In today’s increasingly competitive job market, being able to interview well is essential to professional success. Many candidates will have similar qualifications and experience; coming across as capable, confident, and professional in an interview will make you stand out from the crowd and help tip the scales in your favor. Last week, we gave you three tips for helping you ace the interview. Today we’ll focus on honing your responses to questions during the interview. In order to give outstanding answers to your interviewer’s questions, keep these three critical aspects in mind:
Keep It Clear: Since strong communication skills are essential in almost every job, communicating with clarity and confidence during your interview can go a long way in an interview. Mumbling during an interview will give the impression that you are unprofessional and overly relaxed; make sure that you are pronouncing all of the letters and sounds of each word. Also, be sure not to rush your speech. Speaking at a relaxed pace will help you appear confident and thoughtful and will allow your interviewer to better absorb your message.
Get Your Timing Right: Finding the appropriate length of time to speak when answering a question can be tricky. While you need to make sure you answer the question in full, you also need to avoid rambling. Many interviewees find themselves going on and on when then get nervous, and often end up off topic by the end of their response. Make sure that each of your answers fits the exact question asked and that you end your response as soon as you feel all the essential information has been provided.
Keep It Concrete: Give specific, concrete examples when responding to the interviewer’s questions, especially when discussing your strengths or personal job history. Anyone can say they are good at their job, but giving a concrete example (e.g. sales rose 36% under your management at your last job) makes your answer much stronger.
Give us a call and see how Corporate Speech Solutions can improve your professional life! Call us at 212-308-7725 or send us an e-mail at jayne@corporatespeechsolutions.com to learn more. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!
If your communication skills are holding you back from professional success and you want to make your communication skills your most powerful professional tool, make sure to pick up a free copy of my e-book “Communicate with Clarity and Confidence!” by subscribing to our newsletter community on our website. In this free resource, I break down the myriad factors that contribute to confident communication and guide you through how to use each aspect to your advantage.
© 2019, Corporate Speech Solutions of New York City and Long Island – All Rights Reserved
