From your wardrobe to your resume, you want everything perfect when heading for an interview for your dream job. How do you boost the chances of your success in securing that dream job? The response to the following questions has to be flawless:
Tell me about yourself
Avoid repeating your resume. Go one step further & explain who you are, what you do & what you offer. For instance if you are applying for a marketing role, explaining the value you bring can help them evaluate how you can help them garner new customers &/or increase revenue. The point is you should not share personal details such as how many kids you have, what you do over weekends.? Focus should be to showcase how you solve an organization’s business problems. Your goal should be to portray what makes you unique & better than other candidates. Rather than speaking something rehearsed, make an attractive statement so that prospective employer wants to hear you out. Tell about your key strengths & how these strengths can work for your employer.
What’s your expected salary
If you have made it to the interview round post your online application, chances are that your salary expectations as mentioned in the application have been vetted by the hiring manager. However, if you are at the application phase, you have 3 options- you put exact amount, range or leave it blank. Every option carries its own set of risks. If you quote is too low, you are expected to be low-balled at offer stage, you have quote too high, there are chances that you may be ruled out. However, if you keep it blank, your application is considered incomplete. Better option is to give range. This give you a room for negotiation at a later stage. Salary negotiation is tricky if you have not evaluated your worth. Your worth depends upon lot of factors. Evaluate what value you create. Study about the online salary trends for industry. You will get a better idea of buying rate of candidate which your kind of education, skill set & expertise.
Do you have any questions?
Never say “ No” when asked if you have any questions. This is the most important question. Now it’s your turn to ask questions from the interviewer/hiring manager. Accepting offer is a life changing decision & its wise on your part to dig deeper about the organization & your manager. Most of the professionals are going to ask about other perks, working hours etc. Inquiring about performance goals, leadership style, a bit about corporate culture should be on your list. Pay close attention to job description & take notes about the points you are doubtful which you can enquire later. For instance if job description mentions the software you are not aware of, make sure that you extract information on software from the interviewer. Do not shy asking the interviewer why he/she likes the job. Observe his/her body language to evaluate honesty. Be open to ask questions about employer attrition.
Remember that you are one of the numerous candidates who have applied for a position in hand. When you fully understand the value you bring, your interview responses will make a positive impact & have employers keep you in list of shortlisted candidates
