You
Never Have A Second Chance To Make A First Impression
After coming through all the hurdles of the SELECTION PROCESS, you will
eventually arrive at an interview. This is of course, a major obstacle
for many job applicants. Although they may have the qualifications, experience
and a proven track record, they may lose out to a candidate who 'interviews
better.'
So what does 'interviewing better' actually mean? It comes down to the
candidate being well prepared and confident. A candidate who can answer
questions in a way which is acceptable (but not necessarily right) to
the interviewer, someone who knows something about their potential employers
business and the post they hope to fill. These are really the basic components
of any candidate who 'interviews well'. There are undoubtedly other aspects
employers may look for in relation to specific posts - having their own
ideas, articulate, thinking on their feet, aspects which will be related
to the job and to the company's preference in employees.
The employer will also be looking to fill a post, which has a particular
job specification - in other words personal aspects besides the experience,
and qualifications that can be put down on paper. The interviewer will
set out to ascertain that the candidate has these personal qualities,
skills and abilities the company requires.
Preparation and Confidence
These two essential ingredients are interlinked. Good preparation instils
confidence.
So the basic approach to an interview is to be well prepared. This means
two things - preparing yourself practically for the interview, and gathering
knowledge and information you can draw on during the interview.
• Be sure you know the time, date and location of the interview
and name of interviewee where appropriate.
• Check out how you will get to the location, and when you need
to set off to be there in good time - do a dummy run if necessary. Plan
to get there no earlier than half an hour before the interview time, anticipate
delays.
• Have what you are going to wear ready in advance - everything
down to your underwear.
• Do not go to the interview laden down with baggage - psychological
as well as physical. Take the bare minimum of belongings necessary. Concentrate
on the interview at the interview - nothing else.
• If you are asked to bring certificates, references etc, get them
ready before the day. Take your interview letter.
• On arrival ensure the receptionist knows you are there, visit
the toilets to tidy up etc.
If you are well organised and have planned for the day your confidence
will increase.
Preparing
To Meet the Employer
The interview is a chance for you and the employer to get to know one
another. It is NOT the time to get to know about the post or the employers
business.
Do gather information about your employer before you are interviewed -
what do they do, what are their current projects, what other interests
do they have? Ask staff - many companies will offer you the chance to
talk about the vacancy with someone, use the opportunity to find out more
about the company.
Bigger companies will have PR departments, smaller ones will provide you
with some information - libraries can provide information on local business
and keep directories of national business. Use the internet - many companies
have a presence here now.
Make sure you know what the job entails - get a job description, ask someone
in a similar post; ring the company to clarify if unsure.
Don't Forget You
Remember the employer is interested in you as a person, your experiences
and your opinions (in most cases) Do take the time to sit down and think
about you, who you are and what you've achieved. It can be highly embarrassing
to know more about the employer than yourself.
Sit down with your CV and make notes, about your work record, what you've
achieved. Look at yourself as a person in employment - how do you see
yourself, what have you done, what ambitions do you have. Make notes and
prepare and rehearse sound bites about yourself. Remember that one of
the most common of interview questions is 'Tell me about yourself' prepare
a sound bite for this in particular, but not a life history. Usually interviewers
want to know about personal qualities not achievements - though examples
can be included to support your statement.
Answering
Interview Questions
Interviews vary tremendously, from very informal to formal. However, some
questions can be anticipated, as can the subject matter. If you are well
prepared, then the majority of problem questions should not arise. You
will know about the company, you will know about yourself and you will
have a good idea of the
demands of the job - these questions will not be a problem to the well
prepared interviewee.
A few general rules:
• Speak up when answering questions.
• Answer briefly, but try to avoid yes or no answers.
• Don't worry about pausing before you answer, it shows you can
think and are not spitting out the sound bites you learned!
• Don't worry about admitting you don't know - but keep this to
a bare minimum.
• Don't embellish answers or lie! Be as honest as possible.
• Be prepared for hypothetical situation questions, take your time
on these.
• Be prepared for the unexpected question, that's designed to see
how you cope with the unexpected.
• If you ask questions keep them brief during the interview, remember
you're the interviewee. At the end of the interview ask your questions
in an open manner, that is questions which cannot be answered yes or no.
E.g. tell me about....? What is....? Why.....?
Thank the interviewers for their time when you leave quietly and calmly,
and smile, even if you now hate them.
Questions for the interviewer
There is always the opportunity to ask them questions at the end of the
interview - remember the interview is a two way process, you need to be
sure you want to join them too!
Try to concentrate on issues which are both important to you and combine
as apparent interest in the company, leave issues like terms and conditions
until the very last, even they may feel the most important to you. Write
your questions down prior to the interview and take them with you.
Good topics to touch on include:
• the competitive environment in which the organization operates
• executive management styles
• what obstacles the organization anticipates in meeting its goals
• How the organization’s goals have changed over the past
three to five years.
Generally, it is most unwise to ask about pay or benefits or other similar
areas. The reason is that it tends to make you seem more interested in
what the organisation can do for you. It is also not a good idea to simply
have no questions at all. Doing so makes you appear passive rather than
curious and interested.
