23 Interview Tips Guide PDF

ACING YOURSELF IN INTERVIEWS
CHAMPION THE INTERVIEWS
23 TIPS IN MINUTES
A GUIDE TO YOUR INTERVIEW SUCCESS
By: Sohaib Hasan

WWW.SOHAIBHASAN.COM 1
SOHAIB HASAN
Sohaib Hasan is an initiative-driven and internationally seasoned HR Consultant

with close to a decade of success in infusing efficiency into the HR Operations,
Ideation and Development of HR based software programs to performing the
core HR functions of Recruitment, Selection, Training, Development and
Performance Evaluation to imparting expert counselling to the candidates.
He is a motivational speaker at heart and a trainer who is primarily branded for

outstanding creative solutions to enhance organizational efficiency and as well
developing and unleashing human behavioral potential. Strongly knitted with
HR professionals globally, his career tips and advices on LinkedIn are queued
every day to be engaged in and learn from.
Job seekers significantly get benefited from Mr. Hasan’s exclusive thoughts and
strategies to transform their passion in to a career. He loves to socialize, meets his
network and is very much accessible for guidance and mentoring.
Interview is basically a formal meeting between an

employer and the applicant to discuss a job role that
is vacant and required to be filled. It is very common
for a candidate to be nervous when it comes to an
interview. The feeling of what questions will be
asked and how to answer them, the pressure of
panel in case there are more than two interviewers
and the fear to get rejected whereby the applicant
is in a dire need of a job are some common interview
topics discussed around and over the internet.
Preparing yourself for the interview will not only

