HOW TO STAY CALM AND ACE YOUR INTERVIEW

Job interviews are stressful and nerve-wracking. Here are 3 tips to help you keep you calm, cool and collected. 

1.       Prepare for foreseeable questions
Job interviews are often scheduled very close to the time HR contacts you. It is thus vital for you to be prepared ahead of time.

Besides researching the company, you should also prepare your responses for commonly asked questions (our list of commonly-asked interview questions is linked here). In addition, you know your own CV the best, and any potential pitfalls that it may showcase. Be prepared on how to respond on questions on a bad grade, any time gap on your resume, why you left your previous position etc.

2.       Interviewer profile
It is always extra reassuring to see if you can find out who will be interviewing you. You can do this by being prepared to ask HR the moment they call you to schedule the interview, or by reading the team profiles on the company website and hazarding a guess. At the very least, you would learn more about the company and the people who work there.

3.       Rehearse and Research
Being calm is an important state of mind to handle the interview. By being prepared and having certain standard questions and responses rehearsed, you are better equipped to handle the interview calmly and intelligently. Interviewers sometimes like to throw a curveball question (e.g. how many windows are there in New York City?). The best way is to stay calm and apply normal principles of reasoning. Check out our list of commonly asked interview questions here. 

Arrive early on the day itself. Make sure that you pack your bag the night before (bring all of the necessary supporting documents and identification) and research directions on how to get to the venue.

Think of the big picture. Your interviewers are humans just like you. The company is equally eager to find a qualified candidate to fill the role. Interviews are a 2-way street. Don’t put excessive pressure on yourself or make it such that this one interview holds the stakes for the rest of your life. We can assure you that it does not. When one door closes, another opens. If this doesn’t work out, there will be another opportunity that will arise.

Don’t stress, do your best, forget the rest.

If you have any queries on interview preparation and career strategies, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]