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As part of the recruitment process, an interview is crucial for every candidate. Candidates should be well-prepared mentally and physically to succeed in their interview and get the job.
There are many books discussing job interview preparation, including how to anticipate tricky questions during an interview.
Similar to athletes practicing persistently before a tournament, the candidates need to do just the same to prepare good answers in an interview. However, there are times when interviewers ask unpredicted questions, leaving the candidates flustered. Check out these 8 tips to ace that challenge.
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Keep your composure to think clearly. You can learn and practice answering some common job interview questions to prepare yourself for the recruitment day.
If you still feel nervous, try to collect your thoughts and project a calm and confident air. Show assertiveness and confidence through your body language while answering questions to demonstrate your ability to manage unexpected situations.
Practicing relaxation techniques, such as taking a deep breath, helps you to remain calm. It induces a sense of calmness through slow, diaphragmatic breaths. Oxygen circulation to the brain can improve cognitive function, which can contribute to enhanced focus.
When you’re not sure about certain questions, it’s advisable to be straightforward to the interviewer. This initiative shows that you are an open and honest personand can also serve as a trick to warm up the conversation during an interview.
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Don’t hesitate to ask clarifying questions when you are still unsure about the interviewer’s inquiry. The courage to ask questions reflects your self-confidence and assertiveness. Make sure to ask the questions politely.
If you assume that pretending to understand the interviewer’s question is better than asking clarifying questions, you might be on the wrong track. Avoid making pretentious and irrelevant answers.
It’s better to clarify questions to ensure that you fully understand the recruiter’s inquiry. Moreover, candidates can create a good impression by explaining that they are looking forward to learning the matter in question when they join the company.
Sometimes, the interviewers may put forward a hypothetical issue for you to solve. Although you may be unfamiliar with it, you can try to devise a solution to it.
Remember to say that you are eager to learn more about the issue once you are accepted into the company.
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The next strategy to tackle tricky questions is by steering the topic into something you’re good at. However, make sure the new topic is still relevant to the question previously asked by the interviewer.
For example, the interviewer might ask about a certain keyword from a research tool, while you might be inexperienced in this specific field. What you need to do is clarify whether the question is related to a keyword research plan or your excellent skill set. If the topics are interrelated, you can shift the discussion to explain your skill instead.
One may say that time is precious, but you can take some additional time to collect your thoughts before answering a question. If an interviewer asks about resolving a conflict, you can have a few moments to think by clarifying the question.
You can ask to clarify the conflict type, whether it’s an internal or interdivisional one. This can give you additional time to mull over an answer. While listening to the interviewer’s explanation, you have more time to prepare the best answer.
Some candidates may apply for positions irrelevant to their experience and educational background. Before following the recruitment process, be sure that you have thoroughly researched the position.
For instance, you apply for a marketing position with a finance educational background. You may receive unfamiliar questions in the interview. However, you can overcome this challenge by sharing your previous work experience in finance, which may help.
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It would be best if you acknowledge that marketing is a new thing to learn. Despite the difference, you are geared with financial skills that may contribute to your marketing career, including how to manage marketing budget efficiently.
When you can’t answer a job interview question, remember that no candidate is perfect, especially fresh graduates. It’s more important for a job seeker to have a growth mindset.
Also important is displaying honesty rather than pushing yourself to answer something you don’t understand well enough. It’s highly recommended for you to ask clarifying questions instead of only saying, “I don’t know.”
Try to promote yourself. Tell the interviewers your eagerness to learn the required skills and your experience in leading university events back when you were a student that you can readily apply at the company.
Those are the tips to answer tricky questions during a job interview. Note that a job interview is likely to be unpredictable: you’ll never know what the interviewers are going to ask. So, be prepared for the unexpected!
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Always ensure that the company you’re applying to has a positive work culture and prospective career. Choose a company that has a good reputation and credibility in its field, such as PT Serasi Autoraya or SERA.
SERA was founded on 22 March 1990 and has become Indonesia’s transportation and logistics industry leader. This Astra Group’s company welcomes new members to fill various positions every year.
SERA continuously provides opportunities for individuals qualified for positions at the company and its subsidiaries.
For more details about the job vacation at SERA, visit the official website www.sera.astra.co.id, or click on this direct link: https://career.sera.astra.co.id/.