Useful Interview Tricks

Interviews are such acid tests! They will filter out your
potential to the potential employer in a jiffy. If you are not prepared
for the interview, you had it. Never become over-confident for an
interview however brilliant and carefree you might be. It needs
preparation and homework just like all the other significant processes
and aspects of your life.

In this article we will segregate the process of interview into three
stages:

 1. Pre-interview stage
 2. Interview stage
 3. Post-interview stage
Pre-interview stage
This is a crucial stage of interview. This is the
right time to completely warm-up for the dooms day- D-day! You can
gather all the possible information from various reliable, relevant
sources. Do some research on the company policies (HR and others),
Mission and Vision statements, types of project work and assignments and
many more such things. This will empower you greatly. Peek into some
troublesome interview situations. Anticipate some tough interview
questions and prepare answers for them.  Once you have worked on these
crucial aspects and thoroughly at that, ask a friend to interview you.
Tell him/her to put all the possible yet relevant questions and gauge
your performance. If this could happen twice or thrice nothing like it.
Rehearse non-verbal skills too. Test your own body language aspects
pertaining to arms and leg movement, eye-contact etc. Check the color
that you are going to wear for the interview. Choose pastels and light
shades. Groom yourself thoroughly and model it before someone.
Interview Stage
As you have already prepared for the D-Day the
proceedings might turn out to be a cake walk to you. Just relax and feel
comfortable in your own skin.  Dress up for the occasion both
professionally and properly. Have your things in place- well organized.
Carry a diary, pen, all your certificates in a proper carrier in an
orderly fashion. Sit relaxed and take a deep breathe. Do not demonstrate
anxiety whatsoever. When your name is called enter into the room wearing
a smile on your face.
Do’s during Interview:
 1. Sit in a relaxed way.
 2. Listen to the question completely before answering it
 3. Show positive feedback by way of nodding, smiling
 4. Ask questions when asked to
 5. Talk about your skillset that is in sync with the company’s requirements
 6. Talk about your capability and adaptability
 7. Tell them that you are a thorough professional and team player
 8. Maintain eye-contact
Dont's during Interview:

 1. Do not become nervous, fidgety and panicky
 2. Do not pose questions
 3. Do not start answering before the interviewer completes asking a
    question
 4. Do not lean or rest your elbows on the table
 5. Do not slam into the interview room
 6. Do not look at the ceiling and talk
 7. Do not show your restlessness to see the interview end
 8. Do not demonstrate incompetence whatsoever
Post-Interview Stage:
Once the interview is done, feel relaxed. Forget not to put a
‘thank-you’ note to the interviewer or the HR Person who helped you
reach the interview stage. Tell them that it was a great learning
experience for you.  You can do a follow-up and seek the result of your
interview if the result has not still been declared. You can do that
precisely after a week or ten days after the interview.

Maintain your own interview portfolio and note down your own
observations. You can start pooling up and adding to your strengths and
weaknesses’ columns. Eventually transform all your weaknesses into
strengths. That’s the real challenge.