Many times, it happens that your experiences and skills perfectly match the job
requirement. You were confident after meeting the hiring manager, but the result
turned out to be negative. What went wrong? The reason could be that you failed to
showcase the best skills in you and failed to convince the hiring manager that you are
capable of handling the responsibilities. Why did this happen? What went wrong? There
are many things you need to keep in mind while preparing for an interview. They might
appear trivial, but they could make or break a good career move. Let’s have a look at
some tips that help you perform better in the next interview.
INTERVIEW TIPS
Present yourself as an IT Softie: your soft skill matters. Interviewers will assess your
soft skills – communication, adaptability, problem-solving skills etc. This is to ensure
that you will be able to comfortably with clients, peers and suppliers. A junior who can
communicate well with the stakeholders will be preferred over a tech guru who is
interested in dealing only with the technical stuff.
Be honest: Do not pretend anything. If you do not know the answer to a question posed
to you, say that you don’t know the answer. The interviewer may not be necessarily
looking for the right answer. He just wants to see how you would tackle it.
Steer the discussion: Take up the initiative and discuss your strengths, skills and talents.
You should find opportunities to tell the interviewer that you are multitalented, and you
can contribute more than what the role defines. Companies love to hire multi-talented
candidates, who have the potential to deliver in various capacities.
Show some enthusiasm: You should show enthusiasm and motivation throughout the
conversation. Never be passive while attending an interview, If you just answer the
question and wait for the next question, leaving an uncomfortable silence after every
answer, you will have to expect a turndown email. You should find the opportunity to
take initiative and discuss the new trends in the domain, new developments,
innovations, tools etc. This way you can convince the interviewer that you are updated
about the developments in the field and you are very passionate about what you do.
Get that Geek Out on time: Showcase your technical expertise whenever there is an
opportunity/discussion. You should be able to demonstrate the skills needed for the job
opening. Instead of listing the skills, you can present a story/incident where you used
your skills to solve a problem. This way, you can present yourself as a confident person
willing to take responsibilities, volunteer to solve problems and is capable of leading
and guiding the team in a crisis.
Don’t show arrogance: Many hiring managers give this feedback; they say that many
candidates are talented, but they show their arrogance even in the interview. This
persuades the hiring manager to conclude that you are not a good team player. Many
times, it happens that the candidate wants to show his/her confidence, but they end up
showing arrogance.
Never overemphasize your skills: you should emphasise on your skills at the right time,
but do not overemphasise.
CONCLUSION
Presenting your skills in a confident, balanced manner is very important to bag a job.
You have only very little time to convince the interviewer about your suitability for the
role. Use it wisely. Listen to what the interviewer says and put your points confidently.
Give good examples to validate your skills. With some preparation, you can excel in the
art of giving perfect interviews. Good luck!
