Sunday, July 19, 2009
7 Easy Steps to Improve Your Interviewing Skills
In the midst of technological advancement nowadays, the "back-to-basics" rule still applies when it comes to getting hired for a job. It does not matter if you are planning to apply for a million-dollar company or a small, independent firm. When you face an interviewer, it all boils down to how you present yourself. This is the deciding factor whether you will get hired or not.So you have distributed your resume to prospective employers and you have determined the correct job to apply for. The next step is to schedule the job interview.You can make the acquaintance of the assistant or the receptionist when you schedule for the interview, either by phone or personally. Be friendly and polite, as these people might provide information that can be essential to getting that job or, even just give you a background of the company or your prospective boss.Finally, you show up for the interview.The basic traits of being prompt, how you speak and carry yourself and even how you dress are all factors that contribute in making a lasting impression that will eventually get you hired.Here are 7 easy steps on how you can improve your interviewing skills:1.) Prepare for the interview.First, dress appropriately. Once the interviewer walks into the room, or once you walk into the room to be interviewed, your appearance will be the first thing to make the impact. Dress appropriately, check your grooming and mind your posture.Second, practice basic courtesy. Know where the interview will be held and be there with ample time to prepare yourself before the scheduled interview. Turn your phone off to avoid unnecessary distractions.2.) Research.Use all your resources to make sure that you know the basics about the company. You would not want to be caught unprepared when asked about how you heard or what you know about the company that you are applying for.Learn about your potential employer. In your mind, develop a clear picture of the company profile.Make sure that you prepared answers to a few basic questions, but do not sound scripted. This happens when you rehearse what you will be saying word for word. It is enough that you have an overview of what you will impart to the interviewer, and it is better to be spontaneous.3.) Be cool.Step forward so that you are now seated and the interview is about to begin. Make a great first impression by maintaining eye contact, giving the interviewer a firm handshake, a friendly smile and a polite greeting. Sit only when you are asked to do so and do not forget to thank the interviewer for taking time off of his or her busy schedule to interview you.Make sure to start on a positive note and set the proper expectations.4.) Do not sell yourself short.In the course of the interview, answer the questions briefly and accurately. The key is to be honest.Make sure that as a prospective employee, you impart to your future employer what you really are and what you can do for the company, not the other way around. Stay positive and do not give a bad impression about your previous employer.If you are applying for your first job, do not let your lack of experience hinder you from gaining the advantage against more experienced applicants. What you lack in experience, make up for in confidence and eagerness to learn.You may also put yourself in the employer's shoes. Ask yourself, if I were on the other side of this desk, what qualities should I look for in a potential employee? Would I profit if he works for me and can he contribute to the development of the company? Do not be afraid to sell yourself but do not be overconfident. Just project an air that you are sure of yourself and your capabilities.5.) Ask questions.Should you encounter a difficult interviewer, do not be intimidated. One who does not let you put in a word edgewise should be lightly reminded that you should do most of the talking since he is the one who needs to learn more about you.6.) Wrap it up.As you near the end of the interview, make sure that all bases are covered. Now is not the time to discuss or even ask about the salary and the benefits that you will receive once employed. There is ample time for that once you do get the position and you are discussing the job offer.Wrap things up by summarizing your strengths and pointing out your positive traits. Finally, as you end the interview, make sure to thank the interviewer again for his or her time, thus leaving a lasting impression.7.) Follow up.Send that all-important thank you note after the interview. Thank the interviewer for the time that he took with you and for giving you that opportunity. Make sure that you know who to contact for follow-up of the results.A lot of research has been made about the interviewing process. Here is a brief run-through:First, you make a schedule for the interview.Then, you are there in the office and you are seen by the interviewee.The interview itself then transpires.Next is the closing, then you follow-up with a thank-you-note.You eventually get accepted and you discuss, negotiate for and sign-up the job offer.You may notice that the interviewing takes up a great deal of the getting-hired process, so you might as well polish up your interviewing skills on your way to getting that dream job.
Group Job Interviews – How to Do Well in Group Job Interviews
Employers will often use group job interviews, especially when they need to hire a lot of new employees
at one time.
Generally, these will be in the form of many candidates being asked the same questions or being led in an exercise by the interviewers.
It is difficult to predict what questions may be asked in these settings. This makes preparation for these interviews somewhat problematic but there are a few steps you can take to be ready for group job interviews.
The company doing the hiring will have already brought in the candidates who they think are the most suitable for the position. Group interviews are a great way for employers to sift out the candidates who do not quite meet their criteria at one time. This saves the company a lot of time, compared to individual interviews.
The exercises or questions will have the goal of seeing how the candidates would react to various situations which may arise in the workplace. Quite often, the group will be separated into teams and assigned a problem to solve, with their solution to be presented to the group as a whole.
Group job interview candidates will also, in some cases, be asked to answer questions which are not work related such as the well known question of which 50 out of 100 people should be rescued from a ship which is sinking. These questions will spark a lot of discussion among the group, letting the interviewer assess the candidates' negotiation skills and decision making.
Interviewers will observe how the process plays out among the group; asking questions, taking notes, even providing encouragement.
They are watching the group, but will be carefully watching the performance of individuals within it as well, so even when in a group setting, you should do your best to make a good impression on the interviewer.
Interviewers will notice:
• How you interact with others in the group
• Your skill at influencing and persuading the rest of your team
• How well you work in group settings
• How strong your communication skills are
• Whether your decisions are based on logic or on emotion
• If you are a good listener
• How well you handle stress
Interviewers will also be watching to see who emerges as a leader within the groups and how effectively they delegate tasks to the rest of the group. They will also be watching how group members react to the leader.
They will want to know if the leader:
• Includes all team members, even members who don't speak up on their own
• Takes changing conditions into account and makes changes accordingly
• Listens to and asks questions of their team
• Gives credit where credit is due
There is no way to be sure that you will be prepared for any possible question asked in group job interviews, but these tips can make sure that you are as ready as possible for what may come in this interview process.
at one time.
Generally, these will be in the form of many candidates being asked the same questions or being led in an exercise by the interviewers.
It is difficult to predict what questions may be asked in these settings. This makes preparation for these interviews somewhat problematic but there are a few steps you can take to be ready for group job interviews.
