An Employer looks for intelligence (intellectual and emotional), communication skills, leadership qualities, ethics, competence, energy, imagination etc., from the candidate.
Why Do Candidates Fail In An Interview
Poor grooming
Discourteous and ungraceful body language
Poor manners
Poor diction
Vague responses
Unappealing resume
Monetary benefits-centric approach, before starting the interview asking how much salary will be given
Lack of punctuality
Poor waiting hall behaviour
Some Behavioural "Unfavourable" Aspects
Preparing for an interview - Look for
Lack of personal or career goals
Lack of enthusiasm and confidence
Not owning up responsibility for mistakes
Self-justification, aggressiveness
Lack of emotional maturity
Negative and cynical attitude
Over-reacting to questions
Lacking sense of humour
Complaining about various things and previous employers
Company's main products and services and likely new products and services
Its key markets, its position in market and between major competitors
Its financial position / profit / turnover
Its history, reputation and achievements
Arrange all the papers required in a folder : Resume / CV, call letters, degree certificates, mark lists, NSS, NCC, sports / games certificates, experience certificates, references.
The Previous Day
The Interview Day
Confirm the venue of the interview, distance, and mode of transport
Locate the venue earlier
Relax, have good sleep, visualise and pray
Reach the venue at least 45 minutes ahead of the interview
For a few steps from your seat, don't show your back
Don't rush.But move out with dignity
Shur the door gently when you leave
Follow Up
In Case Of Stress Interviews
Send the thanking letter to the company the same day
Specify in the letter the point that was discussed
Thank the Placement Agency, if any
Thank your network source, if any
Don't be upset
Let them not see that you are upset
Accept their point of view
Smile
Don't argue but be specific in responses with justification
Job Search Tips
Don't put all your eggs in one basket
Try many methods of job search
Start early for interviews
Learn how others have been successful in their job search
Learn how to think beyond your specialization areas.
Plunge into action
Telephone Interviews Tips
Don't be afraid to pick up the phone! The telephone interview is by far becoming more and more popular. Many job hunters still get that adrenalin rush even with the phone interviews. But following the tips and advice in this article will help you master the phone interview and get you to the next step - the face to face interview.
Often, the first step in the hiring process is the telephone interview.
Companies and the recruiters they employ use the telephone interview to develop a pool of candidates to look at closer, and to pare down the number of applicants for a job opening.
The advantages to the company are:
• The cost is less. • The list of questions can be standardized. • The interview can be delegated to a lower level (cheaper) employee. • It can be done quickly.
The aims on both sides of the telephone are limited. The caller wants a selection of qualified candidates, and the process screens out many candidates. If the call is a straightforward screening call, the caller will likely ask about your experience, availability and salary requirements. Your strategy is to provide facts that support your resume, with some context about your performance. Try using numbers and facts to be effective, however, you don't want to volunteer anything that could disqualify you . Make every effort to sound professional but not personal, as this call is not to establish rapport.
Since you are unlikely to win the job from a telephone interview, your goal is to secure an in-person interview with the person who has the authority to hire. Approach the call with that attitude.
Managing the Telephone Interview
Try to reschedule surprise interviews. Say that you have a conflict and suggest a time you can call back. When you call back, be prepared for the call just as you would for a full-dress interview.
Have ready
• Pen and paper, a calculator. • The job ad and the resume and cover letter which you sent in response to the ad. • A list of your accomplishments which relate to the job you are discussing. • Research you have done on the company. • A short list of questions about the job. • Your calendar.
The Techniques of a Pro
• Smile - it comes through in your voice. • Speak directly into the phone. • Don't smoke, chew gum, eat or drink anything. It all telegraphs to your listener. • Stand up. Your voice sounds stronger. • Avoid ah, er, hum. This habit is especially noticeable on the telephone. This takes practice. So practice.
For a winning performance
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Confirm the caller's name and company. Get the caller's telephone number.
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Be aware that the caller can't see you - can't see your hand gestures, can't see you taking notes.
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Pace the call. Let the caller do most of the talking, without interruptions.
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Do use the technique of repeating or re-phrasing questions. It tells the caller that you listened carefully, and gives you time to think about your answer.
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Avoid the simple yes or no; add selling points at every opportunity.
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If you need time to think, say so - as in radio, silence during a telephone conversation is dead air time
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Compensation issues come at the end of the interviewing cycle, never at the telephone stage. You can truthfully say you don't know enough about the job to state a salary figure. And, of course, you would need a personal interview to really talk with the company.
