What is an interview?
In an interview for a job, an employer evaluates a potential candidate to establish how suitable he/she is to serve the organization. Such an interview always takes place in some form or the other before the employer makes a decision to hire. Before an interview, the employer scans the resumes sent by various aspirants to shortlist the candidates whose aptitude matches the requirements. So when an aspirant is invited to an interview, it means that the hiring manager believes the candidate might be a good match for the job opening, and he wants to confirm that. The interview is used to determine whether the candidate is qualified for the position. An aspirant who can answer questions in a way it is acceptable, but not necessarily right, to the interviewer, someone who knows well about the potential employer’s business and the post they hope to fill, easily cakewalks through the interview. These are essentially the basics to be a successful candidate though there are other aspects that employers may look for in relation to specific posts with their own ideas, ideologies and aspects related to the job and to the company’s preference with respect to the employees. Interviewing as a method for selecting an ideal candidate is itself an inherently flawed process. This is because it is almost impossible to judge a candidate’s true aptitude and experience in an interview spanning just a few minutes. A well-structured interview process takes place at multiple levels. A telephonic screening round will usually precede an actual face-to-face interview. This allows the hiring manager to assess the candidate’s overall capabilities and motivation. If a candidate passes this round, he/she may attend a personal interview with the hiring manager. The candidate may face a single interviewer/HR person or an interviewing board comprising multiple representatives. They will question the candidate on various different aspects of his/her professional life, aspiration and overall skills/ability.
The gravity, complexity and difficulty of a job interview depend largely on the job for which the candidate has applied. “Blue collar” or functional job interviews are generally less demanding than “white collar” or executive job interviews. Accordingly, everything from dress code and the candidate’s overall presentation have different bearings on the interview’s outcome. For certain professions like medical transcription, interviews can also include a form of audition/listening comprehension skill test. The candidate is required to display physically his/her skills in that particular profession. Apart from that, the candidate will also have to prove sufficient professional training in the field.
The behavioral aspects of a job interview seek to establish the candidate’s ability to tackle difficult situations. They also focus on the candidate’s ability to make personal decisions, shoulder responsibility, handle or interact with a team and effectively represent the employer’s company. Often, parts of the interview may seem to have little or no bearing on the job in question.
Nowadays, there is increased emphasis on pre-interview preparation. This is especially true in the case of selection procedures in business schools and high-end business jobs. By studying the requirements of such interviews beforehand, a candidate can greatly increase his/her chances of selection. To perform a good show in your next interview, find below a few tips aimed to give you some information in general on preparing and facing a job interview.
Preparation
Evaluate yourself: Review your skills and character traits that could help the organization’s bottom line. Think in terms of the value that you can add to the position and the company you intend to join.
Analyze the organization:
Prior to attending the interview, do some research about the company that you have applied. Surf the web/company’s website for their annual reports and brochures. Also, study about the company on job boards or recruiting sites.
Evaluate your job history:
Review your past achievements mentally and be prepared to describe your work experience in detail. Put together samples of your achievements and some reference letters to be presented to the interviewer as a proof of your past achievements. Gather some good words to describe your experience in terms of responsibilities and achievements at each job.
Expect questions:
Try to anticipate the general questions that will be asked. One general question that you will surely be asked is “Tell us about yourself.” If posed with this question, focus your answers on your background and a few professional and personal accomplishments. Stress on your achievements. For example: Your sales records, the processes you have developed or systems installed, projects that you initiated, etc. Medical transcriptionists, your overall accuracy, speed, proficiency in English, productivity etc. Think of the worst questions you could be asked about your experience and abilities, then prepare positive responses.
- As well, anticipate the following set of questions:
- Tell us about your background and accomplishments.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- How would you describe your most recent job performance?
- What interests you about our company?
- Why do you want to leave the current job/company?
