A job interview is your way to make a great first impression on the people you may be working with in the future. It's an important event, and some job seekers get nervous and flub the interview answers and questions given to them, jeopardizing their chances of getting the job. There are some ways to avoid giving bad behavioral interview answers, most of which take a dose of confidence and a lot of practice.
To eliminate nervous, awkward answers, you should practice with a set of interview answers and questions before the interview. Get a friend or family member to play the role of the interviewer, and get their feedback on your answers. Make sure the interview answers and questions you select are related to your chosen job field and relevant to the type of work you are seeking. You may even want to throw in a question about the company, since you will want the interviewer to know that you have researched the company and really want to work there. Also, be sure to consider adding behavioral interview answers into the mix. Behavioral questions are questions asked about specific instances where you performed well in previous jobs so that the interviewer can gauge your competency on the job. You should always have a few anecdotes ready in case you get this kind of question.
When answering questions, zero in on your strengths and experience so that you don't ramble or seem unfocused. You should also watch how fast or loudly you may be speaking, since these can be signs of nervousness or unpreparedness. Talk at a conversational speed and tone to put yourself and the interviewer at ease. In fact, try to treat the interview answers and questions as a regular workplace conversation. This engages the interviewer and lets them see that you are good at human interactions, which is a key component of nearly every job. You'll seem competent and confident, two really great attributes that everyone is looking for in a job candidate.
You should also answer questions so that you are not giving more information than is necessary. This means staying on point, and only covering what is specifically related to the job you are seeking. A good way to do this is to look at the initial job posting and practice interview answers and questions related to the list of candidate requirements. Saying more than you need to or going off-topic means a longer interview, which can push the interviewer's entire schedule for the day behind.
Shake off the nerves for a big job interview by practicing interview answers and questions with a friend or family member. Practice until you feel confident enough to ace the interview. Doing so may not just mean a new job, it could be the start of a new career.
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