There are plenty of things that can go wrong in an interview. The good news is that there are tips and tricks that you can use to overcome a tough interview situation, and we’ve put together a few for you to look at.
The awkward answer
The interviewer asks you a question and you fumble through it, or you say something not quite right. If you find yourself in this situation, you’re doing well to realise it in the heat of the moment. There’s not much you can do AFTER the interview.
So, if you can catch yourself partway through an awkward answer or you say something you feel is not quite right, you have an opportunity to correct it, but the time frame is short. Take a deep breath and rephrase your answer. You can say, “I don’t feel I communicated that as best I could, would you mind if I answered that question again?”.
Be cool, calm and take your time and don’t shrug or laugh it off. Be sure you say what you want to say the second time around, because you won’t get the opportunity again. The interviewer might even make a note of your dedication to getting it right.
Feeling written off
If the interviewer starts to lose concentration you might feel like they’ve written you off. It’s up to you to re-engage them if you want to be considered for the position. Ask questions, make them feel important by asking about how they feel about their position and the company. Your interviewer will be forced to focus back on you and the interview at hand.
You’re over-qualified
If you’ve been looking for work for a while, you might consider taking a step back to get work. If you were made redundant from a Parts Manager role, you might apply for Parts Interpreter roles, especially if finances are tough. This can be tricky to overcome in an interview, and you may be deemed as over-qualified. In this instance, if you want the job you need to make it very clear to the interviewer. Focus on what you can bring to the role from your Parts Manager experience and paint those skills in a positive light.
In all these situations, it’s up to the candidate to make the most of the interview. Use the opportunity to sell yourself and be prepared for those awkward situations that can happen so easily in a high intensity situation such as an interview.
For more advice on how to prepare for your next job interview, check out our interview guide here.
Teamrecruit is Australia’s most established recruitment agency specialising in truck, earthmoving and agricultural machinery dealerships in Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. Find out more about Teamrecruit and how we support employers and candidates in the dealership industry.