Prepare your own questions:
Employers are as much interested in your questions as they are in your answers. Intelligent questions about the position, company and the industry will have a favorable reaction. (For eg, what would I be expected to accomplish in this position? What are the greatest challenges in this position? How do you think I fit the position?)
Visualize your interview:
Get a bigger picture of the interview. Imagine yourself performing. A major share of your success in the interview depends on the impression you make in the first few minutes. To succeed, you must project a professional, competent and enthusiastic image. Your aim is to convince the interviewer that you would be an asset to the company.
Miscellaneous: To avoid unnecessary stress, choose your interview attire the night before. Your clothing should be appropriate for the position you’re seeking. Attire must fit well within the office and be immaculate. If you don’t know what the typical attire at the company is, call and ask! Shoes should be polished; pant/skirt, shirt, hanky and tie pressed. Clean hair and fingernails are essential. Hair should be styled conservatively. Confirm the time, date and location of the interview and the name of the interviewee. Gather and file those certificates, references, interview letter and other necessary materials that are to be taken along to the interview. Take an extra photo and resume with you. It may happen that the interviewer may need an additional set of your CV and photo.
On the day of interview:
Be punctual: It is always better to arrive an hour early than arriving a few minutes late that leaves a bad impression. This will give you ample time to catch your breath, gather your thoughts and make a quick trip to the washroom to give your appearance one final check. Report your arrival to the receptionist.
Body language: The key to success is to work your body in tune with your mouth; positive movements should support positive comments. Raise your eyebrows slightly upon meeting to draw attention. Your facial expressions can tell many stories. Enter the room with a relaxed smile, this will give a perception of openness and a friendly attitude, and will put both the parties at ease. A tight face or a tensed smile will indicate the inability to handle stress.
Greetings: When you first step into the interview room, all the attention will be naturally on your face and it is the key point when the interviewer forms an impression about you. So give positive expressions. Greet the interviewer by his/her last name. If you are unsure of the pronunciation, better check it with the front desk personnel before walking into the interview room.
Handshake: A firm, upright handshake is appropriate and projects confidence. Make eye contact when you shake. A limp handshake portrays weakness and lack of confidence, at the same time crushing the interviewer’s hands portrays dominance. The handshake is to last not more than 3-5 seconds, with a maximum of 6 pumps. Check out the Art of shaking hands and The worst way to shake hands.
Eye contact: Try to establish an eye contact as early as possible. If you try to avoid eye contact, the interviewer may perceive that you are hiding some thing or are an element of untrustworthiness.
Seating: Always wait for the interviewer to offer you a seat, if not offered ask. Sitting before the interviewer offers you the seat can give very bad impression like overconfidence/arrogance or nervousness.
Be brief: During the initial phase of the interview, the interviewer does the majority of the talking, explaining about the position, the company and other general information. At this stage positive body language works to your advantage. Be cautious about transmitting any negative non-verbal messages. The interviewer will catch them from your eyes, face and upper body. The best interviews have a give and take atmosphere. To do this, you need to ask questions and try to draw out your interviewer rather than talking about yourself nonstop. A general rule is you should speak one-third of the time and definitely no more than half of the time.
Parting: If you get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you have already been rejected, do not let your discouragement show. Once in a while an interviewer who is genuinely interested in you may seem to discourage you as a way of testing your reaction.
Remember to thank the interviewer for his/her time and end the session with a confident and firm handshake. On the completion of the interview, rising before you are invited to do so, forms an impression of being impatient and not interested in the interview. Shake hands upright in the same manner as you did when you arrived. This displays friendliness and acceptance of the interview, and also leaves a positive impression on the interviewer. Finally, walk away with energy.
Followup: This is a crucial and often overlooked final step in the interviewing process. It is essential that you write a thank-you note to every person you met at the company. Your most important letter should go to the interviewer(s). In your letter, be sure to summarize your conversation and reemphasize the skills you would bring to the position. Thank them for their time and ask if it is all right to call later to see how their search for a candidate is going. That candidate may well be you! Good luck.
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