Tips to Standout in your Next Interview

Sometime ago, someone had jokingly made a post on social media saying "Can't employers just give us jobs based on the content of our CVs? I hate interviews so much." There are several other people on this table and everyday, on different social media platforms, people express their scorn for interviews. Interviews would have you talking to someone you've never had a conversation with. The concept is hard for many people, the reason being that they may not know what to say and what not to say during an interview. 

Also, a random question was asked on Twitter "During an interview, how did you know that you weren't going to get the job?" Then, several answers kept pouring in, from the hilarious ones to the very realistic answers. Here are some of them: 

Remmy said: 

"I had realized my CV had autocorrected to Curriculum Vitamin."

Jide said: 

"They gave me a coding test and I didn't even understand the question, not to talk about answering it." 

Joel said: 

"They asked me about my salary expectations and benefits that came with my current job. I told them I was entitled to gym membership in my current job and the Head of Legal snapped - Jesus. When I went ahead to tell them how much my salary pays, he said "Big Boy." 

Debe said:

"They asked why I chose the firm, I said it's close to my house." 

These responses explain that job seekers may not have the perfect answers to questions during an interview and this causes most of them to get rejection mails. 

What do people feel when they are invited for interviews?

The experience is different for everyone; for some, it's fear, for others, it is anxiety. But the point remains that people do not feel like they are ready enough each time they are called upon for an interview. Also, because the way you perform during an interview determines your chances of bagging the job, you may be too concerned about attending one. Receiving a rejection mail after attending an interview has to be one of the most disturbing events. So, when people hear that it is time for interviews, they carry the fear of what will happen during and post-interview. 

Ace your interviews with these tips

Maybe you just need to hear a few things before going for your interview or you could be missing out on important information. If you are preparing for a job interview, take time to read through these tips. 

Make sure that you share your excitement for the role

Fear may have clouded your mind so much that you forget to show that you are excited about the role. Your interviewers will read your body language and make use of the information they get while doing that. If you do not like to be found wanting, put on a smile, talk about how you have badly wanted that role and how pleased you are to interview for the same job. Another thing is that if you show little or no excitement, the hiring manager can find it boring to continue the interview with the opinion that "you are just here because you need a job, you don't exactly feel the role." If this is not the case, show it! 

Don't let your guard down because the interviewer is too casual 

An interviewer is not your buddy because they sound too casual and the environment begins to become a relaxing one for you. While this may be good, stay intact with the realization that you are in a professional setting and you are being interviewed for a job. If the interviewer seems too cool with you, this is because it is their job to establish a good connection during the interview to ensure that they get every necessary information from you. It can be really tempting to chill out but stay guarded throughout the time. 

Ensure that you respond to every question you get

In Nigeria, the phrase "no idea" is a thing and many people use it when they don't have the answer to a question. However, if you will be attending an interview, try not to use it. Instead, give a response to every question that comes your way, never say "no idea" as this will leave your hiring manager in doubt that you really need the job. Also, you may strongly feel the urge to go off because you are nervous and didn't see the question coming. Reprocess the question and give the answers in your own way. Usually, for some questions during an interview, there is no exact answer, the interviewer is probably just looking for a skill - it could be communication or problem-solving. 

Sell your best self during interviews

According to Emmanuel Faith, a Nigerian recruiter and 4X TedX speaker, "The best interviews are the best conversations- always sell your best self during interviews." While you think you have stated all that your interviewer needs to know in your CV, go the extra mile to buttress the points in the CV. The recruiter may even enjoy hearing it from you and therefore pay more attention than having to read it from the screen or books. If you have written 100 articles for a fashion brand, talk about it. If you have created the best app for a food and wellness company, tell it to your interviewer. Every one of these moves that you make gives you a better chance. 

Be yourself, not who you think they want

If you try too much to impress your interviewer (even though most people try to do this), you may lose your confidence. You are a badass at something? Show it because you are good at it and it could help the interviewer how much of a good addition you would be to the company. With confidence, mention your skills again, how you have used them, the companies you have worked with, the problems you solved, and all of that. If you really did these things, you should say them without stuttering, your interviewer needs to see that confidence and transparency when you both communicate.   

Ask good questions

Interviews may sound like you get bombarded with all of the questions because you are the candidate. Well, Spoiler alert! You can ask questions too. When a company is looking to hire you, they have a problem to solve and they think you would be in the best position to crack the code.  So, ask questions that will help you understand the work description better and along the line, you can help them see how you can solve the problem. 

Try telling your experience through stories

You definitely have to talk about your experience in that role during your interview. If you don't want to bore them, the hack to this is using the story-telling method. While you do this, the recruiter gets more interested and feels more comfortable with you. However, while you go ahead to mention all the skills and experience you've got, be humble to also state the instances where you needed support. It gives the interviewer a clue that you are not entirely bad with "teamwork". 

We have other interview content you may find helpful on our website.  Sign up to have full access to it and our career advice page. Also, you may want to follow us on social media: 

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