5 Tips to Ace an Interview

Photo Courtesy of Hudson New Zealand

Interviews can be pretty intimidating, especially when the future of your eternal happiness is balanced on the outcome. I recently had an interview for a new job at Brigham Young University, and had my dad give me some tips and pointers. I am so grateful he did! I walked out of that interview feeling calm and confident, and even got the job. Here are some tips and pointers for how to feel great about your interview!

1. Take Your Time.
If the interviewer asks you a question that might need a little more consideration and thought, it’s okay to take a few seconds to think about it. However, it may not be the best idea to insert an “um” where the silence would be. Take your time in thinking of your answer, and don’t be afraid of the silence. Talk slowly and clearly. This can show your interviewer that you think ahead and feel that their question is important.

2. Think of Possible Questions Beforehand.
At my dad’s encouragement, I looked up possible interview questions before heading into the interview. I typed out quick answers, so I would always be prepared. To my astonishment, there wasn’t one question in the interview I hadn’t already studied. I was able to answer calmly and confidently because I already knew the answers. Preparation pays off!

3. Try Not to Fidget.
In high school, I did an internship at The Abbington, an assisted living. For the internship, we had to do a practice interview with our supervisor and earn points based on our performance. I wrote practiced questions, wore a skirt to the interview, and was perfectly on time, all in the hope of getting a perfect score. However, when I got the results back, I was surprised to see points docked for fidgeting. “Played with her hands too much,” was written under the comments section. I realized that fidgeting can be distracting and may show nervousness and unease. To battle fidgeting, trying placing your palms on your lap facedown, or entwining them together loosely. Take deep breaths and try to relax your muscles.

4. Dress Nicely, Act Nicely.
This is an obvious one. I once heard that it is smart to dress “one standard above” the job you are interviewing for, or at most, formal business attire. It is important to present yourself well to make a great first impression. It is also important to act nicely. Arrive ten minutes before your interview, act like it is a privilege (not a right) to be there, smile, and look at all members of the interviewing board.

5. Sell Yourself.
Take every opportunity to sell yourself. I like to tie each question back to an unchanging quality about myself so that the interviewer can see how I would be right for the job. For example, in my interview they asked me what my ideal boss would be like. I focused on a boss that helps me be independent and figure things out on my own to increase my learning, because I am independent and love to problem solve. Turn every question into an opportunity to sell yourself. This can help with your confidence in the interview and shows the interviewer how you can be the perfect person for the job in any situation.

Now go ace that interview!