What Employers are Looking for in an Interview

Interviewing for a job can be such a stressful process. If you have been to several interviews and still have not gotten a job it can start to take a toll on your self confidence.

Take a step back and let yourself breathe. You know you need a job and you also know that you are an awesome employee but you are going to have to go through the application and interview process to get the job . This will require you to practice your interview skills and make some changes to how you interview.

Here are 5 things employers are looking for when interviewing candidates:

Confidence

If you are not confident in yourself and what you can do it can be really hard to convince an employer that you are the right person for the job. This will require some self reflection and understanding of what you bring to the table.

You don’t want to come off as arrogant or think that you are better than everyone else. You will want to be likeable and this happens when you put your best foot forward. If you struggle with self confidence there are resources to help you build your own confidence.

Understanding of the Business

What does the business or company sell? Do they offer services or do they work with clients on a daily basis? If you can tell the interviewer their mission statement and how you fit into the workplace and what you bring to the table you will be ahead of most candidates.

This will require you to do some serious research about the company. Check their website out, company reviews and different partners that they work with. Scour the internet and see if you can find what current projects they are working on and if they use any sort of applicant tracking system . If you can reach out to anyone who currently works there this is one of the best ways to learn the ins and outs of that specific company.

Excitement

An interview is the time to show that you are passionate and excited about what you have done and what you want to do. If you are more of an introvert this doesn’t mean that you have to put on a fake personality and become an extrovert for an hour.

Show your real self without getting too personal but show that you are excited about certain things. If you are applying for a coding job get excited about coding and the past projects you have done. If you are going for a management position show that you can get excited about working with other people.

Related: 5 Things That Will Keep Your Employees Happy

Preparation for the Interview

Employers usually have a list of questions that they will ask you. Most interviewers will ask the same questions which can be boring but can actually help you prepare for the interview. Look at a list of common interview questions and prepare an answer beforehand. Practicing your answers will help you sound prepared and competent. The secret is to make the answer sound natural and not like you are just repeating words that sound nice.

Show off Your Soft Skills

Interviewing is a different social setting that requires certain skills. An interview is the perfect time to show off your soft skills and you can do this by listening to the interviewer, asking questions and not interrupting them when they are talking.

Depending on the job there may be some interviews that have some sort of hard skill test. This does not mean that you have to throw your soft skills out the door. Show the employer that you can be friendly and work with other people. This will help them get an understanding if you are a good fit for the company.