If you’re not planning to be your own boss from day one, you’ll sooner or later go through the process of applying for a job.
The second step after successfully applying is hopefully a job interview.
The truth is that most companies talk to dozens of people when trying to find the right person for the job.

It’s easy to get lost in the volume of people that are being interviewed.
To be one of the hottest candidates for any job, you need to stick out or people will forget about you.

It’s normal to feel some anxiety, especially when you’re in your first couple of job interviews. It will get better over time and your confidence will improve with each meeting that you’re attending.
What doesn’t get better over time is your performance, if you don’t focus on it.

Stay in people’s head

If you want to increase your chances of getting your dream job, you need to make sure that people remember you. It’s easy to get lost in between dozens and sometimes hundreds of applicants.
Obviously the key is to be remembered in a positive way.

There are certain things you need to do, if you want people to remember you in a positive way.
It all starts with leaving a great first impression. Many people neglect this crucial step because they leave it to chance.

People won’t remember every word that you said but they will always remember how you made them feel, so make sure to bring up positive emotions like trust or happiness in others.

This is how you should prepare and carry out a job interview.

How to do it

1. Leave a great first impression

2. Treat everyone the same

3. Impress with knowledge

4. Be prepared

5. Have options
   

Leave a great first impression:
The first impression is formed within the first 7 seconds and immediately tells us whether someone appears likable and competent to us. As soon as you understand how to present yourself well from the very first moment, you will most likely get the benefit of the doubt.
The significance of this aspect is often disregarded by many, consequently placing them at a distinct disadvantage.
Most people leave the first few seconds of getting to know someone to chance, as they are not aware that significant decisions are already happening in the subconscious mind.

If you want to learn more about how to leave a great first impression, make sure to check out my detailed article.

Treat everyone the same:
Most likely you won’t be in a job interview with only one person.
Companies like to increase pressure by attending an interview with multiple people. It’s essential that you treat everyone of those people the same way, no matter their position.
Don’t only keep eye contact with the one person in charge.
You need to show attention to everyone. Look the one that’s speaking in the eyes and make sure to give them your full attention.
Everyone likes to be taken seriously and if you don’t take everyone in the room seriously, they will probably not vote for you when it comes down to it.

Impress with knowledge:
Remember, people don’t choose what they like best. They choose what they fear the least. Nothing convinces people more that you are ideal for the job than knowledge.
It’s really difficult to impress with true knowledge in one or two meetings though.
People are going to have a really hard time detecting if you are competent or not, since the time that they get to spend with you is limited.
Therefore, you need to try and show your competence by telling them about it.
Use technical terms. Talk about your accomplishments and don’t be afraid of overdoing it a little bit.
Your goal is to take away the fear of hiring the wrong person. The easiest way of doing that is by giving them the feeling that you are competent and therefore the right fit.

Be prepared:
Being prepared will do two things for you.

1. It shows that you care enough that you took the time and did your research.
2. It will take away your anxiety because you are in fact better prepared for possible questions.

Invest some time in learning about the companies products, innovations, key players and also the industry that they are in.
Keep in mind, it is about coming across as competent and interested.
That’s the best way of convincing that you are the ideal candidate for the job.

Have options:
Having multiple options will also give you more confidence and reduce anxiety.
Having different job options will not only put you in a better position when it comes to negotiating, it will also reduce your anxiety since you don’t necessarily need this one job to work.
People will know if you are desperate or not. Make sure to have at least three or four job interviews lined up. This way you’ll be able to negotiate the best deal possible for you.
If you don’t have options you are much more vulnerable and you might need to accept a bad offer.

In conclusion

When it comes down to a great job interview it is all about confidence and persuasion.
Make sure to leave a great first impression, this will set you apart from many other applicants. Emotional intelligence is key when it comes to treating people correctly and convincing them.
Don’t be afraid of showing off a little bit. This will take away their fear of hiring the wrong person.

It’s also important to have different options, since this will put you in a better negotiation position and it will make you less nervous.
Prepare each job interview the night before, so you have a certain knowledge about the company and the industry that you’re trying to enter.
Your goal is to show them that you want to work for their company and that there is no one better than you for the job.
Good luck for your next job interview.

Thank you for reading.