Ready to ace your next job interview? Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a first-time job seeker, navigating interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience.
Fear not! In this guide, we’ve gathered invaluable tips from interview experts to help you confidently step into the hot seat. From body language hacks to crafting the perfect response, these 10 strategies are your ticket to making a lasting impression and landing that dream job.
1. Keep Calm
One of the best strategies to counter aggressive interview questions is to stay calm and neutral. While you may be feeling panicked or angry, it is essential to maintain your composure at all times. Calmly replying to the interviewer defuses their hostile tone when they see it is not affecting you. Never add fuel to a raging fire because they don’t have anything to lose, but you do.
2. Watch What You Say
When you’re feeling jittery, it is natural to blurt things out that you never meant to say in the first place. This happens even more when you’re put on the spot, and the person asking the questions grills you like BBQ. That is why you should be extra careful when phrasing your answers. Take your time, breathe, and then respond. Walk on eggshells, stay grounded, and no force in the world can stop you from killing it.
3. Get To Know Your Interviewer
Reversing the interview on its head can be an effective strategy in situations like these. Turn the tide by asking questions related to the company and the interviewer. Make sure you seem interested and keen to know what they have to say. Getting them to talk might help cool them down enough for you to get through the process.
4. Address the Issue
Sometimes, people don’t have bad intentions, and it might just all boil down to them having a bad day. Addressing the issue by asking, ”Have I done something to irritate you?” can help make them realize that they’re coming off as rude, which they can correct. All some interviewers need is a nudge in the right direction.
5. It May Be a Test
One of the strategies for testing a candidate includes putting extra pressure on them and gauging if they’re equipped to handle the weight of it. Some jobs require you to deal with harsh clients, so the interviewer might just be looking to see who cracks under the stress. If it’s one of those situations, you should try to maintain composure and answer as gracefully as possible.
6. Be Extra Cheerful
When someone is being really mean, one of the best ways to combat it includes pretending to be extra chirpy. Not only will it show that you have thick skin, but it will also change the tone of the entire questioning process. Once the person on the other side sees it’s not getting to you, they’ll have no option but to mellow down.
7. Focus on the Questions
The easiest way to detach yourself from the situation is to focus on the questions at hand. Instead of overthinking how the atmosphere seems quite demotivating, you can think more about the questions they’re asking. If you nail the answers, then there’s no stopping you from getting that job.
8. Reconsider the Position
Hostile behavior is unacceptable in the professional world. If you think the interviewer is a giant walking, talking red flag, you should consider the work environment if you get the job. Staying in a place that doesn’t make you feel safe or comfortable is an automatic no since you will spend most of your time there.
9. Walk Out
If the hostility turns violent, you should immediately leave, no questions asked. The job you’re trying to get is not worth more than your safety and mental health. Fearing the interviewer to a degree where your space is threatened is not normal and should be conveyed to a higher authority.
10. Message the Recruiter
If you believe the interviewer is gatekeeping the position and being hostile on purpose, messaging the recruiter is the way to go. Drop them an email pinpointing those areas where you’ve been wronged, but be very specific in your vocabulary. You might believe this won’t change anything, but you never know who has complained before, so feedback is always valuable.
