Any Questions? Come prepared! Know the company you’re applying with! Not just the very basics, such as the name of the CEO and generally what the company does, but go a little deeper. Dos: Scroll through their social media platforms, find out fun facts or study up on their latest success or innovation. Collect a few questions that you can ask at the end of the interview, be it about that company itself or the position. Show them that you’re invested in their agenda and are really interested in the part you’re interviewing for! Don’ts: Don’t just sit there silently when at the end of the interview they ask you if you have any questions! As mentioned before, be prepared with a few questions, 2-3 should do to show real interest in the company. Don’t give the interviewer the feeling that you just want this to be over and done with, make sure you stick around and make good use of the time you are given for last-minute questions!
Get dressed, get hired! Let’s be realistic - one cannot give a “one fits all” advice on what to wear at job interviews. At Lensa we believe that being informed is key. So our advice is, collect information! Dos: It’s not unusual to ask the hiring manager or the recruiter about the appropriate clothing within that specific company. It also shows that you care about the company culture and are ready to fit right in! If you don’t feel comfortable asking, you can research the company’s social platforms to find out more about the culture and the way the organization presents itself. Don’ts: Under no circumstances should you dress down for a job interview. Even if it’s a seemingly laid-back company, it’s always better to dress professionally until instructed otherwise. This’ll save you the embarrassment if you were wrong about the laid-back part initially! Plus, if you’re dressed properly, there’ll be no space to assume you are not serious about the position! We’ll go into detail about colors and outfits in our next video, stay tuned!
Get Dressed, Get Hired! Whether we realize it or not, colors play a tremendous part in our perceptions. Color choices of our clothing for the job interview reach the interviewer on a subconscious level just as strongly as the things you say reaches them on a conscious level. So what colors should you be wearing? Let’s take a look at the ‘Dos’ first: Pink, red, yellow, light blue, white have high conversion rates, therefore by wearing these colors, you have just made yourself a lot more likeable to sell! And the don’ts: Brown, black and green on the other hand have low conversion rates, meaning you make yourself hard to sell. You may find it strange that the color black is on the don’ts list as most people consider wearing black the safest bet. Black can seem sophisticated and sleek, but keep in mind that it can also give off an intimidating vibe. So remember, you have the option to get informed, dress accordingly and to choose your colors to leave a positive subconscious footprint!
Nonverbal Communication Goes A Long Way! In this day and age, most of us know that it’s not enough to speak a certain way. You have to make an impression nonverbally, too! How do you do that at a job interview? Here are the dos: Open with a firm and confident handshake! Make eye-contact and smile! Eye contact is key, as in a professional environment a shifty gaze can easily mean you are insecure or unsure of yourself. Do accept that coffee they are offering! Studies show that accepting ‘gifts’ from strangers makes them more likely to be sympathetic towards you. Take up all the space in the chair you’re sitting in. Sitting at the edge of your seat will reflect your insecurity, so sit in a position that gives off a confident vibe. Let’s look at the don’ts: don’t fidget, make yourself look small, cross your arms or check your phone while you’re interviewing! These are mistakes people keep making, even though some of them may seem pretty stupid - like checking your phone - but it does happen and it’s an instant turn-off for hiring managers.
Calm And Collected. Are you the type of person who wants to be prepared at all times, even for the unexpected? Interviewers want to see your reaction to challenging situations or questions, so be ready to not know the right answer at times. You have to remember to always stay calm and collected, even if you’re faced with a difficult question. It’s okay to ask for a few minutes to think the question through! Dos: Always be honest about things you don’t know, but show that you are willing to learn, and do it quick! Prepare with an example for this from previous experiences. Stay calm and poised. On the other hand, you must make sure that you stay collected and don’t lose your cool if things take an unexpected turn or you suddenly feel outside of your comfort zone. Use the aforementioned technique to save time to answer, or if you are clueless, just say it, but in a positive light, such as: “I’m unsure about this, but will surely look it up once this interview is over!”
Listen actively. The interview usually seems like a “me, myself and I” situation, where all the focus is placed on the jobseeker. The interviewer shouldn’t be ignored, however, so let them know through your body language that you’re truly listening to them. You can do this by: Leaning forward a bit when the interviewer is speaking indicates interest and attention, also nodding every now and then - not after every word though - gives off the impression of you listening and understanding the subject. You may also try paraphrasing to show understanding. Don’t, on the other hand, look at the clock or around the room while the interviewer is speaking. Make sure you give them your undivided attention. Don’t interrupt the person who’s speaking as that may come off rude and the person interviewing you might feel like you’re rushing the interview itself. Check out our other videos for more interview hacks!
Outline Your Achievements. When interviewing for a job, you have to become a sales person for a few hours. The product is YOU. Yes, you’ll need to sell yourself. Dos: Be prepared to go into every interview with at least three or more key selling points in mind, as proof that you’re the best candidate for this particular position. Always be able to list experiences for these points. Let the interviewer know why you’re interested in the job you’re applying for, list your abilities that are in line with what the position requires. If you seem uninterested about the positions, even if you gave all the right answers, you will not be considered to fill it. Don’ts: Don’t get flustered if they ask you a question about a skill you don’t have, rather direct the conversation back to those skills you own and are required by the position. If the interviewer insists on talking about that particular skill, always be honest but make it a point that you’re determined to learn.
Leverage Your Past Experiences. The easiest way of hyping up your skills at a job interview is bringing your past experiences out to play. Dos: When the time is right or you are being asked specifically to talk about your past experiences, bring up the successes you achieved at your previous position. Try to always outline how these successes and learning curves you had previously will help and make you a great candidate for the current position you are interviewing for! Donts: Don’t get too caught up in your story about your previous job, too much detail is not what the interviewers want to hear! Be short, to the point and specific as to why these experiences are important for the position at hand.
Tricky Question: Past Employers! When you hear the request ‘Tell us about your previous boss or company’, you should... Always be diplomatic! Do share a necessary amount of details about your previous job or your direct boss, but not too much and try doing it in a neutral way. There’s always a learning-curve at any given job, so simply focus on the positive takeaways! Positivity is key and people would opt to work with someone who seemingly gets along well with others, rather than someone who’s been in office feuds day in day out and eventually left the company on bad terms. Don’ts: Don’t get too carried away with the stories you’d want to share, especially those that stuck with you because they left a negative impact on your life! Of course it’s okay to state a few reasons why your previous job was not the most suitable for you, but stay away from getting emotional and worked up over - for example - unfairness practiced by your past employers! It never reflects good on anyone, the interviewers may think that you are by nature a complainer or have issues fitting in, so just don’t do it!
Educating yourself on the the company culture and goals, and framing your skill-histories around how YOU could bring value will take your resume to the next level. For example, let’s say the company you are aiming for is an Enterprise, one with hundreds of people on board. When you outline why you’re a great team player, add that you love organizing team buildings and have done so successfully several times in the past. Citing real life experiences that are relevant to your target company will always be more meaningful than simply stating that you’re a great team player. Citing real life experiences that are relevant to your target company will always be more meaningful than stating you're a "great team player". Make it brief, but intriguing: "I used to organize team buildings all the time, using my broad knowledge of the people I work with to maximize the mood." You again give them a chance to pose a question about this short statement on your resume, and besides it being less boring and cliché, it gives you an opportunity to show different sides of your personality.
