Elevating Your Interview Game: Advanced Techniques

This step-by-step guide explains how candidates can navigate an interview
in a structured and professional way, while still staying authentic.
Each step focuses on reducing friction, building rapport, and clearly demonstrating fit.

Start with light, professional conversation

Starting an interview with a long monologue often creates distance.
A short moment of friendly, professional conversation helps reduce tension
and establishes rapport between candidate and interviewer.

Suitable opening topics include:

• A brief comment about the day or schedule.
• The office or location.
• A neutral shared context, such as travel time or weather.
• A relevant interest or event mentioned earlier in the process.

The goal is not small talk for its own sake,
but creating a comfortable and open starting point for the conversation.

Give a concise and relevant introduction

When asked to introduce yourself, focus on relevance rather than completeness.
A strong introduction briefly connects your background to the role and organisation.

• Keep the introduction short and focused.
• Highlight experience or skills that match the role.
• Avoid repeating your full CV.
• Connect your motivation to the organisation or mission.

A concise introduction sets the tone and leaves room for a natural, two-way conversation.

Answer questions by focusing on relevant skills

Interview questions are an opportunity to demonstrate how your experience
aligns with the requirements of the role.
Each answer should add clarity rather than detail for detail’s sake.

• Stay focused on the question being asked.
• Link examples to skills relevant to the role.
• Use concrete situations rather than abstract descriptions.
• Avoid long explanations that dilute your message.

This approach keeps the conversation structured
and helps interviewers assess fit more effectively.

Stay flexible and professional throughout the interview

Interviews do not always follow a predictable script.
Interviewers may ask unexpected questions or have different communication styles.

• Adapt to the interviewer’s tone and pace.
• Remain calm and professional if questions feel unusual.
• Use unexpected questions to demonstrate adaptability and problem-solving.

Flexibility and composure are often assessed implicitly
and can be just as important as technical expertise.

Avoid common red flags

Certain behaviours can unintentionally raise concerns during interviews.