HomeBlogGeneral15 Interview Tips to Stand Out in Your Job Interview

15 Interview Tips to Stand Out in Your Job Interview

Read it in 7 Mins

Last updated:
5th Dec, 2019
Views
1,501
In this article
View All
15 Interview Tips to Stand Out in Your Job Interview

After graduation, your next tough job will be to crack your first interview. Interviews are easy to crack if you prepare yourself in the right way. Of course, the domain knowledge, confidence and positive attitude contribute to cracking your interview especially if you are giving interviews for one of the top paying jobs for freshers, but these are just a few. Below are more tips for successful interview cracking.

Tips to Succeed in Interviews Successfully

1. Research About the Company

So, how to get ready for an interview? The first thing is to have some knowledge of the background of the company, and their products and services can help you be confident in the interview. Check the website and social media pages of the company, search for the company in the most recent press releases and have a solid picture of the company, it’s background and it’s goals. 

2. Practice Your Answers to Common Interview Questions

Most interviewers have a bunch of questions in common and you can find the common questions of your field by doing some research on the internet. Have long answers with scenarios and examples ready for these questions at your tongue tips.

Most interviews start with the question “Tell me about yourself”. Now this is a golden chance to showcase yourself and boast about all that you have done. Be sure to highlight the key achievements at each stage of your career. You need to be crisp and sharp on who you are and what value you are going to bring to their company. Check for the common interview questions and prepare answers for those as well. For example, if you are going for a Digital marketing interview which involves Google analytics, find Google analytics interview questions and get an idea.

Ads of upGrad blog

3. Read the Job Description Multiple Times

Take a print out of the job description and read it multiple times. Understand the key skills the employer is looking for and include that in your resume as well as learn it from an interview standpoint. Build some scenarios and examples for those key skills and be fluent with them. Look back into your past and try to link the experience you have with these key skills the employer is looking for.

4. Answer Interview Question Using STAR Method

STAR here stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. So when you are talking to the interviewer you need to be clear and concise with everything. All your answers must relate to a situation, a task that you have done, all the actions taken around it and the positive result that you have achieved. 

5. Set up Mock Interview Session with Your Friends

Voicing out your answers loud is the best way to prepare for an interview. Ask your friend to come over a telephonic mock interview and ask you the common interview questions for your area. Ask your friend to rate you based on your knowledge, presentation and confidence levels.  

6. Prepare with Scenarios and Situations of Your Work

Interview answers should always revolve around experiences. Showcasing your theoretical knowledge alone will not gain you many points. So prepare well for all situational questions and be ready with examples from the work you have done. 

7. Plan Your Interview Attire the Night Before

Appearing for an interview with a shiny formal attire can gain you extra points. Check out the company website if the firm has any special dress code. If not a simple formal attire is your best bet. Casuals and semi-formals should never be worn.

8. Be Prepared with Questions to Ask Your Interviewers

Interviews are to be two-way conversations and interviewers expect you to ask some questions. Your intention by asking a question must be to make the interviewer believe that you are seriously thinking about joining their firm. For example, asking about the day-to-day responsibilities of that job may be a good question to start with. Next, you may ask about building a career by staying with the company.

9. Bring Copies of Your Resume, a Notebook and Pen

Bring 5 – 8 copies of your resumes neatly printed on clean paper in case there are multiple interviewers. Be sure not to have any folds or stains on the paper. Check on this post, if you need resume writing tips. Use a notebook and pen to take down notes which you can later use on your thank you note. 

10. Arrive at least 15 Minutes Early for the Interview

For interview being on-time is equivalent to being late and getting rejected. Arrive at least 15 minutes before time so that you have space to freshen up and settle down. Walk to the interview room and settle down with ease and confidence.

11. Make a Great First Impression

The small little things contribute to your first impression. Take care to shine your shoes, clean up and tidy your nails, check your attire for holes, hair, loose threads etc. The next key to first impression is your confident body language and wearing a smile throughout.

12. Practice Good manners and Body Language

You might meet with lots of people on the way from the entrance of the building to the interview room. Treat everyone with a smile and respect. This elevates your positivity and confidence. Your interviewers might be around watching you walking in. If they witness you ill-mannered at any point, you stand high chances of being rejected.

13. Keep Your Answers Concise and Focused

Your time with an interviewer is limited. Interviews sometimes go as an elimination round. So if the interviewers sense any sort of lack of clarity in your wording you may get rejected upfront. Vagueness in answering situational questions is their permission to eliminate your profile.

