Appearing for an interview
There are 4 broad areas which a candidate can focus his preparation on prior to an interview.
a)Know Yourself
- How can I demonstrate the skills required in this position?
- What are my strengths and weaknesses?
- What are my short term and long term goals?
- What can I offer this particular employer?
- Apart from my skills and experience, what else can I bring to this job?
b)Know the Job
The candidate must ensure that he completes the following as part of the preparation for the interview.
- Acquire a copy of the job description from the employer (HR Personnel)
- Check with acquaintances working in the same field – have a clear idea of the scope and skills required for the job
c)Know the Organization
- Where is it located?
- How big is it?
- What are its products or services and who does it serve – their major clients or markets?
- How is the organization structured? What is it’s history?
- Have there been any recent changes, new developments? Has it been on the news for anything good recently?
d)Prepare for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Do you want to ask us any questions?
- What is unique about you, why should we recruit you?
- How have you contributed to events organized in your college?
- How do you keep yourself updated with what’s happening around you?
- What are the websites you frequently surf? What books do you read?
- What is your favorite pastime or hobbies?
- What are your accomplishments and achievements?
- What are your personal strengths and weaknesses?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals?
- What are your salary expectations?
e)At the Interview – Putting your best foot forward
- Dress appropriately and look confident. Wear clothes you are comfortable in.
- Be punctual. If you are late, apologize – do not give excuses.
- Give thoughtful answers to all the questions that the interviewer asks you. Speak clearly and be professional in your speech. Your answers must be precise and to the point.
- Be concise; ask for time to collect your thoughts if needed.
- Show you are in interested in the job and the organization without sounding desperate.
- Ask intelligent, thoughtful questions.
- Be sincere and truthful.
f)Body Language
- A firm, upright hand shake is appropriate and projects confidence.
- Make eye contact when you shake hands.
- Try to establish an eye contact as early as possible. Look at all the panel members while answering questions.
- Appear confident and friendly.
- Make sure your words align with your non-verbal communication.
g)Common stumbling blocks at interviews are
- Overselling or Underselling
- Body Language indicating nervousness, fear, boredom, angst
- Lack of Honesty or Cooking up experiences
- Negative Attitude or Lack of Enthusiasm
- Lack of preparation and genuine interest
h)Selection Criteria of Organizations or companies
Due to the heightened awareness of the need for fair hiring practices, human resources departments typically establish interview evaluation criteria prior to the organization's interviewing process.
Preset criteria help to make certain that each candidate is evaluated on the same scale, especially when a hiring committee is used.
Evaluation criteria should directly correlate with the requirements of the position although some criteria are fairly universal.
Some of the Common criteria are:
- Academic qualifications
- Appearance
- Technical Proficiency/Subject knowledge
- Conceptual clarity
- Logical Thinking
- Attitude
- Motivation
- Emotional Strength
- Communication Skills
- Interpersonal skills
- General Awareness
- Initiative
The candidates have to prove themselves during interview process on above mentioned criteria as per the level defined by HR Dept which varies from organization to organization or company to company.
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