How to Crack an Interview?

A personal interview is an essential round of every job’s screening process. Every job interviewee’s main aim is to prove themselves as the most suited candidate for their chosen profile. Getting an interview call for your dream job is worth the wait. Whether you are fully prepared for the interview or still struggling to face this scenario, we are sure that you’d be looking for the key techniques of how to crack an interview.

So, to help you walk through your interview with confidence, we have crafted this guide to equip you with all the tips and techniques that will be useful in acing an interview successfully.

Ultimate 101 Guide to Understand How to Crack an Interview

Research About the Company

Your knowledge about the company that you’re interviewing for is directly proportional to your chances of being able to answer the questions asked. Some of the important information about the company that should be packed in your mind comprises knowing the vision and mission of the company, its profile, key personnel, history and recent milestones achieved.

Analyse Job Description

Knowing about the company is not the only thing you should do before appearing for an interview as you also need to be aware of the job profile that you’ve applied for. Understand the skills mentioned in the job descriptions and assess the factors that make you fit for the role. Moreover, you can also read about the top management personnel of the company and their progress and achievements. In this way, you’ll get an idea about the recruiters and how you can improve your existing skills to merge with the job requirements. Recognizing how your skills fit the job description is one of the key mantras of exploring the answers to how to crack an interview. 

Brush Up Your Basics

If you are an expert in your field, always remember that the recruiters would be testing the extent of your knowledge in the field you are pursuing. How to crack an interview is best answered when you have an impressive personality along with expert knowledge of your field. If you are a fresher looking to kickstart your career, it is important to organise your thoughts and polish your basics before going for an interview.

Prepare Potential Interview Questions

Want to know how to crack an interview? This particular section talks about the common questions that are covered in almost all types of interviews. So, in order to answer them, you need to have a good command of your language and you should know how to present them in the best manner. Make a list of these questions and practice their answers while looking in the mirror. This is an old trick which actually helps you introspect and learn about your strengths and weaknesses.

Be Prepared for Tests

Got a call for an interview? Well, don’t take it literally as just a face-to-face interview!! It is highly likely that a written test, presentation or some activity might be thrown at you as a precondition to an interview because most companies would like to filter the candidates to find those who are fit to appear for the interview. So, to get yourself selected among a plethora of aspirants, prepare yourself well in advance for such surprises. This way you will be mentally prepared and won’t have to encounter them as a shock. Besides knowing how to crack an interview, these impromptu activities should also be kept in mind during the interview preparation.

Being Punctual is the Key

Punctuality is the key to knowing how to crack an interview. You can make it to the interview only when you are well aware of the importance of time management. Often, applicants who are late to the venue get rejected even prior to appearing for the interview. Therefore, plan your time in advance and keep a time buffer in case of an emergency. 

Dress to Impress

Your dressing sense talks a lot about your personality and may help you create an impression. Be neat, well-groomed and maintain personal hygiene. You should not have this preconceived notion that only wearing ‘formal attire’ is the best thing to wear to an interview. All you need to ensure is that you are presentable but not too glammed up. So, apart from knowing how to crack an interview, one should also know how to present oneself before the interviewers.

Switch on the Interview Mode

Don’t wait to be polite and professional only once you enter the interview room. However, it is always beneficial for you to be courteous and at your best behaviour from the minute, you reach the company’s office. You never know who is noticing you and has a say in your job. 

Don’t Forget to Check Out: How to Answer ‘Why Should You Be Hired for This Internship?’

Be Confident

Getting nervous while thinking about how to crack an interview? Relax. It is completely natural to feel butterflies in your stomach before the interview. Whenever you feel nervous, remember that your confidence is your foremost strength which would not just help you ace your interview but will also be fruitful in the long path to success. Even if you are worried on the inside, the recruiters see what is on the outside. However, don’t be overconfident about your knowledge or skills, but be wise enough to know what to say and when to say it.

Be Attentive

Your interviewer is a person who has the ability to analyse your behaviour and communication skills. In order to connect with what your interviewer is saying or asking, you need to be focused and attentive. Being distracted or daydreaming won’t work in your favour and you might lose some important information. 

Maintain a Composed Body Posture

Your gestures and body language are another type of communication which is very critical in an interview. The interviewers are experts in figuring out within the first 90 seconds if they are interested in hiring you. Keeping your body upright and a smile on your face can have an impressive impact on your recruiters. The idea is to have your replies in sync with your expression or body language. Do this in an appropriate manner and you would surely get to know how to crack an interview.

Eye Contact Builds Credibility

You should always maintain eye contact while you’re engaging with the recruiters. This helps in portraying confidence and plays a key role in making the communication engaging, building a solid foundation of facts and developing mutual respect between you and your interviewer. 

Ensure Clarity 

Always maintain clarity of speech and don’t be in a rush to give out all the answers. Clarity of thoughts can only be achieved when you are calmly listening to what the interviewer is saying and then analysing it in your brain to answer accordingly. In case you don’t know a particular answer, instead of mumbling and looking unsure, try to simply be honest about it. It is perfectly alright to not know everything.

Customise Your Answers

Be creative in answering different questions and don’t sound repetitive. You should always customize your skill set according to the company’s requirements fitting it to how your abilities and skills can add value to the job role and the company. 

Don’t Waste Your Time

When discussing how to crack an interview, time is considered a precious element. Don’t waste your and the interviewer’s time. It is better to accept if in case you don’t know something instead of just trying to guess. Sometimes you are just asked tough questions to see how well you respond under pressure and thus the interviewer does not expect you to panic or fool around.

Your Strengths are Your Motivation

You will always get a chance to talk about your strengths and what keeps you motivated in life. Leave no opportunity to discuss your skills and achievements and how you can contribute to your team and be an asset to the company. Make sure that you are confident and informative while talking and not arrogant and boastful.

Define Your Career Goals

This is not just vital for your interview but in your life as well because if you have established career goals and ambitions you can definitely achieve whatever you want. Frame your answer according to what the interviewer asks you, whether a short-term or a long-term goal. You must ensure that you don’t leave your answer vague or abrupt instead talk about how you expect to grow in your field and the company.

Follow the Interviewer’s Lead

You need to understand that every interviewer may have a different way of talking and conducting an interview. This way, it will be easier for you to follow their lead in their style of talking and professional behaviour. This actually shows that you can listen well and adjust easily to the office atmosphere.

Know What You Are Asking

You can always ask relevant questions to clear your doubts related to your work profile, work culture, onboarding process or the company. The practice of asking questions makes you understand things better and shows your interest in the particular job profile. 

Conclude on a Positive Note

No matter how your interview goes, take a moment to be thankful and courteous to the interviewer for their time and consideration. Being composed and polite can have a very positive impact on your selection. If you’ve understood how to crack an interview, you also need to learn the art of concluding the interview which will help you leave a good impression in the mind of your interviewer

Also Read: 

• Career Objective for Resume for Fresher in Computer Science
• Co-Curricular Activities List for Resume

FAQs

Always remember that an interview is all about you and how you present yourself to the interviewer sitting in front of you. So be confident and follow the above tips on how to crack an interview and we can assure you’ll do a great job!  You can always reach out to our counsellors at Leverage Edu for mentoring you for an interview or even creating a job-winning resume that can land you in your dream job.