During The Interview

Your qualifications and skills are part of what the hiring manager is looking for when conducting an interview. Whether you get the job also depends on how you behave at the interview—what you do, what you say, and how you say it.
From the first door you walk through to the final handshake on your way out, this lesson will help you learn how to behave during an interview.

Be punctual

Being late for your scheduled interview can be an indication that you don’t pay attention to important details. It proves that you do not value others’ time. A lack of punctuality smacks of disrespect. That’s the last impression you want to leave interviewers with. 
Plan to arrive on the scene about 10-15 minutes before the interview. This will allow you to sit quietly, collect your thoughts and allow yourself to be calm and focused on the interview. When you walk in, let whomever greets you know that you are a few minutes early.

 

 

Introduction

Mention these four key pointers in your self introduction in interview:

1. Who You Are [Name, where you are from, some personal background]
2. What have you studied [educational qualifications]
3. Any professional training or experience
4. Additionally, some hobbies or interests

 

Be Prepared for Follow Up Questions

After you introduce yourself in an interview, be prepared to answer the follow-up questions. Hiring professionals ask these questions to test your honesty and integrity. A series of questions related to what you said in the introduction can reveal whether you were being honest or not. Thus, try to be as real as you can while introducing yourself in the interview and be prepared to answer these questions!

Body language

Actions speak louder than words.

The way you present yourself matters a lot. Dress formally, not casually. 

You should maintain eye contact with the interviewer you are speaking to. This does not mean keep staring at the interviewer. But you can try to hold eye contact for a couple of seconds at a time. If there are more than 1 interviewer then address the person who asked the question but make sure that while explaining try to have contact with others too. It shows that you are paying attention to the interviewer.

Maintain a proper posture. Sit straight on your chair. While expressing, make use of your hands by subtle gestures. Clenching fists, and constant tapping of your fingers, or legs tells the interviewer you are nervous.

And Smile… Maintain a balanced smile - neither too timid nor exaggerating. Smiling shows that you’re comfortable around the interviewer. 


To improve your body language, just sit in front of a mirror and talk or explain something to yourself. You can even record yourself. This will help you to understand what you should do and don’t.

Think before you answer

Take a pause and breathe...
Stay calm. When a question is asked, take a moment to rethink the question. Clarify you have understood the question if you need to. Even if you know the answer, don't rush. It will help you to put the appropriate words and help you justify your answer in a better way. 

Listen to the question carefully. If you did not hear properly or did not understand the question clearly, don't hesitate to ask again. It is better to ask again than taking a shot in the dark.

Be precise

Get the key point of your answer first – your opening line should roughly answer the question. Justifications, examples and further details can be given further down the line but be concise with that opening line. Your interviewer hasn’t got all day to interview you so do your best to be succinct in your answer.

When you don’t know the answer to an interview question, be honest and admit your lack of familiarity (the worst thing you can do is fake expertise when you really don’t feel comfortable with a subject), but don’t dwell on what you don’t know. Move on quickly by redirecting to an adjacent or related topic you’re more familiar with, and let your interviewer know you’re still able to bring some attractive competencies and skills to the table.

Questions for interviewer   

Nearly every interviewer provides you with the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview. It's important that you've prepared at least two or three questions that express your interest, as well as show them that you've done your homework by researching the company in advance.

Questions to ask at the end of a job interview to the interviewer - 
1. How would you describe the company's culture?
Asking this question shows the interviewer that you care about finding the right cultural fit in your next position. You can also gain a broad overview of the company's philosophy on how it prioritizes employee satisfaction.

2. What is your favorite thing about working for this company?
Asking about your interviewer's personal experience will provide you with additional insight into the company's culture as well as allows you to create a sense of rapport with the interviewer. Additionally, this question could provide you with an inside view of the best aspects of working for the company.

3. How do you see this company evolving over the next five years?
Asking this question tells the interviewer that you're interested in the future of the company and how your professional growth will align with the company's projected growth.

4. How would the person in this role contribute to this vision?
Show the interviewer that you're thinking of the larger scope of the job and that you're planning to remain with the company long-term.

5. How do you think the company defines and demonstrates its values?
This demonstrates to the interviewer that you've researched the company and want to know how it will align with your own values. It also shows that you are proactively trying to gain a certain level of understanding about the internal workings of the company before joining it.

6. What qualities and attributes make for a successful employee in the company?
This question shows the interviewer that you're determined to succeed and that you want to be sure you'll be a good fit for the company.

7. Who do you consider your top competitor, and why?
You'll have an idea of the company's major competitors from doing your research, but asking the interviewer for their thoughts can be useful for getting more insight that can't be found anywhere else.

8. What are the biggest opportunities currently being presented to the company?
This question shows your enthusiasm to embrace the opportunity to contribute and can help you learn more about where the company will be focusing its resources over the next months or years.

9. What are the biggest challenges the company is facing right now?
Asking about challenges can tell you about the current trends and concerns in the industry, possibly identifying areas where your skills could be put to good use.

10. How is the company addressing these challenges?
The interviewer's answer can provide additional insights into the company's ambitions and could organically lead to other questions.

8 Smart Questions To Ask Hiring Managers In A Job Interview

Conclusion

Once the interview has come to an end, stand up and shake the hand of the interviewer and thank them for the interview with a smile.

Ending the interview on a positive note is also important and you can use a phrase like, “It was a pleasure meeting you. Have a great day.”