Science-backed tips to ace your interview in 2023.

Getting a job in 2023 is a difficult process. It is definitely daunting to have to compete with endless candidates who might be just as good as you are, or even better, all of whom are competing for only one job vacancy.

Studies suggest that the average candidate will get one interview for every six applications he/she submits. This clearly illustrates how competitive job interviews have become.

However, I have done my research with regard to simple tips and tricks that you can use that will increase your chances of getting accepted.

Thanks to these tricks, I did pretty well in a couple of interviews and got accepted; however, I didn’t take the jobs since they did not align with what I wanted to accomplish.

-Here is what you should do when asked about your salary expectations.

Do not mention the salary you were given at your last job. And if they ask you, politely tell them you cannot mention it. It will be wise of you to ask what budget they offer for the position you are applying for and decide if that suits you.

The thing is, if they offer an average of 5X$ for this position and you have mentioned that you were given 2X$ in your last job, your salary may remain at 2X$ or increase a little, reaching roughly less than 3X$.

Consequently, you will miss the chance of doubling your salary.

This is a trick most HR managers use to lower the expenses of the company by lowering the wages of their employees. You should not be a victim of this trick.

Also, when it comes to your salary, always be aware of how good of a candidate you are.

Let’s say you are a fresh graduate with a not-very-good GPA. You don’t have any work experience in this field. You don’t have courses or qualifications that can somehow make you a more competitive candidate.

At this point, you are in no position to negotiate your income. They will offer you a certain amount of income, and if you try to increase it a bit, they will likely reject you.

This concept revolves around the idea of demand and supply. Let’s say you are a gifted basketball player, and a team from the NBA offered you a contract with an annual salary of around X dollars.

You are talented, physically immaculate, and you have a lot of fans.

Your presence on that team will not only allow them to win massive tournaments but will also generate a lot of income for the team through selling your t-shirts to the many fans who admire you.

Therefore, you will boost the team’s revenue and make them more likely to win big games throughout the season.

At this point, you can negotiate your pay. You can try to increase it from X to 2X or 3X, as you are aware of the value you will bring to the team.

-Do your homework.

This may sound cliché, but you always have to do your research about the company you want to work for before going into the interview.

It is definitely a deal-breaker if you applied for a job and, during your interview, when you are asked why you want to work with us, they find that you are clueless about what their company offers.

You have to know the products or services that the company provides and how the operations done within the company will help you become a better, more experienced employee in your field of work.

In many cases, they mention the job duties in the application, and that is another thing you have to be aware of before getting into the interview.

-Don’t open up when asked about your weaknesses.

Let’s face it, you are not meeting with your therapist. If you speak freely about your weaknesses, they will be used against you. They will likely reject you.

Imagine you are an HR manager, and when asking a candidate about his or her weaknesses, he mentions that he sometimes procrastinated when it comes to meeting deadlines during college days.

Then, how on earth are you willing to accept this candidate? It is more than likely that he will not meet his deadlines if he gets the job.

Subsequently, when asked about your weaknesses, try to mention a struggle you have overcome, whether it is work-related or not.

Say that you were fragile and disturbed at one point during this predicament, but you have managed to pick yourself up and conquer this hurdle. Try to turn your weaknesses into strengths.

-Show that you have good self-confidence, even if you don’t.

Recent studies suggest that 40% of employers will not hire candidates who are not confident in themselves.

Even when you feel anxious or distressed, always try to act otherwise. Try to be calm during the interview.

The rule of fake it till you make it applies here. You can practice with a friend. Try to record the interview to hear if you stutter a lot and try to work on it. Write down what makes you the ideal candidate, and you will be acutely aware of your strengths.

And during the interview, be keen to look the interviewer directly in the eye and smile at times when you need to.

Take enough time to answer each question in order to gather your ideas and avoid stuttering.

This sounds difficult, particularly as a fresh graduate with little experience when it comes to interviews. But, trust me, practice makes perfect.

-First impressions matter the most.

Studies suggest that 33% of interviewers decide whether or not they want to hire a candidate during the first 90 seconds of a job interview.

You should dress properly. You should also speak appropriately, especially during the first few minutes of the interview.

The stakes will be very high at such times.