The company doing the hiring will have already brought in the candidates who they think are the most suitable for the position. Group interviews are a great way for employers to sift out the candidates who do not quite meet their criteria at one time. This saves the company a lot of time, compared to individual interviews.
The exercises or questions will have the goal of seeing how the candidates would react to various situations which may arise in the workplace. Quite often, the group will be separated into teams and assigned a problem to solve, with their solution to be presented to the group as a whole.
Group job interview candidates will also, in some cases, be asked to answer questions which are not work related such as the well known question of which 50 out of 100 people should be rescued from a ship which is sinking. These questions will spark a lot of discussion among the group, letting the interviewer assess the candidates' negotiation skills and decision making.
Interviewers will observe how the process plays out among the group; asking questions, taking notes, even providing encouragement.
They are watching the group, but will be carefully watching the performance of individuals within it as well, so even when in a group setting, you should do your best to make a good impression on the interviewer.
Interviewers will notice:
• How you interact with others in the group
• Your skill at influencing and persuading the rest of your team
• How well you work in group settings
• How strong your communication skills are
• Whether your decisions are based on logic or on emotion
• If you are a good listener
• How well you handle stress
Interviewers will also be watching to see who emerges as a leader within the groups and how effectively they delegate tasks to the rest of the group. They will also be watching how group members react to the leader.
They will want to know if the leader:
• Includes all team members, even members who don't speak up on their own
• Takes changing conditions into account and makes changes accordingly
• Listens to and asks questions of their team
• Gives credit where credit is due
There is no way to be sure that you will be prepared for any possible question asked in group job interviews, but these tips can make sure that you are as ready as possible for what may come in this interview process.
Interview:a Success Journey to a Successful Professional Career
Interview: A Success Journey to a Successful Professional Career
The most essential aspect to beat after your academic and professional qualification is an interview. We all focus on our educational development like academic credentials and percentages and are least tentative on focusing ourselves on winning the interview. With the emerging global change, interviews have also taking gigantic leap from the old traditional conservatoire to the recent magnetite global demand.
Today Interview is an exhibition of candidate’s talent. It’s a process through an employer gets to know, how to bridge a gap between employment: Demand and Supply.
Modern interviews are not only stress to the candidates, but also equal stress to the employers. For the candidate the stress is to get the right job, and on the other the stress is to get the right candidate.
What is an interview?
“Interview is an art of expressing self, where an interviewee is a seller and an interviewer is a buyer”. An interview is nothing but bringing our internal knowledge outside and make other feel comfortable listening to it. It is nothing but an interaction between the sender (interviewee) and the receiver (interviewer). In the simplest word interview can be compared with the theory of the guest and the host relationship.
Man being supreme creation of god tends to learn by experience; the same is with the interview, we should never take interview as a negative note rather it’s a positive gesture to conquer next step with more perfection and maturity; where there are less chances of failure than the first. Our practice can provide us a mature platform from where we can make difference in the qualitative approach of getting selected or rejected.
This art of learning could be beautified through preparation and practice, as it is well said, “Practice makes man perfect”. To compete an interview with the flying colors the candidate need to learn with the same theory as he used to learn in his kindergarten stage, trail and error technique. As when we learn bicycle: The more we fall the better we grip, and one day we paddle it with even leaving both the hands.
Major interviews speak the success story of the deserving candidate in just five minutes. As the hiring managers don’t want to hire the most qualified person they also want to hire the person whom they like most to work with. It’s very easy to get to an interview but it is harder to turn an interview to a job. Interview can be successfully beaten by the magical charm of communication skills, where verbal and non-verbal communication plays a vital role. Articulation, phonetics and soft skills also multiply candidate’s success change during the interview process.
Interview Selling Skills
“Selling is an art and for that we need to be an artist.” The most important aspect to master in selling skills is to master on two major aspects; first is the product and the second is service. In order to bridge the gap between product and service we need to believe in self, as it is well said, “Self Confidence is the key of all locks.” Confident person can chase his hardship much smoothly than the one who is crippled with diffidence.
Six Sigma’s for Interview Success:
As it is said that interview is an interaction, but this interaction can easily be converted to triumphal victory by the magical spell of the interviewee, where he mingles his interaction with the six sigma effects by using his interpersonal skills, team spirit, social grace, business etiquettes, negotiation skills and behavioral trades.
Interview process is the sum totals of six most important skills that makes correlated bond between Interviewee and Interviewer.
Six- sigma’s between Interviewee & Interviewer
ü Interpersonal Skills
ü Social Grace
ü Behavioral Traits
ü Negotiation Skills
ü Business Etiquettes
ü Team Spirit
Among many job aspirants the most crucial and stressful zone is the interview hall. Although they may have all required qualifications, experience and well framed records, yet they may lose the battle to conquer to the other, who are well versed and confident at the time of interaction and can answer the questions in the most acceptable way keeping the track of their interpersonal, social, as well as their behavioral skills. He needs to also sell his business acumen, team spirit and attitude at the time of interaction. These are really the basic component that makes a candidate perfect. No matter what your industry or the role is; effective selling skills are integral to your success.
As it is well said by James Allen: "For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now”?
Interview & Three major Elements
The most important fact about the interview process is the first impression that a candidate scripts in the mind of the employer in just initial five minutes.
Research shows that initial first impressions are made up of the following Three Elements:
55% visual impact, i.e. dress, facial expressions and body language;
38% tone of voice; communication skills: verbal and nonverbal
7% from what you actually say. All is not lost if you are very nervous at the outset but try to create the best first impression you can - a warm smile and firm handshake will help.
When you are being interviewed it is very important that you give out the right body signals as body speaks more than words. During interviews one should always look attentive; a bad body language can disqualify the image of an employee in the very primary rounds of interaction. As it is well said, “face is the index of mind.” We should never forget that, one of the most burning questions in the mind of the interviewer will almost certainly be ‘Will this person fit in?’ Therefore, if you are perceived as being a good fit with the prevailing corporate style and culture you will be strengthening your case and it wouldn't be wrong to state, that knowledge of Kinesics will add to the overall persona of your personality. The success graph of the deserving candidate is been sketched at the moment he enters the interview venue or the interview room, his body language clearly depicts his mental attitude. The positive body language can even be judged by a novice interviewer not very familiar with the kinetic traits.
