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Smart Strategies for Responding to Interview Questions

Now, we all know that going to an interview is one of events in life that we all hate. Nobody queues up for the chance to sit down at a table with some people who are going to drill you with questions and try to make you slip up. To take your career to the next level, you need to meet the needs of the interview puzzle. There are three basic elements to a successful interview preparation strategy – Preparation, Presentation and Positive Thinking. Let’s start with the beginning: the introduction…

The start of the interview can come across as a really tricky number. You enter the interview room and suddenly you’re on your own. You have to remain vigilant and watch everything that you say and do. Even pronouncing your name correctly can appear to be a major challenge. Your hands go sweaty, your mouth is like sandpaper and you just want to go home. Just as you are about to turn on your heels and exit the room – the lead interview welcomes you in. Your career will turn on what you decide to do next!

Fear not. Introductions dont have to be embarrassing, distressing or tearful episodes. Introductions can be easy and fun. You simply have to approach things calmly and logically. Stop and think about it for a moment. Youre meeting someone for the first time; its a clean sheet, an opportunity for you to write your own ticket without preconceptions or bias getting in the way. All you have to do is arrive on time, dress smartly, check your teeth for remnants of your last meal, be yourself and make sure youre wearing industrial strength deodorant. What could be simpler? To build up confidence you can always practice introducing yourself in front of the bathroom mirror before you actually attend any interviews. You might want to try this in the comfort of your own home rather than in the washroom of your local pizzeria, where introducing yourself to fellow patrons might be frowned upon.

Having successfully navigated the interview introductions, your next big challenge is to deal with an offer of refreshments. Something as seemingly benign as a cup of tea or coffee can wreak havoc during an interview. Having to juggle hot liquids in flimsy plastic cups while convincing a stranger of your marketing expertise or business acumen should always be avoided. Accepting or declining refreshments is something of a judgement call, as you dont want to appear ill at ease, but remember the risks are high. Loud slurping or gulping wont endear you to the interviewer while spilling hot chocolate down the front of your cream and oatmeal business suit is a blunder few candidates can easily recover from. So, if you find fear and anxiety has made your mouth as dry as Death Valley on the hottest day of the year simply ask for a glass of water. Its probably your safest option.

It appears that after you have gone through the initial pleasantries, you have about 120 seconds to cement your initial impression in the minds of the interview panel. After they have formulated their initial view of you, they are unlikely to want to deter from the position of either wanting to hire or reject you. Stay calm. In your preparation, you will have determined what your key messages and sales points are. Stay targetted on delivering those messages confidently and clearly.

However doubtful you are, take it on trust that having your highly polished, recently manicured fingernails pulled out with rusty tweezers is far worse than your average job interview. Interviewers arent the monsters they might first appear. Theyre just ordinary people doing a difficult job. If the interviewer makes a poor decision then both you and your new employer will suffer the consequences. The best thing that you can probably do is place your trust in the interviewers experience while checking the chair youre offered for chains and thumbscrews. At the end of all this torment, after saying and doing everything right, you still might not get the job. Sometimes life is fickle. In such a case, try to get some positive feedback on your interview technique and move on.

You may well enter a phase in the interview, when you believe that you are in your stride and that things are going well. Unfortunately, if things are going well, then time will pass quickly and you will find yourself at the end of the interview in what appears to be a few minutes. Whatever happens remain focussed and don’t drop the ball now. Stay professional and polite right until you leave the building.

Finish your interview as well as you can. Keep your performance going until you leave the building. At the end, stand up and say thank you. Remember to smile and maintain eye contact. Walk carefully and surefootedly. Ensure that you know where the exit door is before you start to move – you don’t want to be trying to leave the room through the cupboard door. Well done.