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6 Interview Strategies to Help You Stand Out

In the competitive and tight 2025 labor market, most candidates only get calls for interviews four times for every 30 applications sent in.

Ensuring that you’re doing all you can to stand out from the competition when writing your resume is essential, but going the extra mile to prepare for the interview stage can help you land the job you want.

Here are a handful of interview strategies to consider when you are preparing and can help you stand out from other applicants!

Important Interview Strategies

1. Research the Company

This is a tip that is oft-repeated—but one that’s often overlooked. Researching the company will not only help you tailor your questions for the interviewer, but it will also help prepare you for small talk and showcase your attention to detail. (Research can even help you pick out your interview outfit!)

If an interviewer asks, “Are you familiar with our company?” preparation allows you to answer more than, “Yes.” Perhaps your research has uncovered a new marketing campaign, a new product that was launched, or an award they won from a local establishment. These can help you make connections with the interviewers, which can lead to lasting impressions.

Researching the company can also help you discover any potential red flags or things you will want to ask for clarification on. Work review sites, search engine news articles, Better Business Bureau reviews, and other sources can help you find more information about companies, which can inform questions or conversations within an interview.

2. Create and Practice Your Elevator Pitch

One of the most common first interview questions is a variation of, “So, tell me about yourself.” An elevator pitch can encompass who you are, why you’re a great candidate, and the value you bring as a professional.

Consider role-playing your answer with family and friends to get feedback on your pitch, and tweak it for each specific role and company.


Read our full post about creating a great self-introduction!


3. Mirror the Interviewer’s Language

Incorporate the jargon the interviewer is using in the interview. In your responses, including words they repeat can help you feel inherently more relatable to them, which can help you stick in their mind. This could include things like industry jargon, common acronyms (think: KPIs, ROI, etc.), or necessary job duties or experiences. At the same time, some people may use jargon that people outside of the company do not know, so if you’re not sure of what an acronym or word means, feel free to ask!

4. Acknowledge Your Nervousness—If It’s There!

We get that interviews are nerve-racking. They’re big moments in someone’s life, whether you’re interviewing for your first job, your dream job, or just a job.

Naturally, that nervousness comes to bear when it’s time for the interview—but there’s no need to suppress that. Acknowledging your nervousness—to yourself and even the interviewer—can help you settle into the conversation.

This can happen before the interview (role playing the interview and practicing the answers), during it (acknowledging you’re a bit nervous at the start but excited to learn more about the company and role), and after the interview (letting the interviewer know you’re thankful for their time and the interview helped calm any nerves you had heading into the process). It helps connect you to the interviewer, too, as they’ve likely felt those feelings before.

Navy background. Circle crop image of a black man working on his resume. Insight Global logo. Title: Create Your Perfect Resume! Subtitle: Use our checklist to create a tailored resume to impress the hiring manager.

5. Show Your Interest

Hiring managers want to hire people who seem to be genuinely interested and excited to become an employee. Take time throughout the interview to say how interested you are in role, ask pointed questions about the role and company, and be an active listener to show the interviewers that you’re a motivated applicant.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Sell Yourself—And Follow Up

The interview is the time for you to get to know the company, but it’s also a time for the interviewer to get you—from your experience to your personality. This is not the time to be humble.

Talk about your experience and skills with knowledge and confidence. If you don’t have a ton of experience but know you’ll be able to excel in the role, speak about what makes you think you will. Tell the interviewer why you’re the right person for the role.

And after the interview, ask what the next steps are and that you’re looking forward to hearing back from them. Being forward may be uncomfortable, but it will really underscore the fact that you’re interested in the role. A manager will be able to pick up on that.

We’re Here to Help

Hopefully these interview strategies will help you head into your next interview with a little more confidence than before. And if you’re on the road to finding your next role (and interview), check out the Insight Global job board for roles that fit your interests and skill sets.