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INTERVIEWS TIPS
1. Think about a first date where two people get to know each other and assess if they are compatible and can possibly forge a productive long-term relationship! An interview is just like that. An interview is basically an exercise through which information is exchanged, impressions are formed and the final suitability of the parties to each other is assessed. An interview is designed to evaluate the candidate‟s potential and judge his adequacy for the role that he is expected to assume. In an interview, it is not always the right answer that they are looking at, but the way in which join you tackle the problem. The interviewer will be checking for two things in interviews: your technical competence and a personality fit between the role and the individual. The basic objective of an interview from the point of view of the interviewer is to judge if the candidate possesses the skills that are considered to be crucial to the position he is applying for. 2. Interviewer‟s impressions about you based on your body language, appearance and attitude in the face of stress. 3. “It is extremely important in an interview to dress appropriately, smile often, appear calm, mature and in control. Those are traits that create a good impression in the mind of the interviewer”-A candidate. 4. “You must appear enthusiastic and your urge to join the company should be transparent.”-A candidate.
5. Before you go to interview, brush up on your technical knowledge. Apart from the subject you have specialized in, you should be well versed in current affairs. Make sure that you have a firm grip on everything that you have cited as your forte in your resume. Make sure you know the details of the organization and the particular position that you are applying for. Do you homework, think positive and give it your very best shot. More importantly, learn from your experience and never give up hope! As Swami Vivekananda had said: “What you think, that you will be. If you think yourself strong, strong you will be, If you think yourself weak, weak you will be. So, think yourself strong.”
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2 Just before your interview or group discussion, close your eyes and count backwards from 100 to 1. Visualize each number before your closed eyes as if it were glowing with white light. Glowing white light is known to have relaxing properties. The Jose Silva mind control forum has extensively used this method with great success. Deepak chopra, the new age guru, says that if you want a positive outcome, you must think of a positive outcome charges the mind and body with hope and positive energy, which is itself translates into a confident state of mind. So, the trick is to visualize yourself doing very well in the interview. If it is a group discussion, imagine that you are beginning the discussion, imagine yourself breaking in with such an incredible point that every other participant keeps quite. If it is an interview, imagine that your body language is confident and the evaluators are beaming at you. These strategies, if consciously followed, have been found to induce very positive feelings and can consequently, automatically, inspire the confidence and mental equanimity that reflects in your body language and poise.
6. Do the following in order to create good first impression: Be clear and precise. Your answers should be clear. They should not be scope for doubt or Misunderstandings. Avoid monosyllabic responses. Reply with a short phrase or a sentence (E.g: “yes, I do”., “No Have not.”). This is because monosyllabic responses tend to sound too casual and even rude. Avoid filler words such as „basically‟, actually‟, „you know‟, „I mean‟, etc. These do not add meaning to your sentences. They only make your statements verbose and reflect that your thoughts are not well structured. What are the qualities that the interviewers are looking for in a successful candidate? Good team player, good at analysis, quick decision maker, excellent organizer.
7. We can try to create a positive impression by adhering to the following norms. Look into the eyes of the person you talking to. It is alright to look away for a few moments briefly. Eye contact indicates that you are confident and trustworthy. Avoid fidgeting. You may be perceived as being restless or nervous. Do not cross your arms. It is widely interpreted as being a defensive posture. It may also suggest that you are not open to new ideas. Sit in a comfortable, but erect manner. Don‟t sit on the edge of the chair-it shows that you are too nervous. At the same time, don‟t sit back and slouch. It will mean that you don‟t take the conversation seriously or are casual. www.niyaman.blogspot.com
3 If you want to rest your hands on the table, you may lightly place your wrists on the tabletop.Resting your elbows on the table indicates that you are very aggressive and domineering.Moreover, this gesture is considered rude. Greet with a pleasant smile. A smile not only indicates confidence, but also shows that you are friendly and approachable. If you give this impression, interviewers are more likely to go beyond conventional questions and have a general conversation. You can use the conversation to highlight aspects of your personality that will help you gain an edge over other candidates. It is all right to express amusement or seriousness on your face, so long as they are controlled. If you lack facial expression, you may be perceived as being too nervous. Always regulate the tone of your voice so that it is business like and too casual. If you sound very casual, the interviewers may think you are over-friendly and that do not respect their stature. Also, they may interpret that you could have a casual attitude towards work as well. If you are asked to make a presentation during an interview, you can use your hands to your advantage. Certain gestures can help to emphasis points. However, don‟t flail your arms around. If you don‟t know what to do with your hands, simply clasp them lightly in front of your abdomen. Having your hands in your pockets has varied interpretations. If you are in conversations with people known to you, a hand is your pockets indicate confidence and a relaxed posture. However, in formal interactions where the people are not known to you, it may indicate that you are trying to hide something. While shaking hands before and after interview, always look the person in the eye and smile. The handshake has to be firm, for