4 tips to outshine your competition during an interview

It’s a reality, thousands of young people just like you, graduate and go out into the job market looking for work every year.

You need to shine above the rest in your interview:

1. Speak intelligibly about the company you’ve applied to. This means you must spend a good few hours researching their website, reading their social media posts, checking out who their main competitors are knowing why they’re superior, check out their clients and talk a little bit about the synergies between them and those clients. If you can show, not only that you’ve done your homework, but that you’ve thought about their business and positioning in the market, you’ll open up a great opportunity for discussion. All of a sudden, it becomes a meeting rather than an interview because the recruiter’s now interested in what you have to say.
2. Ask intellectual questions. Don’t ask about any company secrets because that will put you on the wrong foot, but ask about industry trends and the future of the technology they use or how business models are evolving. This will show that you think about things and apply your mind. It will put you on a completely different level to the other candidates.
3. Be diplomatic! Be flexible and think long-term! When they ask you what you expect in terms of salary, tell them you’re looking for a company to grow in so you are flexible in terms of salary as long as it’s above X (your minimum threshold). The reason for this is that there is always a risk of asking for too much or too little so leave it to them. More often than not, you will be pleasantly surprised if you shine in your interview.
4. Don’t be over-ambitious. You will get asked questions like, where do you want to be in three years and then five etc. DON’T tell the person you want to head up the department or business because that’s HIS job! He’s thinking, mmm, should I hire you knowing you’re gunning for my job? Also, don’t say that you want to own your own business in three years. He’ll be thinking, mmm, do I want to invest in you so that you can become our competitor? Be smart about what you say. Always put the business first. You want to achieve whatever the business needs at the end of the day. That’s the message you need to convey in EVERY single question you answer.

Use these tips to eliminate your competition!