How you say something is as important as what you say, and sometimes how you say something is even more important than what you say. You know what to say, so just say it. Focus your energy and attention on how to say it. Here are some interview tips for internationals in the USA.
Strong and optimistic voice
1) Give sincere answers. Whatever you say, say it like you mean it. Be real, and say what you really believe, know, and feel. Do not say what you think someone wants to hear. Be confident in what you know, think, and believe, and let the confidence come through in your voice.
2) Be upbeat, positive, and optimistic. You have to sound upbeat, positive, and optimistic. You have to look positive, upbeat, and optimistic. Your demeanor has to be positive, upbeat, and optimistic. Your voice has to smile and have positive energy. The interviewer will hear you smile with your voice and will hear the positive energy in your voice.
3) Be upbeat, positive, and optimistic, but don’t overdo it. Present yourself as a well-balanced person. You are logical and well-reasoned but not too slow to make decisions. Be sure and confident. Let the interviewer know that you can make the difficult decisions and solve problems. You know what to do, so let it come through in your voice.
4) Are you a dynamic person? Prepare yourself to give examples of how you are a dynamic person. But don’t say that you are dynamic. Are you passionate about your work? Let this come through in your voice. But don’t say that you are passionate. Do not say what you are. Be what you are. Talk about who you are and what you are by talking about what you do and how you do it.
Confidence and certainty
5) Be direct. Don’t try to explain before you say what you believe or think. Say it, and then provide a brief explanation. Explain more if the interviewer asks. Do not give answers that make it sound as though you are providing an opinion or a viewpoint. Give answers that are strong and meaningful statements. Say how you know it is; don’t say how you think it is. They will hire you for what you know and can do, not for what you think you know and not for what you think you can do. Do not, even in the slightest way, express doubt. You must be absolutely confident and certain in what you say.
6) Be prepared for anything? How? Don’t try to give the right answer. Any answer you give is correct because you are an executive: a decision maker, an expert, a leader. If they don’t like your answers, and they do not hire you, analyze your performance and consider what you might have done or said that was wrong. Or consider what you did not do and did not say. Also, consider that this just might not have been the right company or right place for you for any number of reasons. Above all, be confident in what you say and express nothing but absolute certainty in what you say and how you say it.
7) You can appeal to people in three ways: 1) logic and reason 2) sincerity, genuineness, and honesty 3) emotion, sentiment, feeling. You have to strike a chord.
8) Don’t just say that you motivate people. Speak like a motivator. Let the interviewer conclude that you are a motivator by how you speak – how you come across. Tell a success story, an accomplishment story, or a story about how you solved a huge problem. You have to be the hero of your story. What did you do? What were the results? How did it make you feel? How did it make others feel? What did it do for the department? What did it do for the company? What action did you take? What were the benefits? What were the results?