3 Interviewing Skills That Can Help Out by Brandon Figueroa

Brandon Figueroa

3 Interviewing Skills That Can Help Out

1. Preparation:

Winging an interview is never worth it. Not only will your interviewer see right through it, but your answers (and your self-confidence) will seriously suffer if you neglect to properly prepare. You should dedicate an hour, at the minimum, to your preparation.

2. Punctuality:

There are very few (if any) excuses that will redeem a late arrival. Do whatever you need to do to get there ten to 15 minutes in advance of your interview time, whether it’s planning your outfit and packing your bag the night before, setting five alarms or asking a friend to give you a wake-up call, or leaving extra early to account for potential transportation obstacles.

3. Thinking Before You Speak:

A well thought-out answer is always better than a rushed one. Of course, you don’t want to sit there in silence for 5 minutes as you come up with an answer, but it is acceptable to take several seconds to think before you speak.

Avoid the “ums” and “uhs” and buy yourself time by repeating the interviewer’s question back to them, or using a phrase like “That’s an interesting question!” or “I was actually just thinking about that when I read an article on a similar topic, and…”