Tips for a successful Interview

An interview is essentially the opportunity for the perspective candidate to meet the
potential employer. It is of paramount importance that the interviewee understands it
is a two way process to obtain the greatest amount of information available at what
maybe your only opportunity to successfully obtain your ideal job. Below are a
number of guidelines that will improve your interview technique.
Before the Interview
9! of interview success is in the preparation" if you are well prepared# you will be
less nervous on the day# and less li$ely to be thrown by difficult questions. %o what
preparation do you need to do&
Tips for preparation
'ow formal is the interview li$ely to be& Be prepared for anything.
(esearch what the job is li$ely to involve
(ead any literature the company sends to you beforehand ) they*ll probably
as$ questions and you need to as$ questions about the company.
(esearch the company and its competitors.
+hec$ where the interview will be held# how long it will ta$e you to get there
and if possible# do a dry run beforehand to chec$ how long the journey ta$es.
,ry to find out who will be interviewing you. Are they part of the -ersonnel
function# or will you be seen by your future .you hope/ boss&
On the day
If you*ve got an interview# you $now they*re happy with your qualifications and
e0perience. 1ow# they want to $now what sort of person you are.
2on*t just be on time# be early. 3andering around the streets for half an hour
beforehand is a small price to pay for a rela0ed journey $nowing you won*t be
rushing in at the last moment after a panic$y rush from the station or bus stop# or a
fren4ied search for a par$ing space.
If they*ve as$ed for certain qualifications# ta$e your certificates and other evidence of
achievements.
5isten carefully as the interviewer introduces him6herself and any co)interviewers#
and use their names immediately when greeting them to help you remember them.
%mile7 An American study showed that the single most important determinant of
whether an interviewer will appoint someone is whether or not the interviewee
smiles in the first four seconds.
8a$e sure your handsha$e is firm but not crushing. If in doubt# practice with a
friend. 5et the interviewer6s ma$e the first move on sha$ing hands.
Be honest# be positive and be yourself. 9se positive words when presenting what
you*ve done ) don*t just say *I play football...* but *I enjoy playing football...*. If you
belong to any clubs or societies# say so.
2on*t try to present the image you thin$ they*re loo$ing for. :ou may have got it
wrong# and the real you is just what they want. Besides# if you get the job by acting
a part# how well suited to the job do you thin$ you*ll be& And for how long does the
charade have to go on& It would be very wearing to have to put on an act every day
at wor$. 'aving said that# you naturally want to present the best parts of the real
you. ;ust don*t ma$e anything up ) you*re sure to be found out7
Questions
,here are many questions the interviewers could as$ you# but what they want to
$now boils down to three things"
3hy did you apply to us&
3hy do you want the job&
3hy should we employ you&
When answering questions:
5isten carefully# and ma$e sure you really answer the question.
2on*t rush in with your answer" if a question has really thrown you off
balance# as$ for time to thin$ about it.
Answer as honestly as possible. If the interviewer has touched on an
unsuccessful e0perience# admit it and tell them what you learned from it.
Here are some difficult questions you might be ased:
What are your strengths! An easy question ) just be ruthful/. But it*s
usually followed by
What are your weanesses! ,al$ about a specific occasion when you didn*t
do well# and then tell the interviewer what you learned from the e0perience#
and what you*d do differently in future.
Why should we give you the "ob! Again# it*s time to do some bragging )
it*s almost the only opportunity you*ll get7
Where do you see yourself in five years# time! ,he correct answer isn*t
*in your job* ) it*s been done too often. ,his is your opportunity to show that
you*ve researched the company and the industry by intelligently assessing
where you*re li$ely to progress to.
What relevance is your degree to this industry$company! ,hin$ about
not only the information you*ve learned# but also the s$ills you*ve gained#
such as research# report)writing# team)wor$ing and so on.
All these questions are easy to answer if you*ve prepared beforehand.
At the end# the interviewer will probably as$ you if you have any questions. If you
tend to go blan$ at this point# ta$e along a list and consult it. ,he employer will be
impressed by your forethought. If they*ve already answered all your questions# say
so.
,han$ the interviewer for his6her time at the end ) they*re human beings too# and
everyone li$es their efforts to be appreciated.
<inally# don*t worry about the mista$es you have made" no one ever does a perfect
interview. ,he people who get the jobs are generally those who $ept their mista$es
down to a minimum.