Master These Top 11 Interviewing Skills to Advance Your Career
In May 2023, IBM announced a hiring freeze as the company believes 7,800 jobs will be replaced by AI in the next five years. Many other companies in India are also cutting down their hiring budgets and hiring candidates only for essential roles, leading to immense competition. In such uncertain times, learning top interviewing skills is essential to secure good opportunities and boost your career growth.
This blog covers the following:
- What are the Key Interviewing Skills That Can Benefit Your Career?
- Communication
- Time Management
- Personal Image Branding
- Resilience
- Confidence
- Problem-Solving
- Research
- Emotional Intelligence
- Negotiation
- Asking Relevant Questions
- Etiquette: Showing Gratitude and Following Up
- Frequently Asked Questions on Interviewing Skills
What are the Key Interviewing Skills That Can Benefit Your Career?
1. Communication
Professional experience or skills are often secondary factors in assessing a candidate during a job interview. The most common interview technique is to assess communication skills. This helps in demonstrating their ability to work in a team and build interpersonal relationships. Articulating thoughts clearly, listening actively to the interviewer, framing an appropriate response, and delivering it with confidence matter the most in an interview. Along with verbal communication, non-verbal communication like eye contact, smile, and correct posture are also important.
2. Time Management
Interviews are one of the best places to demonstrate impeccable time management skills. Candidates not only need to be punctual for the interview but also answer questions within a suitable time frame. Taking excess time to answer a question can make you sound unprepared. It is best to give crisp answers and avoid sharing unnecessary information. If you don’t know the answer to a question, you should inform the interviewer. Move on to the next question instead of beating around the bush.
3. Personal Image Branding
Excellent personal branding skills create a positive first impression and significantly increase your chances of clearing the interview. It demonstrates the candidate’s attention to detail and seriousness. It allows the interviewer to assess whether the candidate will be the right fit. You can demonstrate personal branding by showing your portfolio or highlighting your strengths.
4. Resilience
Job interviews can be unpredictable. The interviewer may throw a curveball question to throw you off guard. Anything can happen– there could be a shift in the interviewer’s mood, or the conversation could go south. In such cases, resilience acts as one of the most handy interviewing skills. It helps candidates tackle hard interview questions and maintain calmness during interviews. You can pause before answering a question or drink water to calm your nerves.
5. Confidence
Confidence is one of the key qualities to clear job interviews. Confident professionals possess qualities like self-assurance and assertiveness and have the ability to take risks, making them ideal leaders. Some of the best tips to appear confident are to sit straight and maintain eye contact with the interviewer. Avoid fidgeting with your hands or shaking legs, dress appropriately, and rehearse your answers several times.
ALSO READ: How to Prepare for a Telephonic Interview – Top Job Interview Questions
6. Problem-Solving
One of the most common and effective interviewing techniques is to give case studies to candidates. Asking them to provide the best solution possible, especially in technical interviews, will show the interviewee’s skillset. Many interviewers ask questions related to resolving conflicts at the workplace to gauge the problem-solving skills of a candidate. Excellent problem-solving skills demonstrate the ability to make effective decisions, innovate, lead teams, and handle stress.
7. Research
Excellent research is one of the best interviewing skills for candidates. Researching the company, the role you are interviewing for, and learning about the interviewer’s background can help prepare answers. By doing so, you will be prepared for possible interview questions, increasing your chances of selection. Research helps in customizing your answers and aligning them with the company’s values and goals, offering a competitive edge.
8. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EQ) skills like empathy, self-awareness, conflict resolution, and team-building are also some of the most essential interviewing skills. It shows the candidates’ ability to effectively communicate with team members and build interpersonal relationships. Those with high EQ levels are great at inspiring and motivating others and adapting to difficult situations.
9. Negotiation
This allows the hiring managers to understand how candidates can make a situation favorable for all parties and resolve conflicts. Excellent negotiation skills in an interview help candidates secure a higher salary, facilitating career growth.
10. Asking Relevant Questions
Interviews are supposed to be a mutual discussion and not a one-sided Q&A round. Asking relevant questions about the company or the role is also one of the most important interviewing skills. It helps learn more about the organization and initiates a healthy discussion with the employer. Asking questions showcases the candidate’s interest in the role and gives an opportunity to further highlight their skills and experiences. However, asking irrelevant questions can negatively impact one’s chances of clearing an interview. You should prepare two to three genuine questions to ask during the interview.
11. Etiquette: Showing Gratitude and Following Up
Following up after the interview is one of the most crucial interviewing skills. A company interviews several candidates for a single position and might not remember every candidate after the interview. Following up gives you the chance to stand out. It is best to keep it short by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to interview with them. Thank the interviewer for their time, and reiterate your interest in joining the organization. Avoid mistakes like sending a generic follow-up email or following up after several weeks.
ALSO READ: Group Discussion Tips for Job Interviews
Frequently Asked Questions About Interviewing Skills
How Can I Prepare Effectively for a Job Interview to Maximize My Chances of Success?
The best way to prepare for a job interview is to research the job description. Understand the company’s culture and see how your experience and skills can add value to the organization. You can connect with other employees of the organization to learn more about them. Ask for interviewing tips to get the job.
What are Some Common Pitfalls to Avoid During an Interview?
The most common pitfall to avoid during an interview is going under-prepared. You should practice several interview questions to feel confident about your preparation. A casual appearance too can leave a bad impression. Another pitfall to avoid is interrupting the interviewer; allow the interviewer to complete the question before you answer.
How Can Excellent Interviewing Skills Boost My Career Growth?
Excellent interviewing skills can help you secure better job opportunities and build a professional network. Even if you don’t get selected, the interviewer might refer you for other roles because of your impressive interviewing skills.
What are the Essential Qualities That Hiring Managers Look for During an Interview?
Adaptability, leadership, problem-solving approach, ability to work in a team, ownership, and positive attitude are some of the most essential qualities that hiring managers look for during interviews.
ALSO READ: How to Prepare for Job Interview – A Step by step Guide
According to LinkedIn’s The Future of Recruiting 2023 report, organizations will prioritize skills-first hiring in the future. Professionals need to acquire relevant skills and focus on upskilling for career advancement. This should be in addition to learning effective interviewing techniques and practicing interviewing tips. Explore online courses from the world’s best universities on Emeritus to learn relevant hard and soft skills to ace job interviews and advance your career!
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