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The interview is your chance to back up in
person everything that the employer has read about you.
This will probably be your first direct contact with the company
and will give you an insight into it's workings and the chance
to meet with it's personnel to see if it is a place that you
would like to work should you be given an offer.
There are several forms of interview with varying degrees
of formality, but in essence they consist of a conversation,
allowing the employer to get to know you and for you to see
what they are like. Whilst interviews can be nerve-wracking
experiences, it should be remembered that the interviewer
is only human and it is possible that they are nervous also.
Enter with a confident air, be friendly and open, and most
importantly don't forget to breathe.
One-on-one interview
To get to this stage you would have succeeded
in qualifying the preliminary screening processes. The selection
process will have been narrowed down and the company has recognised
you as an attractive prospect. Usually this interview will
be carried out by department supervisor, but sometimes with
human resources personnel. Be prepared to talk about yourself
in detail, why you want the job, and what you can contribute
to the company.
In advance of the interview carry out research into what the
company do, and think of some questions you want to ask. Do
not volunteer information that the interviewer doesn't ask
for.
Tips: You want them to want you on their team; therefore you
have to impress them with your personality, your qualifications
and your career ambition. Dress conservatively to impress
and arrive punctually, be chatty with plenty of eye contact.
Establish a rapport with the interviewer.
Lunch interview
A interview over lunch will be more casual than in an office,
however do not let down your guard. Make your life easier
by not ordering messy food and order something that is a similar
price range to the others in attendance. The decision whether
to smoke or drink alcohol should be based upon the location
and what the interviewer is doing.
Tips: Follow the lead of the interviewer in behaviour, tone
and ordering.
Screening interview
A brief meeting with the company used by them
to weed out unqualified and uninterested candidates. Screening
interviews occur if there are a huge number of job applicants,
however on the whole candidates are rarely asked to attend
them. Interviewers are usually human resource professionals
and the format is usually that of straight questions and answers.
Tips: Confirm to the interviewer what they have already read
in your CV, do not deviate from the truth. Providing facts
is more important than building a rapport.
Telephone interview
Sometimes if a candidate lives a great distance from the offices
of the company then it may not be practical to attend preliminary
interviews in person. In this case an interview can be conducted
on the telephone. Alternatively some companies use telephone
interviews as a screening process to eliminate the weaker
candidates early on. A telephone interview is not to be treated
as an easier option, it should be conducted in an equally
professional manner as a standard interview and the same rules
apply. The only difference is that your body language no longer
applies.
Do not let the interviewer totally lead the conversation,
if it is appropriate push for a face to face meeting saying
something like "I would appreciate an opportunity to
meet with you in person so we can both better evaluate each
other. I am free either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.
Which would be better for you?"
How to behave: Speak in a clear voice, answer the interviewers
questions precisely and try to elaborate without talking too
much, exude controlled professionalism.
Group interview
Often group interviews are used to introduce the company and
describe the job to an assembled audience of candidates. As
this form of interview is not one-on-one there is not so much
pressure on an individual candidate, however the aim is to
stand out from the crowd and be noticed.
Tips: Ask questions speak to company personnel afterwards
to establish a brief rapport.
Committee/Panel interview
Companies use this method when hiring for advanced positions
or if they are just feeling nasty. During committee interviews
candidates are questioned by several company personnel at
once, this can be daunting but try to keep cool. Be sure to
impress all of the interviewers, do not cater to just what
one or two want to hear.
Tips: When an interviewer addresses you with a question, respond
to the person that asked that question, while being conscious
of how the others will interpret what you are saying.
Deliberate attempts to unnerve you
Interviewers may try to test your nerve to see how you handle
yourself under pressure. The interview may start out in a
relaxed fashion with standard questions being posed, then
the interviewer may change tack to launch into a hostile assault,
for example "So you failed your A-levels, what makes
you think you can handle the pace at our company?" You
should be prepared for this and when it comes don't take it
personally. Calmly answer each question as it comes.
General preparation before any interview
· Carry out research into the company,
know what it's products are, its size, income, reputation,
image, goals, problems. How many people do they employ and
what is the company philosophy? Know the company’s origins;
is it a family company, where and when was it established?
· Study any recent press cuttings about the company,
and try to slip your up to date knowledge into conversation.
· You may like to practice your responses to some of
the more common interview questions, and prepare a list yourself
of questions that you want to ask.
· Prepare your interview resources before the day,
you will need to take a couple of copies of your CV, a reference
list, and if possible some examples of work you have done
in the past.
· Dress professionally; even if you are going for an
interview at a funky Dot COM company you should still portray
a smart business image. It is recommended that both men and
women wear a suit and sensible shoes. Women wear a moderate
amount of makeup and simple jewellery. Men should be clean-shaven
with a conservative tie and ironed shirt.
Types of Job Interview
1:Structured Interview - Competencies
The employer identifies the competencies (skills,
abilities and experience) required for the role.
They design the questions to test whether
the candidate has these competencies. The questions are often
phrased, "tell us about a time when."
How To Handle Them
Review the job description / advert.
Identify the types of skills, abilities and
experience required for the role. (This may need lateral thinking).
Think of examples in your career where you
have demonstrated these. It may help to make notes.
This means you'll be well prepared for any
competency-style question they ask.
2:Behavioural job interview (situational job interview)
Behavioural interviews are trying to suss
out how you would act in certain situations.
The interviewer wants to be able to predict
how you would behave in the role, if they recruited you.
So they ask hypothetical questions. These
might be about a time in your past, or asking you to imagine
yourself in a future situation.
How To Handle Them
It's difficult to second-guess which questions
might come up. So the best advice is to:
1. Prepare as for Structured Competency Interviews
Listen to the question. Make sure you have understood it.
Take a moment to think about what they're looking for.
Give an honest answer, but make sure you remain
positive. If possible, back up your answer with an example.
3: Telephone Interview
This type of remote job interview can be a
first point of employment screening.
Although this may seem daunting, it's actually
a good thing. It means your CV or resume impressed the recruiter
enough to want to find out more.
If you're called to a face-to-face interview,
it means they're serious about you and not wasting your time.
How To Handle Them
Prepare as you would for a face-to-face interview.
Dress smartly and arrange a time for the call
when you're not at work and can finish the interview without
interruptions.
Be able to clearly explain why you think you're
a suitable candidate.
Pay special attention to the interviewer's
tone of voice.
Make sure you focus your attention on the
interviewer and don't get distracted by other things in the
room.
4:Panel Job Interview
Sometimes employers want candidates to be
seen by a number of managers or peer-workers. A panel interview
simply means a candidate meets multiple interviewers at once.
They may play the "Good Police Man /
Bad Police Man" routine, where one of them is aggressive
and another sympathetic, to see how you perform under stress.
How To Handle Them
Prepare as for a normal interview. Don't let
the thought of multiple interviewers stress you out.
Focus on the person who asked you the question,
but make good eye contact with all of them.
Don't be put off if one of them seems grumpy.
But don't be lulled into a false sense of security if one
seems very friendly.
5:Technical Job Interview
This usually refers to a "hands-on"
interview. For example, an engineer might be expected to do
some analysis of an engineering problem; a market researcher
might be asked to analyse some data; a sales person might
be expected to make a mock sales call.
This type of interview is designed to predict
how you would perform in the role.
How To Handle Them
As long as you have the relevant experience, you should be
fine with this type of job interview.
Make sure you've fully understood the brief
and keep your cool.
If in doubt, ask them to clarify what they're
looking for.
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