Jobs are becoming very scarce in Kenya. The joblessness situation has become so bad that a single job advertisement attracts thousands of job applicants. To get ahead of the rest, you need to be very smart. You need to arm yourself with a few basic rules of getting through a job interview.
Research
After getting an invitation to attend an interview, the first thing you need to do is research. Check more information about the Company/organization. What do they do? When was it founded? Who are the executives? Where does it get its funding? Is it a parastatal, a government organization or a non-governmental organization? You may get all these information from the company’s annual reports or journals. The best place to do your research is the internet. Doing research and arming yourself with the company’s history and current news will give you a lot of confidence when you face the panel.
Relevant outfit
Most companies prefer official dress during an interview. You should, therefore, dress smartly. You do not have to overdress. Some people overdress with raincoats and thick neckties such that they sweat profusely during the interview. If the weather is hot then you do not need to necessarily put on a coat. In short, put on relevant outfits while attending an interview.
Keep time
It is very embarrassing to arrive at the venue of the interview late. You will automatically fail the interview. In fact, some interviewers will not even give you the chance to face the panel. They will just tell you to go back and sleep. Keeping time is one of the ways to get ahead of other interviewees. Arrive some minutes before the agreed time. This will give you time to organize your documents. You will also get time to relax and breathe before you face the panel. Arriving early will also boost the level of your confidence.
Exude confidence
During the actual interview, exude confidence when responding to the questions. This will set you apart from other interviewees. When you are confident, it is highly likely that you will remember what you read and you will come up with correct or near-correct answers. A person who lacks confidence will get confused. He will mix up things and even embarrass himself or herself.
It is okay to own up
When faced with questions that you do not know the answer, it is okay to own up and say you do not know the answer to that particular question. It is better to let questions pass than try to answer it and end up exposing your stupidity. You can also inject one or two humorous sentences to make the interviewers happy. An interview is not a medical surgery. A little laughter is not a bad thing at all.