How to improve the way you answer job interview questions

When preparing for an important job interview, you needn’t memorise example answers to common interview questions. But actually, a job interview isn’t just about questions and answers. It’s also important to establish a rapport. 

Remember that the interviewer isn’t only paying attention to what you say. They’re also actively looking at how you answer their job interview questions.

If you’ve got a job interview, how you act and answer questions is just as important as the words you use. In this guide, we’ve got six tips for improving how you answer interview questions.

Six steps to improve how you answer interview questions 

1. Be prepared 

The more prepared you feel for the interview, the calmer you will appear to the interviewer. Here are a few things you can do to ensure you’re ready: 

• Review the company’s website, careers section and job description
• Google the company to find out about any recent developments to include in your answers
• Prepare answers to the three types of interview questions you’re likely to be asked
• Think about questions you might want to ask the hiring manager
• Research the interviewer and their background – LinkedIn is a great tool for this
• Review your CV for specific examples of career successes and skill sets
• Prepare how you might explain any career gaps if asked
• Plan your commute and what you’re going to wear
• Get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy meal beforehand. 

As a crucial first impression, doing these will help you appear calm and collected. You’ll also be in a far better frame of mind to answer the interviewer’s questions and build a rapport. 

2. Introduce yourself well 

Your elevator pitch should sum up your background, skills, work experience and what you can offer the potential employer. At the interview, you need to be focused, articulate, and confident when introducing yourself. 

Many people ask how long responses to interview questions should be. The trick is to be succinct, but detailed. So, practise your elevator pitch. Summarise your skills and experiences without going into detail about every previous job you’ve ever had. Focus on elements that make you a good fit for this role. Importantly, make sure to leave out enough details to talk about later. 

When introducing yourself, speak clearly and direct the conversation at the interviewer. Use eye contact and positive body language. Don’t stare at your feet, the ceiling or elsewhere in the room. These communication skills can be your greatest strength when building rapport.

3. Give detailed answers using the STAR method 

When answering the interviewer’s questions, don’t just respond with one or two blunt lines. Avoid closed answers that kill the conversation. These answers can make you appear unqualified, unconfident and dismissive. No amount of eye contact and body language can change this. 

STAR responses to interview questions are a great way of adding detail and a storyline to your interview answers. Use the STAR technique to talk about how you excelled in difficult situations or tight deadlines.  

STAR responses are ideal for competency-based questions, which start with phrases like “Tell me about a time when…” or “Describe a situation in which…” 

Use the STAR response to interview questions to outline: 

• a situation you previously faced 
• the task you wished to accomplish 
• the approach you took 
• the results you gained.  

Good answers will talk about problem solving and key takeaways from the experience. As you talk through your interview answers, demonstrate your understanding of what happened and what you did. 

4. Keep calm by maintaining perspective 

Remember, an interview is just as much about you assessing the organisation as it is about them assessing you. The interviewer is just another human being. Likewise, the interview is just another experience you will learn from — whatever the outcome.  

Sometimes, we can start to lose perspective in stressful scenarios like interviews. If you feel anxious, avoid showing it with your body language. Scratching your chin and ‘searching’ for answers indicates that you are unsure about something. Similarly, holding onto the chair and playing with your hands can put your anxiety on show. Try to keep a lid on these actions. 

Read our guide for more insights on how to calm interview nerves. 

5. Use positive body language 

A fantastic way to display your confidence is to use positive body language, such as:  

• Making enough eye contact
• Using hand gestures and confident nodding to emphasise key points
• Smiling at the correct times
• Maintaining the right posture in your chair (avoid slouching and crossing your arms).  

These simple actions can help to build further non-verbal rapport between you and the interviewer. How you conduct yourself in an interview can answer behavioral interview questions before the interviewer even asks!

6. Be positive throughout your interview 

We’re all human. Sometimes, we find ourselves in a bad mood before an interview. But do everything you can to approach the interview with a positive frame of mind. Your underlying mood can have a huge impact on how we communicate in an interview.

Blaming team members during your interview question responses can reflect badly on your attitude. So focus on positive learnings when answering job interview questions.

So, if you need a mood boost before your next interview, give yourself a ‘pep talk’. Visualise success in your mind. Picture yourself receiving a phone call offering you the job. Doing this, you’ll allow your positivity to shine through.

Things to remember when answering job interview questions

Following these steps will prepare you for interviews in a competitive job market. Remember that everything you say, or don’t say, will leave an impression. Above all, don’t forget to: 

• Be yourself – they want to know if you’ll fit the company culture
• Avoid long responses to interview questions – let the conversation flow naturally
• Prepare, but don’t memorise – sample answers don’t reflect your real life experience.