How to Make Interview Questions Work for You
Male applicant and businesswoman talking in a job interview in an office
A whopping 92% of U.S.-based candidates experience nervousness before a job interview and when asking interview questions. If you've been feeling a little unsure of yourself as your interview gets closer, you're definitely not alone.
The good news, though, is that there are steps you can take to calm your nerves and stay in control while you're fielding questions from your interviewer. Read on for some tips that will help you make interview questions work for you.
Do Your Research
The average job listing attracts 250 resumes, and only 4–6 candidates tend to get called in to interview for the position. (Of course, you can significantly improve your chances of being invited for an interview by engaging a professional resume writing service of the caliber of Your Edge for Success YES.)
If you're lucky enough to be contacted for an interview, make sure you are prepared to make the most of the opportunity. Spend time researching the company beforehand. Learn about what the company does, what their mission is, and whether they've been in the news recently.
You can then use this information to your advantage when responding to questions. At a minimum, it shows you've done your homework. At best, it can become the basis for some questions that will knock the interviewer’s socks off.
Practice Your Answers
No matter what kind of position for which you're interviewing, there are some common questions you'll likely be asked. This includes things like "Tell me about yourself" and "What makes you interested in this position?"
Think ahead of time about how you'll answer these questions. You don't want your response to sound scripted, but you also don't want to be unprepared for these common interview questions.
Take Notes
There's nothing wrong with taking notes during an interview. In fact, taking notes shows the interviewer that you're engaged and taking the process seriously. This can also help you make questions work for you, as it provides you with something to reference when getting ready to respond.
You'll have a lot of information thrown at you during the interview. Taking notes helps you to keep things straight and remember the most relevant facts.
Pause and Reflect
Before you respond to a question, take a second to pause and reflect on your answer. It's okay to take your time before answering—and it’s far preferable to starting too soon just to avoid a pause but figuring out what you are going to say as you go. Taking your time also beats answering—only to find out you are not addressing what the interviewer wanted you to answer.
Pausing shows the person interviewing you that you care about your responses and want to make sure you're getting things right. It gives you an opportunity to come up with the best, most relevant answers.
Provide Examples
Part of interviewing like a cool chick or dude and making questions work for you is being detailed and specific with your responses. Don't just give basic Yes or No answers.
Instead, look for ways to provide examples and show (rather than tell) why you're the best candidate for the job. This will make you more memorable to your interviewer and increase your chances of being hired.
Control the Outcome
The above information will help you improve your performance in comparison to other candidates. But what can radically increase your chances of being offered the position is controlling the session by asking powerful questions. For example, Your Edge for Success YES’s proprietary Interview AikidoTM technique can significantly increase the chances that you will receive the offer among equally qualified candidates.
Interview Aikido
Most candidates don’t know enough about the emotional side, the psychology of how interviewers actually form their impressions and decisions. Plus, just sitting there getting grilled in an interview doesn’t feel good, does it?
To address all of this, Your Edge for Success YES developed Interview AikidoTM, which enables you to take control of the interview while being relaxed and making an emotional connection with the interviewer. Now you are not only impressing them at an intellectual level but also at a subconscious and emotional level.
You can also use this technique with the people you’re networking with who work at organizations you might want to target. The information you get will tell you if you want to weed out those organizations or if they seem appealing and need someone like you.
Make Questions Work for You Today
As you can see, there are lots of things you can do to make questions work for you during a job interview.
Are you still unclear on how to implement these strategies, though? If so, don't hesitate to reach out to us at Your Edge for Success YES.
Contact us today to learn more about our services or to get help preparing for your upcoming interview.
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