If you are a naturally confident person and very sure of yourself, it can sometimes feel that the best thing to do in an interview is make things into less of a big deal than they really areThere are times when you might think you are certain to get a job following an interview; indeed, there may have been occasions when you have been told that you were an impressive interview candidate.
What may work for one interviewer might not work for someone else and here we look at things you can do to improve your chances at future interviews.
It isn’t all about the qualifications
As much as you think that no other candidate could possibly be more qualified on paper for this job than you, there can be other factors that you may not even have considered. Sometimes internal candidates will have the edge on an outsider simply because they already work there, regardless of how qualified you might be, or an interviewer may simply not see you as a ‘fit’ despite your qualifications.
Provide ‘proper’ answers to interview questions
While you should always use personal experience to illustrate your skills and abilities, sometimes it can be difficult to know what to say if you simply don’t have any related personal experiences to share on a specific question. It is often best to try to find a way to cover this possibility honestly and openly – there is no point stretching the truth or not telling the truth at all, as this is bound to be found out. Sometimes it might feel that humour or some sort of distraction is best; however, honestly really is the best policy in this case.
Don’t undersell yourself
If you are a naturally confident person and very sure of yourself, it can sometimes feel that the best thing to do in an interview is make things into less of a big deal than they really are. While no interviewer is likely to be impressed by someone who appears to be overly confident and bordering on arrogant, they still need to see someone who is prepared to sell themselves to secure a position. Identifying your weaknesses is a good thing – provided you are doing it when asked rather than pre-empting the interviewer’s question.
Thinking about these useful tips before interviews can help you to identify how to maximise your chances of landing that dream job. You should always try to get feedback from interviews when you are unsuccessful, as this will provide you with some insight into what you could do differently next time.
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