- January 18, 2011
- Posted by: admin
- Categories: Blog, Uncategorized
As there are not a lot job opportunities available in the market therefore making the best use of the given opportunity is very imperative.
Interview phase is very important and if an applicant performs well in it, then there are brighter chances of getting shortlisted and finalized. However, applicants tend to get nervous in this key stage, no matter how competent they are, candidates at times tumble during their job interviews, which lessens their chances of selection.
One of its reasons can be lack of preparation; on the other hand over preparation or thinking too much about the interview can also cause problems especially to the fresh graduates.
My question is, how can the interviewees give successful job interviews? Please share your suggestions and personal experience on how you deal with such an important phase?
20 Comments
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– First of all, apply for a job fitting with your competences. You will base your speech on your expertise and by doing so, you will stay coherent and convince the interviewer,
– Show that you have a real interest for the company by looking for information and by asking for more information to the interviewer, if necessary.
– Explain the reasons why you are applying for this job, and show that the proposed function fits with your professional and personal goals.
– Be well dressed and clean. You are showing respect for your partner and for yourself.
Always find out as much about the job as possible prior to the interview so you will know what will be asked of you. Also do research on the company. Know that interviews are a two way street, that you are interviewing them to find out if they are the kind of company you wish to work for. Not every job or company is the right one for you, so that should deflect some of your anxiety going in with that attitude. Dress confidently, appropriately, arrive early to fill out any forms and to absorb the atmosphere of the place and to get your bearings. If you happen to be running late for any reason, call them. Shake the hiring managers hand, look him or her in the eyes at all time, never chew gum or use your cell phone on an interview. Smile and speak clearly. Ask as many questions as you answer. Be friendly and as natural as you can be. Maybe this is the job for, maybe not, but you’re there to find out. Always ask what the next step is before leaving. Good luck.
Always find out as much about the job as possible prior to the interview so you will know what will be asked of you. Also do research on the company. Know that interviews are a two way street, that you are interviewing them to find out if they are the kind of company you wish to work for. Not every job or company is the right one for you, so that should deflect some of your anxiety going in with that attitude. Dress confidently, appropriately, arrive early to fill out any forms and to absorb the atmosphere of the place and to get your bearings. If you happen to be running late for any reason, call them. Shake the hiring managers hand, look him or her in the eyes at all time, never chew gum or use your cell phone on an interview. Smile and speak clearly. Ask as many questions as you answer. Be friendly and as natural as you can be. Maybe this is the job for, maybe not, but you’re there to find out. Always ask what the next step is before leaving. Good luck.
Oh, forgot to mention, always bring extra resumes with you. You’d be surprised how often your resume might get misplaced and they will ask you for another.
Only one suggestion: Don’t lie, be honest…This matters more than the Job!!!
My experience: As I always tends to be Honest while giving an interview, and try being open while the process by sharing my past which not only include my successes but failures are there too.
This gives a good chance to the recruiter to evaluate me for the Position I applied for.
1. Absolutely do research on the organization, the opportunity and the interviewer(s). If a candidate has gotten an interview, they’ve seen something on the resume/cover letter that really struck them. Try to figure out what that is. This isn’t always possible but if not, try to learn this in the interview.
2. Anticipate and prepare for questions addressing weak points in your candidacy: an employment gap, lack of clear relevance of prior experience, whatever. These questions are designed to remove you from further consideration. Don’t let this happen to you.
3. Prepare your success stories. Every candidate has done something extraordinary somewhere along the way. Figure out what that is & find ways to relate it to questions asked.
4. Always be answering this meta-question: how are you the strongest candidate the interviewer(s) is going to see?
5. Always have questions of your own to pose.
6. Get business cards and send thank you letters that night, if possible. The vast majority of candidates do not do this. Distinguish yourself.
Plenty of rest the night before
Good breakfast the morning of
And prepare for your meeting by:
Reading everything you can find on the company, the job and the people that work there.
Know the impacts that this position has on the company and your ability to perform.
Standardize your answers to meet reasonable expectations of a broad, cross section of interviewers.
Practice your answers in front of a mirror.
Remind yourself that you are an accomplished professional and that you have the skills that are required.
Mental conditioning is relevant.
Physical conditioning is relevant.
