Interviews can be very difficult procedures for job seekers, especially those in search of work for the first time. After working on your grooming and résumé, it is the physical encounter that matters for the deal to be sealed. This is the hardest part. Many interviewees’ worst nightmare is being unable to answer all the questions. It is not as though you do not have the answers, but several factors are involved. Here are some tips on how to always have answers to all the questions at an interview.
See also: How to Answer the One Interview Question Nobody is Prepared for
To be able to answer all the questions at an interview, you must carry out research on the company you are interviewing for. Find out the kind of questions they are likely to ask. Find out the policies of the company. Go through the company profile and note important information like the organization culture. This way, even though you do not find out everything, you will have enough information to formulate your answers.
In many cases, commonly asked questions in an interview are geared towards exploring your future goals or digging into your past experiences. The best way to have all the answers to such questions is to articulate your goals and remain candid. Inconsistencies in your answers will show you lack credibility and respect which are important aspects to impress your interviewers.
If you have already gone for other interviews before, use this as an opportunity to help you answer some questions. You should keep a record of the interviews you have attended and note the most common questions. Reflect on how you answered these questions and the responses of the interviewers. Mark all the answers that satisfied them and all that you felt you could have responded differently. Study all these elements, and you will surely perfect your interview skills.
The best way to answer all interview questions is to focus on strengths over weaknesses. If you are eloquent, take advantage of your eloquence. If you are forgetful, draw up a list of common interview questions and answers, and work on it days prior to the interview.
Confidence is an accessory mostly worn to psychologically trying occasions such as an interview. Even when you do not know all the answers, the one way you will be sure to answer all the questions at an interview is by maintaining your calm. Answer all the questions with great eloquence if and when you are not certain about them. However, do not be overconfident.
When you do not know the answer to a question, try to buy time by rephrasing it back to the interviewer and take advantage of the little time you have to rack your head for an answer. For instance, while answering a question like “Where do you see yourself in the next five years?” You may begin a question with paraphrased statements also, such as “In five years’ time, I think that I will have achieved…”
The interviewer is a source of information that every interviewee should pay keen attention to. They are likely to mention their manner of carrying out business in the course of an interview; take advantage of such. Also, to answer all the questions at an interview, observe the interviewers and their mannerisms before giving any answer. Be sure to engage their personalities in your answers.