ladies and gentleman alike. Generally, 2-3 pumps of the hand are enough before you disengage from the shake. A good handshake helps to create an impression of trustworthiness and confidence. A limp handshake, on the other hand, may indicate that you are not comfortable with the person you are interacting with. While sitting, it is preferred that your legs are uncrossed and your feet are firmly on the ground. Dangling feet or crossed legs create a bad impression since it looks very casual. It is a natural tendency of all human beings to judge newly-met people by what they say and how they carry themselves. Hence, take the effort to proactively project a confident and poised personality that everyone will like to associate with. You should always dress more on the conservative wear sober colours. Avoid garish fruits. Don‟t wear heavy jewellery. Make-up should be light and matte. Avoid elaborate hair styles. Your shoes should complement your clothes. Don‟t wear white socks. For men, western clothes are the norm across the board. For ladies, it may be a better choice to western clothes instead of Indian ones, if the place of the interview has a global culture. This is www.niyaman.blogspot.com
4 not a compulsion, but Indian clothes may generate a feeling that you may be conservative in your attitude, which may not work to your advantage. Remember the dialogue from Ms.congeniality-2:”people care about people who care about themselves. “This encapsulates the secret of making good first impressions: if you really care about the way you walk and talk, you are bound to make others notice you – in admiration!
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A few general tips: Make sure you know where and when the interview will be held. Plan your journey and aim to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time of the interview. Make sure you have all relevant records, documents and recommendations with you, neatly filed. After you arrive, calm yourself, talk a look at the people around you and try to deduce the organizational culture. During the interview, be a good listener too. If you cannot follow a question, be polite and courteous and request the interviewer to repeat. Don‟t interrupt Request clarification only after the interviewer has completed the question. At a job interview, don‟t help at the very outset an the monetary compensations that you expect the position to bring.
9. Some FAQS: (a) Question: “Tell us something about yourself.” Answer: [Assume that the job is for a managerial position in a rapidly expanding services company. Your answers should reflect the qualities required for such a job.] I am a postgraduate from Bishop Heber College and a gold medalist in Economics from Bharathidasan University (this shows that you are an achiever who others can look up to.) I have been the general secretary of my college and was part of the team that got sponsorship for our college festival. (This demonstrates leadership, your ability to work in a team and the ability to face clients.) I did my schooling in Cochin in kerala, but since my college days I have been in Trichy (this shows your ability to adapt and adjust to new situations) (b) Question: “Why have you applied to this job?” Answer: Your Company is rapidly expanding which means that employees of your company will be exposed to newer areas of opportunity. I see this as an advantage as I shall have far greater exposure with a company such as yours than with any other (this shoes that you understand the inherent objectives of the organization.) My key strengths are my ability to interact with people. In college, I was General Secretary and was part of the team that got
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5 10. FAQs - continued. Remember that the objective of the interview is to find out as much about as he can. The broad that are discussed during a personal Interview in a marketing organization are: Technical Job/work Experience Hobbies General Awareness Career Goals Personality Some of the personal Interview questions you could be asked are: 1. Tell us something about yourself. 2. Why have you applied to this job? 3. How would you describe yourself as a person? 4. Why do you wish to join our company? 5. What are your strength and weakness? 6. What are your short-term and long-term goals? 7. Briefly describe a situation where you faced a problem/crisis, explaining its nature, its importance and the manner in which you dealt with it. 8. Describe your most significant achievement. 9. Describe your extra-curricular activities and hobbies. 10. Where do you see yourself 5/10 years from now? 11. Do you feel your grades reflect your abilities and hobbies? Why? 12. Tell us about your experience in your last job? Why did you quit? 13. What do you know about your organisation? 14. Why should we select you? 15. What are your strongest abilities? 16. How do your skills relate to our needs? 17. What are you looking for? 18. Where do you want to be in 5 years? 19. Where did you grow up? 20. What are your three major accomplishments? 21. What have you disliked in your past bosses? 22. What can you tell us about your past bosses? 23. What kinds of people do you enjoy working with? 24. What kinds of people frustrate you? 25. Were your extracurricular activities worth the time you put into them? www.niyaman.blogspot.com
6 26. What qualities should a successful programmer possess? 27. What qualities should a successful manager possess? 28. Which major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it? 29. What have you done that you consider creature? 30. Who do you admire? Why? 31. Why are you interested in our company? 32. What interest you about our company? 33. What would you like to specialize in? 34. Why did you choose this company over others? 35. Have you ever managed a conflict? How? 36. What are the most important attributes of a good programmer? 37. What are the most important attributes of a good manager? 38. What does success mean to you? 39. What does failure mean to you? 40. What are you good at? 41. Where are you good at? 42. Where do you see yourself 5/10 years from now? 43. Would you compromise your values for your career growth? 44. What do others think about you? 45. Why did you choose the specialization/major that you did? 46. Tell us about the experience you gained in the college. 47. How do you handle conflicts? 48. How do you deal with criticism? 49. What in your opinion is an ideal working environment? 50. How do you feel about the possibility of relocating?
