5 Interview Hacks

So, you just landed an interview at the job of your dreams?

Here are some 5 interview hacks to get the interview going in your direction front the moment you walk into the office.

Say nice things to the front desk administrative assistant – As soon as you walk in the office, the interview has started, even if you are in the waiting room. Make small chat with the front desk administrative assistant. Talk about the weather and compliment them on the office, their outfit, etc. Be genuine. Remember, everyone talks to everyone in the office. If the office admin doesn’t like you, chances are no one else will.

Get the interviewer immediately talking about something else than the interview – This works when you are walking with the interviewer to the interview office or as you walk into the interview room. This helps you establish rapport with the interviewer as soon as possible. People want to work with fun and interesting people. Your goal for the interview is to have a nice friendly conversation with them. Generally speaking, the more informal the interview is, the better it is for you. An easy way to do this is to talk about the weather, the office or even the sports game last night.

Repeat the interviewer’s name when talking with them  – It not only helps you remember their name, but it also makes them feel special. It’s a tactic many people use to keep someone else’s attention.

Take lead when discussing resume history – Make sure that you lead them over your résumé history, and not them lead it. If you are guiding the interviewer through your résumé, it’s best if you lead it because you know which areas are your strongest. If they lead it, they could easily start poking holes in your history and asking you tough questions you aren’t ready to answer

Ask for feedback / clarification at the end of the interviewer – When the interviewer asks if you have any questions, a great question to ask is for direct feedback and see if they need any clarification on work history, or your answers in general. This gives you one last chance to make sure that there wasn’t any miscommunication going on.

These 5 interview hacks aren’t going to guarantee you the job, but they will help with your interview skills.