http://www.mercubuana.ac.id Modul 14 Interviews There are two parts to this chapter. The first continues the theme of job application by concentrating on the job interview. The second is firmly back in the world of college, considering interviews that are part of the assessment of project work. Job interviews Being invited for a job interview means that the first stage of your job application has been a success. Yo should feel pleased, but it is too early to celebrate; there’s a major challenge ahead. What is the nature of the challenge of an interview ? It is not to outwit the interviews; their aim is to convince them that you are someone you are not. The main challenge is to ensure thay by the end of the interview there is nothing good about you (and relevant to the job) that the nterviewers are not aware of. His can sometimes be difficult because of nerver of shyness or loss of concentration. As with spoken presentations, nerves are not necessarily a bad thing as long as they don’t ruinyour performance. Some adviser say “the interviewer will be as nervous as tou are”. This may be crrect on occasions, but one thing is always true: the interviewer will all have been interviewed themselves for jobs in the past, will probably be interviewed in the future, and will know what it feels like. The best way to counteract the damaging effect of nerves, and to improve your performance generally, is o prepare well. Preparation You will have carried out a great deal of the preparation at an earlier stage of your application (as described in the last chapter). You should possess information about the vacancy and about the organication. Part of your preparation for the interview will involve looking back at the material you collected when you made your application, and looking again at the application itself. Here are some examples of question. This is a comprehensive list, it is just a starting point for you to make your own. Interview questions Why have you applied for this job ? What particularly interests you about it ? What makes you suitable for the job ? What are you seeking in any job ? What plans do you have for your career ?

Checklist for preparing for a job interview http://www.mercubuana.ac.id Interviews for vacation experience or sandwich placements There are likely to be more relaxed than interviews for full-time jobs, and are unlikely to be with more than one person. The qualities that the interviewer will be looking for are commitment, initiative and flexibility. The obvious aspects of interview technique, for example smartness and Checklist for preparing for a job interview - Have you looked back over all the materialyou acquired when you first made your application (especially the application itself) ? - Have you thought again about the qualities the organisation will be looking for, and the qualities you have to offer ? - Have you made a list of likely (and unlikely) questions, and answered them yourself ? - Have you used friend and your careers service to help you prepare ? - Do you know when and where the interview will be held, how to get there, and how to ensure you will arrive on time ? - Are your smart clothes ready ? Punctuality, are just as important as for full-time job interviews, as they shows that you are serious about work. 17.2 Project interviews Student projects are often partly assessed by interview or “viva” (short for viva voce, latin for “with the living voice”). There may be important marks at stake, but in one sense these interviews are easier to cope with than job interviews. In a project interview the nature of the challenge is more easily defined; you are being assessed on fewer fronts; first impression and selling yourself as a person are less significant. The main purposes of project interview are to determine; That the work is your That you understand it That you can explain it Preparation If a member of staff has give you personal supervision during you project, then that member of staff can helf you prepare for the interview. To make full use of the opportunities you will need to complete your report well before the interview. Then your supervisor should be able to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of your work, and perhaps give you an idea of the types of question you are likely to be asked in the interview.