Freshers Interview Preparation Tips

Anything that we do for the first time gives us some trepidation and even more in the current Job Market in India & across the world.

For entry level job seekers & Fresher Graduates, the struggle to secure Freshers Jobs in India is getting competitive day by day. However, practice makes us all perfect and reinforces the skill in us. Attending interviews is one such skill. The more interviews you attend the better you become at it.
Let us look at the things what a Fresher or Entry level job seeker needs to do the first time round to get better at it.

• Always exhibit punctuality. Plan to arrive at least a few minutes before the stipulated time. This will give you time to catch your breathe and be calm and composed when it is your turn. It will also give you some time in case you are stuck in a traffic jam or so.

• Plan ahead. Choose what you are going to wear. Wear your best business attire and anything else that makes you feel good and confident. Wear comfortable shoes, and pay special attention to your overall appearance. You do want to convey professionalism at all times.

• Take a few deep breathes before you enter. Once in front of the interviewer greet him/her with a firm handshake or a polite greeting & Hand over your resume. Try to use the person’s name the way he would like to be addressed that is the title and last name e.g. Mr Smith or just his first name e.g. Bill. You want to start building rapport with him from the word go.

• Remember that he is interviewing you. Hence, let the be asked by him. Listen carefully and comprehend the questions well before responding. In case you are not sure of the question, ask it to be paraphrased and confirm your understanding of it. Answer relevantly and appropriately to the questions.

• Be careful of the language and words that you use. Pay special attention to grammar and pronunciation. Speak clearly, confidently and coherently. Answer to the point in an interesting manner. Say things that will make you stand out from the rest of the crowd.

• Mind your overall body language. Smile and appear pleasant throughout. Sit up straight and lean slightly towards the interviewer to show your interest. Speak in an expressive manner and feel what you say.

• Remember this is your time to sell yourself. Showcase your achievements at college and university in your resume. Expound your skills that can benefit the employer. Blow your trumpet at the same time sound modest.

• Be energetic and enthusiastic throughout. Show your zeal for joining that particular company. Let the employer know that you have done your homework well and you do know something about the organization and maybe its latest products or projects.

• See that you have all the necessary documentation in place. Bring extra copies of your resume. Have all the certificates and photocopies of them ready if asked for. Appear organized and efficient by the way you carry all your documents.

• When asked questions do not just resort to yes and no answers. Justify your answers. You could do this by stating the circumstance, what action did you take in the given circumstance and ultimately what results did it bring.

• Be prepared with a few typical questions that you are usually asked at interviews such as tell me something about yourself, what have been your key achievements so far, how do you handle stress and so forth. At the same time, remember to be spontaneous and not sound rehearsed. An employer wants someone who can think on his feet.

• Try to put yourself in the employer’s shoes and imagine what you would be looking for if you were on the other end of the table. Give the employer just that and you will clinch this top job.

• Leave the room by thanking the person for his time and with a firm handshake. Ask few questions about the company & make sure the firm is genuine in order to avoid any suprise later on. In case you feel that the interview has not gone the way you would have wanted it to hold on to your body language. Do not let your feelings be known be they disappointment or exuberance. Afterwards send across a thank you note or an email.

Try to do all this and you will be sure to come out a winner if not at the interview then definitely in a game called life.

Other job interview tips:

1. Conduct research on the employer, hiring manager, and job opportunity

Success in a job interview starts with a solid foundation of knowledge on the jobseeker’s part. You should understand the employer, the requirements of the job, and the background of the person (or people) interviewing you. The more research you conduct, the more you’ll understand the employer, and the better you’ll be able to answer interview questions. Scour the organization’s website and other published materials, search engines, research tools, and ask questions about the company in your network of contacts. Learn more about job search job interview researching here.

2. Review common interview questions and prepare your responses

Another key to interview success is preparing responses to expected interview questions. First, ask the hiring manager as to the type of interview to expect. Will it be one-on-one or in a group? Will it be with one person, or will you meet several members of the organization? Your goal is to try to determine what you’ll be asked and to compose detailed yet concise responses that focus on specific examples and accomplishments. A good tool for remembering your responses is to put them into a story form that you can tell in the interview. No need to memorize responses (in fact, it’s best not to), but do develop talking points. There are excellent tools available to help you with interview questions and responses. Also, consider using the STAR Interviewing Technique.

3. Dress for Success

Plan out a wardrobe that fits the organization and its culture, striving for the most professional appearance you can accomplish. Remember that it’s always better to be overdressed than under” and to wear clothing that fits and is clean and pressed. Keep accessories and jewelry to a minimum. Try not to smoke or eat right before the interview” and if possible, brush your teeth or use mouthwash.

4: Overcome “job interview nervous“

Job interview nervous is one of the first reasons why you fail in job interviews.

Related post: 10 tips to overcome job-interview nerves

5. Arrive on Time, Relaxed and Prepared for the Interview

There is no excuse ever for arriving late to an interview. Short of a disaster, strive to arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled interview to complete additional paperwork and allow yourself time to get settled. Arriving a bit early is also a chance to observe the dynamics of the workplace.
The day before the interview, pack up extra copies of your resume or CV and reference list. If you have a portfolio or samples of your work, bring those along too. Finally, remember to pack several pens and a pad of paper to jot notes. Finally, as you get to the offices, shut off your cell phone. (And if you were chewing gum, get rid of it.)

6. Take evidence of your achievements

Any sales person who’s interviewed will wax lyrical about their career achievements. But not everyone will take evidence of this to the interview. Although you’ll want to be careful not to take any information along that is confidential to your existing or previous employers (as this implies carelessness), you could take along sales league tables, references or payslips if they’re appropriate.

