How to behave during an interview to win over an employer and get a job

Almost everyone who gets a job goes through this test - a preliminary conversation with HR, HR or their immediate superior. Someone is asked a couple of questions: “Do you have any experience?”, “Are the conditions okay?” - and immediately offer to sign an employment contract. Others are asked in detail about the slightest nuances: how many C grades are in their diploma, what kind of relationships they had with colleagues in their previous position, and whether they have accounts on social networks. Still others may be sent into a state of shock by being asked to wash the floors in the office or sell someone in the office a roll of toilet paper.

Despite the format of the meeting, the nature of the questions and the personality of the “examiner” himself, you need to know how to behave during an interview in any setting - both formal and extraordinary. Knowing some of the nuances will allow you to get your dream job and prove yourself well in a new place from the very first meeting.

Several accents

Before you go for an interview, focus on several points that may prevent you from acting naturally and at ease. Remember that every little detail plays a role in achieving success in this business:

Be mentally prepared for success and feel confident.
Prepare and take with you a package of documents that will be needed: passport, education diploma, resume, certificates, diplomas, work book.
Think over the appearance: hairstyle, clothes, shoes, accessories, fragrance, and for girls - makeup.
Get enough sleep the night before.
Don't be late.
Be positive, in a good mood.
Provide yourself with fresh breath: brush your teeth, do not smoke in the morning, use mint chewing gum or menthol lozenges just before the interview.
Turn off or put your mobile phone on silent mode.

Believe me: even if you are positive and confident, a vibrating phone in your pocket or a question about the circles under your eyes after a sleepless night can unsettle you and ruin everything.

First minute

So, you have met the person who will conduct the interview. Perhaps this will happen in the corridor or you will have to look for an office yourself. Immediately prepare yourself for the fact that the employer or personnel employee is not obliged to be friendly with you. Quite the opposite often happens. Most likely, there were already candidates before you, and besides, for them this is a regular working day. The human factor comes into play: at the time of the appointment, they may be tired, nervous, annoyed, irritated.

At first glance, try to assess their mood and state in order to behave accordingly. If the HR manager smiles at you, smile back. If the employer frowns, there is no need to demonstrate deliberate gaiety; show yourself as a serious person.

Be sure to say hello politely and in a friendly tone.

Many male job seekers are unsure whether to shake the hand of the male interviewer. According to the rules of etiquette, this is done only if he offers his hand first. Otherwise, the initiative will be viewed as familiarity and excessive self-confidence.

Under no circumstances should you jabber or overwhelm the employer with questions about where to send your documents, whether they need your photograph for their personal file, etc. If this is your first interview, first establish contact. To do this, it is enough to limit yourself to a short but pleasant phrase. For example: “Your office is so conveniently located - it wasn’t difficult to find you,” or “What a bright room!”, or “You have an original interior.”

You can sit down only after you are asked to do so and indicated where.

What do you need to know about the interview?

An interview is a personal communication between the employer (or his representative) and the applicant (i.e., the one looking for a job). It allows you to better understand how well the candidate is suitable for the proposed vacancy. The applicant also receives valuable information: he can tour the office, learn about the atmosphere in the team, and ask the potential employer about growth prospects.

Both the head of the company and a special employee – a recruiter – can communicate with the applicant. The interview usually takes place in an interview format and consists of 5 main stages:

Acquaintance
. The applicant and the recruiter get to know each other, establish contact and prepare the atmosphere for communication. The recruiter briefly reminds you what vacancy is being discussed to avoid misunderstandings.
Questions for the applicant
. This is the most important part that determines your chances of getting hired.
Story about the vacancy and the company
. The recruiter tells the candidate in detail about the vacancy and career prospects. The presence of this stage implies that the applicant is interesting to the employer.
Questions from the applicant
. The applicant can clarify important details to understand the prospects of working in the company.
Discussion of the action plan
. At this stage, organizational issues are discussed: further communication, additional interviews, deadlines for returning to work, etc.

Today, many companies (including corporations such as Apple, Amazon and Facebook) conduct remote interviews via video chat when hiring employees. But only accomplished specialists with good recommendations can count on such a format, and yesterday’s student has to personally visit the employer’s office.

Demeanor

The employer will draw conclusions about you based on three aspects: documents, answers to questions and demeanor. Many applicants lose sight of this last point and make an unforgivable mistake. Believe me: during the interview you are being closely, albeit discreetly, watched.

Pose

Psychologists advise taking the following neutral pose at the beginning of the interview:

both legs are on the floor (do not throw them over each other, do not hide them under you, do not cross them, do not spread them too wide);
hands - on the table, not necessarily symmetrically, i.e. one can lie palm down, the other can be clenched into an incomplete fist (do not lock it, do not hide it under the table or behind your back);
back – straight (do not hunch);
head - gaze looks forward, do not lower, do not tilt to the side.

