Each employer has their own interview style, so it’s important to be flexible in your response to their approach. Remember that no two interviews are the same and that you can always improve your interview style and preparation. You’ll be one of the front-runners for a job when you know how to successfully manage your answers and handle the whole interview process.

Nonverbal communication

Communication with the prospective employer begins before you say a word. As the interviewer walks towards you to shake hands, an opinion is already being formed. As you sit waiting to answer questions, you are already being judged by your appearance, posture, smile or nervous look.

Try to smile and gesture once in a while to show some energy and breathe life into the interview. A smile show s your enthusiasm for the position and can make you feel more positive. Remember to stand and sit tall – not a ramrod posture, but one that shows your attention and interest. A slouching posture looks tired and uncaring, so check yourself in the mirror or on videotape.

It’s critical to make and keep eye contact throughout the interview. Look the interviewer in the eye and make sure your eyes meet frequently. If you’re facing a panel, then you’ll need to speak directly to each person in turn. Avoid constantly looking around the room while you’re talking as it conveys nervousness or a lack of confidence.

Make sure you don’t fidget, especially because it’s distracting for interviewers to watch people playing with their hair, clicking pens, tapping feet or unconsciously touching their face. What you have to say is important, but how you say it is critical. Your body language speaks louder than what you say.

What you need to do

You’ll need to be able to say why you want this job and why the employer should choose you instead of another candidate. This is your chance to shine. Tell them about your achievements in your previous positions that are relevant to the one you’re applying for. Emphasise the positive reasons for wanting to join their business and avoid mentioning your desire for more money, shorter hours or the negative aspects of your current job.

Handling illegal questions

There are laws to regulate the questions a prospective employer can ask you. An employer’s questions in an interview must be related to the job. See ‘Applying for jobs’ to find out what questions are illegal. If you’re asked an illegal question, you may want to clarify or rephrase the question in order to keep the interview flowing and the employer on side. For example:

• You may be asked if you’re planning to start a family. You can respond with ‘Can I clarify that you’re asking if I am able to work overtime? Do you want to know if I would be committed to this position?’
• How old are you? ‘Are you asking how many years experience I have?’
• Are you married? ‘Do you want to know if I am able to work overtime?’

How to construct answers

When you answer a question that’s asking about your past work performance, give a detailed explanation of your past successes. The more you can describe the experience, the people involved, the challenge and solutions, the more you’ll stand out in the interviewer’s mind.

Below are three steps to ensure a great answer that highlights your achievements.

1. Describe a situation that you were in or a task that you needed to accomplish. Describe a specific event or situation, not a general description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. The situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.
2. Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did and not the efforts of the team. Avoid saying what you might do, say what you have done.
3. Describe the result of your activities. What happened? What was the outcome? What did you learn?

Tricky questions

Be prepared to discuss the reasons you left your previous jobs. If it was for a better opportunity, explain how it was an opportunity. If you left involuntarily, present the reason in the most positive light you can. Make sure your responses are honest and be positive.

Ask the interviewer to rephrase or repeat a question if you are unsure how to answer it. If you can’t think of an answer straight away, ask if you can come back to that question later in the interview, rather than enduring a long and embarrassing silence - no one can think under that pressure. Most interviewers will be happy to agree, and you may find that the answer will come to you while answering other questions.

The employer’s perspective

Employers use interviews to confirm that an applicant has the necessary knowledge, skills and willingness to contribute and fit into the company’s culture. They are looking for your potential to become a valued, trusted and productive member. It’s rare that you’ll be working alone so being able to work as part of a team is valuable. Cooperation and an ability to work well in a team environment are some of the most valued skills in employees.

In an effort to get a well-rounded perspective on job candidates, many employers ask a number of people to participate in the selection process. Depending on the level of job you are seeking, you may be interviewed by an HR specialist, the hiring manager, the hiring manager’s boss and even staff members who would be your peers. In small companies you may have to sell yourself to the entire staff.

This team approach means that many people get to interview you and have the opportunity to debate whether they like you well enough to hire you. Sometimes, each person in the interview asks a different set of questions – one may ask about your technical knowledge, while another will ask about your personal qualities. Other times, they may all ask similar questions. This can be deliberate if the organisation wants to see whether you change your answers along the way.

In a behavioral interview, the interviewer asks specific questions about a candidate’s skills, character and preferences based on examples of past behaviour. Questions are directed towards specific experiences. Some examples are:

• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult person at work.
• What steps have you taken to make your current workplace more efficient and productive?
• Specifically describe a policy, project or system you created or initiated.
• Describe a high-pressure situation you had to handle at work. Tell me what happened, who was involved, and what you did to come up with a solution.
• Some situations require us to express ideas or opinions in a very tactful and careful way. Tell me about a time when you were successful in this type of situation.

Final steps

When the employer has finished asking their questions, ask if you can add further information about skills or experiences that are relevant but have not been covered during the interview. Take responsibility for communicating your strengths. Don’t rely on the interviewer to pull it out of you.

Remember to ask some questions of your own, some of which you’ll have prepared and others will come to you during the interview. Find out what happens next with the interview process and express your interest in the job if it is genuine!