19 Self-Tested Tips to Ace an Interview

These tips can be broken into the 3Ps of an interview process.

Attending an interview can be nerve-wracking. We are all too afraid to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. No matter how hard we work or how good our resume is, we cannot seem to over-ride the innate fear of rejection. Worst of all, we fret over appearing stupid or a novice.

As meeting time nears, my nerves go haywire, and all knowledge mush together. Sometimes, the nervousness coupled with my introversion makes me feel burnout even before the actual interview. When I walk inside the meeting location, every other candidate in the waiting room appears like Elon Musk, when I feel like Goofy from Mickey Mouse. The worst start when I view myself not from inside but through an imaginary camera — third-person perspective during the actual interview.

If you ever had any of the feelings I described above, trust me, you and I — we are normal. There is nothing unique about this emotional and mental turmoil before the interview.

After giving over a couple of dozen interviews, here are the 3 Ps I have formulated from my experience: preparation, practice, and process. Though these may not help you through the actual interview process, but would surely help you calm your nerves and boost your confidence.

Before The Interview: Preparation

1. Learn about the job you applied for and the role the company wants you to play. If possible, memorize the job description, which includes every responsibility and requirements. If your mind decides to stop responding during the interview, you could always pick up those lines you memorized earlier and describe how you fit into the role.
2. Do your homework about the company. Learn about their main principles and priorities, primary products or services, their customers. Look at their new and exciting projects and try positioning yourself in the company’s future.
3. Learn about the skills you would need for the job. If you lack in a particular area, take up additional short courses on LinkedIn Learning, EdX or Coursera. If you have time, revisit the fundamentals.
4. Once the interview is scheduled, learn about the location too. If possible, visit the place a day before — to know the distance and the time it would take you to reach there. Google maps are excellent, but the actual travel to the location is a different story — especially if you tend to miss the invisible u-turns, exits, and crossovers as I do.
5. Next, know the attire and what they expect. If possible, check out what the company’s employees usually wear. Supposedly, if they call for a lunch interview on a Sunday TGI Friday’s and you turn up all suited up — it may become too awkward too soon.

Before The Interview: Practice

1. You are reading this article because you wanted to know more about how to ace your interview. In the same way, look up for the type of interview you would be attending — whether it’s for a tech position, or if you are a research candidate or anything else. Go through at least ten or fifteen videos to get an idea about the questions to expect. Create a list for the same, and practice answering those questions.
2. In all the answers you prepare for the questions on the list, make sure you include a personal story or an anecdote to keep your answers engaging. That’ll also help the interviewers understand where you are coming from and what that role means to you. Disclaimer: Please keep your stories related to the job, position, and company you are applying for or try to link your motivations to the role.
3. Try practising mock interviews as many times as possible. There are usually a specific set of common questions asked during each interview — like the ones you prepared. Practice the entire interview process with friends or family, or even alone in front of the mirror. Trust me; it’ll help a lot.
4. Time yourself. Note how much time you take for each question. If possible, record yourself during the mock interviews and hear yourself later. Remember, the key is not simply knowing the correct answer for each question. You must also be able to articulate your thoughts as clear and concise as possible. Check whether you can do that.
5. Try practising in uncomfortable situations, too — amidst many people, loud noises, or deafening silence. This will help you feel comfortable during the actual interview process. The actual interview environment cannot be predicted. Having practised under different conditions will give you an upper hand during the real interview.

During The Interview: Process

1. The process of bringing your best self to the interview starts the night before. Get yourself fully rested. Keep your nerves as calm as possible to ensure that you have maximum energy and focus the next day. Please, do not cram anything the night before. Any preparation, revision, or practice is only until the day before and not the night before the interview. The night before has to be allocated to rest and sleep alone. It’ll certainly help.
2. On the day of the interview, do have a proper breakfast. Hunger would make you all the more anxious or jittery.
3. Arrive before the scheduled time. This will help you get acquainted with the environment and the people around you. Use the restroom if need, or a glass of water before the interview. Switch off your phone(s). Be as comfortable as possible.
4. Once you enter the meeting room, do not start overthinking the interview process. This is usually what I worry most about. I start thinking about the questions that could be potentially asked, later on, only to miss out on the details provided at the moment. Be completely present and committed to the interview and follow the interviewer step by step. Remember you have already worked so hard, scored the interview, prepared in all ways possible — this is time you have to shine. There is nothing you do not already know of. You have to get hold of your nerves.
5. There is always a high chance that you will be pushed beyond your limits during an interview process, and there will be questions you do not know answers for. Regardless never say “I don’t know”. Never. It’s okay to admit that you are unsure and explain what you would potentially do to arrive at an answer. Explain your train of thoughts to your interviewer and make sure they follow along. Your aim should be to your interviewer(s) understand that even if you do not have all answers to all questions, you surely have a good problem-solving strategy — or at least some strategy of some sort.
6. If the question is not clear enough for you, don’t hesitate to ask them to repeat or elaborate. Take your time to understand what the interviewer asks of you instead of assuming or keeping quiet. Try navigating through the answer with the bits and pieces you already know.
7. Prepare a shortlist of questions for yourself to ask them. Make use of that list at the end of the interview process. You would be interviewing them as much as they would be interviewing you. Find out if you are a good fit for them, and if you see yourself working for them in the long run, and whether or not they will help you achieve your long-term career goals.
8. During the interview, always make direct eye contact with the interviewer and nod at them to make them feel comfortable with you. More importantly, be yourself. They want to know you as a person and not what you want to show them. Be as natural as possible. That will not happen if you are nervous the entire time. You want to stand out, and that would happen only if you let your personality show.
9. Finally, remember to slow down while speaking. Most people either pick up their pace or start mumbling when they are nervous. Remember to be as clear, audible, and comprehensive as possible. The fear and the nervousness is all in your head. This is what you have worked so hard for. This is THE chance you had been waiting, for so long. Go ahead, and ace it.

Quick Takeaways

1. Prepare as efficiently as possible.
2. Practice as much as possible.
3. The process is inevitable. Being yourself will make it a whole lot easier.

If anything, keep reminding yourself that these people interviewing you saw something in you to give you a chance. Remember this is the opportunity you had waited for so long. The fact that you got a chance for an interview — in itself is an achievement. That also means, they already have confidence in you.

You got this!