3 C's to Ace interviews and land that dream job

Ace Interviews (Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash)

Interviews have always been a daunting experience for everybody. The stress and anxiety of clearing it, the fear of embarrassment in case you fail to answer a question, and the list goes on.

Interviews are not meant to be instruments of torture, rather, they are a systematic method to understand you and check if the company or college is suitable to your skillset.

Once your mind is wrapped around this simple fact, some of that anxiety goes away!

But it’s easier said than done. I have tried my best, and have come up with three C’s to ace your interview game.

They are:

Communication
Composure
Content

Communication

Communication is the basis on which all of your other preparation stands. Effective communication is the single most important skill that everyone needs to master. Furthermore, this goes beyond the corporate boardrooms and interviews. I believe it is the most basic skill that one needs to focus on before moving on to anything else.

When I say communication is an important skill, please don’t confuse it with exceptional vocabulary or fancy jargon, it is not going to take you anywhere.

So what do I mean?

Clear: Clarity of thought to express your views and perspectives with utmost transparency
Concise: The interviewer is not expecting a long rant from you, what he needs is a short and crisp response
Correct: The data you provide and the statements you make should be factually correct and should come from a credible source (wouldn’t hurt, to mention the source as well)

Composure

Because of all the inherent stress, interviewees are almost always in a state of panic. This affects their performance and also makes them seem timid.

Every candidate should be calm and confident, with a pleasant smile on their face and this would boost their self-esteem and improve the odds of them cracking the interview.

Don’t forget to sit comfortably in your chair, and face squarely into the camera (in case of a virtual Interview) or to make proper eye contact with the Interviewer (in case of an offline setting)

Dress the part to get the part!

Wear a formal shirt and match it with nicely fitting trousers.

Content

This section has been deliberately put in the end to show that content will matter only if you have the previous two C’s figured.

Every question the interviewer asks serves a purpose, and more often than not, it is to test your skill set and to check if you are a good fit for the company/college. Hence you need to be prepared for the most frequently asked questions and also know everything about the company/college