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A few general tips on answering Don‟t keep quite if you are asked the oft repeated “would you like to ask us something?” Never show an inability to take criticism. Don‟t appear shabbily dressed. Don‟t show indecisiveness, egnical or lazy behaviour. Don‟t appear to be an overbearing, over aggressive, “know-it-all” Never be late for an interview. Don‟t overemphasise money as your reason for taking up a job.
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7 Don‟t display an eagerness for self-gratification alone (money, status,glamour,security,etc.) Instead, emphasise your search for an opportunity that best utilizes your effort, skills and experience. Ensure that you effectively convey your understanding of the role that you are expected to fit if you are selected. While discussing your weaknesses, try to cite those which can be effectively developed into skills, for example, being too demanding or trying to achieve more than is rationally possible. Don‟t be critical about your past employer or attribute blame. If you had a bad experience, analyse it objectively and don‟t forget to mention the positive aspects of the culture in the organization. Avoid being too personal or seriously emotional; be honest but also a little tactful.
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Dress: Men should wear formal full sleeve shirts, with buttoned down collars, a tie, a belt, formal trousers,
socks and shoes. Please ensure that your shirt has all the buttons and that it is clean and well pressed. Also ensure that your shoes are polished. Women should wear a saree or a salwar kameez. Although pantshirts are becoming increasingly acceptable, it may not work well in a traditional organization with conservative settings. Crisp cottons work well to portray a formal appearance. Basic pumps, with medium or low heels and watching your attire, are appropriate. Make-up should not be loud or too dark. Try to wear clothes of neutral colour. Blue, both light and dark, work well with Indian skin tone. Care should be taken about body odour. Use anti-per spirants and deodorants freely! However, avoid use of strong perfumes or cologue. Women with long hair should consider pulling it back or putting up to keeps it out of their face. Ornamental heir –dos or jewellery for hair is not a good idea during interviews.
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Body Language : Since we give away so much by our gestures and body movements, it is essential that we mind our
body language in an interview. So, we can have a full don‟ts list: don‟t shake your leg, don‟t cross your hands, smile, maintain eye contact, keep your shoulders straight, don‟t sweat, don‟t let your voice tremble.
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Questions not to be asked : When the interviewers asks you the question, “Would you like to ask us something?” you can ask a
question or two about their organization, the nature of works done by them, etc. But don‟t ask questions such as the following: 1. What is it that your company does? www.niyaman.blogspot.com
8 2. Can you guarantee that I will still have a job a year from now? 3. Would anyone notice if I came late and left early? 4. The job description mentions weekend work. Is it regular? 5. How many days of casual leave can I take? 6. Is the dress code professional or casual?
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Resume Preparation: The resume should be typed on A4 size bond paper, white or ivory laser printouts or print from
inkjets are preferred. Fonts used are also important. Arial, Times New Roman, Garamond, Galliard are a few fonts used typically in a resumes. Clear and neat fonts that are not very stylised should be used to give a professional look to the resume. Font size 10 or 12 is appropriate as the size is easy to read. Larger font sizes give resumes a childish look. Formatting the document appropriately is very important. Use 1.5 lines spacing, left or justified alignment. Follow the same formatting pattern. For example, if one of your section titles is in bold, then all others should be the same. Finally, grammar and spelling mistakes are simply unacceptable. It is always safer to have your resume cross checked by a second person such errors.
