Stepped Guide on How to Ace an Interview: Tips and Examples

Updated 30 March 2023

Regardless of whether you're looking for an entry-level or a senior role, you may most likely undergo an interview before obtaining a job offer. A job interview allows you to demonstrate your personal credentials and leave a favourable impression on the hiring manager. Precisely for this reason, you may want to present your best effort during this crucial conversation. In this article, we go through what you can do and tips on how to ace an interview as well as sample answers to five common job interview questions.

What can you do to ace an interview?

To enhance your likelihood of succeeding in the interview, take the time to get ready and plan before your interview. Consider the subjects you're likely to address, strategies to promote yourself as a great applicant and chances to leave a good impression on the hiring manager. To better prepare for your next interview, you can do the following:

Do your research: Learn everything you can about the organisation and the role.
Plan ahead: Think about how to dress and portray yourself professionally.
Practise: Consider the most effective responses to tackle typical interview topics.

Tips on how to ace an interview

Outlined below are tips you can refer on how to ace an interview:

1. Conduct research about the organisation

Prior to your interview, do some research on the company to learn about its successes, objectives and vision. Take the time to understand the organisation's history, latest announcements, key people, adopted values and culture by visiting their website. You can also look for the most recent news regarding the organisation to learn about its recent accomplishments and future plans. Conducting thorough research may assist you in contextualising your interview responses. If you're familiar with these things, you can immediately relate your background, credentials and successes back to the organisation.

2. Go over the job description

Investigate the job description in great detail, so you can explain your suitability for the position's tasks and responsibilities. Pay close attention to keywords entailing needed skills and experience, as well as the duties that a successful candidate would have. Consider how your qualifications and ambitions connect with the job description so that you may provide relevant examples.

3. Practise responding to common interview questions

While your interview may cover a variety of corporate or job-related subjects, most interviews may contain at least a few general questions. Go over a list of the most common interview questions and practise answering them. Concentrate your replies on the organisation, the role and your most relevant credentials.

4. Study the STAR interview technique

Many interviewers utilise behavioural questions to gauge how applicants handle common workplace scenarios. To ace your answer, familiarise yourself with the STAR technique, which entails discussing the situation, task, action and result. To utilise this technique, begin by establishing the situation's context before discussing your duty in these instances. Finally, outline the steps you took to overcome the problem and the outcome of your endeavour.

5. Dress professionally and properly for the interview

Dress properly during the interview to leave a positive impression on the recruiters. Try researching the staff dress code on the organisation's website or social media accounts. Utilise that finding to decide what to wear. Most of the time, a business casual business attire or a business formal suit may suffice.

6. Prepare your questions ahead of time

Even though hiring managers frequently ask more questions than they answer, applicants are expected to demonstrate an interest in the role and organisation by asking knowledgeable inquiries. Prepare ahead of time by thinking about what you like to know or want more clarification. You can ask anything pertaining to the organisational culture and goals to possibilities for professional growth.

7. Start the interview with a positive demeanour

The best way to begin an interview is by extending a polite and positive greeting. You can use greetings such as “How are you doing today?” “Thank you for taking the time to meet me,” “I'm very happy to meet you,” or “It's great to meet you.” This way, you can set a positive and amicable tone for the rest of the interview.

8. Follow up after the interview

After the interview, you might want to take extra steps to improve your chances of landing the job. Extending your gratitude through a thank-you note within one day after the interview is a good idea. Reiterate your interest in the position and show your appreciation for the interview in the email. If you have yet to receive a reply after a week of the job advertisement closing, you can think about sending a second follow-up email to convey your sustained interest in the role.

Common job interview questions

Prepare your responses to some typical interview questions ahead of time to better excel your job interview. Discussed below are common interview questions and answers:

Could you tell me a little about yourself?

This is a common question used by hiring managers to understand your background. In your response, start by stating where you're currently at, followed by a simple explanation of how you got to your current role. You may outline your career history and highlight the most significant parts by using this strategy.

Example: "I am presently a junior yoga instructor with 31 recurrent clients. I've gained certifications in pilates and yoga over my two years as a yoga instructor, enabling me to specialise in these fast-developing fields. I've also attended online sales classes because I'm in charge of the customer roster and list. As a fitness fanatic, I'm very self-motivated and determined to share my enthusiasm for health and fitness with my customers."

What do you think are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?

Employers generally inquire about your strengths and shortcomings in order to understand your strong suit and room for improvement. Mention your strongest technical and soft talents in your response. Choose an area where you have previously taken measures to improve to address your shortcomings. Using this technique helps you to give a positive spin on a potentially unfavourable question.

Example: "With five years of experience in web development, I've honed technical abilities entailing web design, coding and user interface. These abilities, when combined with my natural aptitude to solve issues and think analytically, provide me with the capacity to collaborate effortlessly with customers. However, in my first couple of years in web development, I noticed that I was not interacting and communicating effectively with my customers, which frequently resulted in misunderstandings and extra workload. Following my realisation, I explored strategies for enhancing verbal and nonverbal communication and increased my productivity by 22%."

Why did you apply for this role?

Hiring managers typically use this question to assess how well you comprehend the role and the organisation. In your response, you have the chance to show how thoroughly you've studied the organisation and the role. Try highlighting the organisational goals and successes, as well as the unique and exciting opportunities that the role provides.

Example: "The position is a good fit for my past professional experience and future ambitions. After two years of experience in a supervisory retail job, I'm well-prepared to progress to a management position in the industry. I'm excited about the managerial and organisational skills I stand to gain from this role, as well as the opportunity to work for a successful firm that consistently surpasses its annual revenue targets."

Why did you leave your current or previous job?

The hiring manager frequently inquires as to why you intend to leave your current employment in search of a new one. When responding, try not to bring up anything bad about your present and past role or organisation. Instead, concentrate on the good elements, such as pursuing career advancement or taking on greater responsibility.

Example: "I've devoted the last six years at my present firm honing my sales abilities, and I'm well-prepared and eager to advance to management. I'm hoping to find a job in a new firm where I can put my present abilities to work while expanding and leading a team of competent salesmen. I'm also seeking to broaden my horizon and widen my experience to include different industries."

Why should we hire you?

Hiring managers typically employ this question to urge you to explain why you believe you're the best applicant for the position. Try highlighting your talents, expertise and successes in your response. At the same time, demonstrate how well your credential, professional experience and personal values align with the organisational goals and culture.

Example: "I'm enthusiastic about copywriting and have worked hard to enhance my abilities and achieve ever-higher goals in my career journey. Throughout my nine years of experience in the industry, I've progressed significantly from a copywriting position to a senior copywriting and editing role. I believe I can be a valuable addition to your organisation through my proven skill set and fresh insights. Furthermore, my goals are consistent with the organisation's aim of giving back to the community."