In today’s competitive world, cracking an interview can be intimidating. You need to have excellent communication skills, domain knowledge and a knack to impress the interviewer. However, are these skills enough to help you get your dream job? With the ever-increasing competition, do you ever wonder how to outshine millions of others who are applying for the same job? Does this make you anxious?

To calm down your anxiety and to answer your questions, here are a few tips, that will help you understand how to crack an interview.

1] Let your resume be distinct

A good resume is the first step in achieving your dream job. If you’re aiming at your dream job, you need a professionally documented resume that will grab the recruiter’s attention.  It is the foremost important aspect of any interview. Ensure that you design it rightly. Do not overdo it to make it look creative. Avoid adding unnecessary and irrelevant information to your resume. Your resume must highlight the skills and achievements relevant to the job you are going to interview for. Keep it simple, concise and distinct, so that your resume can easily be noticed.

2] Be updated

Research about the company well and prepare the common interview questions well in advance.  This will help you to confidently answer the interviewer’s questions and will tell the interviewer that you are well prepared.  Always review the job description before an interview. This will help you understand the qualities and experience employers are looking for in a candidate. It is advisable to read the “About Us” section of the company you are applying for. This will help you to explain how you understand their goals and missions and thus might help them accomplish key business goals.

3] Do not dread

Do not ever dread while preparing for an interview. Be confident with your answers and let no anxiety sneak in between during the interview. Interviewers do observe your body langue and gestures. So, it is important that you maintain positive body language. Always greet the interviewer, sit up straight and avoid fidgeting as it might annoy or distract the interviewer. Maintain normal eye contact with all the interviewers present. Avoid continuously staring at the interviewer. However, always maintain a positive demeanor. Also, don’t be disheartened if you fail to perform well in an interview. Remember never to give up because of failures as you will get many opportunities to prove yourself.

4] Be yourself

While giving an interview, you should be yourself. You should not try to forge the accent that might make you look phony. You should be honest and at the same time engaging. Wherever possible, cite stories from your personal life if they are relevant to the question being asked. Being real and authentic never harms. The honesty and authenticity will reflect your personality and leave a good impression on the interviewer and the chances of getting hired will also increase.

5] Skill-yourself

It is absolutely necessary that you possess the skills required for the job role you are interviewing for. To increase your chances of getting hired you must have thorough knowledge about the industry you are applying to and have common skills such as project management, teamwork, professionalism, listening skills and interpersonal skills that are essential in every organization.

Now, here are the top five recommendations that will ensure you receive an offer letter on your first try and the opportunity to begin your career with the job you’ve always desired.

By Dr. Akhil Shahani,
Managing Director, Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management, Shahani Group and CEO, ask.CAREERS 

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