10 Things to Do During an Interview

Reviewed by the OnJob Editorial Team — career researchers covering jobs, salaries and hiring across India. Questions? editorial@onjob.io

Most interviewers make up their minds faster than you’d like. The gap between an offer and a polite “we’ll get back to you” usually isn’t your resume — it’s the hour you spend in the room. How you walk in, how you answer, how you sign off: all of it counts. Here are ten things that actually move the needle.

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1. Arrive Calm and On Time

Get there — or log on — at least ten minutes early. When you turn up rushed, it leaks into your voice and your posture before you’ve said a word. Use those spare minutes to silence your phone, glance over your notes, and take a few slow breaths so you open the conversation settled instead of scrambling.

2. Make a Strong First Impression

The first thirty seconds do a lot of quiet work. A firm handshake or a clear hello, a real smile, and the interviewer’s name said out loud all set the tone. On clothes, aim one notch above whatever the company wears day to day — a formal outfit for corporate roles, smart casual for startups and tech teams.

3. Listen Before You Answer

Let the whole question land before you jump in, then take a beat. That one-second pause keeps you from answering the question you assumed was coming instead of the one you were actually asked, and it reads as thoughtful rather than pre-scripted. If something’s genuinely unclear, just ask them to rephrase — nobody holds that against you.

4. Answer with Structure and Examples

Vague answers slide straight out of an interviewer’s memory. Build yours around three beats: the situation, what you did about it, and how it turned out. When the question is behavioural — “tell me about a time you handled pressure” — a short story that ends in a concrete result lands far harder than a tidy generalisation.

5. Show You Researched the Company

Drop in a product they ship, a recent bit of news, or their mission — but only where it fits the flow, never as a forced fact-dump. Tying your own skills to what the company actually does is what proves your interest is real, and it helps the interviewer picture you already in the role.

6. Mind Your Body Language

How confident you seem is mostly decided by the things you aren’t saying:

• Sit upright and lean in slightly when you’re listening
• Hold steady eye contact — steady, not a stare
• Keep your hands relaxed and skip the fidgeting
• Smile when the moment suits it

7. Be Honest About What You Don’t Know

Asked about a skill you don’t have? Say so plainly, then say how you’d go about learning it. Interviewers take honesty over bluffing every time, and an overstated claim tends to come apart the moment they ask a follow-up.

8. Ask Thoughtful Questions

An interview runs both ways, so come with a few questions of your own. Ones that tend to land well:

• “What does success look like in this role in the first six months?”
• “What are the team’s current priorities?”
• “What growth or learning opportunities exist here?“

9. Talk About Achievements, Not Just Duties

Anyone can recite a job description. What sticks is impact you can put a number on — a process you sped up, a target you hit, a problem you cleared. Outcomes and figures lodge in an interviewer’s memory long after the list of duties blurs together.

10. Close Well and Follow Up

Before you go, say plainly that you want the role and thank the interviewer for their time. Then, within 24 hours, send a short thank-you email that points back to something specific you talked about. A clean close is the last thing they remember, so make it count.

FAQs About Things to Do During an Interview

How do I prepare for an interview effectively?

Start with the company and the job description, then practise the common questions out loud rather than in your head. Re-read your own resume so nothing on it catches you off guard, and line up two or three achievement stories flexible enough to fit whatever they throw at you.

What should freshers focus on during an interview?

Lean on your willingness to learn, any coursework or projects that map to the role, and clear communication. When there’s little work history to point at, your attitude, your basic skills, and genuine enthusiasm usually carry the most weight.

What do employers evaluate in an interview?

Really just four things: the relevant skills, clear communication, culture fit, and how you approach a problem. Keep that short list in mind and it’s easier to decide what to emphasise.

The Bottom Line

Interviewing well isn’t a talent you’re born with — it’s a habit you build by preparing and doing it a few times. Stay calm, answer with real examples, show you actually care about the role, and follow up afterwards. Do that and you hand every interviewer a clear reason to remember you. When you’re ready to put it into practice, line up the right opportunities on OnJob.io.