Be passionate about one thing. Your passion shouts out loud when you talk. You need not try to convince the interviewer about your passion; it simply shines through. Instead of wasting time mastering interview techniques, take time to be extremely good at one thing. This one thing can be your ability to code excellently well in a particular programming language or your passionate pursuit to excel in a hobby of yours. That will bring you success.
Now, interviews are won not by the precise answers you give. It is good if you can give the right answers. But it is more about the confidence you inspire in the interview board that enables you to get the job. And it is here that the passion you have will help you.
It is quite natural that the interviewer will, at some point in time, start asking about what you are passionate about. Then you get the chance of your lifetime to showcase your knowledge and expertise. If you say it well, then it will inspire confidence in them.
That brings us to yet another point. How to craft your answer well. The best thing you can do is to write down your thoughts as part of the interview preparation process. The first draft might be just a starting point, the second draft can improve upon it, and probably a third draft after striking out what is not needed can become your pitch for the interview. Many make the foolish mistake of being over confident of their ability to speak off the cuff and nose dive into the pit of failure.
When you prepare, try to connect some elements of your passion with the job you are being interviewed for. Something like: playing football taught me the art of teamwork; passion for photography helped me sharpen my focus; participation in chess tournaments have increased my ability to concentrate and enhanced my strategic thinking; and so on.
And definitely you should try to organize the points of your presentation. It will demonstrate your clarity of thinking; your level of preparedness; and your ability to inspire confidence. Organising content is not about saying everything about what you know. It is more about choosing the best things and editing out the rest.
If you have played cricket with passion; tell them something about your playing for your school, college, or club; about what kind of player are you; a batsman, a bowler; an all-rounder; if a bowler what kind of bowling you have specialised in: fast, medium, spin, and so on. Highlight some of your best achievements.
If you have captained any team; tell them so and it will highlight your leadership capability; your ability to motivate your team; and so on. And definitely be prepared to answer questions like who is your favourite cricketer and why? Such questions will help you to speak with authority and confidence on what you really know; and your passion will shine through.
Finally, let me say that if you are not passionate about something; it is highly likely that you will not be passionate about anything including your job. If you can demonstrate your enthusiasm and your ability to persevere by talking about your passion; you stand a good chance to clear the interview. So before you think about mastering interview techniques; make it a point to be passionate about one thing. And let it speak for yourself at the time of interview.
Beyond interview success; life is about passions; isn’t it?. As the famed Formula One (F1) Racer Michael Schumacher had written on his traditional Schuberth red helmet at his farewell: “Life is about passions. Thank you for sharing mine.” So having a passion in life is about continuing the journey in hope.
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