Impress Your Interviewer in 10 Minutes

Date Posted: 11/24/2016

Getting a job means doing a great job during interviews. One of the most vital aspects on the process of landing a job abroad is to impresses your interviewers be they from the human resources department or even the hiring manager. But an interview is not only about the answers you give to the questions they ask you or the experience you have but also about the impression you make.  After all, they are interviewing other candidates who have the same experience as you.

But how can you impress your interview? That could be a handful but fear no more for this list can help you leave a positive impression on whoever interviews you!

1. Make sure you arrive ahead of time. What company would hire an employee who’s late for such an important event as an interview for a job abroad? The answer is of course is none.  Being early is a MUST even if you have to wait a long time to be interviewed. Be at the interview venue 30 minutes or more before your schedule. Being early can help you settle down e.g. check requirements and your competition, bathroom breaks, munch something, talk to those who have already been interviewed, etc. Mas mabuti ng maaga kaysa mahuli.

2. When you meet the interviewers, offer a genuine smile and extend your hand for a firm handshake but only if the interviewer offers their hand first. Smiling is a way to set a friendly mood and to hide your nervousness. A smile as well as a firm handshake also exudes confidence. The interviewer will know you’re confident and worry-free which means you’re more than ready!

3. Dress appropriately. Magsuot ng nababgay, hindi yung parang nagmadali ka sa pagpili. The first impression you make on your interviewer is the way you’re dressed. It is not required that you buy the most expensive clothes but it is a must that your clothes are proper business attire for the interview. As explained in previous articles, no jeans, flip flops or casual attire.

4. Show eagerness. One thing interviewers want is to meet an enthusiastic person who gives off the feeling of positiveness. According to Alison Richardson, a popular recruiter, whenever you attend interviews it should look like you’re a salesperson and your product is yourself.  People want to work with others who have a positive outlook not someone who brings negative emotions into the workplace.

5. Answer straight to the point.  A mistake many people make is to ramble. Your interviewer will get bored, will be confused or worse will think you’re not the right person for the job. Practice your answers. You can check the internet or many of the other articles of Ikon on possible questions and prepare your answers. In this way, you’ll be able to get your point across without talking about many different things all at the same time.

6. Leave a strong impression. It may seem hard but leaving a mark is not a difficult task. How? Be prepared, tell your story, ask questions and be yourself!

7. Follow up. Try to get the contact details of your interviewers and send a message of gratitude detailing how it was an honor to be interviewed for the post you applied for. These are just some tips you can follow to score an A+ at your next interview for a job abroad. And always remember that first impressions last.

Looking for new challenges abroad?  Apply now to Ikon Solutions, one of the leading recruitment companies in the Philippines.