6 Cs to Help You Crack a Job Interview

By: Rahul Belwalkar, CEO, SecUR Credentials

According to a report published by IRIS Knowledge Foundation in collaboration with UN-Habitat, every third person in India, a country of 1.3 bn people, will be one of the youth, making it the youngest country in the world by 2020. As the workforce increases in volume, every individual will have to compete with their peers in order to stand out from others in the talent pool. Therefore, in order to crack that dream job, the process of approaching the right company, understanding their needs and communicating effectively in the interview matters more than just the knowledge that the candidate may have. Most candidates get baffled and emotionally let down in their struggle to stay afloat through the stormy waters of employment. However, here are a few tips that will help potential candidates upscale their quality of interactions with prospective employers and support them to sail through successfully.

1. Content: Resumes are a platform for candidates to showcase their past responsibilities, educational and work credentials, and achievements. With a short and succinct resume that is relevant to the job that one is applying for, it is possible to crack any career opportunity. Additionally, understanding the daily functions and its macro-level impact, and aligning one’s strengths to the competencies of the job can go a long way in gaining an edge over the competition. The bottom line being that there can be no replacement for well-thought out, relevant and good content.
2. Clarity: Ever wondered how some candidates can calmly give structured answers to questions? Clarity is the result of preparation. Before attending an interview, the candidate must take some time to make a list of questions and respective answers covering past responsibilities, how will he/she add value to the company and what are the future goals that he/she is striving for? This helps provide support for the candidate to address and field most questions shot by the interviewer. The more one prepares, the more the clarity of thought.
3. Confidence: More often than not, confidence is a by-product of good content and clarity of thought. Confidence can win 80% of the battle as most employers look for candidates who can represent them across all forms of business in the market. The confidence to hold your ground coupled with the support of good content can be a game-changer.
4. Communication: Communication comprises both verbal and non-verbal interactions. While verbal communication consists of diction, language fluency and choice of words, it forms a mere 20% of the communication spectrum. Nonverbal communication includes body language, appearance, voice and energy levels among other such intangible aspects. One needs to have a sense of command over both aspects so as to communicate effectively.
5. Conviction: The first step towards convincing someone else that you are the right hire is to be convinced yourself. The more you believe in yourself, your abilities and your capacity to live up to the expectations of the job you are applying, higher your chances of cracking the interview. Of course, it helps greatly if whatever you are saying is true but you should work with the assumption that the interviewer is going to run a background check on you irrespective. Interviews only give part of the picture. Recruiters and employers invest time and resources into ascertaining if the people they hire are in fact good hires. You can now take initiative and improve your credibility in the eyes of the employer by getting your resume and background verified. For example, a SecUR number in this case would help to pre-verify your resume.

6. Contact: Once the interview is over, it is of utmost importance for a candidate to touch base with the company and follow up about the interaction. Something as simple as an email thanking them for their time and conveying that their response is awaited can go miles in establishing one’s proactive and courteous character. While constant follow-ups are not advisable, gentle reminders once every two weeks could go a long way.

There is hardly a formula that guarantees success in cracking every interview, but these pointers are ideal for each candidate to follow. In this fast-paced world where many potential candidates are competing for the same position, these 6 Cs can help set one stand-out as well as outstand from the rest of the talent pool.