Suggested Questions:
1. What are the main objectives and responsibilities of the position?
2. How does the company expect these objectives to be met?
3. What obstacles are commonly encountered in reaching these objectives?
4. What is the desired time frame for reaching the objectives?
5. What resources are available from the company and what must be found
elsewhere to reach the objectives?
Presentation and Body Language
Wear what is appropriate for the post and the company. It may vary from
smart, formal wear in some instances to very formal dress in others. Try
and get an insight into what the company would expect from employees or
through observation. What would be appropriate for a building company
is very different for a public relations agency.
Be well groomed and clean. Try to look calm and confident, simple things
like deodorant can boost your confidence.
Don't overdo the make up, cologne or perfume. While this may seem obvious,
employers say appearance will either disqualify a prospective employee
immediately or move the applicant along to the next level. When in doubt,
it's better to dress too conservatively rather than too casually.
Before you walk in, take a few deep breaths to calm your nerves. Give
a firm -- not a limp or bone crushing -- handshake.
Once you
are ushered into the interview room there will usually be a short exchange
of pleasantries and ice breaking. Don't be fooled by this time - it really
is designed to put you at ease in most circumstances, but these initial
moments are the most formative - don't go over the top being exceptionally
friendly or alternatively going rigid with fear feeling that your handshake
was too limp! A pleasant natural smile, a firm handshake and a brief exchange
of words in a natural manner of this greeting is sufficient. Some simple,
but frequently broken rules!
• Sit comfortably with both feet on the floor, lean slightly towards
the interviewer.
• Don't play with your hair or you hands. Keep them out of pockets!
• Try not to create defensive barriers between you and them, like
a brief case on your knees, folded arms or crossed legs....even if you
feel you need to. It's natural, but your interviewer will not physically
attack!
• Maintain natural eye contact with the interviewer - that is maintains
eye contact, but don't stare like a snake!
• If there's more than one interviewer, look at who's talking.
• When you're talking, shift your glance from one to the other.
• Don't over use your hands, if you are a natural gesticulator.
• Don't squirm and fidget.
• Do nod and Mmm, to show you're listening to them.
• Above all try to be you, try to be natural, unless you're naturally
offensive!
Obeying these rules, will allow the interviewers to concentrate on you,
and not what you're doing in the interview. Body language conveys all
sorts of messages, and the right body language will convey the message
of a well-balanced and confident individual...............even if you're
not!
And one more tip for you: the best thing you can do for
your interviewers is make his/her job easier. If interviewers walk out
after talking to you feeling like they carried the weight of the conversation,
that is a strike against you. But if your exchange leaves them with a
feeling of, "Hey, I enjoyed that," that could move you that
much closer to hearing that you got the job.
Be
prepared for common questions
There is no way to predict every question your interviewers are going
to deem worth asking, so don't worry if something comes at you that you
didn't see coming. In fact, acknowledging that you aren't going to be
ready for every little thing puts you ahead of the game.
Across every job type, you can expect a couple of typical questions to
come up.
First is the trap question, which comes up in almost every interview.
The trap question is some variation on "What is the area you need
most improvement in?" or "What is your area of weakness?"
The real answer may be that you have are lousy to attention detail or
that you are incredibly shy.
Whatever you do, DON'T SHARE your personal weaknesses.
Instead, try to find something to say that isn't a real weakness, but
a slightly less-than-ideal characteristic. For example:
"I prefer to see a project through from start to finish rather than
working on a single component and never seeing the finished product. I
sometimes find it a bit frustrating to work without that overall context."
"Sometimes
I have a hard time saying no to people, and I end up taking on more than
my share of work."
If you really can't think of anything to say, you can always go with this
time-tested (albeit clichéd) comeback: "I'm a perfectionist.
I need to improve on not being so hard on myself and making sure I get
everything right."
Be on the lookout for questions about why you left your old company and
why you are interested in the new one. These questions (or their offspring)
are designed to make sure your interest in the new company is sincere
and not due to you being fired and/or having serious problems at your
former place of employment.
If the interviewer throws at you is "why were you fired?" keep
the answer simple and brief. "It was a hostile environment in which
many people were let go," is a good way to handle it. Quick, easy,
to the point.
Have answers ready for these popular
interview questions:
1. If offered to you, how long do you plan to stay in this role?
2. What do you think it takes to be successful in an organization like
this?
3. What do you know about our organization/company?
4. What do you know about the position you’ve applied for?
5. What duties do you think this job entails?
6. What do you know about this industry?
7. Why would you like to work for our company?
8. What challenges do you think you will face in this job? What problems
do you think you will face in this job?
9. What kind of salary you are looking for?
10. What is your salary history? Do you expect that pattern to continue?
11. What concerns you about this job?
12. What concerns you about this company?
13. How long would it take before you could contribute to this company?
14. When would you expect your next promotion?
15. Why are you seeking a new job?
16. Where do you see the company going?
17. If you were offered this job what factors will dictate whether you
accept it or not?
18. This is a much bigger company that you’ve ever worked for. How
do you feel about that?
19. This is a much smaller company that you’ve worked at. How do
you feel about that?
20. What do you know about our products?
21. What is your notice period?