Honing verbal skills before an interview
In the interview process, we’re expected to use our verbal talents to display our achievements, accomplishments, strengths and potential.
Before the interview, you should make a point to train your eloquence and put a few final touches on your verbal skills. Add these five points to your bag of interview tricks and watch your success rate start climbing:
Know your audience
Most interviewees have the wrong idea that interviewers are against them and appointed to find out their faults. Truthfully, most interviewers don't think of themselves in this way.
What a company expects from their interviewers is to find suitable candidates.
If you are suitable for the job or you believe you are the right person, there is one thing you need to keep in mind: the interviewer is with you, for he is looking for someone just like you. In terms of filling the open position, the interviewer is more anxious than you are，because it’s his duty.
Why do so many candidates put themselves at odds with the interviewer? One reason is misunderstanding; and another reason is the lack of confidence.
Be confident
You’re an excellent candidate—why on earth would you panic before an interview? I once knew a top-notch professional who had a chance to work at the best company in the industry. In the interview, however, he was a nervous wreck, and threw away the excellent opportunity. If you’re not confident in yourself, how can the interviewer have confidence in you? Only confidence can win trust.
Prepare your self-introduction
Can you give an outstanding self-introduction in three minutes or less? Unfortunately, 80% of interviewees are only able to provide a dry recitation of their resume. Not only does this waste time, it wastes an opportunity to leave the interviewer with a great first impression.
Take an example: Miss Wang is a graduate of Qinghua University. As a graduate student, she participated in six big scientific research projects and was the leader of three different clubs on campus. Her self-introduction, however, left the interviewer expressionless and bored. If you want interview success, don’t fall into the same trap Miss Wang did—refine your self-introduction.
Display your views
As the interview comes to a close, interviewers will give you a chance to ask questions or share opinions. In leaderless small groups the opportunity to express yourself is even greater.
At this point, you may be nervous of talking too much and end up letting out only a few well-measured sentences. Your views, however, can include suggestions and opinions—even attitudes and ways of thinking. Expressing your ideas properly wins you more opportunity
If you can’t express your ideas properly, you are nothing but a passive answering machine. To achieve a successful interview, you need to learn to demonstrate your ideas decently.
Excel at answering questions
80% of the interview process is spent answering questions. In your answers, you demonstrate to the interviewer your overall strength and development potential. Whether or not you can answer questions well directly affect the outcome of the interview. Memorizing standard answers and trotting them out for the interviewer will only show off your mediocrity. Your response to the interviewer should not only be decent and meet the company’s demands, but keep your personal style as well. Most employers are looking for someone who meets the demands, enjoys teamwork and has his own personality
When responding to questions, please remember: your answer should suit the company’s needs, and at the same time, display your personal style.