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Preparing for success: You know that you will have to appear for many personal interviews all though your career. You
need to create a system whereby you are always at your best. After all, success is not just luck – it is a choice. This choice involves the following skills: 1. 2. 3. Managing Resources Managing knowledge Self Management.
17. Managing resources: Life is in the details. Taking care of the small things will mean the bigger things will follow. Whether It is your records or your dresses, keeping things in shape is essential. Ensure you have a well-written resume, which you update regularly. If you have done anything that deserves a mention like acquiring a new qualification, winning a competition, attending a seminar or presenting a paper at a conference, promptly add it to your resume. Ensure you always have a few hard copies of your resume that can be accessed quickly. See to it that the soft copy of your resume is stored in a place that is easily accessible so that you can make a copy from wherever you are. Ensure you always have enough photocopies of your certificates and mark sheets readily available. www.niyaman.blogspot.com
9 Being well groomed is a daily habit. Pay attention to it.
18. Managing knowledge: The old saying “Rome was not built in a day” is apt remainder when it comes to managing your knowledge. Being well read is the key to success in a knowledge-based economy. You cannot become well informed in a day, knowledge is gained over a period of time. Read up on all areas that are of relevance to you, on a regular basis. If you read everyday over a period of time, you would have greatly expanded your knowledge bank. Also, your skills will be sharpened and you will need less time to glean information. Regular reading enhances your analytic skills and makes you develop associations in your mind. The associative ability of the human mind is a very powerful tool, it is from this ability that new ideas emerge. But this happens only with a mind that is well informed.
To ensure you are always well-informed, here are some life-long habits that are worth developing: Shortlist publications, print and online, and refer to regularly. Maintain a clippings file where articles of importance and relevance should be stored. The Internet is a powerful tool of information. Use it intelligently. Join discussion groups and subscribe to sites related to your areas of interest. The Internet is a great source of knowledge for updated information but it has its limitations. For indepth knowledge, books are still the answer. Keep track of research that is being carried out in your field through the Internet. This will keep you abrest of emerging areas in your field and give you a greater opportunity to expand your knowledge base.
19. Self Management: Human beings are complex and our emotions can sometimes be our worst enemy. Many a time, we doom ourselves to failure because of our negative attitude. Just as staying fit and eating healthy is a habit, managing our mind and emotions is a habit that need to cultivate. Just because you are shy or you have a nervous temperament does not mean that it is your destiny. You can become who ever you want to be. Inculcate the habit of being positive. Make it a practice everyday to focus on tasks that your are good at. By doing this, you will train your mind to concentrate on your strengths and boost your confidence. Visualization is a very powerful technique. By creating positive visual images in which you see yourself performing well, you can, over time, actually behave and perform the way you want to.
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10 In today‟s world, where there is an increased awareness of the importance of spiritual practices, learning to meditate can be a very powerful skill. Meditation is not only a relaxation technique but also an activity that can sharpen your mind and fine-time it to perform at its best. Meditation will also increase your ability to be mindful. Mindfulness, simply put, is being aware of your present moment. By becoming mindful, you hone your mind to perform at its best. The most important thing you learn from this practice is: “The past is gone. You can do nothing about it. The future is not yet here, so there is no need to worry about it. The only gift of life you have is now. That’s why they call this gift of life, our present”.
