Many of us fear job interviews more than anything—but those fears are often in vain. After all, an interview is the best way to demonstrate your best qualities to an employer. In addition, an interview is a much more flexible form of learning about an applicant than questioning or testing, for example. Plus, you can use this flexibility to your advantage.
Still, fear of interviews is common among most candidates. The reasons are understandable. We are most often afraid of the unknown, and we don’t always know what awaits us behind that terrible door. But in most cases, it’s a polite and friendly person who just wants to know about your ability to perform a particular job—and nothing more!
Also, remember that most interviewers don’t harbor an attitude of “let's find out what this person is incompetent in!” Rather, they’re trying to find out if you are really the person they need.
Interviewing is a distinct skill that needs to be learned. Unfortunately, even great developers with a lot of experience manage to fail interviews. To prevent this from happening, consider the following techniques.
Psychological Preparation
Some of the most important characteristics for successful interviewing include morale, a fighting spirit, and self-confidence. So, where do you start?
Many people treat a job interview like an exam or an interrogation. It seems scary—like you’re sitting in the dentist's chair. But it's not really like that. You need to accept the situation and understand the reason you’re there. The interview is not an inquisition; there will be no torture or blackmail. However, neither will everything be sincere and cozy, as if you were having a cup of coffee with friends.
In reality, we should expect a conversation according to business etiquette and without unnecessary personal or non-work-related questions.
So how do you prepare so as not to psych yourself out before heading into an interview? Psychologists recommend focusing on happy memories instead—for example, recalling a successful event in life, receiving a diploma, or getting your first job.
You can also make sure you’ve planned for everything related to the interview in advance. How will you get there? What will you buy at the café for lunch? What shoes will you wear in the office? What will you put on the table?
If you try to come up with all the options for obtaining a coveted position, your brain will consider the event to have already occurred, and your nervous system will calm down.
But be aware that it won’t work to use memories of family life or a personal experience with this technique. They block your ability to create an adventurous mindset, and without this, it will not work. If you think about it, it would be difficult to get a job as a department head if you were constantly reminiscing about your child’s first steps or that successful fishing trip you took.
Level Up Your Interviewing Skills
If you haven't been to an interview in a long time, send your resume to some companies you aren’t particularly interested in. Go through a few interviews just to improve your skills and feel more confident (and an extra offer never hurts). And only after that try your luck in the company of your dreams.
Many employees go through job interviews like this from time to time. Why are they wasting time if they're not going anywhere? They are interested in what questions are being asked now, how interviews are conducted, and how other interviewers behave. And in this way, they keep their own interviewing skills up to date and sharp.
Practice at Home
Few people listen to this advice, but it is one of the most effective things you can do. Ask a friend or other person close to you to conduct an interview. After a couple of attempts, when you have laughed enough, focus and try to imagine you are in a real interview. Let your interviewer ask the strangest, most absurd questions—you need to test your psychological reaction to them. Ideally, you should generally give your friend complete freedom, which will make the interview as unpredictable as possible.
- Prepare Stories about Yourself
Interviewers almost always ask you to tell them about yourself. So what is there to talk about? You can, of course, go over your resume, but the responsible interviewer has already read it a couple of times. It’s much more interesting to share something the interviewer doesn’t know about you: some career details or successful projects that you are proud of. This makes communication less formal and you yourself feel more relaxed.
There are questions that you will hear in almost every interview, so it is worth preparing for them:
- How would you describe yourself?
- Could you tell us about your last job?
- What is the reason for leaving your previous job?
- What do you know about our company?
- What attracts you to our company?
- Why do you want to work with us?
- What are your strengths?
- What are your main weaknesses?
- What type of work do you most like (or dislike) doing?
- What did you like most and least about your previous job?
- What was your biggest mistake at your last job?
- What salary do you expect?
- What would you do if ... (what usually follows is a description of some critical situation that could arise)?
Also, be sure to prepare a few questions you will ask if you are offered the opportunity.
Technical Preparation
For a person looking for a job in the tech industry, the most important interview stage is the technical interview.
It is important to understand what technical knowledge and skills the interviewing panel wants to see in you, and how much this coincides with what you really know. Therefore, it’s wise to check the depth and scope of your knowledge and technical skills. You can assess your skills in various ways, including coding problems, logic puzzles, group interviews, and programming language tests. Given all this, try to identify the technical priorities that you should pay close attention to when preparing for an interview.
Let's say you can't answer an interviewer's technical question. The main thing here is not to panic and instead turn on your analytical brain. Ask leading questions that will get you on the right track.
Of course, there are questions you, the candidate, might be entirely unfamiliar with. In this case, it is better not to guess, but just admit you are unfamiliar with the topic and try to answer the following questions.
Take Сare of Interview Nuances
- Try to find out some information about the organization where you want to find a job.
- Have copies of all necessary documents, a professional resume, and copies of certificates of education with you.
- Be ready to give the names and phone numbers of the persons recommending you (after they agree to this, of course!).
- Find out the exact location of the organization and the route so as not to be late.
- Ensure you have enough time, and don't get nervous if the interview drags on.
Conclusion
All of the above takes time. But when you approach an interview in this way, you will have a better chance of making a good impression and getting an offer. Remember that with experience, finding a job becomes easier. So go to interviews often, but not at the expense of preparation.