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Which is another way to go for the personal interview? Re-affirm your qualifications; express your interest in the job and the company.Say you would appreciate the opportunity to talk about the job further - in person.
Resume Do's and Don'ts
DO's
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Create a document which is clear, concise and easy to read.
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Strive to limit the length to one, no more than two pages.
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Emphasize your strongest qualifications and position towards the top and left margins.
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Share your degrees and credentials up front following your name.
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Facilitate communication by sharing both your home/office telephone numbers and your email address.
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Highlight your strengths by beginning with a Summary/Achievements/Accomplishments section.
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Utilize bulleted statements with action verbs and stress supportive facts and figures.
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Expedite resume review by the reader by sharing your recent job experience first. List positions in reverse chronological order.
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Support your education and credentials with institutions, years achieved. Avoid dates over 25 years old to minimize age discrimination
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Presentation is critical! Use word processing, spell checkers, etc... A poor resume is a reflection of the one who prepared it.
DON'Ts
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Refrain from the title "Resume" and the ending "References Furnished Upon Request." They waste valuable space.
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Avoid the use of an "Objective Statement." They are generic in content and self-limiting.
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Steer clear of overlapping dates of employment, without providing statements of clarification.
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Abstain from sharing your salary history or reasons for leaving previous employment.
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Do Not stretch the truth! Misinformation or untruthful statements will inevitably come back to haunt you.
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Shy away from providing more than 10 -20 years of previous work experience. It takes space, will date you and is likely no longer pertinent
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Avoid personal sections, activities and memberships which are not business related.
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Fight the tendency to allow your resume to become outdated. You never know when opportunity may knock and you want to be prepared.
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Fax or mail your resume if email is not an option. Email provides virtually instant delivery and demonstrates your technological savvy.
Question you may be asked
Questions you may be asked
Your answers should be comprehensive but relevant. Try not to get carried away; stick to the point. You must expect to be asked awkward or difficult questions.
About the Company / job
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What do you know about what the company does?
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What skills would you bring to this company?
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When considering joining a new company, what are some of the factors you take into account?
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Why should we give you the job?
About You
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How would you describe yourself?
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Tell me about your career to date
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What would you like to be doing in 5 years time?
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What do you consider are your main achievements?
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What do you consider to be your main strengths?
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What do you consider to be your main weaknesses?
About your current job
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What do you like about your current job?
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What do you dislike about your current job?
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Tell me about a difficult situation and how you tackled it
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What kind of decisions do you find most difficult to make?
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Why do you want to leave your current job?
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How would your present manager/supervisor describe you?
And the responses
What the interviewer really wants to know!
Tell me about your career to date
Make it relevant to the position you are being interviewed for. The interviewer does not want a blow by blow account of every job you have ever had
Why do you want to leave your current job?
At all costs avoid saying anything negative about your current employer. Good stock phrases to use are things like "I am looking for a new challenge"
What do you consider to be your main strengths?
Make them relevant to the position and back up each one with an example of when you have shown them.
What do you consider to be your main weaknesses?
One or two weaknesses only. You need to be able to tell the interviewer what you have done to overcome them
What would you like to be doing in 5 years time?
Think about your ambitions but make sure you have taken into account what the interviewer has already told you about the job.
Why should we give you the job?
Tell them why your experience, strengths and personality make you the right person for the role. And don’t forget to tell them that you really want the job!
Your List of Questions
Prepare questions before the interview. Try to make sure your questions are open-ended; this will encourage your interviewer to talk. This will give the impression that you are genuinely interested and you will get extra information from them.
About the Company
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Can you tell me more about the company’s products/services?
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What are the company’s plans for the future?
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How is the company structured?
About the Job
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What goals/results will I be expected to achieve?
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Will I be expected to travel/ how much of my time will be spent travelling?
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Who will I be reporting to?
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What particular problems would I be expected to deal with?
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Is this a new or existing position?
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How do you see the successful candidate progressing?
Some Questions To Avoid
If you ask about career progression, be careful that your interest in future roles does not outweigh your enthusiasm for the job on offer.
Never voice any reservations about the job. If it’s not the job for you, you do not have to take up an offer.
Use caution if asking about salaries. Indicate your salary range as it will give you room to negotiate to your advantage if they decide they want you