From the point of view of body language, such a pose indicates that the person is confident in himself and his abilities and has nothing to hide. Even if the employer is not familiar with psychology, he will feel it on a subconscious level. If you want to leave a good impression, don't:

take a cheeky pose;
fiddling with something with your hands;
wave your arms, gesticulate intensely;
jump up;
fidget, turn in different directions;
change positions every minute.

Those who are familiar with body language often ask whether it is possible to use the mirroring method in an interview. Some sources even advise to behave this way. However, this is actually a big mistake. For example, you are talking with your boss. It is quite natural that he can allow himself to cross his legs or casually lean back in his chair. If you repeat these actions of his, it will be too cheeky and arrogant for a job seeker. The mirroring technique has specific indications for use, and it is better not to use it when finding a job - there is a high risk of failure.

The most common mistakes made during an interview

Facial expressions

Undoubtedly, a smile is an indicator of a positive attitude. Therefore, many give advice not to be shy and smile during the interview. However, in order to please, you need to do it correctly and appropriately: either in response, or with a successful joke from one of the parties. In all other cases it will look unnatural and forced.

Don't grimace.

Some, due to excitement, begin to wrinkle their nose or forehead, curl their mouth, pull their lips into a tube, bite them, tug at their eyebrows. Control your feelings. Make sure that your facial expression remains smooth, calm and friendly throughout the interview.

If you suffer from a tic or any facial defect, it is better to honestly warn the interviewer about it right away. Otherwise, he may draw the wrong conclusions.

Voice

Most people are very nervous during an interview, and this does not have the most positive effect on their voice. It may become intermittent or squeak. If you know you have such a problem, you need to take care of it in advance. In order not to worry too much, drink some mild sedative in the morning (not with a sedative effect and not emit a strong odor). To prevent your throat from drying out, take a bottle of water with you and take a few sips before entering the office. To avoid shortness of breath, master exercises to restore it.

The voice should not be quiet so that the interviewer hears every word clearly. If you are asked to repeat what you said, conclude that you need to speak louder.

At the same time, do not allow yourself to raise your voice, even if you are very worried or outraged by something.

Sight

The gaze should be direct and open. But this does not mean at all that you need to peer closely into the face of your interlocutor - he will feel awkward. Therefore, from time to time, turn your eyes to something else. At the same time, you should not look at the interior of the office for too long or look distractedly out the window.

The eyes should not move. Don't lose eye contact with the person. If they're staring at you, don't look away. This may lead to the idea that you are hiding something and are not honest.

All these points seem to be truisms. However, anxiety during an interview can be so uncontrollable that such nuances are forgotten. And now you are nervously tapping your foot on the floor, fiddling with a strand of hair, losing your story because of your dry throat and being afraid to look up. In order not to forget anything at the most crucial moment of your life and to behave with dignity, rehearse at home.

These points are especially important if the interview is conducted with a psychologist. He pays attention to them first of all, since his task is to create a portrait of you as a person.

Conversation

How to behave during the conversation itself, when you have to answer a barrage of questions - both expected and completely unpredictable? To help, here are some tips from a psychologist that you should remember.

Listen to everything they tell you to the end. Do not interrupt or start answering if the interviewer has not yet finished the question.

Listen carefully to the questions so that you can answer only to the point. At the moment when they are asked to you, you need to look at the interlocutor. Even if you don't hear something, there is a chance to guess the word from your lips. Making eye contact will help you understand whether you are being asked seriously or if you can answer with humor.

If you still didn’t hear something, don’t be shy and ask for it to be repeated. Otherwise, you may miss important information. However, try to make such moments exceptions.

There is no need to rush with answers. Maintain a correct pause of 5-6 seconds. It will help you collect your thoughts and calm down.

Your answers

What not to say:

phrases of uncertainty and doubt: probably, perhaps, maybe, sort of, I don’t know;
parasite words;
words from colloquial and colloquial spheres: damn it, iron, ancestors, hostel, secretary, etc.;
rudeness, frivolity, compliments.

The answers to the questions should be:

brief;
accurate;
clear;
clear;
essentially;
confident;
truthful.

Possible answers to specific questions:

about salary - do not underestimate the amount, show that you value yourself;
about biography - a story about yourself must be thought out, prepared in advance and learned by heart;
about past work - do not say anything negative, limit yourself to general phrases;
about lifestyle - show that you are trying to adhere to a healthy lifestyle;
about your personal life - do not go into details, answer in general phrases;
about free time - convince them that you spend it like a normal, adequate person (they don’t need to know that you like to swim with sharks or practice black magic).

If they start asking stressful questions, the main thing is to behave adequately and calmly, not to show surprise or be indignant. You are tested for stress resistance. Therefore, be prepared for questions about whether aliens took you to their galaxy and why women don’t have an Adam’s apple. They may ask why your wife left you and what time you usually go to bed. Their goal is to piss you off. Answering with indignation: “You don’t care about this” or “This doesn’t concern work” is a big mistake.

