How to Slay Any Interviews

There is probably not a single person reading this that hasn't gone through interviews or plans not to go through them in the future. We are all here in hopes to achieve academic success and ultimately secure a career that we would both enjoy and respect.

For you guys reading my blog post, I want to share some key strategies for slaying any interviews you may come across.

1. GET YOUR ATTIRE NOW

If you don't have the attire already, I urge you to buy one right now for the interview day (if you can). Not doing so will only cause anxiety, if anything. And it is quite unwise for this trivial issue to interfere with your interview prep. Also, trust me when I say this, looking clean, sharp and professional will only do you good for the interview.

I am certainly not a fashion expert, but I have been an interviewer myself interviewing many people in the past. One of the things that made me frown was when people went overboard their attire, which only did them more harm than good. Frankly, some were costumes more than they were attire. Avoid any overly flashy attire, accessories, and shoes and just dress simple and professional. Don't lose marks the moment you enter the room.

2. SPEND TIME ON "TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF"

We all know that "tell me about yourself" makes a classic question in any interviews. This is an important question to sit on and ponder about because doing so may actually help answer other interview questions. For instance, when I took the time to ponder about who I am, I instantly thought of important events or experiences that played a huge part in shaping who I am today, some of which include Christian mission trips, music band, and student council. Just by contemplating this fundamental question, I am now able to also talk about my valuable experiences, which could be another interview question. At the end of the day, the more you analyze and know about yourself, the better equipped you will be with your answers.

In the process of delving into who I am, what helped me tremendously was drawing a mind map with the central box filled in with "Who am I?" Mind-mapping has been used quite often in education as it helps us to think more efficiently, speak more logically and comprehensively, and brainstorm ideas effectively when trying to produce some form of written work. How you get started with mind map is to brainstorm ideas about what your interests are. For instance, mine were "musical instruments", "academics", "sports", "Christianity and church", "relationships", and "volunteer". Now, create a set of boxes filled in with these keywords and connect them to the central box. Then, you will expand on the keywords. For example, under "musical instruments", I would branch out and write all the instruments I've played, how long I've played each of them, and which instrument is my favourite of all. Another example would be, under "sports", I would branch out and write down all the sports I've played, how long, which sport I’ve won championships in, and which one is my favourite. You repeat this for every keyword and you can branch out further according to your needs. Key here is that your mind map is simple enough that you can sort of draw and picture the entire thing in your head. Below is a sample illustration:

source: http://creativotion.blogspot.com/2010/02/about-me-mind-map.html

If you can’t already see why we even go through this mind-mapping process, let me briefly explain. The goal of interviews is to ultimately get to know you better. Though it varies from interview to interview, many of them will ask about your interests, preferences, conflicts, memorable experiences, etc. And the mind map in your head will help you instantly pick out the tools you need to answer such questions with confidence and ease, which will help you slay the interview.

3. CONDUCT THOROUGH RESEARCH

Whenever people come and ask me why they might have failed their interview. I ask a series of questions like, “did you overdress?”, “did you allow a long awkward silence?”, “were you not making any sense in your answers?” Often, they say “no” to all these questions. In fact, they often thought they did well but don’t understand why they failed. Then, I ask them, “Did you talk about what you like about them?” Many times, the answer here is, “No” and I calmly tell them, “You should’ve.” I mean, frankly, this probably isn’t the sole reason why they failed the interview, but I’d like to emphasize that it looks really bad if you don’t know a single thing about whoever is interviewing you. Even if you are interviewing for McDonald’s, I encourage students to study up new menu additions or promos just in case they ask or in case there is an opportunity to share them. It is a huge plus if you show off your knowledge about whoever is interviewing you, because it shows your genuine interest.

Now, you don’t need to go crazy with your research, but simply navigate through their website and browse at what their new project is, recent news or accomplishments, new menu or products, or other major events in the past worth noting. You can also jot down some interesting information that intrigues you personally. I recommend having three solid things to potentially discuss before the interviews.

4. FIND CONNECTION

You've probably experienced how much of a deeper connection you can have with a new person who has mutual friends with you. This is in fact the case in interviews. If you know a current or former employee/staff at the interviews, it will probably be the biggest plus you can get. At the end of the day, interviewers are looking for candidates who would be a good match for their team of people. The fact that you already have a personal connection with current employees or staff is a strong indicator for good compatibility and favourable team dynamics. If you know someone like this, connect with them, ask for advice, and build relationship.

5. PRACTICE SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

With anything in life, you can’t get away without practicing. Take advantage of the many online resources out there that can help you get a good idea of what they may ask. Now, I always recommend giving around 2 weeks to a month to prepare for any interviews. This gives you enough time to practice with as many people as you can and gain their feedback. Prior to practicing with people, compile a list of potential interview questions (don’t just pick easy ones to impress people) and assign a couple of them to people you’ve carefully selected to practice with. Friends work because they can often give you more honest feedback but I recommend going beyond your circle of friends. They could be your parents, teachers, mentors, tutors, or pastors. Sometimes, people that don’t know you well is less prone to bias and can evaluate you more objectively than your friends who already know you well. Once you practice with a variety of people, your strengths and weaknesses will become quite clear, in which case you should jot them down and focus on improving your weaknesses (e.g. too much “uh” when answering, no eye contact, too nervous, lack of confidence, lack of clarity).

6. KEEP ANSWERS SIMPLE

Less is more and simple is best. I’ve seen some candidates trying too hard to stand out with their extreme answers. This will cause discomfort in the interviewers and make it difficult for them to listen to you any longer. Trust me, they will pretend to listen but their ears are pretty much shut for the rest of the interview. Provide a simple, clear answer and add creativity by sharing a relevant personal story that allows you to show off your distinct colour.

7. RELAX THE DAY BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

I recommend this to all my students. Just like how I recommend not studying and instead relaxing the day before an exam, it's the same with the interview. Your brain needs a break from something you’ve been stressing about and working diligently on for some time. Do something that will get your mind off what is coming up. You can resort to your various hobbies, activities, or you can simply have a nice dinner with your family and friends. Trust me, if you give your brain this well-deserved break, it will work hard for you on the interview day.