How to Confirm Your Success in Any Interview: Top 15 Dos and Don’ts

After being aware of what you need to get a TEFL job, you should start to write a strong TEFL resume. Once your great resume has led you to the interview, it is time to prepare yourself for it to show the potential employer what you are about. Until now, you have just been words on a piece of paper, and even if you convinced the employer enough that you stood out, you would still need to impress them more. To achieve this goal, go back to my Ultimate Guide to Preparing for a Job Interview: 8 Tips That Guarantee Your Success in Any Interview. Then, you can read the top 15 interview dos and don’ts below to confirm your success in any interview, your excellence, and your eligibility for the job you are applying for.

Here are the top 15 dos and don’ts to confirm your success in any interview.

1. Dress well

First and foremost, make sure your clothes are clean and neat. You may need to dress formally if it is necessary. If it isn’t, at least don’t look flashy. You might be better if you go with classic colour combinations. You want to look stable, responsible and prepared to confirm your success in any interview.

2. Be early:

This should go without saying but is worth saying anyway. Be early for your appointment, and if you are travelling a route you are unfamiliar with or have the potential to be stuck in traffic, give yourself extra time.

3. Be enthusiastic and optimistic:

It is a job interview, so it is OK to be nervous, but you should still be enthusiastic and optimistic. Enthusiasm and optimism will undoubtedly confirm your success in any interview. Be happy to be there, and be optimistic about your future with the company or school. Confidence is an attractive quality so let yourself be confident.

4. Pay attention to the person interviewing you:

The interviewer will be attentive to your responses, so be sure to listen carefully to their questions. This will not only show that you are engaged but will also enable you to grasp what they are seeking. It’s important to pay close attention, listen carefully, and then tailor your responses to fit.

5. Be specific:

Answer with as much specificity as you can so the interviewer remembers your answers and can quantify your responses. If you are not specific, the employer might forget you by the time the next candidate walks in.

6. Ask questions:

Many interviewers end the interview by allowing you to ask questions. Ask questions that show you are interested in the job and the company or school. Do not ask how many vacation days you will get.

7. Make the best use of your body language:

The interviewer will evaluate everything about you, including your body language. Make sure you are projecting confidence, passion, interest, and enthusiasm. Use effective facial expressions. Smile and make use of eye contact with suitable hand movements.

8. Follow up:

Lastly, follow up with the interviewers after the interview. Do not ask if they have made a decision yet. Simply thank them for the opportunity to interview for the position, and tell them you look forward to hearing from them. Be pleasant and grateful, and make sure that your name will remain in their minds.

9. Don’t ramble:

Try not to ramble. Keep your answers to the point. That will show you know what you are talking about, you listen carefully to what they ask, and you know well how to get things done.

10. Don’t be too personal:

Be friendly, but do not be too personal. It is all right to tell a joke, but it has to be of the kind you tell a stranger. The interviewer is not your friend; they’re likely your potential boss (or at least a boss), so act appropriately.

11. Don’t seem that you don’t want the job:

It’s OK that you project confidence, but try your best not to look disinterested in getting the job. If the interviewers had a group of candidates, why would they offer the job to someone who does not seem to want it? Pay attention to your actions and your body language, and make sure you are projecting enthusiasm and interest in working with them.

12. Don’t say anything negative:

A common question that interviewers ask is why you are leaving your old job. Avoid saying anything negative about your old employer or company. It will give the impression that you are disloyal, and no one wants a disloyal employee. Give a positive reason, like you are looking forward to growing professionally.

13. Don’t bulldoze the interviewers:

Although you want to appear confident, don’t try to eliminate the role of the interviewer. It is all right if you take control of the interview at times, but always let the interviewer know that they’re in charge, or else they will dismiss you from the job you are applying for. Who wants to work with someone who is going to draw them out?

14. Don’t be rigid:

Having an opinion, a purpose, and a set of standards doesn’t mean inflexibility. But being flexible doesn’t mean accepting all the management’s thoughts without discussion and being convinced, either. You have to strike a balance between rigidity and flexibility. While employers don’t want to hire someone, who is rigid and arrogant, they don’t want someone who just goes along with whatever the management wants, either.

15. Don’t be cliché:

Avoid being a cliché. The biggest cliché is answering the classic “What is your greatest weakness?” question by turning it into a strength, saying something like, “My greatest weakness is that I work too hard.” Your interviewer is not an idiot, and this is not going to impress them. Give an honest answer, but also provide what you have done to eliminate that weakness and how you handle your weakness daily.

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