Ten Effective Tips to Clear Interviews

Testing soft skills or your personality is the main motive of interviews. After giving a go-ahead to your hard skills or academic background, the interviewers basically test how practical you are. Here are ten tips that would help you clear an interview:

1. Smile: Greet the interviewers warmly, with a pleasant smile. Your actions affect your mood, so even if you are nervous, a smile would remarkably ramp up your confidence. (A smile radiates positive energy...everyone likes a smiling face...and stuff like that you probably would have read.)
2. Back your claims: If you say you like travelling or reading, you would be asked about the places you have visited or the books you have read. If you say you possess good leadership qualities, supply some examples to back up your claim. For example, “I was a school prefect,” “I was the team leader in a college campaign carried out against global warming” etc.
3. Be honest: Know that people who probably have interviewed thousands of potential employees can read you like a book. Never even think of making up a story because it is a child’s play for the interviewers to catch you lying. Subtle, quick cross questioning is only one technique to have the truth blurted out from you. in obvious deceptions no one even takes the pain of doing this exercise. If you lag behind in a field, the employer can hire you because there is always a scope for improvement. But dishonesty is rejected outright. (I had a poor interview, yet I was offered the job because the interviewers found me honest. I was so nervous that I could not think of dishonesty!)
4. To the point: Know that your to-the-point answers manifest your focused approach. An imprecise answer gives a number of questions to the interviewers. Answering these needless questions could confuse you, deeply cutting your chances of getting the job. (Beware, interviewers sometimes take delight in boggling the minds of such interviewees.)
5. Never be overfriendly: An HR can talk with you as if you are his buddy. This can be to make you feel comfortable or to see your reaction. At such an instance, know that he is your employer, maintain decency and never become overfriendly – because generally ill-mannered people cross their limit.
6. Keep your cool: You can be asked one question repeatedly, smile and answer it as many times it is asked. It can be to see how cool and patient you are. The interview room is one of the worst places where you could brandish your irritation or anger. It isn’t the place where you gulp drinks with your girlfriend or hubby:P
7. Never lose hope: No matter how many times you fumble or could not answer, never think that you have spoilt the interview. If you are unable to answer the initial questions, forget it and give your best to answer the remaining ones. If you gracefully accept that you don’t know the answers, the HR can get impressed. Additionally, your calm expressions would talk expressively about how well you handle pressure.
8. Don’t backbite: Don’t backbite your teachers, former employers or anyone. By backbiting, a prospective employer, among other points, thinks A: You are not good at handling people, B: You are a job hopper or an unsteady employee, C: You will similarly backbite him as well. If discrimination has happened with you, and the situation really warrants you to speak about it (i.e. the interviewer inquires – “Why you quit your previous job?”), try to give an objective account of things and prompt the interviewer himself to conclude what you wish to say.
9. Information of the company: It is crucial that you have some information of the company you are seeking a job in. Log on to the website of the company and gather key facts about it – such as when it was founded, who is the CEO/president, its headquarters etc. Full forms of the companies famous by their acronyms like IBM (International Business Machine) should always be inquired. Small questions, if remain unanswered, can potentially make you embarrassed. Never overlook them.
10. Overcome your nervousness: Know a simple fact that it is not the only opportunity, the market is full of openings. The worst that could happen to you is that you won’t get that job. It is nothing. Try again. Fail again. Keep trying. You will surely be successful!