Your questions

Don't be afraid to ask questions too. This will show that you are interested and active, rather than indifferent and passive. What would be useful to ask:

What are your responsibilities?
What do they expect from you?
Is there a lot of turnover in this particular position, and if so, why and why did the previous employee quit?
Is it possible to talk to the boss?
What will be your work schedule and daily routine?
What is the official salary?
Is employee training expected?
Is there a possibility of promotion?
Do they provide their employees with a social package?
Will there be business trips?

It is recommended to ask no more than 5 questions during the interview, otherwise you risk seeming intrusive. So make a list in advance of what interests you most. And it’s better to end on a cheerful note. For example, ask if they pour coffee for their employees in the morning to keep them energized throughout the day. This will relieve tension and defuse the situation.

Block 1. Summary

The resume should be easy to read. Font, spacing, structure, sorted/numbered lists. The recruiter will still need his eyes.
No mistakes in your resume . Phrase construction, punctuation, spelling. At first, your resume is your face, don’t get it dirty. There are technical leads who care about spelling. Therefore, take care of yourself and your loved ones - write correctly!
How many pages should a resume be? As much as it takes to express your experience. There is no need to try to cram everything onto 1 page, but keep your Leo Tolstoy with you when writing your resume.
Resume title = Last name_First name. Not “Resume” File name = CV_Last name_First name = Last name_First name There is no better formula and there never will be. Don't waste the recruiter's time renaming your document. They receive 100,500 files called “Resumes”. Have mercy.
Photos aren't necessary, but they're always fun. (Have you found a candidate? Better! Photo of the candidate.)
Job sites offer a good structure, and for those who are lost or do not want to post their CV publicly, you can do without them. General structure:
- Full name
Contact details
work experience in reverse chronological order (where I work now, and before that I worked, and even before that...)
Education (university, faculty/specialization, degree received, years of study)
Key skills Foreign languages
Hobbies/Interests (optional)
How to describe work experience?
- Company (mm.yyyy - to date)
Responsibilities: In 2 words about the project (what is the product). How big is the team and what tasks do you perform? What is your area of responsibility? What technology stack are you using on the project? Version control system and bug tracking? Who is responsible for the product architecture? Do you take part in solving architectural issues? (If not, you can skip this point) Do you have experience managing a team? What did it look like? (Training program, distribution of tasks between juniors, code review, assistance with advice as a mentor)
Add a little creativity and humor if it's appropriate and if you have it.

A familiar resume for recruiters is created in two clicks on hh.ru, and you can make a beautiful pdf from your LinkedIn profile using https://ceev.io/

How to leave

Never try to finish the interview yourself and leave before you are allowed to do so. Even if there is an awkward pause, it seems to you that all the questions have already been asked and it’s time to leave, do not become the initiators. Perhaps they need this interval to think about a decision or discuss some other nuances. So wait until you are told that the interview is over. In this case, the situation can play out in the following scenarios.

Refusal

You may be immediately refused. You should not immediately jump out of the office, slamming the doors. Firstly, behaving this way is unethical. Secondly, you need to learn from failure, so politely ask what criteria you used to fail them. Take note of this to avoid making similar mistakes next time. Thirdly (we warn you right away that this happens extremely rarely, but it still happens), the employer in this way tests the employee’s resistance to stress. You restrained yourself, thanked them and politely left - they may return you halfway or call you back the next day to say that you have been hired.

They'll call you back

They may say that they will call you back when they make a final decision. Be sure to ask about specific deadlines for when exactly they will do this. For example, within a day, 3 days or a week? If longer is not an option: you will wait a month, waste time, and in the end you will be refused.

Invitation to an additional interview

Politely thank them for giving you a second chance. Be sure to specify the time and place of the second interview.

Approval of candidacy

If you are told that you have been hired, you should not throw yourself on the interviewer’s neck, kiss him on both cheeks, run out into the corridor and shout “Hallelujah.” You need to behave with dignity. Otherwise, your excessive emotionality may force the employer to change his mind and reconsider the decision. Even if this doesn’t happen, your new colleagues’ impression of you will be spoiled. Instead, it is better to discuss where to bring documents to draw up an employment agreement, when you can begin your duties and other organizational issues.

Whatever the decision, no matter how the interview ends, it is better to behave with dignity. Smile and thank for the interesting meeting. If you were unable to get a place, wish you luck in your future search.

General Tips

A few more general points on how to win over:

Be internally confident in your abilities, do not allow failure in your thoughts - this will affect your demeanor and convince the employer that you know your worth.
If you start to get nervous, abstract yourself. Imagine yourself and the interviewer in an informal setting: on the beach, in an amusement park. This will relieve tension.
If you can't look straight into your eyes, choose a point on the bridge of your nose or in the center of your forehead.
If you don't like the person you're talking to or they annoy you, don't show it.
Don't let yourself belittled. Protect your dignity.
Don't be surprised by anything and don't react too emotionally to unexpected situations.

