When you are one of those people who take some time to open up and start conversing with strangers, interviews can be stressful. How do you ensure that you go beyond single word syllables? I overcome this by getting to know the ‘unknown’.

Research the company

a. What does the company say about itself? Start with the company website. You don’t have to memorize everything but try to retain the main points such as, what does the company do, the industries does it serve, recent news announcements etc. Go through all the social media handles of the company and become familiar with the information that is available.

This seems like the logical first step but you would be surprised at how many interviewees do not do this.

b. What do the employees think about the company? Many websites offer employee reviews and salary ranges which can give you a fair idea about what to expect. Look into your LinkedIn connections to see if you know someone already working there. Talk to them — ask them about their career journey, professional development support, the team that you are interviewing for and such questions which would give you an idea of your prospective, future workplace.

A lot of times, interviewers ask ‘why do you want to join this company? If you have done your research well, you would have worked out the answer.

Get to know the interviewer via LinkedIn

Break the ice by looking up your interviewer’s profile on LinkedIn. If your recruiter has not shared the name and title of your interviewer, you can politely request them for it. It’s quite OK to do so.

This would eliminate the ‘stranger’ feeling and would put you at ease during the interview.

Be ready with examples that showcase your soft skills

Integrity, responsible attitude, ability to work with a team, working well under pressure or tight deadlines, learning attitude and all such great qualities. Your resume covers the hard facts such as your educational and professional background. Warm it up by talking about who you are as a person. This is also a neat trick when the interviewer asks, ‘Tell me something that is not covered in your resume.