So you’ve spent the night practicing your interview and prepped your resume and interview answers - dressed your best and minded both your P’s and Q’s. But you still haven’t heard back from your last job interview...or any.
Lucky for you, we’ve got a cheat sheet that could improve your chances of scoring that job interview! Read on to find out more!
Your E’s (Entrance and Exit)
It should be a no-brainer that your entrance can make or break the job interview. Pay attention to the way you walk through the door, and how you greet the interviewers. Remember, you want to enchant them with your entrance! This shows the hiring managers that you’re confident from the get-go and this increases your chances of getting hired.
Don’t forget to do the same when you exit! Impress them by striking up a casual conversation on your way out. You want to make them believe that you have the experience needed to get the job but also the skills needed to succeed in working with your potential group of colleagues.
Show Them Your Passion
You’ve given presents before, haven’t you? Think back to the time you wanted to buy a gift for a friend, colleague, sibling, or partner. You wanted to purchase something that you know they’ll love - perhaps a makeup palette that they were enthusiastic about. Or if they’re interested in games, you saved up to get something that you know they’ll be passionate about.
It’s the same way hiring managers think and feel when they want to gift a position to a candidate. They’re looking at how passionate you are about the role - a quality that no resume in the world can express.
If you have trouble showing them how passionate you are - try to talk about how you made your way up to a certain position through a lot of hard work and just by grinding up through the ranks. For instance, if you’re interviewing for a marketing position, let your interviewers know how you gained your previous marketing experience from a copy writing position. You’ll surely impress your interviewers!
Your Ability to Make Small Talk
Experience and skills aside, hiring managers and CEOs lookout for a candidate’s ability to make friendly small talk. Why? It’s simply because people want to work with good people. And how do you determine what makes someone a great presence? By interacting with them.
But the ability to conduct small talk well lets CEOs and hiring managers learn more about you. After all, you’ll be bumping into them at work during water cooler or lunch sessions - and hang out with the real you.
How Well You Know the Company
Look, people want to hire people that they believe who know the company well. Put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes - and think for a moment. Would you prefer hiring someone who knows little about your business or someone who is well-versed and knowledgeable about what you do?
No, hiring managers are not expecting you to know everything about the company from top to bottom - but you can impress if you’re well versed enough to answer standard questions such as the company’s motto, the position you’re applying for, to name a few. You can also rouse excitement within the interviewee by reading up on any exciting news and press releases the company has released.
Researching the company is critical - a point we’ve mentioned countless times in our previous articles. However, don’t forget to conduct research on the person interviewing you as well. Who knows you may find something in common. That’ll give you added brownie points!
Throw Out Some Data and Insights
Linkedin recommends throwing out some useful data and insights to captivate your interviewers. Pick stats that you know they’ll be impressed by and remember…just like secondary school, no one wants to learn useless information. Seriously, don’t tell us how many times a Snorlax will spawn at Bedok Point - no matter how interesting you find Pokemon Go to be.
How Polite You Are
Contrary to spicy meme culture and popular belief, politeness is not overrated. In fact, being polite shows that you have respect both for the person interviewing you and yourself. Drake puts it nicely, “respect people who find time in their busy schedules for you”. The good news is that politeness is simple. You can show hiring managers how polite you are by:
- Arriving on time for the job interview
- Greeting them
- Smiling
- Letting them finish their sentences before you answer them
- Answer questions in a friendly yet respectable tone.
And since we’re on the topic of well-known rappers and traits that make you stand out...don’t forget that humility is a quality that CEOs claim make the perfect employee. In the words of Kendrick Lamar, “sit down and be humble”.
Your Ability to Sell and Influence Others
Fresh grads, here’s something they don’t teach you in school! You’ll need to constantly sell and influence your ideas to others constantly. As such, it is understandable that employers look at your ability to sell and influence others during your job interview.
Treat every job interview like you would a first date, dress well, memorize your answers, remember some of our tips listed here and you will do well! Just like every other challenge and test in life, there are a number of ways you can overcome job interviews. We hope that with this list of tips, you’ll be able to secure a great position sometime soon! Why not come down to BGC Group’s office to find the perfect job? Or check out BGC’s job board for more information!
Liked this article? Here are some relevant reads you’ll love:
- Let's Walk-through Your First Interview Round
- 8 Killer Questions Every Hiring Manager Should Ask During a Job Interview
- BGC Huddles for your burning career questions
- 5 Steps to Take When a Good Hire Turns "Bad"