There are many factors that influence whether or not you are selected for a particular job.
An organization might have thought they would fill a particular role and then they lost a significant customer or other forms of funding. Open positions are frequently canceled due to changes in business circumstances.
Organizations also struggle to define exactly what they are seeking in a new hire. After your interview, which could have gone well, they might realize that they aren’t looking for someone with your skillset. “It’s not you, it’s me.” This is true sometimes!
If you are one of the multiple people interviewing for the same opening, you may have had a great interview, and yet there was another person who had more relevant experience or better communicated their ability to be successful in this role.
The hard truth is that sometimes you felt good about your interview, but it really didn’t go well. Although it might not have gone your way or even if you have yet to interview, knowing how to improve your interviewing skills is important.
In addition to understanding your own skills and experience, there are six ways to “wow” the interviewer and increase your likelihood of getting the job this time.
Eye contact
Convey a sense of confidence by making direct eye contact throughout the interview. Don’t be creepy, though, staring constantly can make an interviewer feel uneasy.
Strong handshake
A handshake, as small of a thing it might seem, is a huge part of a first impression. Just think about the time that you’ve shaken someone’s hand and it was a bit awkward or just off in some way. You can YouTube a few tips on this but simply put, it’s important to not be overpowering, but not weak either. Practice with a friend! (Note that during a pandemic this one might be avoided.)
Honesty
You always want to paint yourself in the best light, but never lie in the process. Honesty is always better than just trying to look good because most employers will either see through the lie or find out later through the hiring process.
Enthusiasm
This doesn’t mean you have to bounce off the walls. It does mean that you express a strong interest in this opportunity and what you can contribute. Enthusiasm can come through in different ways. It can come through as a bold and confident speech pattern or if you’re more extroverted it can come through with hand gestures and body language.
Find the way that you can come across as enthusiastic but not in a way that is disingenuous.
No complaining
Any time you are talking about a past job or boss or experience, follow the rule: “respect the past.” If you complain in an interview, your prospective employer will wonder when you’ll start complaining about them.
Knowledge about the company and opening
If you want to show that you care about this job, look at the company’s website, and read the job posting. There is no such thing as being over-prepared in this area: the more you know, the better you’ll do. Even if you don’t mention everything that you studied, it can also give you a better sense of what company and culture you might be joining.
Even with working on all these areas, you might not get an offer with the first interview you have and that’s okay. The more you work on these and the more interviews you do, you’ll feel more confident in your interview skills and more at ease whether you get the job right away or not. We wish you the best with your upcoming interviews and if you’re about to start a new job, congrats!