14. Never Speak ill About Your Previous Employers

Ads of upGrad blog

Most interviewers may ask about your previous employers and the reason for moving out. You should never speak ill about your previous employer. You always need to keep a positive story handy 

15. End the Interview by Asking About the Next Steps

Asking about the next steps is the best way to end the interview on a positive note. It also gives the interviewer and sense that you are genuinely willing you join the firm.

Conclusion

Here are a few tips for a successful interview. We hope this article has given you enough insight on preparing for an interview to crack it and secure the dream job.

Profile

Kamal Jacob

Blog Author
Kamal is an experienced Online marketing consultant with a high degree of expertise in SEO, Web Analytics, Content/Technical planning and marketing.
Get Free Consultation

Select Course
Select
By tapping submit, you agree to  UpGrad's Terms & Conditions

Our Popular MBA Course

1Why is formal attire necessary?
A person wearing formal attire in an interview setting is assumed to be respectable and assumed to take up responsibilities. It is important to build a positive first impression. Formal clothes show the dignity and worthiness of the candidate. Appropriate dressing makes you look serious and interested in getting the job or the business deal. Wearing well ironed and tidy clothes is also very important. There should be no stains and no loose thread on your attire as well. Fitting and color of the dress should be suitable. It should neither be of vibrant colors nor of dull colors. A white shirt is often the best thing to wear while going for an interview.
2What does a smiling and happy body language indicate?
Body language is a nonverbal behavior. It tells us a lot about the current mental state of the person displaying it and can help us get a better idea of how the person is feeling. It is one of the most important ways our brains communicate with other people, which can either be positive or negative. It is an essential tool for building rapport, and is often used in presentations, interactions, and job interviews to let people know that you are listening, interested, and want to be able to connect. The body language of the people you are watching has a strong impact on their perceptions of you and it has a strong impact on their behavior towards you.
3How to show willingness to join the firm?
The willingness to join the firm is one of the first and most important qualities that a candidate brings to a new employer. It helps to convey that the candidate is not only a strong leader, but also is honest, hardworking, and committed to providing the best service possible. It can be shown by making the interview a two-way conversation rather than monotonous. Asking questions like package details and work culture at the right time makes you look more interested in acquiring the position. Taking a follow up and asking for next steps is also important.

Suggested Blogs

Best MCA final year project topics for students in 2023
1500
Master’s of Computer Applications, popularly known as MCA, is one of the most popular courses among candidates interested in computer technology. MCA
Read More

by Pavan Vadapalli

12 Apr 2023

Average Chartered Accountant (CA) Salary in India: Eligibility, Job Roles, Salary & more
1500
What’s it Like Being a Chartered Accountant in India: Eligibility, Job Roles, Salary and More. Considering the attractive salaries and reputation off
Read More

by Keerthi Shivakumar

12 Apr 2023

Career Options after 12th Commerce: What to do after 12th commerce?
1500
Commerce is a popular choice among Indian students. As the demand for skilled Commerce professionals grows in various industries, students with a Comm
Read More

by Keerthi Shivakumar

05 Apr 2023

15 Top Career Options After Engineering: Trending in 2023
1500
Summary: In this article, you will learn about 15 top career options after Engineering. Higher Studies Public Service Undertakings Management Entrep
Read More

by Nitin Gurmukhani

03 Apr 2023

Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs in India [2023] – Latest & Trending
1500
Summary: In this article, we are going to learn about the top 10 highest paying jobs in India. Professions / Jobs Average Salary 2023 Highest
Read More

by Nitin Gurmukhani

03 Apr 2023

Top 14 Highest Paying Jobs in Bangalore [A Complete Report]
1500
Introduction Bangalore (now known as Bengaluru) is often deemed to be the Silicon Valley of India. A quick search would reveal that Bangalore houses
Read More

by Dilip Guru

03 Apr 2023

25 Advanced Excel Formulas – A Must Know For All Professionals
1563
If you find yourself often flexing your hands and wasting hours to do things manually in Excel, you are missing out on how powerful Excel can be if yo
Read More

by upGrad

02 Apr 2023

What is Conditional Formatting in Excel?
1500
Imagine if you have hundreds of employees working under you and you need to know about the details of only twenty employees’ salaries and their
Read More

by Dilip Guru

02 Apr 2023

Top 10 Job-Oriented Professional Courses After Graduation [2023]
1500
Are you a fresh graduate hoping to embark on exciting adventures in the job world? If yes, take a step back and just consider one thing – is a g
Read More

by upGrad

02 Apr 2023