The initial five minutes can make or break the connection between two people when they meet for the first time. The starting point for any interview preparation is to try and understand oneself. First impressions are crucial! The employer obviously believes you are qualified to do the job, which is why they have asked you to an interview. But still many interviewees fail because of poor communication skills, which is not only the content of your speech, but includes other non-verbal behavior such as eye contact, posture, facial expression, tone of voice, and gestures.
Get all of your preparation out of the way well in advance, and allow plenty of time to get to the interview so that you arrive in a cool calm state. Arriving 15-20 minutes early is appropriate. One should be well prepared about the location and required time in order to deliver the best results. The interviewer is looking for a candidate who is interested, enthusiastic, and confident. Professional appearance is extremely important, when you first meet the interviewer, give a firm handshake with greet and smile and let the interviewer take the lead when directing you towards their office and once you are in their office by waiting for them to offer you a seat.
Confidence is the magical word, if you are confident then you will be relaxed, calm and organized and able to talk lucidly about yourself, you will be able to look the interviewer in the eyes, you will not slouch or fidget - you will have the potential to clinch the job. Along with the confidence one need to be very particular about dressing sense. Try and understand all aspects, be it your appearance, personality, likes, dislikes, strengths or weaknesses. Many people think that, interview is a place where one should always speak of positives, but speaking about weaknesses is not negative as it enables us to reason for self improvement.
Interview & 3 C’s Principle:
IP= C³
IP stands for Interview Principle
C³ stands for Credibility, Capability & Compatibility
All three are correlated to each other and hence work as a bond.
Interview Categories:
Screening Interviews
Telephonic Interviews
Face To Face Interviews
Panel Interviews
Group Interviews
Structured Interviews
Campus Interview
Performance /Situation Interviews/ Stress Interviews
Online interviews
Presentation Interviews
Video Conferencing
Dinner Interviews
Screening Interviews
This is the most primary type of interview. In this category the candidate is categorized by different set criteria’s like: subjective, departmental, academic, profession & experience.
Note: Most people loose their hold in interview at the screening rounds, wherein this round is very crucial.
Why is the screening Crucial?
Through this process only the candidate is invited for interview.
One must be very particular, while filling his forms or forwarding his CV/Resume.
Where the hand written details are to be forwarded we need to be very cautious about spellings, vocabulary, and grammar as well as writing skills.
People are using internet as the main source of communication but they are least tentative in making the ID’s matching with their profile, here also most of the candidate loose points. We should always go for decent Email: ID’s
We also need to keep in mind that the photographs that we affix in our CV / Resume need to be updated and need to also match with the desired profile.
Telephonic Interviews
Seeing the time frame many of the organization are focusing on the telephonic rounds. The basic criteria of the telephonic interview session are to judge employment objective, education, or required skills.
Note: Responding to the telephone/mobiles is much tougher than carrying it. Since these interviews can often occur unexpectedly, it is important for a candidate to know the best practice of using it.
How to handle telephonic interviews?
1) Telephonic interviews basically checks the communication skills and interpersonal etiquettes of a candidate; hence it becomes important for us to talk confidently and maturely at the time of interaction.
2) When we receive any such call, we should always greet the person and should talk clearly
3) Avoid or reduce distractions. Always search a quite place for interaction.
4) You need to have enthusiasm and self confidence while answering the questions.
5) Keep small note of your academic/ professional details and highlight your strengths.
6) Avoid caller tones and absurd openings at telephonic rounds.
7) In your absence groom your acquaintance to receive telephonic calls properly
8) Make it more professional by your voice, mannerism and always pay thanks back at the end of the call.
Face To Face Interview
As it is well said,” First impression is the last impression”. Face to face interview works like a mirror for the interviewee and interviewer. It can be explained as a direct answer to a demanded question so we need be well prepared for the face to face interaction.
Note: words play a powerful role in this kind of interactions so, when you come to face such interactions you need to be well advance prepared about yourself, your profile, subjective contents, company profile, work experience as well as the current industrial demand.
Handling Face To Face Interactions:
1. Face to face interview can make or mar the prospects of a candidate for his further rounds. The impression you make will be a lasting one. It is vital to look your best. Dress conservatively and in good taste and be confident and calm.
2. Always focus on your SWOT analysis. You can win your interview by your strength and opportunities but on the other hand you should also highlight your weaknesses in such a positive manner that it leads you to a door of self evaluation and opens a way of self improvement.
3. To master face to face interactions a candidate need to impose five listed elements within self.
ü Punctuality
ü Politeness
ü Professionalism
ü Positive Attitude
ü Pro-activeness
Panel Interview
Panel interviews are also titled as committee interviews. These interviews are basically conducted with several individuals at one time, typically sitting around a conference table to evaluate the multiple skills of the candidate. The main purpose of such interactions is to provide a unanimous decision for the acceptance of the candidate.
Best deed to face Panel Interview:
Commonly great everybody: But face to the more mature person and if a lady is also a part of panel rounds than never forget to honor her. Be confident and sit smartly while facing panel interview
Keep eye contact with each person, with special attention to the individual who asked the question.
Remember that you can’t suffice each panelist satisfaction but your maturity, handling stress and positive interaction can win many success chances as many HR experts believe that the real check of a candidate is panel rounds so one needs to be prepared with all dimensional skills.
Group Interviews
As per the limitations of time the group interviews are becoming popular day by day. Basically group interviews are conducted to see the participation, communication and leadership skills of a candidate.
Note: As it is a team work where the main purpose is Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM), but we should never forget the main theme behind this round is to lead within the group. A candidate need to be smart enough to show his strengths living within the group and ultimately shine at the end to achieve results favoring him because the whole group will not get the job, it will come to that candidate who is the STAR(Situation, Task , Achievement, Result) performer.
How to Conquer Group Interviews?
1. To conquer group interview a candidate need to first win his group, by his magical communication, content, knowledge and command on the topic in which the interaction is proceeding.
2. He should show his STAR performance at the different stages of interaction
3. Should also steal the dialogues of the team players and lead them by his interpersonal skills and would show brilliant task for the demanded situation and at end can achieve the targeted results.
