Go for a mock exercise before the real talk at the job table ...............
Campus So what if you are not a mountaineer. Or a keen hiker. You still cannot treat your interview like a careless morning trot along a jogger's path. Your jaw-jaw at the interview table is nothing less than a cautious climb up a mountain trail--which begins around your early childhood and meanders through the years at the academia before reaching a new summit in your career.
And as you retrace your steps down memory lane make sure that you post flags at important landmarks of your life and career, so that you can pop them before the interview panel scoops them out of you. You don't want to be at the receiving end, do you?
Face the panel, but don't fall of the chair in a headlong rush-and-skid attempt to tell your story. Take one step at a time. If you place your foot on slippery ground, you could be ejecting out on a free fall.
So prepare, fortify your thoughts, re-jig your memory, and script and design your story (without frills and falsity). Without the right preparation and storyboard, you could be a loser at the interview. Here are a few preparation tips that books on interviews sometimes overlook.
Before the interview
1. Chronological Outline of Career and Education Divide your life into "segments" defining your university, first job, second job. For each stage, jot down :
The reason for opting certain course or profession; Your job responsibilities in your previous/current job; Reason of leaving your earlier/current job. You should be clear in your mind where you want to be in the short and long term and ask yourself the reason why you would be appropriate for the job you are being interviewed for and how it will give shape to your future course.
2. Strengths and Weaknesses
You should keep a regular check on your strengths and weaknesses. Write down three (3) technical and three (3) non-technical personal strengths. Most importantly, show examples of your skills. This proves more effective than simply talking about them. So if you're asked about a general skill, provide a specific example to help you fulfil the interviewer's expectations. It isn't enough to say you've got "excellent leadership skills". Instead, try saying:
"I think I have excellent leaderships skills which I have acquired through a combination of effective communication, delegation and personal interaction. This has helped my team achieve its goals."
As compared to strengths, the area of weaknesses is difficult to handle. Put across your weakness in such a way that it at leaset seems to be a positive virtue to the interviewer. Describe a weakness or area for development that you have worked on and have now overcome.
3. Questions you should be prepared for
Tell us about yourself.
What do you know about our company?
Why do you want to join our company?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
How have you improved the nature of your job in the past years of your working? Why should we hire you?
What contributions to profits have you made in your present or former company? Why are you looking for a change?
Answers to some difficult questions :
Tell me about yourself ?
Start from your education and give a brief coverage of previous experiences. Emphasise more on your recent experience explaining your job profile.
What do you think of your boss?
Put across a positive image, but don't exaggerate.
Why should we hire you? Or why are you interested in this job?
Sum up your work experiences with your abilities and emphasise your strongest qualities and achievements. Let your interviewer know that you will prove to be an asset to the company.
How much money do you want?
Indicate your present salary and emphasise that the opportunity is the most important consideration.
Do you prefer to work in a group?
Be honest and give examples how you've worked by yourself and also with others. Prove your flexibility.
4. Questions to Ask
At the end of the interview, most interviewers generally ask if you have any questions. Therefore, you should be prepared beforehand with 2-3 technical and 2-3 non-technical questions and commit them to your memory before the interview.
Do not ask queries related to your salary, vacation, bonuses, or other benefits. This information should be discussed at the time of getting your joining letter. Here we are giving few sample questions that you can ask at the time of your interview.
Sample Questions
Could you tell me the growth plans and goals for the company?
What skills are important to be successful in this position?
Why did you join this company? (optional)
What's the criteria your company uses for performance appraisal?
With whom will I be interacting most frequently and what are their responsibilities and the nature of our interaction?
What is the time frame for making a decision at this position?
What made the previous persons in this position successful/unsuccessful?
5. Do your homework
Before going for an interview, find out as much information on the company (go to JobsAhead Company Q and A) as possible. The best sources are the public library, the Internet (you can check out the company's site), and can even call the company and get the required information. The information gives you a one-up in the interview besides proving your content company or position.
Clearing the interview isn't necessarily a solitary attempt. Seek assistance from individuals who are in the profession and whose counsel you value most. Be confident in your approach and attitude; let the panel feel it through your demeanour, body language and dressing.
Getting prepared for your interview is the best way to dig deep and know yourself. You will be surprised that it would breed a new familiarity become more familiar with your own qualifications that will be make you present yourself better. All the best and get ready to give a treat.
Personal interview
Tip 1 #
Self-awareness is of paramount importance. To be self-aware, you need to introspect on your qualities, good and bad, and what motivates your actions etc.
Tip 2 #
your friends and family know you well, so utilize their inputs to learn about yourself.
Tip 3 #
an important preparation tactic is to guess what kind of questions may be asked of you, given your particular profile, thinking of how you would respond to the same, and then guessing what further questions may be asked from your responses. Developing multiple lines of questioning from each answer will help you prepare for most of the eventualities. But this is best done with someone else helping you sound out your ideas, not in isolation.
Tip 4 #
writing down your responses to probable questions allows you to check how your ideas appear in black and white.
Tip 5 #
A serious simulated interview will go a long way in preparing you mentally for the actual one.
Tip 6 #
A very important point is to remember to photocopy the interview form and preserve the copy to recollect what exactly one had written in the form at the time of the interview.
Will they grill me ?
Students always get intimidated at the prospect of going through an interview. But that's not the way to look at the interview process. You should look on the interview positively, as an opportunity to present yourself to a complete stranger, rather than an ordeal.
How does one lead the interviewer ?
One leads the interviewer by ending a topic with a reference to the next topic you wish to take the panel to.
How do I deal with my nervousness ?
By preparing for the interview. The importance of preparation is paramount for success. 70-80% of questions can be prepared for.
What about the questions I have not prepared for ?
Not all questions can be anticipated, and some questions are asked to harangue the candidate a bit. You will have to think on your feet. Therefore, in these cases as well as throughout the interview, keeping an alert mind is necessary
How should I dress ?
Maintain at least a neat and clean appearance, and wear comfortable clothes. People generally do dress up formally for interviews.
How should my posture and body language be ?
Follow the general body language rules - Maintaining eye contact with the entire panel. Body language should be relaxed and yet formal.
If I don't know an answer, can I try and bluff my way through ?
Bluffing is to be strictly avoided because of the possible expertise of the panellist in that area. You can admit that you don't know the answer.
How do I answer the question "Tell me something about yourself" ?
This all-important question is to indirectly ascertain which areas to ask you questions on. This is a great chance to set a favourable tone for the entire interview. You should tell them things about yourself that reflect positively on you. Remember that there is no such thing as a universally right answer. What is right answer for you may not be a right answer for your neighbour. The answer that is right for you is the one that shows you in positive light.
How do I answer the questions "Should we select you? And why ?"
Never say 'No'. Don't sound over-confident and if pointed out, then accept the mistakes you committed during the interview, but in return point out all your strong points and how you would add to the learning process of the entire class through your experiences and background (if an uncommon one).
What is a stress interview? How does one behave in the same ?
A stress interview is said to be the one in which the panel deliberately acts hostile and tries to make the candidate uncomfortable. The panel wants to see your maturity, see how well you can handle stressful situations. The way you should tackle a stress interview is to keep your cool, answer questions as coolly as possible, without raising your voice, getting aggressive and confrontationist, and acting as reasonably as possible.
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