7. Focus more on what you can do for the company, rather than what they can do for you

At the beginning of the job interview process, someone has to assume the role of the seller, and someone has to be the buyer.

You’re the seller at this early stage of the process.

As the interview progresses you will eventually be asked: Do you have any questions for us?
It’s a bad idea to say, no, I can’t think of anything. It’s also a bad idea to have a grocery list of interview questions a mile long.

8. Make Good First Impressions

A cardinal rule of interviewing is to be polite and offer warm greetings to everyone you meet” from the parking attendant to the receptionist to the hiring manager. Employers often are curious how job applicants treat staff members” and your job offer could easily be derailed if you’re rude or arrogant to any of the staff. When it’s time for the interview, keep in mind that first impressions” the impression interviewers get in the first few seconds of meeting you” can make or break an interview. Make a strong first impression by dressing well, arriving early, and when greeting your interviewer, stand, smile, make eye contact, and offer a firm“ but not bone-crushing“ handshake. Remember that having a positive attitude and expressing enthusiasm for the job and employer are vital in the initial stages of the interview; studies show that hiring managers make critical decisions about job applicants in the first 20 minutes of the interview.

9. Prep your greatest stories in advance.

It’s hard to think of amazing stories on the fly. So think ahead and prepare your most impactful stories of on-the-job success. What kind of stories, you might ask?

“Write down eight to 10 stories that sum up your experience. People are so much more natural when they’re in storytelling mode Think about CAR: challenge, action, result. What was the challenge that the business was facing? What was the action you specifically took? What was the result of it?” That’s Katie’s advice.

Try telling these stories to friends and family in a practice session so you’re even more natural. You’ll feel confident and ready to showcase your most awesome successes when you walk in the door.

Related posts: 7 secrets to tells about your career stories

10. Bring examples of your work

Use the power of the printed word to your advantage. As an executive recruiter, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been called by a hiring manager after an interview, and told how impressed they were with one of my candidates who brought examples of their work.

Most job seekers fail to do this in preparing for a job interview. This one job interview tip alone will set you apart from other candidates.

Idea: Some job seekers bring a copy of their most recent written evaluation to the interview. Obviously, you should only do this if your evaluation is outstanding.

The power of the printed word applies here as well. If you share your strengths with your interviewers, it’s duly noted. If one of your bosses said those same things about you…it’s gospel.
Another great example of your work is any chart or graph that illustrates specifically how you saved the company time or money…or how you made the company money.

Always couch your examples with the following line of logic:

• This was the problem or situation
• Here are the things I specifically did to resolve it
• As a result of these actions, this was the measurable result

11. Remember the Importance of Body Language

While the content of your interview responses is paramount, poor body language can be a distraction at best” or a reason not to hire you at worst. Effective forms of body language include smiling, eye contact, solid posture, active listening, and nodding. Detrimental forms of body language include slouching, looking off in the distance, playing with a pen, fidgeting in a chair, brushing back your hair, touching your face, chewing gum, or mumbling. Read more about perfecting your body language in our article, The Unspoken Secrets of Job Interviewing: How Your Nonverbal Presentation and Behaviors Impact the Impression You Make.

12. Ask insightful questions
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Studies continually show that employers make a judgment about an applicant’s interest in the job by whether or not the interviewee asks questions. Thus, even if the hiring manager was thorough in his or her discussions about the job opening and what is expected, you must ask a few questions. This shows that you have done your research and that you are curious. The smart jobseeker prepares questions to ask days before the interview, adding any additional queries that might arise from the interview. For an idea of questions you could ask at the interview, see our article, Questions You Can Ask at the Job Interview, as well as our article, Make a Lasting Impression at Job Interviews Using Questions.

13. Sell yourself and then close the deal

The most qualified applicant is not always the one who is hired; the winning candidate is often the jobseeker who does the best job responding to interview questions and showcasing his or her fit with the job, department, and organization. Some liken the job interview to a sales call. You are the salesperson” and the product you are selling to the employer is your ability to fill the organization’s needs, solve its problems, propel its success.

Finally, as the interview winds down, ask about the next steps in the process and the timetable in which the employer expects to use to make a decision about the position.

14. Thank Interviewer(s) in Person, by Email, or Postal Mail.

Common courtesy and politeness go far in interviewing; thus, the importance of thanking each person who interviews you should come as no surprise. Start the process while at the interview, thanking each person who interviewed you before you leave. Writing thank-you emails and notes shortly after the interview will not get you the job offer, but doing so will certainly give you an edge over any of the other finalists who didn’t bother to send thank-you notes.

15. Follow Up Afterwards

Don’t let your interview be the last they hear from you. If you follow up afterwards, you’ll help them remember who you are, and make sure your resume doesn’t fall into the abyss of the forgotten. Send a thank you note after your interview, and a short email later on to check in if you haven’t heard back. Take into account how you’ve been communicating with them so far, though, as different modes of communication may be more beneficial. If you have a follow up interview, be sure to nail that too.

16. If You Don’t Get Hired, Find Out Why

Not every interview will be a winner, sadly, even if you do everything right. If you don’t get hired, the best thing you can do is find out why and apply that knowledge to your next round of interviews. Look back on your interview and think about what you could have done better, whether it’s avoiding the “overqualification” trap or just simply using better grammar. There are any number of reasons someone might not hire you, and all you can do is use this round as practice for your next interview.

17. Freelancer jobs

If you are not recruited, you do not need to worry because nowadays, there are many online jobs that can bring in income much higher than the income that you worked for the company.

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