Structured Interview
Structured interviews are commonly used for research departments are basically pre structured on a set pattern. They are also known as a standardized interview or a researcher-administered survey.
Note: The designed questionnaire need to also include all necessary details in-order to reach to the maximum possible results.
As these interviews are more statistical so the interviewing body need to plan systematically and must focus on the reliability and validity of results.
Campus Interviews
Campus interviews are becoming popular day by day. Corporate visiting campuses for recruitment and test candidates on their technical expertise, aptitude, and personality. These rounds are based to check the academic & industrial knowledge of the candidate.
Criteria of Campus Interviews:
The candidate’s communication skills and aptitude is judged through group discussions and written tests. His personality is evaluated trough presentation skills. Some companies also conduct online test at the preliminary rounds. Keeping in mind the corporate stress some companies also focus on psychometric test to know candidates maturity and his ability the handle stress.
Advantage to the candidate:
The best advantage for a candidate to win the campus interview is that he is well advance familiar about his interview destination and can perform better as it is the most comfortable environment for him.
Performance/ Situation/Stress Interview
In this category candidates are given certain task related to their workforce to perform. These situations can be categories in different areas as Academic, Social, Hr., Marketing, Finance, IT, IB Etc.
The motive of such interviews is to get the best results on spot. These rounds can also be categorized under audition interviews: like singing, dancing, acting etc. Candidates are asked to deliver presentation or demo in their respective area and even could be asked to solve certain stressful situations.
The most important thing to remember during the situational rounds is you show your competency.
Online Interviews
Internet is the best way of communication today. It is also the fastest and the cheapest medium of interaction.
Tips for online interviews:
Candidate need to write precise and to the demand of the questions.
Candidate need to have good command on his writing skills.
Spellings, formation and editing need to be checked before sending the mails.
One must be aware of formal writing.
Presentation Interview
With the emerging change interviews have also taken up electronic impacts within. It is becoming increasingly common for presentations to be delivered as part of the recruitment process. It enable employer to assess individual’s talent for effective organization growth. Communication skills, Confidence, presentation, body language, concepts are certain parameters to collate and analyze information. Now the usage of projectors, laptops has also added professionalism in the delivery of the candidates and hence the corporate is focusing more on the presentation skills.
Tips for better Presentation Interviews:
Dress professionally: Matching Profile.
Rehearsal the topic as much as possible.
Know your target audience.
Command on topic as well as with the time frame.
Good body language
Pleasing personality/Smiling attitude
Audience friendly attitude.
Complete homework including entire aspects.
Good blend of knowledge and humor.
Voice modulation.
Video Conferencing
The widest form of interaction is video conferencing. This form of interaction is very common in most of the international brands. It is more conventional and time saving. The basic requirement to conduct such type of interview is camera, microphone and software.
Dinner Interview
These interviews are becoming popular day by day but the most important aspect to remember about such type of interaction is that we needn’t to forget that we are not going for party or dine out where the most hidden aspect is the interview. Remember that the purpose of the dinner interview is to get to know you. Eating should always be secondary to conversation.
Think to Remember:
Most of the companies ask employee for a dinner interview to check confidence and acumen of handling stress and also social grace.
Tips to follow:
Know all dinning and business etiquettes in advance. These etiquettes will always give you the edge over another candidate.
Dress smartly.
Less interest on food and again more on communication skills.
Emphasis more on non-verbal skills.
Be confident and where you feel nervous wait for others to proceed first.
Avoid taking that food for which you are not at all familiar.
Take water before the core meal.
Be polite. Remember to say "please" and "thank you" to your host and well as with the server.
Interview and Dressing:
Dressing plays a vital role in the interview success. Clothes reveal half of the story about the success chance of the candidate. Today most of the youngsters are running far away from the true discipline of formal dressing and hence when they try these outfits at the time of interaction they are totally uncomfortable. Sometimes it is noticed that during campus interviews student borrow the formals from their peer group and thus are confused not only at the part of dressing but also at the conceptual delivery. This is the main reason to give uniformity at all working levels not only schools but corporate and business schools are also tying up with the concept of formal dressing sense to bring more corporate looks at both personal and professional sense.
As such there is no hard and fast rule for interview dressing but yes one should always dress formal with smart appearance and the most crucial point is we need to dress according to our professional demand. Interview dressing should match as per job profile of the company and suiting country norms.
Men and Women common Dressing:
ü Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)
ü Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
ü Clean, trimmed fingernails
ü Minimal cologne or perfume/deodorant
ü Empty pockets—only mobile( silent mode) and handkerchief
ü Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)
ü Dark socks (black is best)
ü Clean shaven face
ü No gum, candy, or cigarettes
ü Light briefcase or portfolio case
ü No visible body piercing (nose rings, chains, bracelets & eyebrow rings, etc.) or tattoos/ mehandies
ü Wear a suit with a jacket and skirt or slacks.
ü Shoes with conservative heels
ü Clean, polished conservative shoes
ü Minimum use of ornaments
ü Avoid large purses but can carry laptop briefcase.
ü Enamels need to be conservative in color
ü Well-groomed hairstyle -Keep your hair shot and if long avoid open.
ü Keep your makeup simple and natural
Conclusion
We can win the interview with our selling skills that we can master from our academic and professional career as well as with our maturity to understand current affairs like economic, social behavioral, science and political issues. We need to be confident but overconfidence can ruin our possibilities for interview success. The most important aspect to remember is that we should start preparing for our interview since the moment we choose our career. Never enter an interview hall without prior homework as it also increases the failure and disappointment chances of a candidate. Study the company profile and the vision as well as the mission of the responding company because most of the interview questions revolve around the above concepts. Speak clearly and enthusiastically about your experiences and skills. Try to be honest but optimistic and speak as you are sharing your ideas and thoughts. Don’t forget that greeting is the magical mantra and smile is the tantra for your success chance during interview. Prepare a solid self introduction as it is the most demanded question to enter the chakraview of interview. My purpose of sharing this article with you is to make you that Abhimanyu which not only knows how to enter the Chakraview but after negotiating all rounds successfully knows how to smoothly sail out victoriously with flying colors.
