ACE THE CORPORATE INTERVIEWS : TOP TEN TIPS (TTT)
In raw terms, Corporate Interviews are all about marketing "yourself" and "your skills". One has to make sure she/he stands out and leaves an indelible impression on the interviewers. Lets come quickly to the TTT to ace the corporate interviews. 1. RESEARCH: Yeah! Research the company, the job opportunity, the job profile, even the interviewers. Search their LinkedIn profile and note their previous work experience. You must be aware of the company you are applying to and the job profile you are seeking. This will help you in answering the questions like : - Where do you see yourself in next 5 years? - How can you add to the success and growth of company? 2. Market yourself: This is the most important part of any job interview. Market your skills, your plus points. Show them why you are the "most suitable candidate" for the profile. Show them that you are deeply interested in their company and the work profile. Show them you have all the abilities required for the particular profile and how you have the scope of improvement. 3. Develop influential communication skills: Now this is something which is developed over years. But, worry not! Better late, than never. Start brushing up your communication skills the day you decide to appear in the corporate interviews. Work on your language, body language and basic mannerism. This would infuse immense confidence in your personality which will be reflected during your interview. 4. Prepare the conventional questions: Few questions are must in every interview and few could be easily guessed by researching about the company and job profile. Prepare those questions beforehand. Such preparation will give you an edge over the other candidates. It will also show that you are much interested in the job and that you are a very hard working candidate. 5. Know your Resume: Go through your resume, be articulative in answering questions related to it. This is the most important and easiest part at the same time. You must be able to answer every question related to your resume, with confidence. Know your strengths and weaknesses. 6. Be on time: Dont be late on the D-DAY. You cant afford to set a bad example at the very onset. Punctuality is a very essential quality one needs to display in interviews. Be punctual. 7. Be presentable: Dress up in clean, ironed formals. Look your best. Do your hair properly. You must not look like a mess. As they say, first impression is the last impression. So, make your first impression, very lasting. A company would prefer a presentable employee over a messy one, who might be having less skills than you! Dont lose your job to someone less skilled than you. 8. Stay calm and positive : Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence. It also helps one to answer the questions presented to him/her efficiently. Positivity is reflected through ones face. An experienced recruiter can guage through ones body language. He/she can analyse whether you are confident enough and positive about the results or not. 9. Follow up: Dont ask any on the spot feedback questions. It is a bad idea. Give them some time to analyze and come to a conclusion. Rather, send a "thank-you" email within 24 hours of the interview. It reflects basic etiquettes one has. 10. Practice. Period: The key to ace the interview is to practice all the above points as much as you can. Practice until you become very articulative and smooth in your answers. Practice until you are confident of yourself and your skills. "You become, what you think of yourself", so convince yourself that you are fit for the job profile and go for it. GOOD LUCK !