How to ace a Job Interview

Having a successful job interview is the key to landing your dream job,which is an art difficult to  master.No matter how experienced you are,a job interview can be stressful for you as you can never be sure about what an interviewer is going to ask you.However,in addition to in depth knowledge of your area of expertise,if you have confidence in yourself and are equipped with good communication and presentation skills,you can easily perform well in your job interview.

Some time-tested techniques that may prove helpful to you to ace a job interview are discussed below:

1. Research the Company : Before you actually go for the job interview you must thoroughly research the company or employer which has called you to the interview.Try to gather as much information about your prospective employer as you can through different sources like internet or company's website,newspapers and your acquaintances who might have some useful information about the company you are likely to interview with.It will not only help you perform well in the interview but also it will help you leave a good impression on your prospective employer.
2. Practice : You should figure out what are typical or the most common interview questions that your prospective employer is likely to ask you.In this regard,you can explore online sources.Once you have prepared a list of typical interview questions,you should practice answering those questions by recording your answers in a speech recorder.You should play back your answers to such questions so that you may analyze and improve your response to each of these interview questions.This will help you boost your self-confidence.You can also seek the help of your close friend or family member to help you practice answering typical interview questions.In this regard,you should also review your job application and CV that you have applied with for a particular job for which you are likely to have an interview,so that you may figure out interview questions that may arise from your job application or CV.
3. Be Yourself : While having an interview you should behave naturally,you should never lie,exaggerate or under-estimate yourself.No one is perfect,be yourself and do not unduly boast off your abilities,however there is no need to be modest either.You should have confidence in yourself and you should present yourself the way you actually are.Your focus should be on "how you can prove yourself beneficial to the company?".
4. Dress Smartly : While appearing for the interview you should dress formally,this will help you make a good impression on the interviewer.Keep in mind that "first impression" is always important in having a successful interview.
5. Be on Time : You should appear for the interview on time.It is better to reach the place of interview 5-10 minutes early.Being late for the interview is not good for your success in interview,as the interviewer may have impression that you are an irresponsible and careless person. 
6. Avoid all Distractions during Interview : During interview,you should avoid all distractions (like mobile phone,pager or digital wrist watch with alarm) that could disturb you paying your full attention to the interviewer.You should switch-off your mobile phone,pager,digital wrist watch with alarm or any thing else that could disturb you during the interview,as your presence of mind is important for your performance in interview.
7. Stay calm and confident : You should stay calm and confident during the interview.do not be nervous or over conscious about your performance in the interview.Be natural and pay your full attention to the interviewer. Forget about the results,take the interview that you are having as a practice for future interviews.Answer the interview questions confidently according to the best of your knowledge and experience without having any concerns about the your performance in the interview.Remember the interview you are having is not the last interview of your life,rather it may help you improve your skills for having a successful job interview in the days to come.Otherwise if you get too conscious about your performance in the interview,you will get nervous and will definitely not be able to perform well in the interview.
8. Be Positive : You should avoid making negative remarks about your previous or current employer before your prospective employer you are interviewing with.If you make negative remarks about your previous employer and about the responsibilities and tasks assigned to you in your previous job position,it will leave a very bad impression about you on the interviewer.No employer likes to hire a person who is negative,lacks enthusiasm and avoids taking challenges and responsibilities. 
9. Be Concise and Clear : While answering the questions,you are being asked during the interview,be concise and clear.No one is perfect,so If you do not know any thing,instead of waffling and wasting time of the interviewer,you should state clearly that you don't know.
10. Express your achievements quantitatively : While discussing your achievements and accomplishments,you should describe your achievements quantitatively.For example,if you managed a team of  workers and supervisors to improve the productivity and efficiency of your company,you should clearly state that you improved the production of your company by how many percent with how many persons on your team in how many days.This will make you sound more practical and intelligent to your prospective employer you are to interview with.Also this sounds more convincing,impressive and concise than just stating your achievements vaguely without proper figures.

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