Top 12 Secrets to Acing a Job Interview

1.  Interview  preparation :

Preparation is a must- to- do thing  if  you want to succeed in doing  anything.  To prepare for a successful interview,  you should  refer  to the Job Interview  Checklist  as stated in Section  II below.

2.  Interview practice:

Think about being a boss, CEO or manager someday  or you have to apply  for a new job again.  In that case, interview  skills  shall  become very important  in your life.

So, how do you  practice your  interview?

Way No.1: 

You can ask a friend  of yours to interview  you. To take advantage  of this  way, you can tell  your friend  to imagine  that they  were recruiting  candidates  for similar  positions  like yours.  Then, there should be many unexpected situations for you to experience and practice rather than relying only on available questions.

Way No.2: 

Expand your job standards (to seek for a simpler job or one that pays less, and so on). Then, you will see that there should be many more offers for an interview available to you. Through  these interviews,  you can gain  more interview  experience,  and more importantly, You will  know about business  models  of other companies; You will  have  opportunities  to practice how to introduce  and renew yourself  with  all  of your skills  and abilities.

For example, you are seeking  for a HR manager  assistant  or HR deputy manager  job, you can extend  your application  to such positions  as HR coordinator,  HR associate,  HR clerk, HR staffs and so on, and the chance that the employer  may  find  you to be suitable  to the position  of CEO assistant  or HR deputy manager  (though  they  do not intend  to do so in the first  place until  they meet you) will  be greater.

Way No.3: 

Using job interview services.  For more info, please click here:  Job interview services.

3.  Understanding interview process 

Each company adopts a different interview process and each interview round is intended for a certain purpose. You need to understand the goals of the employer for each round.  It doesn‘t mean  that you will  succeed if  you answer the questions  professionally  and fluently,  but you need to put a focus  on what the employer  expects from  you during  an interview. For more information about interview rounds, please click here. For more info about interview process, interview  rounds,  click  here.

4.  Come early instead of on time

Many experts  will  advise  you to go to the interview  early  or at least  10 minutes  earlier.  I myself recommend  that 30 minutes  earlier  should  be reasonable.  Why  should  you take up to 30 minutes?

To find  the address of the company;

To  complete  check- in  procedures;

To find  the location  and office  where the interview  shall  take place;

To check your appearance before getting  into  the interview  room

To find  out more about the company;  many  interviewers  may ask you how 
the organization  of their  companies  is, about the reception  area, welcoming  atmosphere,  etc.

However,  arriving  early  may  also cause some pressure on you for having  to wait.  Please note that you shouldn‘t  spend such waiting  time  revising  your  ―lessons‖  or doing  any work since  there will  be insufficient  time  and the pressure will  become greater if  you do so. You can take the time prepare some stories  or jokes that can help you  keep cool and comfortable  for the upcoming interview.

5.  Potential and Loyal Customer  in the Future:

Can  you believe  that after all  the hearing  of problems  and your knowledge  of the company,  its products and business  fields,  you can be employed  immediately  even if  no interview  question has been asked regarding  professional  aspects?

I have  got 11 years of ex perience  in  conducting  interviews  for various  positions,  including  less important  and even  CEO ones. I have observed that many  bosses will  readily  make their employment  decisions  immediately  after meeting  the candidates  as they  believe  that the ones that favor  their  products and services  the most  shall  perform  well,  not to mention  excellently.  

I myself  totally  believe  in that notion.  Certainly,  this  doesn‘t mean  that the employers  do not know anything  about your professional  qualification.  They  have tools and evaluation  results  to know for sure that at least you are able to perform  the jobs. By this  I mean  the abilities  but not the excellence  or fluency.  


I shall  recommend  you to become a loyal  customer  of a company  first, know clearly  about the strengths  and  weaknesses  of its competitors,  its current  and future challenges,  and so on, before applying  for a job.

6.  First impression:

Remember  the time  when  you met a new partner, a new friend  or your  new love…  how did your first  impression  on them  affect  on your  feeling?It is clear  that first  impression  play a crucial  role in determining  the success of an interview.You can ref first  impression  checklist,  please  click  here.

7.  Control  nervousness

Careful  preparation  is the best way to control  your  nervousness.  Taking  a slow,  deep breath will  also help you relax  and feel  more composed. Fill  your  lungs  slowly  from  the bottom. Let your abdomen  relax  and puff  out as you fill  it with  air. Breathing  only  with  your chest will  make you become tense. 

Nervousness  is created from  the feeling  of being  too focused  on yourself.  You may  be worried about how you look, whether  you sound intelligent  or not, and how you are going  to persuade the interviewer.  And if  you are still  a bit nervous,  that‘s okay. That bit should be enough  for you to take on the upcoming  challenge.

8.  Showcase your knowledge and integrity

tell  interviewers about  your stories As long  as the employers  are desperate to find  good candidates,  most eligible  employees  who at least meet their  minimum  job requirements  shall  have good opportunities.  

HR personnel  and some interviewers  may not have an in- depth  knowledge  of every  job in  the company,  however, they  understand  enough  to know that a certain  level  of technical  expertise  is required.  

Don‘t try to fake it and convince  the employers  that you are someone  that you are not. This  tactic  rarely works, and even if  it did work, the fact that you don‘t know what  you claimed  you knew would soon be revealed  once you were on the job sFor more information  about how to tell  your stories,  please  click  l inks  below:

Job interview  stories technique.

STAR interview  technique.

9.  Learn traits/skills 

that all employers look for In every applicants Each job requires  differently  in aspects of knowledge  and skills,  however,  according  to  Robert Lawrence,  there are  7 traits  as mentioned  below that play the most important  role and that are sought  after by any employer:

•  Skillset

•  Team player

•  Attitude

•  Professionalism

•  Leadership

•  Ethic

•  Security

10.  Problem  Solving is the Most Important  in an Interview.

Problem  solving  is one common  skill  involved  in any job. Whether  you plan  to work as a construction  laborer or as a manager  of a major corporation,  all  jobs will  involve  problems  and only  solving  such problems  may lead to your  success. It is imperative  that before entering  the interview  room, you should  know how to approach and solve  problems.  All  questions  should  be answered with  this  process in  mind.

11. Close your sale

Before  leaving,  you need to close the sale of your talents  before the interviewers.  It‘s no different than  selling  a product;  you need to get a ―yes‖  from  the buyer.  You should  understand  that a refusal  is challenging,  however,  that doesn‘t necessarily  mean  a ―no,‖  but that the buyer  is not ready to buy. 

Don‘t apologize  for what you don‘t have. If you cannot  persuade the interviewers, try to get from  them  a reason. Objections  do not always  means  rejections,  but you have to cause them  to be open in order to respond effectively.  It‘s always  worth  trying.

12. Follow  up and thank-you  note.

Follow- up  after an interview  can help you create a lasting  impression  and differentiate  you from the crowd.Send both an email  and a hard- copy thank- you  note expressing  your  excitement,  qualifications and further  interest  in the position.  Invite  the hiring  manager  to contact  you for additional information.  

This  is also an excellent  time  to send a strategic  follow- up  letter  of interest. When making  a thank- you  letter,  you should  pay attention  to the following:Never try to correct your mistakes  during  the interview;  the more you do so, they  more negative  they  will  feel  about you.Don‘t send a normal  thank- you  letter  like  other candidates  do. Instead,  state your opinions  and solutions  that how you can contribute  to the company.