Solve any interview situation from the point of view of the position for which you are applying.

Remember

You need to prepare for the interview. Research the company and its competitive environment. Collect information from open sources.
Write down the main thoughts and questions for the recruiter in a notebook.
Turn the interview into selling your knowledge and experience.
Monster.com experts recommend asking six important interview questions. We'd add a few more.
Ask with caution: some questions are best left unasked, others need to be asked on time.

What situations have you encountered during interviews?
Share your experience with other readers in the comments to the article! Join us on Telegram! Channel of the Russian School of Management about issues of continuous development, advanced training and trends in business education @rusuprav Text: Ivan Ilyin

Special cases

How to behave at an interview so that you get the job 100%...

...for a leadership position?

Confidently, but without unnecessary aplomb, with dignity - show that you know your worth. If possible, demonstrate your own beliefs on some issues. If you disagree on something, do not be impudent or arrogant, but firmly report it. Ask smart questions: who will be subordinate to you, why the previous manager left this position, what types of responsibilities you will bear.

...when applying for a job as a manager?

Be creative, be as outgoing as possible, and use professional terms (where appropriate) to demonstrate your competence. Be prepared to be asked to sell a pen. The employer needs this in order to assess your professional suitability, theoretical knowledge and degree of creative potential.

...if you have no work experience?

Under no circumstances should you have a complex about this. Emphasize that you graduated from a prestigious university, what an excellent diploma you have and how you dream about this job. And yes, don’t forget your main trump cards - you are young and active, ready for self-development and career growth and not afraid of difficulties.

...a teenager?

Starting from the age of 14, teenagers can get a job officially, with a work book. If you have an interview, the main thing is not to behave cheekily and demonstrate to the employer your independence and desire to earn money. At this age, it can be difficult to cope with your emotions. But, if this place is so important to you, you will have to pull yourself together.

...with the administrator?

Just like with any other interviewer: calmly, politely, naturally.

...with the employer?

This is where responsibility increases. You meet and talk with the boss himself, on whom your salary and career growth may subsequently depend. Therefore, you have no room for error. Show him everything you are capable of in terms of your profession, but at the same time behave with dignity, do not stick out and do not go too far.

…by Skype?

The main thing here is to set all the settings in the application correctly and ensure the quality of the Internet connection at the time of the interview. Otherwise, the advice is the same: behave confidently, reservedly and kindly. Pay attention to the view behind you so that there are no scattered things or a one-year-old child crawling on the floor and screaming.

...if it's a group interview?

First, you need to stand out from the crowd of other applicants. But you can’t behave rudely and impudently. There are more effective ways to distinguish yourself: answer a question clearly and professionally, for example. Secondly, in these types of interviews they may be given a teamwork task to see who will take on which role. Here you should proceed from the position you are applying for. If you are a manager, you need to show your organizational skills to the maximum. If it’s for ordinary subordinates, it’s to show that you know how to carry out assignments. The main thing is not to get into arguments and not to offend anyone.

…in the cafe?

If your future job has nothing to do with catering, psychologists recommend not agreeing to this interview format. He speaks not in favor of the future employer. This is too intimate an environment for a work moment. In addition, awkward situations may arise that will be extremely difficult to get out of: what to order? who will pay the bill?

...at a follow-up interview?

The same rules apply. True, men can already shake hands.

Tips for employers

Employers, HR workers and HR managers must also be able to behave correctly during an interview with a job candidate:

Make the person feel good about you. Offer a cup of coffee. Ask how you got there.
Don’t ask to introduce yourself; you already know his name from the recording or documents.
But be sure to introduce yourself.
Don’t look too closely, don’t scrutinize, but at the same time notice details (how he’s dressed, how he holds himself).
Provide an opportunity to ask questions and answer them confidently and honestly.
Maintain subordination, but do not belittle.

Remember: an interview is not a confession or an exam. So there is no need to tell your employer your innermost thoughts, nor is it necessary to worry too much. Try to act as natural and relaxed as possible, and then your dream job will be in your pocket.

After the interview

If the communication was successful, you introduced yourself correctly and answered all the questions correctly, your chances of getting the job are quite high. However, an employee is rarely hired immediately after an interview. Usually the recruiter gives an approximate deadline for making a decision and says, “We will contact you.” Many people perceive this phrase as a polite refusal, and this deals a strong blow to their self-esteem.

But if you failed the interview, they would tell you so. It’s just that any company usually interviews several people, and the final decision is made after communicating with all the candidates. Therefore, you can calmly wait for the call or use the time to look for other interesting vacancies.