Interviews are tough to crack. While there is no exact science to acing your interview, we have asked some of our top HRs & recruiters what they are looking for in the interview rounds with their prospective candidates, to shed some light on what you can do to take your interviewing game to the next level.

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Here are some top tips from 2gethr member companies HRs & TAs, that they say make for a great first impression:

● Confidence: Confidence is key. Being confident in an interview shows that you are prepared for the interview. No matter what the question asked, when you are confident about the interview, you can answer it in a level-headed manner which is much appreciated by interviewers. If you are confident, your voice will not slur, which gives you extra points for speaking skills.

● The three Ps: Prepared, Punctual, & Polite are three Ps that can give you a major advantage over other applicants for the role.

○ Prepare: Here are some of the key topics that you should keep prepared before the interview

• Your Intro: Often the first question asked in an interview is "Tell me about yourself." This is an ice-breaker question that also lets the interviewer get an insight into you as a person. Prepare a 1 min elevator pitch for your intro. This can include quirks about you, why you are interested in that field/role, or even what your hobbies are.
• About the company: It is extremely important to do your homework on the company you are interviewing for. The fact that you have done your homework about the company shows that you are genuinely interested in working with the company. Learn about the company, the product they offer, its target audience, clients, investments, founders, etc.
• For the JD: Just like we mentioned in the last blog about how two roles cannot be exactly the same, two JDs for two similar roles in different companies will be different. Prepare for questions aligning to the JD.

○ Punctual: Being on time, or even early is a habit that is very effective in creating a good impression not only in front of your interviewers but everyone. HRs & TAs work around a very tight schedule where they have to fit in multiple interviews. Being on time, or even early makes them feel valued.

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○ Polite: Being polite is a virtue that is much appreciated. Imagine you are providing an opportunity to a stranger & the stranger is rude to you. That sucks right! So does it for HRs & TAs who attend hundreds of calls every day. Someone being polite to them helps strengthen their belief in the work they do.

● Maintaining good eye contact: Interviews over video calls are the new normal, & even though it might be hard to find the right position on the screen to maintain eye contact, skip looking at the camera & focus on their face. Today, software is smart enough to know where you are looking & looking dead center on the screen is the new normal for maintaining eye contact. Maintaining good eye contact shows that you are honest & confident, virtues that are super appreciated by interviewers.

● Listen & Ask: Job interviews are mostly about being questioned, & it is even more important to listen to the whole question before answering. You might know what the interviewer is going to ask & might already know the answer, but cutting the interviewer off to answer the question shows that you are over-zealous & impatient. Most roles require patience as a mandate to handle tasks & clients, & being impatient is a turn-off for employers. Though

interviews are mostly about being questioned, asking some open-ended questions, & questions related to the roles & responsibilities helps you show your interest in the job.

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● Adapt, improvise, overcome: Interviews can be unpredictable, & how you answer, your tone, soft skills, & much more is predicted or interpreted by the interviewer can be unpredictable as well. It’s important to keep your zeal to learn alive & learn from your experience. Keeping a list of things you could have done better in the interview can help you improvise & overcome interviews in a jiffy.

Let’s quickly recap what we just learned & ace your next interview:

●  Confidence is good, overconfidence is not. Being overconfident will only lead to being ghosted by the interviewer.

●  Be honest about your experience, & your skills. Do not give over-the-top answers, & don’t diss your current or previous organization, whatever the reason for you switching the job.

●  Maintain good body language, as soft skills are an important part of corporate life.

●  Do not, & I do not say this lightly, show desperation in getting the job. Believe in your skills!

●  Okay, repeating this one again for the backbenchers, do not speak over the interviewer. It is crucial to be a good listener during interviews.

●  Be responsible & responsive. Choose a time slot that you know works for you. Do not reschedule unless something ultra-important or urgent comes up.

●  Be clear about what you want from the job. What roles & responsibilities you are going to pick up, & how you are going to add value to the company.

All clear? Good! Now, go ace that interview champ!

After you clear the interview, come back for Part 3 of our recruitment series where we disclose some more secrets by HRs & TAs that can help you in your successful journey into the corporate world.