INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES

What is an Interview? Employer – applicant interaction A formal meeting during which an employer and an applicant ask questions and exchange information to see whether the applicant and the organization are a good match. Employer – applicant interaction Asking of questions Exchange of information

Types of Interviews Panel interview Directed interview Open-ended interview Stress-interview

Panel Interview Meeting with Several interviewers who ask you questions during a single session. Your approach would be Show interest in the job Relate skills and experiences Listen attentively Ask insightful questions Display enthusiasm

Directed Interview Open ended Interview Employer controls the interview Questions asked in order from a checklist within a specified time. Open ended Interview Less formal, unstructured and relaxed format Open ended questions are posed to encourage you to talk and to know your personality

Stress Interview This kind of interview tests a candidate’s mettle to find out how he would respond in difficult situation Will be asked more than one question at a time Will be asked further questions without being allowed adequate time to respond Will be questioned in an interrogatory tone and voice Will be asked an unrelated bunch of questions Will provoke his feelings

What employers look for? Physical Personal background Attitude and personal style

Physical Clothing Grooming Posture Eye contact Hand shake Facial expressions Tone of voice

PERSONAL BACKGROUND Hobbies Awareness of world events Reading habits Participation in seminars and workshops

Attitude and personal style Interviewers are likely to be impressed by Enthusiasm Interest Courtesy Sincerity Willingness to learn Self-confidence.

How to prepare for a job Interview? Nervousness is natural Don’t worry too much; preparation will help Research about the company Think ahead about the questions Build your confidence If something makes you uneasy, correct it or exercise. Make a list of your positives and negatives Remember all the other candidates for the job are probably just as nervous as your are

Polishing your interview style One way is staging A mock-interview with a friend Ask your friend To criticize Your performance based on a checklist Video recording Work on eliminating speech mannerisms such as “you know”, “like”, etc…

Plan to look good Make sure that your Impress the interviewer by your looks Wear the best quality business like clothing preferably in a dark pant and light colour shirt and vice versa. Avoid flamboyant styles, colours and prints Make sure that your clothes are clean and unwrinkled shoes are well polished hair is neatly styled and combed finger nails are cut breath is fresh

Other tips… Be present well in advance Walk in confidently with a smile, establish eye contact Wait until you are asked to be seated Let the interviewer start the interview Psychologists say that 50% of the interviewers decision is made within the first 30-60 seconds and other 25 % is made within next 15 minutes. Answer the questions wisely Speak in a pleasant and relaxed manner . Smile and try not to look nervous. Look directly into the interviewer’s eye. Keep responses brief, clear and to the point Don’t argue Remember That you are being assessed more than your answers. Answers do not impress. The person impresses

8 types of questions Credential verification questions. What was your GPA? How long were your at ------------------ Experience verification Questions What did you learn in that class? What were your responsibilities in that position? Opinion Questions What would you do in this situation? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Dumb Questions. What kind of animal would you like to be? What do you think flubber is made from?

8 types of questions Math Questions What is 1000 divided by 73? How many tennis balls could fit in a lorry? Case questions. How many railway stations are there in India? What is your estimate of ------------------ Behavioral Questions. Can you give me a specific example of how you did that? What were the steps you followed to accomplish that task? Competency questions. Can you give me a specific example of your leadership skills? Explain a way in which you sought a creative solution to a problem?

Some common questions.. Tell us about yourself What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Can you work in a team? What are your future goals? In what school / college activities have you participated? How do you spend your spare time? In what type of position are you most interested in? Why do your want to work in our company? What courses in college did you like best? Least? Why?

Some common questions.. What do you know about our company? How would you describe yourself? What do you think determines an individual’s progress in a good company? Define cooperation. What have your done which shows initiative and willingness to work? What is your idea of how industry operates today? Which of your college years was the toughest? What kind of boss do your prefer? What are the disadvantages of your chosen field? Would you like to travel?

50 Standard Questions Tell me about yourself. What do you want to do with your life? Do you have any actual work experience? How would you describe your ideal job? Why did you choose this career? When did you decide on this career? What goals do you have in your career/ How do you plan to achieve these goals? How do you evaluate success? Describe a situation in which you were successful.

50 Standard Questions What do you think it takes to be successful in this career? What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction in your life? If you had to live your life over again, what would you change? Would your rather work with information or with people? Are you a team player? What motivates you? Why should I hire you? Are you a goal-oriented person? Tell me about some of your recent goals and what you did to achieve them. What are your short-term goals?

50 Standard Questions What is your long-range objective? What do you see yourself doing five years from now? Where do you want to be ten years from now? Do you handle conflict well? Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How did you resolve it? What major problem have you had to deal with recently? Do you handle pressure well? What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness? If I were to ask one of your professors to describe you, what would he or she say?

50 Standard Questions Why did you choose to attend your college? What changes would you make at your college? How has your education prepared you for your career? What were your favorite classes? Why? Do you enjoy doing independent research? Who were your favorite professors? Why? Why is your GPA not higher? Do you have any plans for further education? How much training do you think you’ll need to become a productive employee? What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?

50 Standard Questions Why do you want to work in the _________ industry? What do you know about our company? Why are you interested in our company? Do you have any location preferences? How familiar are you with the community that we’re located in? Will you relocate? In the future? Are you willing to travel? How much? Is money important to you? How much money do you need to make to be happy? What kind of salary are you looking for?

How to respond? Why do you want this job? Stress the positive aspects which have attracted you to applying for this position. What qualities do you think will be required for this job? Leadership ability, Supervisory Skills, Communication Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Analytical Skills etc. What can you contribute? Tell about your achievements which would be relevant to the offered position. Why do you want to work for this company? Emphasize the positive reasons. Avoid aspects such as more money or shorter hours You have not done this sort of job before. How will you cope / succeed? Say that you are the sort of person who aims to succeed at every thing you do and you are determined too.

How to respond? Why should we employ you? Relate your experiences and achievements and add that you think there is a good fit between you and that job. How long do you think it would be before you were making a significant contribution to the company? Say that you could contribute from day one and then say how soon would they expect it. What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing? Likes: Stress things such as a new challenge or the opportunity to bring fresh experience to the company.

How to respond? What would your ideal job be? Challenging work, a fair rate of pay, nice colleagues, good career prospects, good team atmosphere, opportunity to learn new skills, apply old skills etc. How would you describe yourself? Pick your best attributes and achievements. Do you consider yourself successful? Say yes and substantiate. What has been your biggest failure? Try to pick a failure which you were later able to correct or something that is not really important. How could you improve yourself? Do not mention anything negative about yourself.

How to respond? Are you a leader? Say yes. Give examples. How do you handle criticism? Say ‘I always think that it is important to get feedback on how I am performing so that I can improve any areas which my boss / supervisor highlights. What makes a good manager? Someone who listens to other people and can delegate while maintaining overall control of the task at hand, bringing in the project on time and to budget good planning skills are essential. Do you work well with others? Say you are happy in both situations.

How to respond? Are you self-motivated? Say ‘Yes’. What interests do you have outside work? Say about your hobbies and interests. Are you too old for this job? Tell that your extra experience would enable you to make a bigger contribution to their company sooner than someone younger and less experienced.