Merito's eBook on 12 Tips to Crack Your Online Job Interview

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TIPS TO CRACK YOUR ONLINE JOB INTERVIEW

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SECTION 1: GET READY

READY 1. START WITH THE RESEARCH 2. CUSTOMIZE YOUR CV 3. SUPPORT YOUR APPLICATION WITH COVER LETTER 4. MAKE A PREPARATION PLAN

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SECTION 2: GET SET SET 5. GET YOUR SETUP READY 6. DRESS FORMALLY 7. MAKE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION COUNT

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SECTION 3: GET GO GO 8. ESTABLISH A RAPPORT 9. BE YOURSELF. BE AUTHENTIC 10. THINK ON YOUR FEET 11. RECOVER FROM MISSTEP 12. CLOSE ON A POSITIVE NOTE

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SECTION 1: GET READY

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Your pre-interview preparation plays a major role in your interview’s success.

Most of the candidates do not take this seriously and then end up suffering in their interviews. It will help you build up confidence and give you a structure for how to go about it. Here are some of tips on how you can get ready for your interview:

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START WITH THE RESEARCH

WHAT TO RESEARCH? The first step in the interview is to start your research before you decide to apply for the role.

Most of the candidates either don’t do this or do it post the application when they get shortlisted for the role.

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JD ABOUT THE COMPANY

ABOUT THE COMPANY Knowing about the company, their services, management team, employee size are some of the basic information one should look for.

This also helps you answer questions such as- “what you know about us?” or “if you have any questions regarding the interview?”

JOB DESCRIPTION Job description typically tells you more about the roles and responsibilities. Some of the jd even tells you what ingredients the company is looking for in their prospective hires. This helps you customize your cv as per the jd and also target your cover letter accordingly.

LINKED IN / GLASSDOOR Both of these platforms serve different needs.

Linkedin can help you to know about the profiles of the folks who have been working on similar roles in that company. The corporate page also shares recent updates on recent wins, awards received or new articles about the company, etc.

Glassdoor helps you know about the culture of the company and also the reviews from current / past employees about their experiences with the company, its culture and management.

CURRENT EMPLOYEES No one can give you a better perspective than the insider. You can quickly look out for who you know in that company and get first-hand experience about the company’s culture and also ask them your doubts about the interview.

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CUSTOMIZE YOUR CV One of the biggest mistakes a candidate makes while applying to a job is not customizing their CV for the given role or skipping to include a cover letter.

90% of the job seekers have only one version of the CV and they send it across for all jobs.When you do that, you are losing an opportunity to establish a match between JD and CV. Tailoring your CV as per the JD helps the recruiter / parsing software to establish the match between the two, and this results in a likely chance of CV being picked up for the screening. It helps you demonstrate an alignment with the job.

Make sure you include a summary to capture your experience and skills. It’s like an elevator pitch for the recruiters and helps you establish a match with the profile they are looking to hire.

CV

It's a good practice to keep your skill section separate and update it as per the skill requirements mentioned in the JD. Include only relevant skills and you may also mention your proficiency in the same.

The other section that needs customization is your work summary. This helps you to convince the recruiter that you have the relevant experience they are looking for. You can use keywords from the JD in your experience description to catch the recruiter’s attention.

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SUPPORT YOUR APPLICATION WITH COVER LETTER Include the cover letter even if it is not mandatory. This will help you to signal the recruiterthat you are not just a casual job seeker and have a sound reason to apply for the given role. Differentiating candidates just on a CV is some-times not possible for recruiters and your cover letter convinces them to shortlist your profile over other’s.

When you are applying for a job in a different industry or function, a cover letter plays a very critical role in convincing the recruiter why you should be considered for the position.

R COVE R L E TT E

“The one size fits all” approach in a cover letter should be strictly avoided.

A generic coverletter does not add any value and sets up a negative impression on the recruiter.

The cover letter serves a different purpose than your CV so do not repeat what you have in your CV.

ER COV ER LETT

You can use this opportunity to tell something that is not there in your CV and relevant for your application like: • What inspires you to apply for this role?

• Why do you think you are fit for the role?

• What value you can add to the organization?

Make sure you customize your cover letter with keywords in JD and also highlight the relevant experience you are bringing on the table Interview Prep Platform

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MAKE A PREPARATION PLAN Once you get shortlisted for an interview, you need to start preparing for it without wasting much of your time. As the time between the shortlisting and the interview is typically not more than 2-3 days you need a plan to keep it together and perform in the interview accordingly.

