Do you know that out of every 100 people interviewed for a role, only 10% succeeds?
I vividly remember the story of a young man who applied for a job. Now this young man knew one of the interviewers for the company he wanted to work for. To him, the interview was supposed to be a walkover.
Just few minutes to the time he was supposed to be invited in, the man he knew on the panel suddenly had a stomach upset and had to use the gents. Before he could come back, this young man was called in, could not answer any of the questions he was asked and the rest, as they say, is history.
Could this story have ended differently? I think so and that is why it is important to follow these few steps whenever you are preparing for any interview.
#1: Be Prepared
It is better to be over prepared than to be under prepared. Adequate preparation is one of the most important steps to surviving any job interview. A good job seeker must be mentally, psychologically and physically prepared.
Your preparation must start from the day you have made up your mind to either change your job or look for a new one.
Your CV is a gateway into your career life and your preparation should start from there making sure there are no areas you do not want to talk about or are not familiar with. These include your knowing a lot about your hobby rather than just the fact that you have a hobby.
On the day of the interview, get there at least 30 minutes earlier than the schedule time to give yourself adequate time to settle down and compose your thought. Have enough rest the previous day and just generally be well prepared.
#2: Know the company and know yourself
How well do you know you know the brand you want to work for? Is there a cultural misfit? During an interview, you might be asked questions about how well you know the company you want to work with.
There are different ways you can find out about the company you want to work with. You can make use of the internet to find out some information like the brand’s vision and core values but when it comes to really making a decision, one of the best ways to get to know about a company is to find out first-hand from people who have worked with that company.
Luckily, social media has opened up a whole new world and barriers that were once difficult to cross have been removed. Look for one of the employees who work with the firm and start building a relationship with them.
#3: Be confidently proud
Pride in a man should be seen only on close inspection. Everyone loves confident people and the person conducting the interview is also human. That means they can read between the lines. They know when you are confident and when you are plain arrogant. Since the interview starts from the moment you walk in, a good carriage, strong handshake and a genuine smile is enough to begin with.
#4: Be Truthful
One of the new trait employers are looking for in new hire are people with integrity. It has become such an issue that employers place emphasis over it. Integrity starts from being truthful about your CV and trying to answer questions as truthfully as you can.
Unfortunately, it is not in all that you know the answer to a particular question. In such a situation, it is extremely important to ask the interviewer to either rephrase the question so you can have a better understanding of it or simply come out and tell them, you do not have an answer for that question presently.
#5: Avoid talking too much
Often times when you are on a familiar terrain, you tend to talk continually. But always remember you are in for a professional chat and it is never about you. It is having a good grabs on how everything about fit the job role or the company. The other side of the coin is not saying enough. When you talk less, you might not answer the questions satisfactorily. Striking a balance here is the key.
#6: Know the boundaries
There is always a boundary. There are list of questions an interviewer do not have the right to ask you and there are also questions you should not ask your interviewer. Once you are familiar with these boundaries, you can always work within it.
Conclusion:
A job interview is a professional chat and your interviewers are human. Treat them with respect and you will get the same level of respect back.
Happy job hunting!
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Thank you for this great interview tips. i love it.
Nice one keep it up.looking forward to here from you.
Thank you Stephen
Great Job! Thanks for the tips.
Good depth, revealing and refreshing note.
Nice one,have learnt a lot here!!! Will really need to make amendment. I love this,, Icsl u guys are really doing great
Wow!!! Great tips
Nice tips. I tried registering on your site it keeps telling me that my email has already been registered. Yet when I try to retrieve password with same email on your site, it will say the email has not been registered. Pls help
Thank you Stephen. Please kindly try again. If it persist, please use the contact information on our site to get in touch with us so we can resolve it.
I like your company
I have really obtain aloud from u guys, i have to adjust on many things nw God u guys.
U people are really doing great, God bless u guys.
Great write up. Exactly what applies. KUDOS. I look forward to a day when I will be part of the ICSL great.
so interesting, i have learn alot, But pls i have fill the online registratn last week i m still waiting No respond, how long pls, i’m idle i need a job pls, resides in Abuja, i Went 2 there office at area 10 back of National Library, thanks
Good tips, revealing and educative. You guys are doing a wonderful job. But I interviewed and got registered (having a file) with your company as far back as 2013 but wasn’t offered any job despite fulfilling all righteousness. Victim of age and qualification discrimination. May God save our country!!!
Thanks for the tips
Icsl is really doing a great job helping the youths keep on the good work, God bless u all.
Thanks for the tips. It’ll really help me in my job hunting
I want to say u guys are great & also doing a great work. I must confess that I have learnt a lot here & may God strengthen u the more, for more information that will brushing us the more. I also want to use this opportunity to ask how I will secure a job in any bank, I have a year experience during my industrial training (IT ) in GTBank. please I need a reply. Thanks
The post is real and practical experience.
Good Work!
I really love this. I learn a lot of lessons here. more greez to your elbow.
I wad inform by a friend and now I can see the good job .thanks for that lov it ,wating to see more
Good tips love that ,more of it thanks