The most essential aspect to beat after your academic and professional qualification is an interview. We all focus on our educational development like academic credentials and percentages and are least tentative on focusing ourselves on winning the interview. With the emerging global change, interviews have also taking gigantic leap from the old traditional conservatoire to the recent magnetite global demand.
Today Interview is an exhibition of candidate’s talent. It’s a process through an employer gets to know, how to bridge a gap between employment: Demand and Supply.
Modern interviews are not only stress to the candidates, but also equal stress to the employers. For the candidate the stress is to get the right job, and on the other the stress is to get the right candidate.
What is an interview?
“Interview is an art of expressing self, where an interviewee is a seller and an interviewer is a buyer”. An interview is nothing but bringing our internal knowledge outside and make other feel comfortable listening to it. It is nothing but an interaction between the sender (interviewee) and the receiver (interviewer). In the simplest word interview can be compared with the theory of the guest and the host relationship.
Man being supreme creation of god tends to learn by experience; the same is with the interview, we should never take interview as a negative note rather it’s a positive gesture to conquer next step with more perfection and maturity; where there are less chances of failure than the first. Our practice can provide us a mature platform from where we can make difference in the qualitative approach of getting selected or rejected.
This art of learning could be beautified through preparation and practice, as it is well said, “Practice makes man perfect”. To compete an interview with the flying colors the candidate need to learn with the same theory as he used to learn in his kindergarten stage, trail and error technique. As when we learn bicycle: The more we fall the better we grip, and one day we paddle it with even leaving both the hands.
Major interviews speak the success story of the deserving candidate in just five minutes. As the hiring managers don’t want to hire the most qualified person they also want to hire the person whom they like most to work with. It’s very easy to get to an interview but it is harder to turn an interview to a job. Interview can be successfully beaten by the magical charm of communication skills, where verbal and non-verbal communication plays a vital role. Articulation, phonetics and soft skills also multiply candidate’s success change during the interview process.
Interview Selling Skills
“Selling is an art and for that we need to be an artist.” The most important aspect to master in selling skills is to master on two major aspects; first is the product and the second is service. In order to bridge the gap between product and service we need to believe in self, as it is well said, “Self Confidence is the key of all locks.” Confident person can chase his hardship much smoothly than the one who is crippled with diffidence.
Six Sigma’s for Interview Success:
As it is said that interview is an interaction, but this interaction can easily be converted to triumphal victory by the magical spell of the interviewee, where he mingles his interaction with the six sigma effects by using his interpersonal skills, team spirit, social grace, business etiquettes, negotiation skills and behavioral trades.
Interview process is the sum totals of six most important skills that makes correlated bond between Interviewee and Interviewer.
Six- sigma’s between Interviewee & Interviewer
ü Interpersonal Skills
ü Social Grace
ü Behavioral Traits
ü Negotiation Skills
ü Business Etiquettes
ü Team Spirit
Among many job aspirants the most crucial and stressful zone is the interview hall. Although they may have all required qualifications, experience and well framed records, yet they may lose the battle to conquer to the other, who are well versed and confident at the time of interaction and can answer the questions in the most acceptable way keeping the track of their interpersonal, social, as well as their behavioral skills. He needs to also sell his business acumen, team spirit and attitude at the time of interaction. These are really the basic component that makes a candidate perfect. No matter what your industry or the role is; effective selling skills are integral to your success.
As it is well said by James Allen: "For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now”?
Interview & Three major Elements
The most important fact about the interview process is the first impression that a candidate scripts in the mind of the employer in just initial five minutes.
Research shows that initial first impressions are made up of the following Three Elements:
55% visual impact, i.e. dress, facial expressions and body language;
38% tone of voice; communication skills: verbal and nonverbal
7% from what you actually say. All is not lost if you are very nervous at the outset but try to create the best first impression you can - a warm smile and firm handshake will help.
When you are being interviewed it is very important that you give out the right body signals as body speaks more than words. During interviews one should always look attentive; a bad body language can disqualify the image of an employee in the very primary rounds of interaction. As it is well said, “face is the index of mind.” We should never forget that, one of the most burning questions in the mind of the interviewer will almost certainly be ‘Will this person fit in?’ Therefore, if you are perceived as being a good fit with the prevailing corporate style and culture you will be strengthening your case and it wouldn't be wrong to state, that knowledge of Kinesics will add to the overall persona of your personality. The success graph of the deserving candidate is been sketched at the moment he enters the interview venue or the interview room, his body language clearly depicts his mental attitude. The positive body language can even be judged by a novice interviewer not very familiar with the kinetic traits.
The initial five minutes can make or break the connection between two people when they meet for the first time. The starting point for any interview preparation is to try and understand oneself. First impressions are crucial! The employer obviously believes you are qualified to do the job, which is why they have asked you to an interview. But still many interviewees fail because of poor communication skills, which is not only the content of your speech, but includes other non-verbal behavior such as eye contact, posture, facial expression, tone of voice, and gestures.
Get all of your preparation out of the way well in advance, and allow plenty of time to get to the interview so that you arrive in a cool calm state. Arriving 15-20 minutes early is appropriate. One should be well prepared about the location and required time in order to deliver the best results. The interviewer is looking for a candidate who is interested, enthusiastic, and confident. Professional appearance is extremely important, when you first meet the interviewer, give a firm handshake with greet and smile and let the interviewer take the lead when directing you towards their office and once you are in their office by waiting for them to offer you a seat.
Confidence is the magical word, if you are confident then you will be relaxed, calm and organized and able to talk lucidly about yourself, you will be able to look the interviewer in the eyes, you will not slouch or fidget - you will have the potential to clinch the job. Along with the confidence one need to be very particular about dressing sense. Try and understand all aspects, be it your appearance, personality, likes, dislikes, strengths or weaknesses. Many people think that, interview is a place where one should always speak of positives, but speaking about weaknesses is not negative as it enables us to reason for self improvement.
Interview & 3 C’s Principle:
IP= C³
IP stands for Interview Principle
C³ stands for Credibility, Capability & Compatibility
All three are correlated to each other and hence work as a bond.