WHAT SHOULD YOUR PREPARATION PLAN INCLUDE?

JD

REVISE YOUR RESEARCH ON THE COMPANY AND THE JD ONCE This will help you know what are the priority areas that need your attention.

PREP ALL THE POSSIBLE QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ASKED DURING THE INTERVIEW The JD requirements and skills needed can give you an idea of what to expect in your interview. Therefore, prepare answers for it in advance. You don’t need to write down the exact answers but just understand its format in order to be familiar with it.

BRUSH YOUR DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE Mostly interviewers ask fundamental questions to test your domain knowledge or give you scenarios (case studies). Writing algorithm or code) to test your ability to apply it. Make sure you are ready for both.

THINK ABOUT QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK If you have done your research, you might come across questions you would like to know more about and you can keep them handy for when the interviewer asks if you have any questions for them.

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SECTION 2: GET SET SET

Due to the pandemic, interviews are shifted to online mode. You don’t need to visit corporate offices for your interview and now you can give it from the comfort of home.

However, making sure you are ready helps you avoid any challenges of lack of preparation during the interview.

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GET YOUR SETUP READY In the end, the interview is an experience and you get rated on the same. Forthe online interview, you need to ensure that your setup i s re a d y a n d p re s e n ta b le s o t h a t i t le a ve s a p le a s a n t a n d a professional impression on theinterviewer.

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CHECK THE SYSTEM AND INTERNET CONNECTION Most online interviews happen on Teams, Zoom, or Skype. Make sure you have the software installed in your PC/phone. You should check your internet connection a n d e n s u re t h a t b o t h a u d i o a n d v i d e o settings are tested. It's also a good practice to set up a demo call to check if everything is working just fine and this will help you avoid the last-minute running around.

KEEP A BACKUP CONNECTION If you are using a hotspot connection, always keep up a backup connection in case your network goes down. This prevents sudden interruptions during the interview.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT LOCATION IN YOUR HOUSE Choose a location that has sufficient light and the lowest possible noise. You need to ensure that your background is still and doesn’t have any interruptions that can distract the interviewer’s attention. It’s a good practice to choose a background option that most of the video-interview platform provides. This helps you add a professional touch to your interview. mock.merito.in mock.merito.in mock.merito.in Interview Prep Platform

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DRESS FORMALLY Just because it's an online interview doesn’t mean you can neglect your attire. Make sure that your dressing makes you look professional and presentable. Avoid attires that give a casual impression. When it comes to the dressing code for the interview, do remember

YOUR ATTIRE SERVES A DUAL PURPOSE Apart from giving you a pleasing look your, attire also helps you feel confident during the interview. Also, how well you dress signals how prepared you are for the interview.

AVOID DISTRACTING COLORS During an online interview, you are closer to the device so, avoid wearing very bright andcolorful outfits and go for something that is formal and mature. Options from blue, grey, white, and even black always works the best.

WEAR A SMILE A smile helps you connect with people and also cover your nervousness that you might have. A gentle smile on your face helps to keep a pleasant interaction and builds a confident image.

MATCH YOUR DRESSING CODE Matching the dress code with that of the interviewing organization is the safest bait.

If the organization has a formal dress code, you wearing casual can put off the interviewer.

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MAKE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION COUNT Studies show that it takes less than a second for someone to register your presence which forms your first impression in the interview.

Make it count! Start your interview with warm greetings and a gentle smile. Make sure you are calm and composed before the proceed -ings get started.

PREPARE WELL JD

Though your first impression is formed well before you start answering questions, your first few questions validate this impression. Make sure you nail the, “Tell us about yourself” or “Describe yourself” questions well to help you start your interview on a positive note.

In your description, cover your education background, experience, hobbies, and interests. You can subtly cover some of the keywords from JD which the interviewer may look for in your profile.

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SECTION 3: GET GO GO

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Interviews are not a rocket science after all. It’s just another interaction where the exchange of information happens between two sides. However, you need to ensure that this interaction is effective, and you are leaving a positive mark on the interviewer.

ESTABLISH A RAPPORT Be it in-person or a virtual interview, it’s very important that you establish a rapport with the interviewer from the beginning. Typically, interviewers want you to ease up and for the same reason, they start the interview with usually a small talk. This is a kind of an icebreaker session that you can use to get into the groove. Make sure you engage in this conversation; keep you answers short and highlight positive aspects which sets good tone for your interview.

