1. Small Talk

You’re nervous, you have sweaty palms and you probably want the whole ‘ordeal’ to be over with however that’s not usually what happens. Often, there’s some casual banter that takes place before an employer will dive into the more formal question/answer portion of the interview. From the very awkward and seemingly never-ending walk to the interview room to the first few minutes of chit chat, the purpose of small talk is to get both parties to relax and for the employer to get a glimpse of your personality and social skills. You may have said you have excellent communication and people skills on your resume but here’s your chance to prove it. 
Tips:
  • If the employer initiates a conversation, don’t respond with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers, continue the conversation by following up and asking questions. If they don't start the conversation, you should!
  • Stick to safe subjects such as weather, traffic, travel and sports (who doesn’t want to talk about the Jays right now?) AVOID: religion, politics and other controversial topics
  • Think about some talking points while you wait for the interviewer at the reception, observing your surroundings and noting anything which may be a good conversation starter
  • Listen, ask questions and stay positive in your small talk

 

2. Assessing COMPANY Fit

As a job seeker you may be completely concerned about landing the job and selling yourself as the best candidate. While that is important, don’t forget that the interview is a two-way exchange. It is also a good opportunity for you to see first hand if the company is a good fit with yours. No matter how great the position and a company may be, if their values/culture don’t align with yours, the job will be stressful and unrewarding. The interview is one of the best chances for you to assess the work environment and determine it’s the right place for you and whether you’ll be happy going to work on a Monday morning.
Ask yourself:
  • How were you treated before and during your interview?
  • How do you feel in the company work environment?
  • What is the tone of the interview? Very formal, totally unstructured? Organized? These are hints in how the company operates overall

 

3. Why should they hire you?

EVERY question is essentially asking why should the company hire you over all other candidates (yes, including the weakness question). In EACH of your answers, focus on what you bring to the position; your skills, experience, achievements and enthusiasm. Don’t highlight what you lack or may be missing ie) experience, technical skills, education. Also, don’t emphasize what you needfrom the company ie) training, benefits, advancement.
For behavioural based questions, when talking about past experience and scenarios, focus on the skills that you demonstrated in those scenarios because that’s what you will bring to the company and that's what they are most interested in. When using the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method of answering behavioural questions, the chunk of your answer must be spent on the 'action' step.  
 For the dreaded weakness question, talk about how you overcame the weakness and what skills you demonstrated to do so.
If there are any gaps which you have, be ready to explain how you will handle them, however that should only be if the employer brings them up first.
4. Thank you note
It seems most job seekers know they should be doing this however, not many people actually take the time to do this. In the last few interviews I have conducted, only about 20% of candidates actually took the time to send a thank you note, so if you do it you will stand out.
There’s really no downside for sending a thank you note after a job interview and if done well, it certainly won’t hurt your chances. Sending an individual email to each person who interviewed you demonstrates enthusiasm, professionalism and if done well, good communication skills.
Tips:
  • Be concise, not more than 2 short paragraphs
  • Proofread very carefully
  • If you may have missed a very important point about you in the interview, now is the time to sneak it in
  • Send within 24 hours of the interview

 

5. Write it down

After the interview while it’s fresh (within 24 hours), it’s important to take some time to reflect and assess what happened and any learning that will help you better perform in future interviews. Actually writing down the details will allow you to refer back to them and help you continually improve your preparation and performance to help land a job.
Ask yourself:
  • Was I on time and well prepared?
  • What questions did I answer really well?
  • Were there any questions I haven’t heard before?
  • Were there clear areas of improvement?
  • What would I do differently next time?

Whether it's fair or not, most of the time the job doesn’t go to the most qualified candidate, but to the one the employer likes best. Ensuring fit, demonstrating a likeable personality,  and projecting enthusiasm by following the tips above are key for a good interview.  written by Natasha Walli 
Natasha Walli
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to comment below or send me a private message. You can reach   me Twitter @natashawalli.