Interview Categories:
Screening Interviews
Telephonic Interviews
Face To Face Interviews
Panel Interviews
Group Interviews
Structured Interviews
Campus Interview
Performance /Situation Interviews/ Stress Interviews
Online interviews
Presentation Interviews
Video Conferencing
Dinner Interviews
Screening Interviews
This is the most primary type of interview. In this category the candidate is categorized by different set criteria’s like: subjective, departmental, academic, profession & experience.
Note: Most people loose their hold in interview at the screening rounds, wherein this round is very crucial.
Why is the screening Crucial?
Through this process only the candidate is invited for interview.
One must be very particular, while filling his forms or forwarding his CV/Resume.
Where the hand written details are to be forwarded we need to be very cautious about spellings, vocabulary, and grammar as well as writing skills.
People are using internet as the main source of communication but they are least tentative in making the ID’s matching with their profile, here also most of the candidate loose points. We should always go for decent Email: ID’s
We also need to keep in mind that the photographs that we affix in our CV / Resume need to be updated and need to also match with the desired profile.
Telephonic Interviews
Seeing the time frame many of the organization are focusing on the telephonic rounds. The basic criteria of the telephonic interview session are to judge employment objective, education, or required skills.
Note: Responding to the telephone/mobiles is much tougher than carrying it. Since these interviews can often occur unexpectedly, it is important for a candidate to know the best practice of using it.
How to handle telephonic interviews?
1) Telephonic interviews basically checks the communication skills and interpersonal etiquettes of a candidate; hence it becomes important for us to talk confidently and maturely at the time of interaction.
2) When we receive any such call, we should always greet the person and should talk clearly
3) Avoid or reduce distractions. Always search a quite place for interaction.
4) You need to have enthusiasm and self confidence while answering the questions.
5) Keep small note of your academic/ professional details and highlight your strengths.
6) Avoid caller tones and absurd openings at telephonic rounds.
7) In your absence groom your acquaintance to receive telephonic calls properly
8) Make it more professional by your voice, mannerism and always pay thanks back at the end of the call.
Face To Face Interview
As it is well said,” First impression is the last impression”. Face to face interview works like a mirror for the interviewee and interviewer. It can be explained as a direct answer to a demanded question so we need be well prepared for the face to face interaction.
Note: words play a powerful role in this kind of interactions so, when you come to face such interactions you need to be well advance prepared about yourself, your profile, subjective contents, company profile, work experience as well as the current industrial demand.
Handling Face To Face Interactions:
1. Face to face interview can make or mar the prospects of a candidate for his further rounds. The impression you make will be a lasting one. It is vital to look your best. Dress conservatively and in good taste and be confident and calm.
2. Always focus on your SWOT analysis. You can win your interview by your strength and opportunities but on the other hand you should also highlight your weaknesses in such a positive manner that it leads you to a door of self evaluation and opens a way of self improvement.
3. To master face to face interactions a candidate need to impose five listed elements within self.
ü Punctuality
ü Politeness
ü Professionalism
ü Positive Attitude
ü Pro-activeness
Panel Interview
Panel interviews are also titled as committee interviews. These interviews are basically conducted with several individuals at one time, typically sitting around a conference table to evaluate the multiple skills of the candidate. The main purpose of such interactions is to provide a unanimous decision for the acceptance of the candidate.
Best deed to face Panel Interview:
Commonly great everybody: But face to the more mature person and if a lady is also a part of panel rounds than never forget to honor her. Be confident and sit smartly while facing panel interview
Keep eye contact with each person, with special attention to the individual who asked the question.
Remember that you can’t suffice each panelist satisfaction but your maturity, handling stress and positive interaction can win many success chances as many HR experts believe that the real check of a candidate is panel rounds so one needs to be prepared with all dimensional skills.
Group Interviews
As per the limitations of time the group interviews are becoming popular day by day. Basically group interviews are conducted to see the participation, communication and leadership skills of a candidate.
Note: As it is a team work where the main purpose is Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM), but we should never forget the main theme behind this round is to lead within the group. A candidate need to be smart enough to show his strengths living within the group and ultimately shine at the end to achieve results favoring him because the whole group will not get the job, it will come to that candidate who is the STAR(Situation, Task , Achievement, Result) performer.
How to Conquer Group Interviews?
1. To conquer group interview a candidate need to first win his group, by his magical communication, content, knowledge and command on the topic in which the interaction is proceeding.
2. He should show his STAR performance at the different stages of interaction
3. Should also steal the dialogues of the team players and lead them by his interpersonal skills and would show brilliant task for the demanded situation and at end can achieve the targeted results.
Structured Interview
Structured interviews are commonly used for research departments are basically pre structured on a set pattern. They are also known as a standardized interview or a researcher-administered survey.
Note: The designed questionnaire need to also include all necessary details in-order to reach to the maximum possible results.
As these interviews are more statistical so the interviewing body need to plan systematically and must focus on the reliability and validity of results.
Campus Interviews
Campus interviews are becoming popular day by day. Corporate visiting campuses for recruitment and test candidates on their technical expertise, aptitude, and personality. These rounds are based to check the academic & industrial knowledge of the candidate.
Criteria of Campus Interviews:
The candidate’s communication skills and aptitude is judged through group discussions and written tests. His personality is evaluated trough presentation skills. Some companies also conduct online test at the preliminary rounds. Keeping in mind the corporate stress some companies also focus on psychometric test to know candidates maturity and his ability the handle stress.
Advantage to the candidate:
The best advantage for a candidate to win the campus interview is that he is well advance familiar about his interview destination and can perform better as it is the most comfortable environment for him.
Performance/ Situation/Stress Interview
In this category candidates are given certain task related to their workforce to perform. These situations can be categories in different areas as Academic, Social, Hr., Marketing, Finance, IT, IB Etc.
The motive of such interviews is to get the best results on spot. These rounds can also be categorized under audition interviews: like singing, dancing, acting etc. Candidates are asked to deliver presentation or demo in their respective area and even could be asked to solve certain stressful situations.
The most important thing to remember during the situational rounds is you show your competency.
Online Interviews
Internet is the best way of communication today. It is also the fastest and the cheapest medium of interaction.
Tips for online interviews:
Candidate need to write precise and to the demand of the questions.
Candidate need to have good command on his writing skills.
Spellings, formation and editing need to be checked before sending the mails.
