If you're reading this, you've likely already passed the first stage of your hiring process; congratulations! 

However, do not become overly excited, as the most essential stage of the procedure is yet to come; the interview.

Many people make the mistake of focusing exclusively on developing a strong CV and overlooking the critical significance of the interview.

The interview is vital to landing the job of your dreams, therefore it is important to prepare in advance.

Not to intimidate you, but the moment you walk into an interview, the interviewer immediately begins to analyze your outfit, your body language, the way you greet them, and how you present yourself.

All of these factors will influence the interviewer's opinion of you, which will ultimately influence his final decision, so you need to be very careful how you introduce yourself.

But, do not worry, we have you covered. Here are some pointers on how to properly introduce yourself in an interview.

Do some research on:

1. The Company

Each business has its own purpose and set of values. This is shown in everything they do, from their employees, their products and services to their clients.

You must discover the company's WHY and consider if your own purpose and ideals are compatible with theirs.

By exploring its social media profiles and website, you can learn a great deal about the organization, which can help you throughout the hiring process. Browse the "About Us" section to learn about their key principles.

Examine the website's general layout and social media postings to determine the company's current working style; are they highly formal or are they more laid back?

By obtaining this information, you may integrate certain key phrases into your introduction, indicating to the employer that you are a right fit.

2. The job description

It is nonsensical to enter an interview without a full understanding of the position for which you have applied. Do not be tricked into believing that same roles have identical responsibilities.

An accountant working for a non-governmental organization has different tasks from one working for a business. You must be aware of what is expected of you in advance.

Interviewers like to begin by asking you about yourself; they want to learn what brought you to the job and why you believe you are a good match. You must be aware of what is expected of you in advance.

3. The interviewer

While this may not always be available, it is worth attempting to learn who will conduct the interview and what position he or she has in the firm.

The worst-case scenario is that you mix up or mispronounce names. This will give the impression that you did not take the meeting seriously enough to prepare.

Additionally, there are advantages to remembering people's names and surnames. When appropriate, addressing them by their names or surnames demonstrates your interest in the job and your respect for them.

Dale Carnegie, the author of several self-improvement and interpersonal skills bestsellers, underlines this point: "Remember that a person's name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language to that person."

Dress appropriately

What you wear reveals a lot about you, and interviewers pay special attention to your outfit.

As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression, so spend some time selecting your interview outfit. Your previous research will come in handy now.

What did you discover about the company's working style and client base? Your appearance should also be in line with the company's culture. Take a moment to consider if you should dress business professional, business casual, or smart casual.

If you're unsure, try to keep things simple, clean, and neat. The same holds true for hair and makeup, look groomed and clean but don’t overdo it. And, of course, a suit is always a safe bet.

Be aware of your body language

For millions of years, our ancestors relied on nonverbal communication. Indeed, it was critical for survival to be able to interpret facial expressions and body language.The human brain is designed to recognize these signals before any verbal information.

In both personal and professional conversations, body language is essential. It has a big impact on how others see you. Your body language, the unseen message you convey during the conversation, has the potential to make or break your career.

Consider your body posture as you enter your interview. A strong upright posture combined with an open stance conveys confidence, friendliness, and honesty.

Eye contact is another critical component of body language. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. This demonstrates your full attention and is a sign of respect.

It is also recommended to practice your handshake before the interview. A strong handshake, combined with eye contact, communicates confidence in yourself and your skills.

The Elevator Pitch: How do you respond to the question "Tell me about yourself?"

After greeting the interviewer and being invited to seat, the standard question "Tell me about yourself" follows.

The challenge here is that you just have around 30 seconds to introduce yourself, provide the most crucial facts about yourself, and attract the interviewer's attention.

Remember that the interviewer may have had a large number of individuals come in that day, so your introduction must be memorable.

It is best to prepare a brief speech ahead of time that includes information on:

• your skills and qualities
  
• your experience and accomplishments
  
• your personality

A polished elevator pitch might actually be useful here.

A helpful piece of advice would be to add keywords from your business and job description research. Again, your presentation should be in some way related to the company's WHY.

With all that said, here are some examples of how to introduce yourself properly during an interview.

Unexperienced Candidates

Don't worry if you do not have experience. You can tailor your introduction to highlight your educational accomplishments and personal strengths.

You should also include any previous volunteer work or internships you've done. Make an effort to include attention-grabbing keywords and show your enthusiasm for the position.

A perfect example would be:

“Hello, my name is (name), and I just graduated from (name of educational institution). I am an extremely self-driven, hard-working, and ambitious person who expects the best of myself, as seen by my (list achievements) successes.

I feel that a company's most valuable asset is its staff, and a good employee is someone who is ready to go above and beyond what is expected, which is a trait I possess. I am really interested in learning and developing new skills, and I feel I would be a valuable asset to your organization.

I chose this company because I want to work for someone who is ambitious and innovative, and who will help me grow and I believe your company is the right fit for me.”

Experienced Candidates

Those with prior experience have an advantage in interviews. Similarly to the above, include your greatest traits, skills, and accomplishments, as well as your experience.

However, avoid making the speech all about how amazing you are. Focus on showing your excitement about the job and what you liked about the company.

Here is an example:

“Hello, my name is (name) and I am a (profession) with (number of years) years of expertise in (previous roles). I've been fortunate to obtain experience at several prominent organizations where I was able to not only expand my abilities but also explore and build other skills such as (list skills obtained).

Throughout my career, I've had the chance to be a member of teams that included dozens of individuals with diverse skill sets.

I excel at working with cross-functional teams and responding to unexpected changes and problems. I feel I am the best candidate for this position since

I possess the necessary abilities and expertise. I am excited to put my abilities to use with a forward-thinking organization like yours. I'm excited to hear more about this opportunity and would be happy to answer any more questions." 

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