Everyone has to start somewhere, even when it comes to finding a job. Learning something new might seem a bit scary, which is why you should prepare a little more than normal for your first interview for a full-time, postgraduate job. One key to getting ready involves how to show confidence to your interviewers. Here are five tips to help you.
1. Know Thyself
Before your first interview you had to impress someone in HR with your skills, education and qualifications listed on your resume. Commit all of the facts on this vital document to memory as much as possible. Think of the resume in chronological order, and go back to your first job you held as a teenager. Recap volunteer opportunities you had in high school and college. Go through any leadership positions you held in organizations as a way to build up your personal brand and qualifications for the position.
2. Research the Other Side
HR thoroughly vets your resume and qualifications ahead of offering you an interview. You should do the same thing about the potential employer. Find the company website, examine the company's officers and employees on LinkedIn, and discover any recent news that might affect the company. Bring this knowledge to your first interview to help relate to the people in front of you. Develop questions and ask them during the interview to show interest in the employer.
3. Rehearse
The best way to commit all of this to memory is to rehearse over and over again until you sound conversational. Enlist the help of a friend who can stand in as an interviewer. Record your practice sessions and review them later to see how you can improve. Keep rehearsing until your first interview sounds like you're talking to a colleague rather than listing off information within your head. Consider writing a script beforehand so you can list all of your accomplishments and skills.
4. Become a STAR
Review how you accomplished a task in the past by using the STAR method when answering questions in your first interview. STAR stands for situation, task, action and result. Explain the situation you found yourself in, go through the task you engaged in to resolve the problem, talk about the action you took and then state the results of your hard work. Mine these situations from your past experience listed on the resume.
5. Create a First Impression
Sometimes you don't need to speak to show confidence. Walk into the room with a smile on your face. Firmly shake hands with everyone in the room, maintain eye contact and sit up straight in the chair. Lean forward to show you remain engaged in the conversation. Before speaking, take a deep breath to relax your mind while showing you are thoughtful before answering a question.
Your first interview doesn't have to be scary if you just get ready for it much like you study for a test. Instead of cramming for your final, work through the process gradually until your interview skills become second nature and you exude confidence every time you speak or move.
Photo courtesy of Sybll at Flickr.com
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