Studies show that it’s not what you say but how you say that matters when you have to establish a connect.

7% is what you say- which is the content of your answers.

38% is how you say- that is the tone, volume and rate of your speech.

55% is the non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions, general appearance and body language.

The effective communication is also about hearing well. Make sure you understand the question and if you have a doubt clarify the same before attempting to answer it. While you are answering, make sure that you gauge the interviewer’s reaction as well.

If he looks confused on perplexed, you can always modify your answers.

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BE YOURSELF, BE AUTHENTIC !

As you progress through the interview stages, know that it’s ‘Who You Are’, not ‘What You Know’ which matters. You have already ticked enough boxes on your experiences and skillmatch during the earlier stages. The interactions which then follow evaluate you on your cultural fitment.

“Bird of the same feathers flocks together” and the same applies to the hiring process.

People tend to hire those whose values, beliefs, behavior, and culture align with that of the organ -ization. Make sure you echo the same in your answers.

BE AUTHENTIC

However great actor you might be, you can’t be another person just for the sake of the interview, nor it is advisable to try.

If there is one thing that can rule you out quickly, it is your lack of authenticity or honesty. Also, too much of force-fitting yourself to the persona the hiring team is looking for, is not advisable.

You have to establish a match but do not attempt to force that match. Let the interviewer figure it put themselves.

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THINK ON YOUR FEET No matter how prepared you are, the interview always spins surprises for you. Sometimes these surprises are intended to test your ability to think on your feet.

If you come across such situation, just think well before answering and it’s not your answers but your approach that gets tested in such a situation.

T N’ C O D NI PA

If you have been asked to attempt a case or write a code, make sure you take the interviewer through your thought-process.

This helps to reduce the long silence and at the same time helps the interviewer understand your thought-process.

Rather than making long claims, it’s always better to demonstrate value with a quick supporting story based on the work you have done in the past. The stories help you substantiate your experience or skill.

Sometimes, the interviewers try to stress you out by raising their voices, contradicting what you said, or even firing questions before listing to you. Make sure you don’t lose your calm in such situations. Face these questions one at a time and even if the interviewer tries to put you down, make sure to not lose your confidence.

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KEEP CALM & DON’T LOSE FOCUS mba.merito.in

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RECOVERING FROM THE MISSTEP You can’t come to perfection in the interview and there are always 10% chances where you have either not prepared well or not confident in attempting.

The first thing you can do is to understand what you don’t know well and ensure the interviewer is not entering that territory.

For example- answers like the one below will help you guide the interviewers to the right area.

“I am not good at database management but if you ask me questions on programming, I would be more confident”

TS POIN TO ER B M E REM ASE INC YOU T GE FOR

If you realize that you fumbled during your answer or took an incorrect approach it's always good to acknowledge your mistake and try to correct it.

If you are absolutely unaware of the question it's okay to tell the interviewer that you don’t know rather than guessing or giving a wrong answer.

A series of such “Don’t know” questions can put you in a panic situation but gather yourself quickly and move to the next set of questions so that at least you can do a better job in attempting those.

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CLOSE ON A POSITIVE NOTE All our judgments are based on our short-term memory and the same applies to interviews as well. It very important that you end the interview on a positive note so that the last impression you formed on the interviewer is still good.

The end of the interview is your last chance to sell yourself but make sure you don’t overdo that. Too much enthusiasm at the end if not aligned with your earlier interview can go against you.

BE CONNECTED WITH THE INTERVIEWER

Here are a few things that can help you close your interview on a positive noteMentioning your experience or achievement that hasn’t been discussed but is relevant to the role.

Highlighting your interest in the company and the role.

Last but not least, thank the interviewer for his / her time.

It's also a good practice to connect with the inter viewer on LinkedIn so that you would be able to remain in touch even after the interview. This will also help to keep your profile fresh in the inter viewer's mind

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ABOUT MERITO Merito is an interview preparation platform developed by team of IIM alumni.

It provides services like CV review, mock interview and 1-to-1 mentoring to help candidates prepare for their interviews.

Over the last 5 years, Merito’s team have helped more than 5000 candidates for their interview preparation and helped them realize their career aspirations.

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REACH OUT TO US ON : EMAIL : info@merito.in PHONE NO : 7276630705 Interview Prep Platform

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