20. Types of Interviews: One-to-one interview is the traditional and most common format of interview. The candidate faces a single interviewer in such an interview. Group/panel interview is conducted by a group of interviewers. This type of interview can be pretty stressful, particularly if you are not adequately prepared. Questions will be thrown at you from all directions and you have to consciously hold your concentration and keep your confidence high. The most effective way to deal with an interview such as this is to maintain a calm and “in control” disposition. Answer one question at a time. Make eye contact not only with the person asking the question, but also with other panelists by turns. You should also try to identify the more important members in the group and ensure that you have enough eye contact with them. Take a breath after each question. If you are overwhelmed by a flurry of questions, allow yourself sometime by politely asking the panel to repeat the question you have missed. A stress interview is where the interviewers (one at a time or en masse) line up with the mission to intimidate you. The main purpose of this interview is to find out how you handle the stress. So, if you find out how you handle the stress. So, if you find yourself facing several interviewers who stare at you intently, or who fire questions t a rude, rapid pace while someone monitors every move of yours, you need to take control. The reason this method is used to frequently is that it gets results. It gives the interviewer a realistic sense of the candidate‟s response to difficult situations, which would not be possible through a standard set of questions. If they try to stress you purposely, make yourself slow down and speak calmly and softly. This will help you relax and stay in control. Take questions from everyone but deliver your answers one at a time. If rapid questions are being fired, then tell the interviewers politely but firmly that you would be answering them one at a time. Take a breath and focus on the questions they are asking you. Forget about the people in the room. Remember that what matters is not their question, but the quality of your answer. Speak with confidence. Look at the interviewers in the eye while you talk. Never get defensive. Remember you have nothing to lose. www.niyaman.blogspot.com
11 Know how to push back. If you feel the meeting is turning into a psychological test, make sure you comment on your strengths, and tell the panelists that given a situation you would be able to tackle it just as well and probably better than most. However, don‟t be rude, but hold on to your self-esteem. Finally, don‟t make the mistake of taking this interview personally –stand your ground and don‟t let yourself be intimidated. Look upon this as an opportunity to rise to the challenge and respond in a confident and professional manner. Remember, whatever form and interview may take, and whatever the kind of questioning that you are subjected to, the ultimate result depends on how well you can showcase your abilities in the limited time that you have and the poise that you are able to maintain even in the most trying of times.
21. Coping with Rejection In a big country like ours, getting a job, any job, is an achievement. Software companies state how thy receive thousands of applications for hundreds of vacancies. Given such a situation, it is not at all correct to feel hopeless or to despair. It is best to accept the reality of the situation and try again, elsewhere. It is most heart breaking when we clear several rounds of interviews and then fail to deliver in the final round. The message is very clear here- you are good. The problem is not with you; it is not with the competition, it is the employment situation that could not expand to include more people.
Introspection: What we essentially need to do is to introspect seriously about our performance-not about what the panel asked or said. If we stay focused on ourselves, we may find a way out. It is all right to be upset for half a day but by the end of the day the mood must change.
Seek Advice: When you start feeling better, seek a friend or mentor. At this point of time, shun friends who will say things only to make you feel happy. Seek people, or better still, one person, who can present the plain facts about you. This kind of counseling is especially required when you get several rejections. Chances are, you have not done careful study of yourself.
Reality Check: One of the things more easily said than done is to analyze your own strengths and weakness. The way we see ourselves is not the way others perceive us. If three of your critics or friends tell you that you sound brash and aggressive, they are likely to be right. Your perception of yourself may not match with that view, but accept it none the less. It is real. That is how others see you. There is also the other possibility that we overestimate our skills. And keep thinking that others do no understand our potential. Keep such thoughts aside. Since we cannot be objective about ourselves, let others read our behaviour and let us have the courage to accept these readings. When we learn to see ourselves form a distance, we can incorporate changes faster and better and also be able to ensure that it does not change our precious big egos. www.niyaman.blogspot.com
12 Follow-up action: If you have made through several rounds of the interview and then been rejected, it pays to stay in touch with the company. Write them a letter thanking them for the time they spent on you. Let them also know that in future, if there were to be a vacancy, you would like to try again. One may get selected for a job. Give his acceptance letter and then decide not to take up the job as he has clinched another better offer. In such situations, the better that you wrote may stand you in good stead. If you are a fresh graduate and have not been selected at the interview, it is perfectly in order to speak with the person who interviewed you and ask for feed back. Ask for how you can improve your performance; ask for where you went wrong.
No Interview calls: If you have been sending your resume to different companies/placement agencies and don‟t hear from any of them, you need to stop and take stock. See if the fitment is right-i.e. your qualification matches with the job requirement. If that is in place, and you still do not get calls, check to see if your resume requires rewriting. A well written resume that identifies your skills and provides relevant evidence to support your claims is essential to convince your potential employer of your credentials.
Learning outcome: In a statistical survey conducted by the Northwestern University placement centre, 40 reasons were cited as to why candidates for a job were rejected. Lack of fact, limp fishy handshake, condemnation of past employers, and overemphasis on money were some of the few reasons. So, you may have that great CV and the right fitment, but if the interviewer thinks that you come across as a big know-itall, you will have no way of correcting that impression. While it may help to remember that rejections at a job are not personal-they are apart of business, it may help us even more if we learn the tricks of the trade. The world is large and generous and there are enough places for all of us. Let us try wisely and with humility for our place under the sun and let us take courage from yet another real fairy-tale. The University of Southern California rejected multi-award winning-film director Steven spielbery because his C-grade was considered unacceptable.
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