If you have been called to interview it means your CV/resume is chosen. But it doesn’t mean that you are hired, you just only passed first step. Now you are in the hardest step and it is interview. An interview is an informal chat which gives you the opportunity to showcase your qualifications to an employer. 85% of the verbal content of the interview will be forgotten within an hour of the candidate’s departure. Only overall impression, documents submitted and a few notes will remain. So it needs to be prepared very well to leave some impression on recruiter.
Before Interview
- Learn about the organization.
- Have a specific job or jobs in mind.
- Review your qualifications for the job.
- Take copy of your CV with you.
- Be ready to briefly describe your experience, showing how it relates it the job.
- Be ready to answer broad questions, such as “Why should I hire you?” “Why do you want this job?” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Personal appearance
- Be well groomed.
- Dress appropriately.
- Do not chew gum or smoke.
The interview
- Arrive 15 mintues early for your job interview.
- Learn the name of your interviewer and greet him or her with a firm handshake.
- Use good manners with everyone you meet.
- Relax and answer each question concisely.
- Use proper English—avoid slang.
- Stress your achievements.
- Be cooperative and enthusiastic.
- Use body language to show interest—use eye contact and don’t slouch.
- Ask questions about the position and the organization to show how you are enthusiastic, but avoid questions whose answers can easily be found on the company Web site.
- If you have to do a formal presentation, be well prepared. Inform the search committee/employer, know in advance of any computer/technical support you will need.
- Do not raise salary discussions on your first interview – this is usually done on the second interview. Make sure you do your wage research before hand.
- Thank the interviewer when you leave and shake hands.
- Send a short thank you note.
General points to think about before answering an interview question
- Think about the job and the employer’s needs first.
- Employer’s needs come before your own.
- Emphasize how you will help to achieve the company’s goals.
- Describe your accomplishments in quantifiable words.
- Explain how your skills and attributes will benefit the organization.
- Be specific and to the point.
- Explain why you approached projects in a certain ways.
- Explain how the skills you bring will benefit the organization.
- Don’t downplay your accomplishments or attribute them to luck.
- Be specific in your answers. Avoid rambling or going off on a tangent.
- Ask for clarification if you are unsure of the question.
Interview Questions
- Why are you interested in this field?
- Why are you interested in this company?
- Why are you interested in this position?
- Why do you want this job?
- What qualities do you think this job requires?
- Why do you want to work for this organization?
- What have you got to contribute?
- What can we offer you that your present employer cannot offer?
- How long have you been looking for a new job?
- What do you know about this organization?
- What interests you about this organization?
- What are you looking for in a new job?
- What would be your ideal job?
- What sort of jobs are you considering at the moment?
- What did you do on a day to day basis?
- What do you not like about the job?
- How did you make a difference to your last organization?
- How successful are you?
- What was your greatest success and how did you achieve it?
- What has been your biggest failure?
- How could you improve yourself?
- How did you progress in your last job?
- How do you handle criticism?
- How do you work with others?
- Are you a self-starter, able to work without constant supervision?
- Can you be depended upon in critical situations and follow work through to completion?
- Are you objective in evaluating yourself and others?
- What motivates you?
- Are you competitive?
- What problems did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
- Do you feel you are ready to take on greater responsibilities?
- Are you enthusiastic and easy to work with?
- Can you work under pressure?
Recruiters need to know what drives you to want the job and why you want to work for the organization in particular.
- How do you structure your day’s work?
- How do you plan your day and week?
- How did you handle sudden unplanned work or crisis?
- Can you handle constructive criticism in a productive manner?
- What are you like under pressure?
- How many hours are you prepared to work?
- What are your career goals?
- How did you get on with your last manager/colleagues?
- How do you express yourself in situations where you have to be tactful?
- What initiatives do you take to make the work place more efficient?
- How do you deal with different people at work?
- How do you handle work in high pressure situations?
