- Be on time
Be on time for the interview. Your chance of getting a job is reduced if you are late. Always remember - you never get a second chance to make a first impression. It is better to visit the interview location one-day before and get used to the route and traffic. Aim to be early - you can always find a nearby cafe/shop to wait in. And if for some reason you realize that you are going to be late, then definitely ring up and let them know.
- Be Prepared – Learn something about Employer background
Look at the employers' website and learn something about the company before you attend the interview. If you have a friend who works in the same company, you can always ask him/her to get some details about the company. When you are asked “why you chose this job?” you can use some of the company positive points.
- Write down and practice possible questions
This is nothing but doing mock-up interview of yourself. The interview is going to be based on your technical knowledge and your expertise. You can prepare for possible interview questions from your projects and try to answer them yourself. Prepare answers for some generic questions such as “Tell about yourself”, “Your positive and negative points”, “Reason for leaving the current employer”, “why do you want to join us”.
- Be energetic (Tell me About Yourself)
Many interviewers start with the question, "Tell me about yourself." If you cannot enthusiastically talk about yourself for at least five minutes or so, the interviewer will wonder if you will be interested in your future job for much longer. This is the first chance to create the best impression. Don’t miss this. Write down and prepare to handle this question.
- Be prepared for behavioral questions
Behavioral questions are the ones that are open-ended, the ones designed to find out about your experience. These types of questions are common during mid-level interviews. An example of the behavioral questions is, "Tell me a time when you were under extreme pressure, and how you handled it?" Preparation makes a big difference in how you'd perform in answering these types of questions. Also, when you walk into the interview, think about the different situations that you have gone through. This way, when the questions come up, you won't need to come up with the example right then and there.
- Smile, dress well, eye contact, handshake
SMILE! This is to show professional courtesy. DRESS WELL! The interviewer is dedicating his or her time for this interview, and he/she would expect the candidate gives the interview at least an equal weightage. A well-dressed candidate leaves an excellent impression and projects the image that he or she really cares about this interview. It is preferable not to wear dark shirts or designer ties. The safest dress is a pair of dark trousers, sky blue or white shirt with a neat tie. It is advisable to wear black shoes. Mke sureyour hair Is well-combed. These things will avoid creating a negative mindset of the interviewer. And last but not the least, don't forget that firm handshake and to maintain eye contact, without glaring at the interviewer.
- Be prepared to answer for possible gaps in your CV
Make sure you know how you are going to explain time gaps in your CV.
- Don't talk too much
Communication is a two-way thing so give them a chance. Don’t bring new topics other than what the interviewer opens. Be sweet and short on your answers, but try not to make them a one-word answer. Elaborate your responses to make the the interviewer understand and make them feel you know the subject.
- Take a spare photo and CV copy with you
Your interviewer won't be expecting it, so you will impress them with it. It also helps them remember you after the interview. Sometime the interviewer may have trouble getting a hard-copy. So, try to give them a copy and continue the interview.
- Be positive and enthusiastic
Don't criticize previous employers, particularly within the industry. Focus on positive achievements and views. Don’t mention personal names related to previous experience, use third person (my project manager, my project lead etc).
- Don’t eat/smell, no strong perfume
During the interview, don’t use chewing gum or pan. Use some mouth wash to have pleasant smell. Don’t go very close to the interviewer. Use some body spray instead of strong perfume. If you smell strongly of perfume or chew gums or pan, then the interviewer may feel uncomfortable to sit with you during the interview.
- Don’t be explicit in your personal opinion
Don’t explicitly show that you habe any bias based on religion, caste, community or that you are a follower of someone.
- Have a notepad
Have a notepad with you to write and show something like project architecture or any thing related to interview question. If you don’t have, don’t hesitate to request for a white sheet.
- Be comfortable
Be comfortable to talk. Don’t hesitate to face the interviewer. You are given time to market your skills to get the job. If not here, you have to go to next door. So, don’t be afraid of the environment or the interviewer. You can ask the location of pantry, bathroom or drinking water location, etc. Don’t try any new behavior during the interview. It may seem artificial. At times you will see more than one person in the interview panel. Don’t worry about seeing the crowd. After the interview, they will go somewhere you will go somewhere else
- Don’t open the topic of salary/benefits
Don’t open up the topic of salary or company benefits.. It is always best for the HR representative to explain the company’s pay-structure and the benefits applicable to your position in the organisation. However, it is advisable to research the company’s pay-structure and benefits beforehand so that you can negotiate with the HR representative when they invite you for a discussion.
- Don’t project that you have more dependents
Try not to create an impression that a lot of people are dependent on you. This may give an impression to some employers that you might not be flexible for travels or maybe taking more leaves.
- Handle the unknown questions
When you don’t know the correct answer, try to admit openly and let them pass on to next question. Don’t feel guilty for not answering a question or answering wrong. You are not expected to answer all the questions. The interviewer will not only see how many questions you answer but also how well you answer them. Most of the time they will study your personality, self-confidence, motivation, communication, way of approaching the problem and how you handle yourself. The interviewer may be impressed with any of your qualities other than technical. So, keep facing the interview with your full sprit till the end of the interview.
- When to ask your question
If you have any questions about your job or employer, you will be given some time at the end of the interview. If not, you can ask at the end. But not at the beginning of the interview.
- Don’t show any restrictions
Don’t show any restriction from your side unless it is required. For example, your job may need to get training on new tool or you may have to travel for one month to collect the requirement etc. Ensure that you do not flatly refuse to do these. That will give an impression to the interviewer that you are not adaptable and will not be able to work in various roles and capacities.
- Salutations
Say “Hi I am <your name>, Good Morning” and ask their name and remember. If the name is difficult to remember, ask them to repeat and remember the interviewer’s name at least till the end of the interview. You can call their first name if the person is young. If you feel like addressing the interviewer as ‘Sir’, it is ok.
- Face the questions
Don’t be in a hurry while answering. It is better to take time to think and answer rather than giving the wrong answer. Use whiteboard or notebook to draw related diagram or architecture of the project. If you are asked some additional skills and you don’t have experience in that, politely say “I didn’t get a chance to work on that”. It won’t take much time to learn.
- Don’t read the resume
While explaining the project, explain with naturally and practically. Don’t read the resume. Even if you have worked in a small module, try to get the overall purpose of the project and give some details about that. So that, it will create the impression that you know the functionally and domain knowledge.
- Talk Loud
Talk loud, (don’t shout) and try to clarify one by one when the interviewer ask some doubts. You are observed for how you make the people understand clearly.
- Have Napkin or handkerchief with you
Have a handkerchief or napkin with you. Some people’s hand will always be wet and some people will sweat during the interview.
After coming out of the interview, don’t miss to evaluate yourself for that interview. Each interview can give you some idea about your inner personality and area that you need to improve (it may be technical area or behavioral). Note that down and work on that.