The happiest moment for any professional graduate is a call for an interview or for anyone who is desperate to get a job. But clearing an interview is not that easy, if you want to join any MNC like Amazon, Microsoft or Google, there are many rounds of interviews that one has to clear before getting the job that you are looking for.
In this blog you will learn how to crack and clear any interview, the step-by-step process guide which will help you in clearing all interview rounds.
Let us start with the different kinds of interviews which you will face if you want a good job in any multinational company.
Types of Interviews
- Interview over a Phone call.
- Remote Interviews via Video conferencing like Zoom, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, or Microsoft Teams.
- One-to-One Interview.
- Panel Interview.
- Group Interview.
- Behavioural Interview.
- Written and Oral communication test.
The type of interview varies from company to company, small companies or mid-size companies have not more than 3 rounds of interviews, the first is a basic call or interview from HR, the second can be from your field of mastery and the last round is the salary negotiation and Notice period discussion by HR. But large companies have more than 5-6 rounds of interviews and the duration can go up to 1-3 months.
Now, once you have received a call for an interview, let us see how you need to prepare yourself.
8 Steps to Crack the Interview
1. Make Yourself Free for the Entire Day
Any interview day is the most crucial day of your life, interview will not only test your expertise, it will also test your confidence and your passion. Even if your scheduled interview is in the 1st half, please ensure you take a complete day off from your current job, your studies, or your part-time job. Some interviews stretch from a few minutes to a few hours, so if the interview is in the morning it can go up till afternoon and if the interview is in the afternoon, it can go up till late evening.
2. Do Not Disclose
If you have received a call from a company for an interview, just share it with your family, do not share it with your relatives, your friends, or any existing colleagues from the office. You can disclose this once you are done with the interview.
3. Do a complete research
Probably you will get a few days to prepare yourself for an interview. These days you can utilize it to do complete research on the company, of the person who will be interviewing you. Below are some of the factors on which you should do a research.
- Management Team,
- Products and Services offered by the company,
- Operating model of the company,
- Recent Events in the Company,
- Company values and policies,
- The person who will be interviewing you.
So from where will you do this research, the best is to visit their company website or check out the company’s LinkedIn profile. You can also go to Glassdoor if you want to check out the reviews of the company.
4. Prepare for the questions and their answers
You should be a master in your expertise. Assume that you are attending an interview of an IT Manager, you should be well aware of the latest technologies, what are the technical skills that will benefit the company, what are the various technologies with which you have worked in the past. Read books and technical blogs on questions that can be asked during the interviews.
5. Dress appropriately
A first impression is the last impression, so make sure you dress appropriately for the interview. This means dressing in professional attire that is appropriate for the company and the position you’re interviewing for. If you are attending an interview for a senior management profile then a Tie and a Blazer are a must.
6. Arrive early
Punctuality is important, so make sure you arrive early for your interview. This will show the interviewer that you’re reliable and that you’re serious about the job. A bad perception gets created for people who are coming late for an interview. Arrive at least 20-30 minutes before the actual schedule, if it’s a Video interview, make sure you are first to log in before the interview panels logs in.
7. Answer with confidence
Confidence is the most important part of any interview, some interviewers are there just to test your confidence. So be confident when you are answering any questions, even if the answer is wrong, you should be confident. Believe in yourself and your abilities, don’t be scared to open up. Many companies across the world are recruiting resources only based on their confidence.
8. Ask Questions
At the end of the interview, be sure to ask the interviewer some questions. This shows that you’re interested in the job and that you’ve done your research.
Ask questions on your profile.
Ask questions about the company’s growth, values, and policies.
End your interview by buttering the interview with statements like
“I would love to work in such a big Company”
“It’s my dream to get a job in such a goal-oriented company” or
“I will eagerly wait for your call, as I am desperate to join your company”.
What should you not ask in an interview?
“You should never ask anything related to your salary or benefits”.
“What are the job timings? Can I work from home”.
“Who are your competitors?”.
“How much bonus has the company given in the past?”.
“What is the Notice Period Policy in the company”.
“What’s the Appraisal Cycle Policy”.
Such questions create a negative perception, and there are chances that you might lose your job.
Just follow these 8 steps, and you will get your required job. If you want some books or videos on such topics, do send a mail to me at [email protected] or [email protected]
This blog will not 100% guarantee you that you can crack the interview, but the tips in the blog will surely increase your chances of cracking your next interview.