Despite the news stories about layoffs, it’s a terrific opportunity to find a new job, how you approach the interview and what to say in an interview to stand out.

Finding your ideal job requires several procedures, including market research, creating a standout CV, and sending heartfelt thank-you notes. The interview, though, is arguably the process’s most crucial step. Since the interview—or several interviews—is when everything comes together, including your capacity to express who you are and what you value, your comfort with providing poignant instances, and your efforts to evaluate the firm for yourself.

Some people have different ideal jobs. Fit between you, the job, the leader, and the organization is always important. It’s also about the potential and whether your goals and the potential growth of the business align. The interview is the primary method by which a match is made. Below are 7 tips on what to say in an interview.

1. Clearly state your “selling points” and the motives behind your employment search.

Every interview should be prepared with a few key selling points in mind, such as why you are the best person for the job. Provide a sample of each selling point ( “I’m an effective communicator. For instance, I convinced everyone in the group to “).
And be ready to explain to the interviewer why you are interested in the position, what fascinates you about it, what benefits it gives that you find helpful, and what skills it demands of you. No matter how qualified you are, an interviewer won’t extend an offer if they don’t believe you are genuinely interested in the position.

2. Be prepared for the interviewer’s reservations and worries

There are many more applicants than there are vacancies available. So, interviewers search for strategies for eliminating candidates. Consider their perspective and why they might not want to hire you. Hence, go ready beforehand with a powerful defence.

3. Prepare a list of inquiries for the interviewer

Have some thoughtful questions for the interviewer to show your knowledge of the firm and your real purpose. Every time an interviewer asks if you have any questions, you should always be prepared with one or two. If you respond, “No, not really,” they might infer that you aren’t genuinely interested in the position or the business. “If you could describe the ideal candidate for this role from scratch, what would he or she be like?” is an excellent general question.

4. Make a mark in the first five minutes

According to several studies, interviewers form opinions about candidates within the first five minutes of the interview and then spend the remaining time seeking evidence to support those opinions. What can you do to pass through the gate in those five minutes? Bring your best self to the interview and thank the interviewer for their time. (Remember that she might see many other applicants that day and be exhausted from the journey. Bring that energy in, then!

5. Align yourself with the interviewer’s viewpoint

Many interviewers see job interviews as competitive: The interviewer’s duty is to maintain the offer, notwithstanding candidates’ attempts to force one out of them. You must turn this “tug of war” into a partnership in which you both support the same position. For example, you may say something straightforward like, “I’m excited about the opportunity to learn more about your business and to let you know more about me, so we can determine whether or not this is a good fit. I’ve always believed getting hired for the incorrect job is the worst thing since then, and nobody has been happy!”

6. Be confident and own the interview

Some often assertive candidates may become highly passive during job interviews to be courteous. Yet courtesy does not equate to passivity. In an interview, as in any other conversation, you and your partner move in unison while exchanging responses. Avoid making the error of simply waiting for the interviewer to inquire about your winning the Nobel Prize. It’s your duty to make sure he understands your main selling points before you let him go.

7. Be prepared to respond to unethical and inappropriate inquiries

It is unprofessional and, in many places, illegal to ask interview candidates about their race, age, gender, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation. Unfortunately, you might still receive one or more of these. You have a few choices if you do. You can respond with a question stating I’m not sure how that’s correlated to my application, or you can attempt to address “the question behind the question”: “If you’re curious to know if I’ll be leaving this job for an extended duration, I can say that I’m very devoted to my career and frankly simply can not imagine giving it up.”