Dress and attire should always be as conservative as possible or at least reflects the standard set forth by that industry.
Have written examples of your work with you.
Have references ready for distribution.
Have salary, start dates and personal conditions predetermined before going into interview…
Here’s an interesting fact 25 years of professional interviewing has taught me…do not ask personnel questions to anyone but personnel…that has been a subtle, unrecorded ‘killer’ of opportunities when you put questions to managers that do not know the answers.
Back everything you say up with fact and always maintain eye contact, be polite and don’t forget your ‘Yes, Sir’ and ‘Yes, Ma’am’s’ and ‘Please’ and ‘Thank yous’
Over the last decade or so I have noticed a sever decline in manners and politeness in general.
Most people that I have experienced on either side of the game have this ‘I am owed’ mentality.
Leave it in the car but do not bring that in on the interview.
And one more thing, not everyone gets the job…
Good luck…
As someone who gave interviews for jobs, I will just tell you where candidates LOSE the job:
1. Nearly every company out there uses “behavioral based interviewing” for 10 years now. This is the “tell me about a time when you…..” type of question. Get a book and hear the most common questions, there are really just 5-10 you need to prepare for. HAVE AN ANSWER! Nothing is worse than an interviewer saying “Tell me when you solved a customer’s problem” and you say, “I did that 10 times a day!” They want a STORY.
2. Have good questions. “Who are your biggest customers?” Is a good question. “How many personal days do I get is NOT a good question. Ask along the way as well as have 1-2 to ask at the end. If you sit like a stump and simply not you will get what you ask for-NOTHING.
3. Show you did some research about the company. “What do you do here?” shows you have no interest in the job. In the days of Google asking this question is putting an “I’m lazy” sign on your neck.
4. Be engaging and roll with it. You would be suprised how many times things are not random in an interview. I had a college professor who had a supervisor who used very salty language, the supervisor was another female. So this professor would drop a line best used outside the office to see the reaction of the applicant. On the net I saw where a guy at the Sands would make people carry a tray of dishes around the room. Then do it again, and again. With employees laughing at the applicant. It was a set up to see if they would lose their cool.
Good luck to all!
Being successful in a job interview can be done in five simple steps.
Step one. Recon
Most people get nervous because they have never been to the location, do not know the atmosphere, are worried about getting lost or being in unfamiliar settings. Avoid this by driving out to the location (if you can) and getting a general feel for the drive and atmosphere.
Step Two. Research
Linkedin is great for this. Its a lot easier to be relaxed if you not only research the company, but look up the LI profiles of the people who will be interviewing you. Also, it shows you did your homework.
Step Three. Relax.
Ok, so you are in the door and at the receptionist. No pressure, but her first impression is very important. So treat the front desk the same as the janitor you pass and everyone else. Smile politely, greet professionally and warmly, and be genuine.
Step Four. Remind.
Answer five reasons why you want that job to yourself, now repeat.
Step five. Rehearse.
Go over your resume and never, EVER read off your resume in an interview. Know your strengths, and highlight what you are best at. Besides, this is your chance to sell you! Even in your responses, always answer with a positive, and show in short examples how you shone.
Now after this, please, please remember to close the deal:
Shake their hand, look them in the eye and thank them for their time and tell them how fantastic it was to meet them and find out when you should follow up or hear from them.
Combine these pointers with a healthy dose of enthusiasm, and hopefully the interview will go smoother for those nervous interviewees!
Angelee Marcantonio
Director, EHRSearch
There are so many answers!!! My advice is as follows:
If you are applying for junior roles:
1) show that you are willing to work hard, doing whatever it takes to get the job done right the first time around
2) show that you are willing to ask questions
3) show that you understand that there is a hierarchy you have to adhere to.
If you are applying for a mid-level role:
1) Show that while you know a lot about how to get the job done, you also acknowledge that you are not a guru and don’t know everything: be humble, and speak about willingness to learn from your seniors
2) show that you will lead by example, and that you understand that there are people available for you to delegate the work while still maintaining responsibility over the final result.
Finally, and this applies to ALL interviews, no matter what they are:
1) do. not. lie. If you can’t get the job by being honest for an hour, then you won’t last in the job if you are offered it.
2) Listen to the question, and answer the question. Sell yourself, but don’t go on a tangent about unrelated things. If the recruiter seems like a nice guy to you, he’s doing it for a reason.