One must be aware of formal writing.
Presentation Interview
With the emerging change interviews have also taken up electronic impacts within. It is becoming increasingly common for presentations to be delivered as part of the recruitment process. It enable employer to assess individual’s talent for effective organization growth. Communication skills, Confidence, presentation, body language, concepts are certain parameters to collate and analyze information. Now the usage of projectors, laptops has also added professionalism in the delivery of the candidates and hence the corporate is focusing more on the presentation skills.
Tips for better Presentation Interviews:
Dress professionally: Matching Profile.
Rehearsal the topic as much as possible.
Know your target audience.
Command on topic as well as with the time frame.
Good body language
Pleasing personality/Smiling attitude
Audience friendly attitude.
Complete homework including entire aspects.
Good blend of knowledge and humor.
Voice modulation.
Video Conferencing
The widest form of interaction is video conferencing. This form of interaction is very common in most of the international brands. It is more conventional and time saving. The basic requirement to conduct such type of interview is camera, microphone and software.
Dinner Interview
These interviews are becoming popular day by day but the most important aspect to remember about such type of interaction is that we needn’t to forget that we are not going for party or dine out where the most hidden aspect is the interview. Remember that the purpose of the dinner interview is to get to know you. Eating should always be secondary to conversation.
Think to Remember:
Most of the companies ask employee for a dinner interview to check confidence and acumen of handling stress and also social grace.
Tips to follow:
Know all dinning and business etiquettes in advance. These etiquettes will always give you the edge over another candidate.
Dress smartly.
Less interest on food and again more on communication skills.
Emphasis more on non-verbal skills.
Be confident and where you feel nervous wait for others to proceed first.
Avoid taking that food for which you are not at all familiar.
Take water before the core meal.
Be polite. Remember to say "please" and "thank you" to your host and well as with the server.
Interview and Dressing:
Dressing plays a vital role in the interview success. Clothes reveal half of the story about the success chance of the candidate. Today most of the youngsters are running far away from the true discipline of formal dressing and hence when they try these outfits at the time of interaction they are totally uncomfortable. Sometimes it is noticed that during campus interviews student borrow the formals from their peer group and thus are confused not only at the part of dressing but also at the conceptual delivery. This is the main reason to give uniformity at all working levels not only schools but corporate and business schools are also tying up with the concept of formal dressing sense to bring more corporate looks at both personal and professional sense.
As such there is no hard and fast rule for interview dressing but yes one should always dress formal with smart appearance and the most crucial point is we need to dress according to our professional demand. Interview dressing should match as per job profile of the company and suiting country norms.
Men and Women common Dressing:
ü Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)
ü Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
ü Clean, trimmed fingernails
ü Minimal cologne or perfume/deodorant
ü Empty pockets—only mobile( silent mode) and handkerchief
ü Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)
ü Dark socks (black is best)
ü Clean shaven face
ü No gum, candy, or cigarettes
ü Light briefcase or portfolio case
ü No visible body piercing (nose rings, chains, bracelets & eyebrow rings, etc.) or tattoos/ mehandies
ü Wear a suit with a jacket and skirt or slacks.
ü Shoes with conservative heels
ü Clean, polished conservative shoes
ü Minimum use of ornaments
ü Avoid large purses but can carry laptop briefcase.
ü Enamels need to be conservative in color
ü Well-groomed hairstyle -Keep your hair shot and if long avoid open.
ü Keep your makeup simple and natural
Conclusion
We can win the interview with our selling skills that we can master from our academic and professional career as well as with our maturity to understand current affairs like economic, social behavioral, science and political issues. We need to be confident but overconfidence can ruin our possibilities for interview success. The most important aspect to remember is that we should start preparing for our interview since the moment we choose our career. Never enter an interview hall without prior homework as it also increases the failure and disappointment chances of a candidate. Study the company profile and the vision as well as the mission of the responding company because most of the interview questions revolve around the above concepts. Speak clearly and enthusiastically about your experiences and skills. Try to be honest but optimistic and speak as you are sharing your ideas and thoughts. Don’t forget that greeting is the magical mantra and smile is the tantra for your success chance during interview. Prepare a solid self introduction as it is the most demanded question to enter the chakraview of interview. My purpose of sharing this article with you is to make you that Abhimanyu which not only knows how to enter the Chakraview but after negotiating all rounds successfully knows how to smoothly sail out victoriously with flying colors.
Interview Skills To Go! Top Five Tips To Help You Win At Assessment Center Interviews
There are probably more horror stories about interview experiences discussed around the tables of workplaces than any other (with perhaps the exception of an unpleasant performance appraisal, by an unforgettably horrible manager!).Yet it's not difficult at all to hone up your interview skills so that you can be up for action and successful too, ready for being the candidate with the mostest - the winner!So, what would a great set of interview skills be then? Where do you have to pout your effort if you want to be selected as the candidate of choice?Here are five simple steps to get you more than through - to get you to the top of the tree in your assessment center without fail!1) Plan AheadOne of the best and easiest interview skills to develop is to make sure that you have all the information possible about the organization, the process of the selection center and maybe even the people that will be involved. You cannot overprepare in this. And then again don't drive yourself crazy with concerns about remembering every detail.2) Self-ConfidenceThis is much easier to suggest that do, everyone will say, yet you can be confident that you have done enough and you will be fine with what you retain!No-one expects perfection and if you have taken the time to do some research and preparation about the day, you will, without question, already be in the top 10%. Amazing? Yes - and true!3) Recognize SuccessYou will already have had experiences in your life - both work and home - that will help you demonstrate your capability. It takes a little time, focus and belief that you are already as good as you are!In fact this is one of the easiest interview skills to develop. It's all about perspective of you against the world! You have been great in your role so far - believe it!4) Know Yourself Well!Thinking about experiences that you can share when asked, as you will be, "Tell me a time when you..." can be a challenging activity. But, here's a secret - it's as easy as it sounds. All they are looking for is examples of what you personally achieved, so you can easily prepare that.Even in the last month there will be some examples - get those clear first, based on the list of competencies they gave you. Fine tune with bigger ones further in the past once you have a few down.5) Understand ThemIf they have anything about themselves, your interviewers will be looking for thebest candidate - it stands to reason, doesn't it. so they want you to succeed! When they ask you about yourself, you will, if you have prepared even a little, be tuned in to their questions from the word go.By helping then in their quest, you will be a good candidate and make their lives easy!Five little interview skills you can start working on right away. The only thing that is getting in the way of this is yourself.So maybe it's time to get out of your own way and get on, getting ahead. Your next interview might be just around the next corner - who knows?Good luck!
