sometimes what you are (your first impression):

interview first impression

Watch out for what you are wearing, a formal shirt paired up with jeans and a tie doesn’t count under formal category after all. You only get one first impression with your interviewers, try to take as much as possible good out of it. As because sometimes a first impression last forever.

 

4. Body Language:

body language-2

Total don’ts about body language will be like try to avoid too much touching your face, it shows off your discomfort with the surrounding environment, scratching forehead, nose or ear’s indicates that you are not comfortable with yourself and with the people in the room during the interview.

 

5. Eye Contact:

eye contact-2

Avoid too much rolling of eyes, avoid staring at interviewer or stuff kept on the table in front of you. If there are possible windows in the room then don’t think that they are meant for you to watch out the scenery, avoid too much flickering of your eyes.

 

6. Every word you speaks matters:

every word you speak matters

Avoid repetitions in your answers or the examples that you are using to convey your point, don’t right away start throwing your thoughts onto the interviewer even before they had completed their question, and take your time in analyzing the question and give interviewer time to complete their questions.

 

7. Keep your hands to yourself:

keep your hands to yourself

Don’t assume that the table in front of you is meant for resting your hands, plus sitting on the chair and resting you elbow’s on side of chair is something not even remotely ok to do in an interview. Keep your hand on your lap one over the other it’s the most comfortable and right posture to sit in

 

8. Don’t flaunt if you know:

flaunt

If you know the things good for you but don’t flaunt them off to an interviewer if it’s related to your field or to the discussion happening. Don’t deviate yourself or the conversation from the actual topic to the third topic only because you had more to talk about that third topic.

 

9. Know that you are in a professional environment:

professional environment

Avoid playing with your folder or stomping your feet or just simply shaking your legs of the chair ( could you just try fidgeting no one STOMPS their feet) they are the total don’ts of an interview, even though if you are tense, don’t show it off to the interviews with varying changing expressions of your face, even though if you are confused in the moment don’t pull in your confusion face at all, interviewers are professionally experienced people they will sense it right away.

 

10. Watch out for your own questions:

watch out for your own questions

Don’t think that if you are trying to ask a question before the interviewer had asked you for one, represent that you are proactive, it’s not a school classroom that the people asking maximum question even though if they are stupid is the smartest one in all, wait for your turn and try to ask reasonable questions only, and if you don’t have any then be polite in your words and let them know that you are ok with your sessions rather than acting as if you weren’t had any idea of if they will pose you to this situation only, avoid being a rat.

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.