Acing the interview

The candidate that secures the job is one who performs the best during the interview. The interviewer is assessing not only your skills and qualifications but also judging whether or not you can fit into the team culture.

It is important to know how to ‘sell’ yourself, build rapport, show a positive attitude and to communicate clearly and confidently. Above all, you must demonstrate the relevance of your skills and how they will benefit the employer.

Before attending the interview, preparation is key:

• Research the company, their story/company vision, its products or services, competitors and anything else that may be of use
• Check out their website and also scroll through any social media accounts they have. Read it and use the information to ask some intelligent questions and to showcase the knowledge you have regarding the company. The quality of your questions says a lot about you as a candidate and shows initiative

During the interview:

• Develop rapport with the interviewer. The more comfortable the interviewer feels with you, the smoother the interview will go
• Have a firm handshake
• Maintain steady eye contact
• Do not fidget or get distracted by things
• Though it is important to have a steady conversation and to speak enough to highlight your preparation and eagerness, be aware of babbling on too much and going overtime with your responses

Finally, good luck with your interview! Remember, research, prepare, and have confidence in yourself.