help in boosting the confidence but will allow
you to make a solid-positive first impression as
well.
23 EXCLUSIVE TIPS
TO
THRIVE
YOUR
INTERVIEWS
1
TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF
When the interviewer asks you to tell something about
yourself then do not discuss your childhood (where you
were born, your family, how you were raised etc).
Interviewer is interested in knowing what you are
bringing to the company. You can start from your most
recent experience and tell them your recent
achievements instead. Look into their eyes confidently
and express that you are the candidate who has those 1,
2, 3, 4 skills and that they would not find someone else
like you. If at this moment you could hold their blink, then
you have impressed them already.
There is no reason at all to be confused. Just follow the
easy formula to begin with your latest experience which
could benefit the employer in parallel. Talk more about
yourself but where your abilities would be benefitting and
supporting the prospective employer.
2
IF YOU ARE OFFERED A DRINK / COFFEE
Don’t hesitate to ask for a glass of water in case you felt
thirsty or take it if they have offered to you. You are not
a superman to survive in this so called pressure and letting
your throat go dry, unable to speak, cough later and get
yourself into more trouble. If you are feeling thirsty then
request for a glass of water. You must show them your
ethical side that you respect the invitation, your
confidence to ask for something is another plus and you
are telling them that I am not at all unconfident.
If you wish then why not to have a coffee and transform
a formal interview into an easy yet informative discussion.
The way you will respond to the situation will determine
the turn and take on side. So relax and enjoy at ease!
No one will bite you.
3
WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR
The easier it sounds the harder it gets when it comes to
the actual situation. The moment when you get in a fix
what to wear and jumbled on the selection of colors will
start getting your nerves go crazy? Dressing up is one of
the vital part in an interview. As a general rule of thumb
wear decent and professional attire to leave an
impression. Your dress shows how you take good care of
yourself, concerned about the image and give
importance to yourself as well.
For gents, without any excuse go for the suit. This is the
professional attire for you to attend an interview. The
colors can be in shades of black and grey, dark blue and
brown. Ensure that your belt and shoes has a match with
your tie and shirt as well.
For ladies, subtly patterned fabric in dark/light 2 shade of
colors are elegant to wear. Make sure to feel easy in your
shoes that you wear.
4
WHAT YOU MUST BRING TO AN INTERVIEW
Most of the applicants forget about this and usually
ignore at their will. This must has to be applicants’
checklist before they are proceeding for an interview.
Keep two to three updates copies of your resume in a file
along with copies of your educational and work
certificates. If available, then keep copies of your
references and recommendations ready at hand as well.
If your profession is technical and you do a lot of work on
laptop or you are a management professional who has
designed some programs, models or strategies which
needs to be shown as part of your skill during an interview
then do bring it along with you. Take the permission from
the interviewer if you could show your work to support
the question which has been asked.
There is no harm in bringing a tablet either if that suffice
in supporting your requirements to replace a laptop.
5
DO NOT RUSH TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
The interview panel is sitting there to listen to you. So take
your good time to understand the question, analyze and
structure it, and then answer. But don’t take this too long
to think. You should be able to start answering within
three seconds after the question has been asked.
Normally, there are repeated and similar questions which
you already can prepare yourself for. This will enable your
mind to comprehend quickly and throw the answer.
Your answers must sound confident and truthful.
Remember! The way you will answer the question could
change the environment of an interview scene, if you get
puzzled you might will be shelled with more related
questions and get knocked down. So, try to be honest
because being honest will put you to another level of
confidence.
6
HOW MUCH IS YOUR SALARY EXPECTATIONS
One of the trickier question to be considered but is not
very frightening. The idea is simple, they want to know if
they can afford your expectations or not, and if you
would like their offer or not in case less is offered. Gone
are the days to say salary isn’t my focus, learning and
development is my focus. Who believes in this myth now?
So, just say a reasonable figure after you’ve researched
on the internet that what is the market offering for same
title and check for Salary Surveys conducted by some of
leading recruitment companies in that region. Of course,
this will differ greatly in various parts of the world but you
can get an idea. Focus on how to negotiate rather than
convincing them that you’re such a naive and know
nothing about what's happening around and looking for
learning only.
Don’t sell yourself too short, tell them what you want. No
worries if you are refused, then move on.
7
CONTROLLING THE BEHAVIORAL NERVES
Your body language explains a lot about you. Important
is to stay calm, relax and do not be nervous at all. What
happens when you get nervous is you will be confused
and you will start blinking eyes rapidly. This gives the
interviewer an easy clue to think that you are nervous.
Although your profile will be promising but when it comes
to interviewee nervousness the interviewers usually
decide quickly on the results without seriously going
further in an interview and questioning the interviewee.
