5 Interview Habits You Should Practice
May 10, 2022
No matter where we stand in our careers, interviewing can still be a daunting and nerve-racking task; sometimes we stumble on our words or forget very memorable moments of our careers. So how do we overcome interview jitters? Perhaps one of the better ways to overcome any interview challenges is by inculcating habits that will boost our confidence. Our recruiters share their top five interview habits to help you land your next job.
KNOW YOUR STUFF
Knowing your successes, failures, and goals when interviewing is critical, as you will be asked to go over them in detail. Although we generally see the lack of career knowledge as a rookie mistake, it can happen to even the most tenured candidate. As we gain more experience, we have a lot more to remember. Keeping a "brag book" of accomplishments can help you remember specific projects and successes. On the flip side, you should also track any struggles you've encountered throughout your career and how you overcame any obstacles. Creating a habit of notetaking throughout your career will help keep your accomplishments and challenges fresh in your memory, leaving you more prepared for an interview.
BECOME A STORYTELLER
Your resume highlights your professional accomplishments, but it doesn't tell the whole story of your career. The art of storytelling can help persuade hiring managers to buy into your candidacy. As mentioned previously, you will often be asked to explain situations or challenges you have faced and overcome. Creating a vivid story will keep hiring managers engaged and excited about your candidacy. Before the interview, you can practice storytelling by listing various career challenges you have faced, what you have done to overcome them, and how you grew from the experience.
BODY LANGUAGE
Body language can make or break an interview. When a candidate looks everywhere but at the interviewer or fidgets frequently or appears bored or confused, it can cost them the job. Becoming self-aware of your bad interview habits is the first step to practicing good habits. Remind yourself to always make eye contact, even in your personal life. When someone is speaking, keep still and focus on their words. If you are confused, think about what your face is conveying and work to look more confident. Creating a habit of good body language will score major points in any interview.
THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS
At the end of the interview, a hiring manager will typically ask the candidate if they have any questions. This is the candidate's chance to shine, as questions show interest and understanding. Asking questions about how the hiring manager sees you impacting the team, any fundamental problems the team is experiencing, and how they plan to solve them are some general but impactful questions to consider during your interview. During the interview, you should take notes about interesting projects or goals that you can dig into during the Q&A session. Interview jitters happen. To avoid freezing up while asking questions, make a habit of writing down and practicing some of your questions ahead of time.
POSITIVE MANTRA
Have you ever repeated a positive mantra to yourself? If you haven't, you should cultivate the habit of doing so before every interview. Positive mantras can calm our inner dialogue of doubt and raise our confidence levels. Mantras such as "you are worthy," "you can do this," or "you are the best candidate for the role," are a few examples of positive mantras you can repeat before interviewing.
ANALYSTS CAN HELP
If you are struggling with interviewing, Analysts can help. Our expert IT recruiters assist in identifying candidates' next career steps, interview preparation, and negotiations. Contact us today to learn more.
