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Career Pointers Archives Preparing for the Job Interview Most candidates are nervous to some degree, and worried about doing well and making a good impression. The reason most people find interviewing so difficult is because they feel they have no control. Not knowing what can happen, or what questions you’ll be asked, or what the interviewer would like to hear, is the cause of the anxiety. And it is completely unnecessary. While doing well in an interview is important, it’s even more important to be really well-prepared. To “be prepared” is to “be relaxed”—or at least confident enough that you can handle whatever questions are asked. While there are many books that promise to teach you “How to Ace the Interview” there is really no “perfect” answer to any of the interviewer’s questions—there is only the honest answer. If you misrepresent yourself, everybody loses—including you. To fill a vacancy, generally there will be more than one interview. The first interview is known as “The Screening Interview”. Sometimes this interview takes place over the phone. The questions will focus mostly on your education and work experience. Sometimes the interviewer will inquire about your attitudes and opinions, to determine whether they are compatible with the company’s culture. The purpose of the screening interview is to decide whether you should be short-listed for the position. Answer the questions truthfully, and when appropriate, offer to give an example to illustrate your experience or to demonstrate your attitude. Raising the Stakes If you are invited to the second, or “In-Person Interview”, your chances of landing the job have increased from 10% to about 25 - 30%. The stakes are now higher. While you cannot control the questions, you can definitely control the answers you give. In this second interview, the interviewer—or interviewers—will want to get a better sense of who you are, and what it’s like to work with you. The questions will be about how you have responded to challenges in the past—the so-called “Behavioural Interview”. The interviewer also wants to know why you think you can do the job, and what kind of impact you will have on the company’s bottom line. Preparing for the Questions Knowing the kind of questions that may be asked, makes a big difference in your preparation. If you have never thought about the answer to a particular question before, you will not be able to give a confident answer. Questions such as “Tell me about the biggest failure in your career” can really trip you up. Understand that how you answer a question may matter more than the actual answer—and remember to always be positive and forward-looking. Don’t pretend to be Superman—we all make mistakes, and we all have weaknesses. You can, however, choose which of these mistakes or weaknesses you want to share. What matters even more, is that you tell the interviewer what you have learned from that mistake, or how you have compensated for—or overcome—that weakness. Employers are looking for people who can and do take responsibility, and learn and grow from their experiences. If you can demonstrate that, you’re one step closer to getting hired. What can you tell me about yourself ... ? This is one of the questions that worries many people. What do they want to know? Where do I start? Do I include personal information? How much time do I have? What if I ramble on and on? What if I say something that offends the interviewer? If this string of questions running through your mind has not yet completely paralyzed you—you may decide to just stick to the facts. That’s safe, after all. True. Safe, but very boring. If, on the other hand, you prepare for this question, you will recognize it for what it is: a unique opportunity to highlight your skills in the context of this job, and to show the interviewer something of your personality. Remember: You cannot control the question—but you certainly can control the answer! Write down, in 500 words or less, what’s special about you, what are the ideas and activities that excite you and that you enjoy, and why you want to work for this company. Write also how you think the company will benefit from hiring you. Read it out loud to yourself enough times that you can tell the story naturally without tripping up, stuttering, or losing track. Don’t memorize the story—that will just make it sound contrived and artificial. Allow your enthusiasm to come through, and smile when you’re finished. Tell me about a time when ... Because the interviewer is trying to get a sense of who you are, what type of person she’s dealing with, how you have behaved in difficult or challenging situations in the past is a logical line of questioning. “Tell me about a time when you had to call an upset customer ... how did that go?” or “Tell me how you would handle a situation where you caught a co-worker stealing?” If you have no direct experience with the situation presented to you, talk about another difficult situation. You can improvise and/or speculate, imagining such a situation, but it is important to back your answer up with an example of an actual event. Don’t ever just make things up—untruths told in haste are very difficult to remember and sustain; you will be found out. Obviously, that will end your chances of landing the job. Last updated on Jan 16, 2006 at 10:18 PM
Category: Interview Strategies 1 comments | Leave a comment (must be logged in) Comments: These tips provide lots of help for beginners.
By KhachigGlenmon on 2011 12 23 Page 1 of 1 pages
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