3) Dress Professionally. Arrive on time. Don’t make a fuss about things, and SMILE.
Good luck to all 🙂
(oh, and don’t forget a thank-you email; it helps identify you from all the other candidates)
Do some research on the company, carry all documents, dress well, arrive early, treat the interviewer with respect, listen attentively, answer succintly, be calm, be confident, have a little sense of humour and keep a smile on your face.
Hi Salima,
As Abdul already pointed out…do some research on the company and be able to show it. Why do you want to work for this company? Why should they hire you…what do you bring to the table.
One of the questions I really admired while interviewing a candidate was.
“Please describe in detail what you are REALLY LOOKING FOR? I can then tell you what I can do and areas I might need help growing in”.
Let me share what I have learned with my experiences.
When getting ready for interview collection of company’s business details is my practice. Which helps me to prepare myself for the possible questions can be asked in interview.
Don’t make any high perception of the interviewer, it helps keeping confidence level high.
Dressing plays an important role, it gives an idea to the interviewer about your seriousness to the interview.
Avoid fake scenarios or false experience sharing during the interview because while cross questioning you might be caught. Here’s the point when confidence dies and mumbling or shaking begins.
Give Interview with the confidence and honesty. Saying Yes to every thing may not be helpful all the time.
I went through a mock interview last month at the state workforce center and got some good feedback (I needed to work on eye contact and the interviewer suggested a few ways to answer questions better, but otherwise she said I did fine). That gave me confidence as I hadn’t interviewed in 9 years. I would suggest taking as many interview preparation classes as one can. Here the workforce centers and public libraries have them. A career coach might also be able to help.
Let me add one more tool to your arsenal. Read “Ask a Manager” a blog written by a hiring manager about the interview process and all the very many things that can pop up during it.
Her advice is totally usable, totally natural and has been invaluable to many.
Links:
* http://www.askamanager.org/
Points to be noted :
a).Understand well for what post you are attending interview.
b).Prepare well.Don’t cram to vomit.
c).Dress well.
d).Be very relaxed.
e).Face the panel with a smile.
f).Never ask,whether you are selected.
g).Do not make phone calls to find out about panel members.
Hi, Salima.
I just aced an interview…well, I think so anyway. They haven’t hired anyone yet, but they did call me for a second interview. Here’s what I did:
1.Dressed well. I have an interview suit that comes out just for the occasion.
2.Got a haircut. Kept the goatee, but had it trimmed. I’m surprised, too. But I’ve gotten two jobs with it. It’s an outdated concept, I think, that you need to be completely shaven.
3.Developed a 30/60/90 day plan, detailing what I would do in my first three months on the job, based on the information I had. This was tough; the job description didn’t have a lot of info, so I did what I could with what I had. Then, burned the whole thing to a flash drive, in case they didn’t want a hard copy. They weren’t expecting it, and they were impressed.
4.Showed up early.
5.Developed my own set of questions. It’s supposed to be a two-way interview. NOTE: don’t let one of them be about salary or time off.
6.Followed up (hastily!) with a thank you note to all of my interviewers.
Remember this: the secretary is in on it. Your interviewer might ask her how you presented yourself. And if they take you to lunch, you’re still interviewing.
Hope this helps!
Tony
Links:
* http://tonylamb.wordpress.com
Be true to yourself and others and know your area of expertise inside and out! 😉
4 Point plan for success.
1. Ask the interviewer what they are looking to gain out of bringing this person on board
2. Ask what was it that stood out in your profile that made the interviewer keen to meet you
3 explain your experience using the Situation Task Action Result format
4 Express interest in the job, and ask the interviewer if they are comfortable with your value proposition, or if there are any reservations that you could address.
Of course – you need to do some research and shine up well and know your stuff – assuming you do follow the above points for success
You must create your Mirror image in your prospective employers mind through your
1. Blog
2. Video resumes
3. your day to day blog posts
4. Your answers on forums, social media
5. Your resume in PDF
You can do many things to educate your prospective employers who may think you are the right person and invite you for the interview
then you will have an opportunity to get great results.
Links:
* http://www.BusinessAdvisor.co.in
* http://www.Start-ups.co.in
* http://www.WorkShops.co.in