Boost Your Inovations

INTERVIEW SKILLS

Interview means “to see between”. It is a meeting between two people where questions are asked and answered to elicit information.

What is a job interview?

An interview gives a prospective employer the opportunity to speak with you and consider your appropriateness for the job in question. A well written resume will get you a call for an interview; the soft skills you exhibit during the interview will get you the job. The resume shows that you possess the desired knowledge skills for the job, so the interview will focus on soft skills (as your personality, attitude, communication skills, interpersonal skills etc) that will help the employer decide whether or not you will fit into the company culture.

Importance of interview

Important for both job seekers and employers, as it connects both of them at the professional level.  This technique assists employers in selecting a right person for a right job. It helps job seekers to present their job skills and acquire a desired position on merit.

Types of Interviews

Some interviews may be very formal, others may be very informal and seem like just a chat about your interests. Remember always you are being assessed.

1.                   Nondirective / Informal interview: An unstructured conversational-style interview.  The interviewer pursues points of interest as they come up in response to questions

2.                   Directive / Formal interview: An interview following a set sequence of questions.

3.                   Screening Interviews: Screening interviews are generally conducted when an employer has a large applicant pool which they want to narrow down to a more manageable number. They tend to be very short, and the questions will focus on basic qualifications. Screening is usually done by phone.

4.                   The Telephone Interview: Companies request an initial telephone interview before inviting for a face to face meeting in order to get a better understanding of the type of candidate. Benefit is that you can have your notes out in front of you. You should do just as much preparation as you would for a face to face interview, and remember that your first impression is vital. Phone interviews may become longer and more detailed if its overseas on video conference.

5.                   The Panel Interview: These interviews involve a number of people sitting as a panel with one as chairperson. This type of interview is popular within the public sector.

6.                   The Group Interview: When candidates are required to perform a task in a group the selection is done in a group interview and the candidate along with a group is asked to solve a particular problem. The performance and behavior is, however, assessed and rated individually. You may be asked to interact with each other by usually a group discussion.

7.                   Stress interview: An interview in which the applicant is made uncomfortable by a series of often rude questions. This technique helps identify hypersensitive applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance.

8.                   Competency Based Interviews: These are structured to reflect the competencies the employer is seeking for the particular job. These will usually be detailed in the job description so make sure you read it through, and have your answers ready for questions such as “Give me an example of a time you worked as a team and look a leadership role to achieve a common goal.”

9.                   Situational interview: A series of job-related questions which focuses on how the candidate would behave in a given situation.

10.               Behavioral interview: A series of job-related questions that focus on how they reacted to actual situations in the past.

11.               Job-related interview: A series of job-related questions which focuses on relevant past job-related behaviors.

12.               The Sequential Interview: These are several interviews in turn with a different interviewer each time. Usually, each interviewer asks questions to test different sets of competencies. However, if you are asked the same questions, just make sure you answer each one as fully as the previous time.

a)      Unstructured sequential: An interview in which each interviewer forms an interview independent opinion after asking different questions.

b)      Structured sequential:  An interview in which the applicant is interviewed sequentially by several interview supervisors and each rates the applicant on a standard form.

13.               Depth Interview: In such a interview, questions are based upon a specific area of the interviewee’s interest. The person has to answer in detail. The academic competence and knowledge is tested thoroughly in such type of interviews.

14.               Candidate-order error: An error of judgment on the part of the interviewer due to interviewing one or more very good or very bad candidates just before the interview in question.

The Interview Process:

Interview acts as a filtering device through which the interviewer screens the desired candidates. It is a method to shorten the candidate list to those who are the required fit in the job profile.

—  Interview Preparation

—  First Impression

—  Information Exchange

—  Closing the interview

—  Interview Follow-up

STAGES OF INTERVIEW

A.      Pre-Interview Process:

1. Preparation

—  Do a SWOT Analysis – Find your strength and Weaknesses

—  Check Resume for any updation.

—  Rehearse your answers  loudly in front  of the mirror to identify any  gaps in your delivery and answering techniques

—  Rehearse a mock interview with  a friend/person and  seek an honest critical feedback

—  Do not fumble or get confused during the actual interview.

—  Find the location so that you know how long it will take you to get there.

—  Get proper rest the night before.

—  Arrive early and use this time to freshen up

2. Employer Research

—  The biggest mistake you can make in a job interview is knowing little to nothing about the company with which you are interviewing!

—  Read about the company products/ services, operations, history, CEO, international/national partnerships etc.

3. Practice Questions/Prepare Answers

—  Some frequently-asked interview questions

—  “Tell me about yourself.” (The interviewer is looking for communication skills and clear thinking about your recent history, not your childhood).

—  “What is your biggest strength?” (Know your top 2 or 3 strengths and be prepared to discuss each with an example).

—  “How will you handle stress on the job?” (Provide a good example of how you have dealt with stress in the past. It’s possible that stress can actually help some people perform better!)

—  Describe your most significant accomplishment. (Relate the situation, the obstacle and the outcome. Tell what qualities were needed to achieve this. Mention a life experience that illustrates your best attributes ).

—  What do you see yourself doing in five years? (You should assure the employer that you’re worth the investment in time and training, and that you plan to be around for awhile – learning and contributing more along the way).

4. What to wear/bring

—  Formals – Well ironed, formal suit, polished shoes, neat hair, minimal jewellery and make-up (girls), look smart and elegant.

—  Confident Smile

—  Professional-looking portfolio/briefcase

—  Two copies of your resume and photographs

—  Copies of result card

—  Nice pen and paper for note-taking

—  Brush/comb, Breath freshener

B.The Interview

1.       First Impression:

—  Recruiters will size you up in the first 30 seconds of  your interview. Make sure that you create a good first impression by being aware of the following:

—  Good eye contact

—  The importance of a smile

—  Firm handshake

—  Clear, well spoken introduction

—  Show confidence and poise

—  Maintain good posture

—  Be careful with vocal tone and volume

2.       Information Exchange

—  Listen carefully

—  Take time with your answers

—  Respond positively

—  Focus answers on the needs of the employer

—  Ask insightful questions, showing your knowledge of the employer and subject.

—  Give examples and provide details: tell stories that illustrate your achievements

3.       Closing the Interview

—  Mention anything relevant that you feel is important. Repeat your “sales pitch” as you show enthusiasm for the job.

—  Take the employer’s business card and thank him/her.

—  Ask what the next step in the hiring process is, if you get confirmed.

C .Interview Follow-Up

—  Send a prompt thank you letter or email.

—  Follow up if you have not heard from the employer in the time period earlier specified.

—  Send a prompt thank you letter or email.

—  Follow up if you have not heard from the employer in the time period earlier specified.

Interview Don’ts

—  No bad manners or rudeness (treat all office staff nicely)

—  DON’T whine or complain about others or about your ‘bad luck.’

—  DON’T be a know-it-all.

—  DON’T try to be funny (but a genuine sense of humor is a good thing).

—  DON’T discuss salary or benefits until you have been offered a job.

Top 10 Interviewing Blunders!

—  Don’t prepare

—  Dress inappropriately

—  Poor communication skills

—  Cell phone goes off

—  Talk too much

—  Don’t talk enough

—  Fuzzy facts

—  Give the wrong answer

—  Badmouthing past employers

—  Forget to follow up

General Interview Preparation

Here’s a list of questions that you should consider your answers for when preparing…

• Why do you want this job?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• What relevant experience do you have?
• Why are you interested in working for this company?
• What can you contribute to this company?
• What do you know about this company?
• What challenges are you looking for in a position?
• Why do you want to work for this company?
• Why should we hire you?