How To Convince HR That You’re “THE STAR” of The Interview
Wondering on how to have a “Please! I’m a Star!” moment on your future HR interview? Worries not! We come clutching…
The joy in finding out that you’ve just been shortlisted to conduct the HR interview in a job-seeking experience only lasts a couple of minutes. It would dissipate in the moment when the reality hits: “Oh… I have to be interviewed.” and the cold sweats started to form. This is a common experience to occur. In fact, I would still feel the jitters for every single interview that I had. After that, the most common practice is to frantically open the notepad application and write down the answers to your possible questions and practice until it feels fluent in the tongue.
To be really honest, it never felt that fluent. We were just trying to take control of the situation, making the pit-a-pat harder. Well… nevermind the heart pounding and take a deep breath because you’ve got it. Now, that you’re a little bit calmer… Let’s rewind your preparation and check the boxes one by one with me.
Plan your clothes and space
As it is your first (and, perhaps, the last time you’d see the interviewer), you need to make good impressions by dressing up in accordance with the mutually agreed dress code. If the interviewer wrote a dress code you’d need to show up with, go with it. With no information as to the dress code, you would need to prepare on your own. Most research found that wearing a business casual outfit on your interview makes the best option for virtual interviews. This combination will help you appear more authentic, trustworthy, creative, and expert-like. However, make sure that comfortability is your first priority as it will help you perform better.
Next, prepare your space. Declutter them if it needs to be. When having a virtual interview, you need to ensure that the environment is clean and comfortable for you to think under pressure. Of course, when there are chips and empty cans of diet coke laying around your desk, you wouldn’t be able to focus at all. So, make sure that your desk is tidy with good lighting to support it as it will help you become more comfortable and confident in how you look virtually.
Prepare answers to most common questions
It is important to read the terrain by looking over some commonly asked questions in interviews. Why do you want to work here? Tell me about yourself. What activities are you currently involved in? By compiling these questions, you can start to form answers under the STAR method. It is a method that gives you a straightforward format you can use to answer the interview questions by laying out Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.
Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.
Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.
Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.
Through this method, you will be able to form a cohesive, yet short answer to the answers. This will definitely be a plus point for you to be able to create such a simple answer with so much content within a few sentences. Not only that it will cut time, it will also let you answer the question with chronological order.
Prepare a question to ask
The additional trick is to prepare a question at the end of the interview. This is your golden chance to figure out if the company you are interviewing fits your values. Prepare several topic questions in your back pocket to answer, such as the company culture or the employment future. Through having questions, the HR can see that you can see a future at the company.
Last but not least, pat yourself on the back for being able to finish the interview. Do not be afraid to ask for a follow-up email and reflect on the interview sessions. By reflecting on it, you would be able to assess your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to interview sessions which you could apply at future interviews, even ones for our recruitment process – which is currently open!
As the countdown to the closing of our cycle 2 recruitment phase is nearing to an end, you can register yourself at bit.ly/180DC-PAPLRecruitmentFormCycle2
Well, we’ll wish you the best of luck and see you on the other side!