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Ask HR: How should one prepare adequately for an interview?
What you need to know:
- There are roles that require a candidate with diverse skills and competencies, while others may require only highly specialised candidates.
- A role that relies on input from others, and whose outcome is highly critical for others to perform their work well will require not only employees with technical skills but also individuals who create alignment, coordination, effective communication, active listening and timely delivery.
- If you fall in this category, spend more time highlighting your soft skills to demonstrate a better understanding of the role and outshine others.
I recently did an interview where I was asked highly technical questions I considered out of the scope of the role. I had prepared myself very well, only to end at a low. I was left questioning my skills and competencies. What did I miss? How can I be better equipped next time?
Most interviews present three types of candidates: Confident candidates who command the room and wow the panel with their charisma but have no depth and hardly provide practical answers. There are those who are not so impressive at first but within a short time they capture the panel’s attention and engage them, sometimes going beyond the set time. Then there are others who are a complete mismatch to the person presented on the CV. Here is how to avoid being in the first and third category.