Effective Interview Skills
Life is full of challenges. We meet many confront in our daily life. When we are at the stage of entering school/college/university, we face many hard nut cracking challenges and learn many lessons of practical life through them. After acquiring graduation/post graduation, students usually move towards their specialization or adopt a profession of their choices, according to their own interest, keeping in view the market demand.Talents and Skills are the only tools, which could lead an individual towards the door of success in this challenging time. To qualify for a professional degree or a job, one should have strong past educational background along with integrated multi dimensional skills. It’s of no use acquiring higher degree without building character, confidence, and expressive personality.To meet the challenges of professional life, one has to be familiar with many skills to grab the attention of an interviewer, out of which Interview skills are the basic necessities to meet up the future challenges with success.Either you are applying for a job or want to qualify an entrance examination for a professional degree; you should have to be prepared in advance for an interview. It’s the only way you through which you can gain the trust of an interviewer. An interviewer always attempt to decide that why they should select you? What are the qualities, which you have and other do not have? How can you benefit their organization?If you can show your trust, your confidence, your commitment, and appropriate skills, then you could win a successful future.Interview is a form of oral communication. It’s one to one, or one to group interaction, where an applicant proves themselves as a unique person to be the part of an organization.Remember that interview is always pre-planned and structured. It’s a formal presentation between an interviewer and an interviewee.Only those pass it with flying colours, who are original and show their interest with confidence and who present themselves appealing.There are many types of interview like Information gathering interview, appraisal interview, exit interview, hiring interview, college/ university interview, persuasive interview, counseling interview and many more. In this article, we are going to learn about College/ university entrance and Hiring interview.Hiring/Entrance Interview is one of the best known and the most widely experienced type of interview, where an interviewer is taken by Human Resource Manager/ Educational Expertise.To reduce your chances being rejected, here are some basic professional skills, which will lead you towards the path of success in your interview.BEFORE INTERVIEWFirst of all, prepare your mind in advance, that you are going to have an interview next morning. Relax yourself and do not get nervous, tense or tired at any cost.Before going for an interview, pre-planned few things:1. Learn about the company, organization or educational institution and do some research in advance. 2. Why should you perform an advance research?3. Simply to develop good answers and to prove yourself unique.4. What you have to Research?5. You can gather information about organizational structure; type of their clients/ students; departments and its branches; past and present achievements etc.Simply search yellow pages or ask your friend or family member/relative who are familiar about organization or you can collect information through newspapers and websites.Prepare answers to typical questions. Practice your answer and never rote learn it.Here are few of the sampling questions, which you can practice in advance.1. What do you feel about our organization?2. What are your weaknesses?3. Why do you want to become a part of our organization?4. Tell me about your self and about your hobbies.5. Who is your role model and why?If you are lucky to know the name of a person, who will interview you, then memorizes his/her name properly.Decide what to wear.Remember to Dress simply but elegantly. Dress should be well ironed without crease. Wear comfortable shoes. remember to wear basic hosiery.You can even check what management wears and dress similarly without over kill.Do not Dress casual or wear Athletic Shoes. Do not spray lots of cologne or wear lots of jewellery.Do not wear wrinkled attire or flashing tie.Prepare your file having your portfolio, educational degree copies and extra copies of your resume.Find proper address in advance, that where are you going in the morning.Last but not the least;get a good night sleep.ON THE DAY OF INTERVIEWTake a bath. Do not apply heavy makeup. Always carry a purse or a small handy briefcase with you.Do carry your portfolio file. Dress effectively. Do not eat anything containing garlic or onion in your breakfast.Arrive 15 minutes earlier to show your prompt and seriousness.DURING INTERVIEWStart it off winner. Offer your hand and give a firm shake, else greet them with your pleasant smile.Take a permission to sit on a chair.Show a positive confident attitude and introduce yourself.Don’t get tense. Be comfortable and face the interviewer effectively.Listen to their questions effectively and answer it genuinely.Answer every question with confidence. Have a proper eye contact towards your interviewer. Remember that the interviewer might be more than one, so keep your eye contact with every individual interviewer to make them feel unique.Whatever you want to answer, speak clearly with a normal tempo voice. Do not shout.Show your confidence level at every moment of an interview.Show your certifications or achievements only when they ask you to show.Always sit straight. It might help them to analyze your personality and your traits.Use the medium of answer, in which you feel comfortable. Remember to use good grammar and strong vocabulary with neutral accent.Always clarify your answer. Do not say Yes or No.Never complains about your past organization or employees.While giving effective answers. Do not argue and always give respect to your interviewer. Always keep neutral thinking and try to mould your answer according to your interviewer personality.Do not eat chewing gum, while answering questions.If they give you a chance to ask any query or question, only ask relevant question.TRADITIONAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONSFew of the traditional interview questions, which an organization might ask are1. Tell me about yourself (in two minutes). 2. Why do you feel that you will be successful in ...? 3. Why did you decide to interview with our organization? 4. Are you willing to relocate? 5. Tell me about your scholastic record. 6. Tell me about your extra-curricular activities and interests. 7. What are your strengths and weaknesses? 8. Why should we hire you? 9. Why did you choose to become a teacher, nurse,...? 10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 11. Why do you want to leave your current job? AFTER INTERVIEWWith a pleasing smile, say thanks and ask about the next step in the process. Follow up. Call them if you do not get a call within a given time frame and dont forget to write a thank you letter to an organization for taking out their precious time for your interview.Few reasons for not getting a job.Might be you lack oral communication skills or writing skills.Your inappropriate attitude could also let you down in your interview. Lack of knowledge about the working world.Lack of confidence.Inappropriate/fake degree.Lack of experience.Lack of motivation.PRACTICE INTERVIEW SKILLS.CHIN UP AND GEAR UP FOR YOUR NEXT INTERVIEW !
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)