A proper preparation before an interview will help you
escape from this situation. Try to practice mock interviews
with your friends, let it be for fun activity but you will get
to know where you stand in answering questions and
controlling emotions in addition to your behavior. Do not
worry about the questions you will be asked for, just
imagine you are the best candidate to deliver the best
answers. No one else there, but you will be the one
securing it. You got to win it, full stop.
8
DO NOT BE A CHATTER BOX
You may make a fatal mistake if you are about to speak
too much. Remember to explain your point of view
(answer) in limited words and calculated sentences.
Talking too much will either get you off track from the
main point or the interviewer's attention would go
yawning. While you are in a run and rush of answering
beware not to commit any derogatory remarks about
your previous employer, colleagues and experiences. Give
the interviewer most positive vibes, finish your answer
with a smile and let the next one be on the table, then
one more.
It is good to be social and communicative but the excess
of this will eat up their minds. Let your thoughts end at a
point where the interviewer will take more interest to
know, and ask to elaborate, okay then you go on!
9
YOU MUST NOT BEG IN AN INTERVIEW
Do not sound desperate in an interview and beg on
knees. You must sit back with a full confidence and
compete with your attitude. You are a unique breed and
you have a unique class to show off, you are distinct. If
they like you then fair enough and if they don't still it’s
fair enough.
Those who keep this behavior and attitude of "please
select me, sir please hire me" will make them panicky in
the eyes of HR and secondly you show to lose your value
of being a hopeful person. You are not going to sell
yourself too short of your actual value. Stay determined
and yes if this is not your seat then somewhere else
somebody has already been refused and it is getting
vacant for you.
Strive hard but do not give away yourself so easily.
10
WHILE FINISHING THE INTERVIEW
Once your interview has been completed please
remember to be kind and courteous. No matter how
much you’ve been pressurized, bashed and hard-faced in
the interview but this is a moment when you’re about to
leave with one last impression on the interviewer to
remember you. As much possible be thankful, humble
welcoming and respectful. One negative act or word or
gesture from your side may turn the things upside down
and then it would be useless to cry over spilt milk.
You can always say the concluding remarks that it has
been a pleasure meeting you and your staff. The
experience has been very warm welcoming and I am
looking forward to meeting you soon. If the interviewer
wishes to drop you until the exit staircase / door, do not
say no.
11
DISCUSS YOUR CAREER AND JOB GOALS
Do explain and discuss your clear career and job goals.
This is not a moment of lie in front of an employer. Refrain
from saying 'I can do anything’. You can do everything
but you cannot do anything. Everything you do is where
you are mastered for its knowledge and application.
You must consider yourself equally important to land at
a position that deserves you and where you could exercise
your duties with a passion. Faking out things will only
result in suffering for both in the future. It will not continue
as smooth as you would imagine. Whatever questions you
have got in your mind related to the job position you
must share and discuss. The interviewer will be happy to
explain you. Yes you may ask how big the department is
and how the career ladder has been structured?
Share what exactly is your interest and goal to work for
this employer. You are going to become a member of the
company to share its goals and your personal objectives.
12
TRIM YOURSELF
Who does not wish to see a person who is good looking,
handsome, beautiful and charming? Often little things
create the biggest impact. While you are focusing on the
interview and preparing yourself to answer the toughest
questions and developing confidence to overcome
nervousness give some extra time to yourself as well to
look good.
Make sure that your nails are properly trimmed. For gents
get a decent haircut, trim your beard, and for ladies tie
the hairs in a nicer fashion because you should not be
adjusting them while sitting in an interview. If you wear
spectacles and contact lens on alternate basis then ensure
that while you would be wearing contact lens in an
interview it must be comfortable to wear.
13
LIST DOWN & IDENTIFY YOUR POTENTIAL
Most of the interviewers ask the common question to
identify, analyze and discuss on your skills and expertise.
You have to prepare yourself well in advance that when
the question is probed you will be in a position to answer
the following.
YOUR AREAS
IN TECHNICAL
YOUR TOP
STRENGTH
SKILLS
YOUR
YOUR KNOWLEDGE
SUCCESS AND AREAS
GOALS
14
WHAT QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED
There has to be no shyness in asking questions. You can
ask any question as long as it is related and is in the job
scope. Avoid asking personal questions from the
interviewer like when did he joined the company, how
has been his experience, about his family and his interest.
The questions which you may ask are for example;
 How will be the reporting and delegation assigned
 The business expansion and trends in the market
 Company culture, events and programs
 Induction and employee training and development
 When could you expect to hear an answer on your
interview
15
USE OF ADJECTIVES IN YOUR ANSWERS
Merely speaking a language fluently is not everything.
How advance and comprehensive your vocabulary is
matters too. It is always a good practice to make use of
the adjectives while answering the questions, where
applicable. Your answers must resonate with your
expression of speech and this is possible when you take
help of adjectives to explain.
Here are some of the adjectives as an example;
Maintain Plan Supervise

