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Many interviewers don’t know how to interview, and the majority of candidates are not sufficiently prepared for the test. Because that situation is a given, a candidate can improve the chances for hire by better understanding the interview process itself and the emotional aspects of the interview.
Conversely from what our instinct might tell us, the interview focus is not on the candidate but on the interviewer’s needs and on satisfying them. And by the way, this is done on a competitive basis, because the candidate who appears to be the best fit into the interviewer’s company’s culture and who shows passion and excitement will be offered the job.
This may sound obvious, but beyond the exchange of information and the validation of career facts are a lot of emotions that intrude themselves into the interview process. For example, a candidate’s natural tendency is to walk into the interview and start selling because the clock is ticking. My suggestion, however, is to hold off the selling and instead, start easy talk. Establish a relationship with the other party, and work on strengthening that relationship until the interviewer stops it when it’s time to move on with the interview.
At that point, the interviewer will ask a guided, open-ended question such as, “Tell me about yourself” or “Why are you interested in this job?” because he wants to obtain a point of reference for how the candidate is positioning himself. A candidate who understands the interview process will give a very brief answer to the question and then turn the conversation so that the interviewer starts talking about his problems. After all, this is what the interview is really all about.
The candidate should indeed bring up and interject facts from past professional experience to prove a history of dealing with similar issues and being able to resolve them to the satisfaction of customers, bosses, and others. Make sure you provide such facts, because otherwise, whatever you say is no more than anecdotal hearsay or your opinion. This phase is most likely the crux of the interview, since now, the interviewer is analyzing your candidacy for fit, skills, and character. This is when you have to project lots of confidence. This is what you’re selling, and this is what the interviewer wants to buy.
If you can follow the foregoing guidelines, you’ll improve your chances to win the competition. The last step before you formally accept an offer involves learning the tactics of negotiating a compensation package.
You spoke about being asked if you had any questions. In terms of prpairateon for future interviews, it’s always a good idea to come prepared with a few questions that demonstrate genuine interest in the job and the company. In this case, you know something about the company, so you would have been in a good position to come prepared with good questions. When you don’t know anything about the company, you can research the business on their website, and then come up with questions. Common questions include things like: “Are you planning to launch any new products soon? What are your plans for growth?” Or, the questions could be more specific to the job for which you are interviewing.Next, you mention that you’re not sure if you want the job. It’s a good idea to determine your interest level before you go for an interview. Of course, things you learn in the course of the interview can affect your interest level, either in a positive or negative way. But, these days, if you don’t display genuine interest, you are likely to lose out to someone who does. Regarding asking for time to consider the offer, my advice would be to wait for an offer, and then ask if you can take a few days to think about it. Most of the time, that’s OK. But to ask before you even have an offer would diminish your chances of getting one.It’s also good form to follow up with a letter thanking the interviewer for their time, and reiterating your interest in the role, as well as why you think you are well suited for the position. Then, they are reminded of you, and hopefully what they liked about you, which could give them a reason to contact you.Regarding the 2 days, I’m surprised that the interviewer even gave that short a time frame. That would suggest you are one of the last to be interviewed, and they are close to a decision. However, very often things don’t wrap up as quickly as the hiring manager would like, so it is not out of the ordinary to have to wait longer than expected.I hope this helps, and wish you all the best in finding a job you will find rewarding and fulfilling.References : Over 25 years of business experience, including as a CEO who interviewed many, many job candidates. Was this answer helpful?