Create Serve Achieve
Examine Determine Execute
Implement Manage Generate
16
CONDUCT A RESEARCH ON EMPLOYER
This part is often skipped believing what the interviewer
would ask, nothing. In actual if you have conducted a
thorough research on the employer and the job role itself
for which you are about to be interviewed the better you
are in a position to answer the questions. Visit the website
of the company and study the different sections for
products and services, about company, and the team
members.
It is also recommended that you check company’s social
media channels where you will find the latest updates on
events etc. Do not simply go to the interview blind-folded.
The more you research on the employer and business the
more you will feel comfortable and confident. Also you
could relate in a much better way your answers and
profile to the interviewer since you know the business
operations and scope of the role.
17
WHAT ARE THE COMMON QUESTION ASKED
Although this can vary depending on the role,
organization and type of interview, however some
common questions that are asked are listed below. The
candidate must practice them before going for an
interview. These questions seem easy to answer but really
give candidates a hard time if no preparation has been
made earlier and the mind has to think for the answers
during the interview.
 Tell me about yourself
 What are your strengths and weaknesses
 What do you know about us
 How did you hear for this job
 Why should we hire you
 How do you think you could benefit us
 What are your salary expectations
 Why are you leaving your present job
 How would you handle stress and pressure
 Where do you see yourself in next 5 years with us
 What are your career goals
 How would you deal with excess of workload
 How was your working experience internationally
 What has motivated you in your career
 Do you have any questions to ask and discuss
18
WHAT SHOULD BE THE VOICE TONE
Expressions and voice tone conveys a lot about human
personality. When a person speaks in a high pitch it gives
a meaning of aggression and anger. The tone of voice
during interviews should be well taken care of.
If you believe you have a strong pitch and usually speak
loud then pitch it down to the comfort of interviewer. Of
course, when you have to emphasize on something you
may express that from the voice pitch. If you have a lower
voice tone then make sure during an interview it should
be audible. Do not put the interviewer in a situation that
he has to ask you again and again ‘could you repeat that
for me please’.
Make a good use of high and low tones. This determines
you have exceptional communicational abilities, able to
emphasize the points during a discussion and have a good
control on voice tone / pitch. It is a key for a Public
Speaker / Trainer to have command on his tone.
19
ANSWER: WHY ARE YOU LEAVING THE JOB
This question can be answered in many different ways.
Here the interviewer wants to know an honest reason
why you are planning or about to quit with your present
employer. Answering to this very question can be tricky
and certainly you must not give away personal
information of the employer and its employees. A good
way to answer this is to share that it has been a great
learning experience with them. However, you have
realized that it is a moment that I must go for more
learning opportunities. And I believe and foresee a good
chance in this role at your company. There is no harm in
saying that you have more obligations to cover and meet
the family needs. The children are growing up and
sometime near they would be starting their school or the
place you have moved has more residential cost as
compared to the earlier one. Bottom line, just be honest
with yourself and put the answer in a nice way but never
talk negative on and about the employer.
20
ANSWER: WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU
Okay, this is an opportunity here to sell yourself. The
interviewer is giving you a chance for an open ended
discussion where you can talk more on your skills,
expertise and knowledge. This is a moment when you can
impress him, convince him that you are the best
candidate for the job and that you are the candidate
who is pretty knowledgeable in the scope for this position.
As said this is your selling point, be well prepared to list
down top 7 skills / abilities related to that particular
position you are being interviewed for. The key is to select
those skillset which could benefit the employer on one side
and help in achieving the job targets in parallel.
For example: Your company deals in telecommunication
industry and I have solid 8 years of experience in the same
industry. I am well versed with the technicalities for this
role and can be questioned at any time right now. I have
certification in [------] from [------]. I am able to do
[------]-[------]-[-----] as required by of this position.
21
ANSWER: WHY YOU WANT THIS JOB
This question is a key to let the interviewer know that you
have researched on the company very well, understand
the job description, have an interest to do the role and
this all will make you the perfect candidate they have
been looking for. You must know the company basic
information and be able to relate the job description to
your skills and expertise.
Here is how you can answer to this question:
I have witnessed the company’s growth and how well
they value their employees for their ideas and innovation.
This is a challenging role and requires generating the
ideas and bringing more innovation to the job. I have
been engaged in similar projects earlier at my position
and my innovations in [---] and [------] has outlasted the
achievement records. For this position, I am finding myself
again to deliver more and the best of me, and definitely
contributing towards my skill development and
benefitting your company for [------]-[------].
22
ANSWER: HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS
Let me tell you one thing if you are going to say I do not
get stressed it would be a straight lie. The interviewer
actually wants to know how you have handled stressed
in the past at work. Perhaps the existing role requires
multitasking, late hours sitting and frequent traveling etc.
So better be prepared to script an incident from your
work history and share how you have handled the stress
at work. Do not talk more on how much you have been
stressful but discuss more on the situation, who was
involved, how it was dealt and what were the affects or
results.
You can also share that I have realized overtime that a
little stress always happen to be a motivation factor for
me. It drives me to be on the toes and pushes me to meet
the deadlines. Although I am a self-starter and can work
independently but whenever I am in a stressed situation I
tend to think faster and devise solutions quickly. I enjoy
working multitasking and challenging roles.
23
ANSWER: WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS
An interviewer may ask you about your future goals. He
probes this question to get an understanding where you
are heading in your short term and long term goals. Of
course, no employer would hire someone who gives an
impression to leave the company soon. So to be on a safe
side, a tip is, keep your answer realistic, connected with
the job you are being interviewed for and somewhat in
line with organizational vision. The interviewer must get
a feeling that you are going to work here for a longer
period.
Your short term future goals could be to go for a
certification or course to enhance a particular skill and
practice at the job. It can also be to visit one of company’s
offices abroad for more learning and knowledge sharing.
The long term goal (or vision) could be to progressively
move in a management position and as well taking
organization to its newer heights and success.
Do not punish your growth by limiting

your imaginations. Caging yourself
will only make it even harder for you to
step ahead. You will feel heavy, you
will feel tough and you will feel to
give up. Break those bars with the
strengths firing up inside you.
That win is what you deserve, go for it.
SohaibHasan©
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sohaibhasan
[Challenge your limits to change in minutes]
www.sohaibhasan.com
believe|inspire|change

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ACING YOURSELF IN INTERVIEWS

CHAMPION THE INTERVIEWS

A GUIDE TO YOUR INTERVIEW SUCCESS

By: Sohaib Hasan

Sohaib Hasan is an initiative-driven and internationally seasoned HR Consultant

He is a motivational speaker at heart and a trainer who is primarily branded for

Interview is basically a formal meeting between an

Preparing yourself for the interview will not only

Maintain Plan Supervise

Do not punish your growth by limiting

[Challenge your limits to change in minutes]

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