What is Interview?
The Oxford Dictionary defines is as a face-to-face meeting, for the purpose of assessing the qualifications of a candidate for jobs or admission to educational institutions of for the purpose of obtaining statement or opinion of any respected person.
Nowadays, several success formula have come out to see your victory during these stressful moments of an interview. But they would fail if you do not prepare yourself beforehand and practise. These are not any difficult tasks. They will require just 30 minutes of your 24 hours. So, read my points and tell me whether they did come to your aid.
- The same questions....
Expect some questions that are regularly repeated in many interviews. These questions form a base for the interviewer so that he can form a chain of questions from the answer you give.
Let me list such questions, which I call Base Questions.
1) Tell me about yourself
2) What are your strengths and weaknesses?
3) Why do you want to join our organisation/institute?
4) What is your future plans?
5) Who is your role model and why?
These questions form the base for further questions. Let's take an example scene:
Him: What are your strengths?
You: I am honest, hardworking and reliable
Him: What makes you think you are honest?
You: I have never cheated with any person or never have lied to anyone.
Him: If suppose, you have to do a wrong stuff for the good of someone, then would you do it?
You: If it benefits someone then I won't mind doing it.
Him: So this means you can break your honesty!
You: If only it benefits someone. Helping someone is a virtue and not a crime.
So, you see that the first question formed the base for the other questions that came up. The interviewer derives these questions from your answer. So think and talk. Never fall in the trap where the interviewer surrounds you with blames. This usually happens in a Stress Interview. So, prepare thoroughly for these questions and expect them coming towards you in an interview.
- Dressing up
Sometimes, your dressing style can get you a job. However, this seldom works. But your outer appearance does make the first impact, which can make the interviewer have a preconceived notion that you are the one for the job. But I do not guarantee this will get you the job. Also, you cannot neglect it.
Organisations like Jet Airways, Tata, Reliance, Wipro, etc. pay huge emphasis on your dressing. They prefer their candidates to come in formals.
Some companies are liberal with their dress code. In these companies you can go in jeans or any informal wear.
To get a good idea of the dress code, visit the company a day before your interview and get to know the work culture there. If there is a dress code, ask someone about it.
Dressing does help and it is gives the first impression about you to the interviewer.
3) Your conduct during an interview
Before entering the cabin, ask for permission. Like, ''May I come in Sir?''
After entering do not directly seat. It is bad manners. Let the interviewer ask you to seat. If he doesn't then keep standing until he says the relieving words, ''Please have a seat''.
When you are seated, your legs should be firmly pressed on the ground. Your hands should not be on the table, and not folded. Have them on your laps. Seat erect and not bent.
Keep a smile going throughout the interview. This gives a suggestion to the interviewer that you are confident. The smile also reduces your stress and you feel comfortable. Try it if you want.
Never play with your hands or your pen or your tie. Be seated like a statue. Avoid clapsing of hands. This is a sign of nervousness. The interviewer will quickly pick up your body language. And if he or she does not find you confident enough, they will just ask you to leave. So, never show sign of nervousness.
Always look at the eyes of the interviewer. Do not let them shift to something else. It should always be An eye for an eye. You get my point? This is an another sign of confidence.
Do not stammer while speaking. Be fluent. The interviewer wants to see your chain of thoughts. They should keep coming one by one and in a continuos manner.
Your voice should not be very loud, or very light. Speak as you speak regularly. Just be yourself. Do not enact anyone else and throw away your inferiority complex. You too are good like anyone else in the room. Have faith in yourself and God.
4) The most important document
Your resume or bio-data or curriculum vitae is the most important document. It should reflect your abilities, and should be true to very of its words.
It should start with your name, date of birth, address, phone number, E-mail address. Nationality and Marital Status can follow. Some company would like to know your height and weight. Give your height in Centimetres and weight in Kilograms. Then give your language capabilities.
Then comes education. List all of them starting from SSC and ending up with the latest one. Write down the computer knowledge or any other professional education you had.
Then comes experience. Give complete details of them by giving the duration, name of the company, location of the company, name of your designation, job description, salary last drawn and reason for leaving.
You can also state your expected salary. Feel free to write your figure.
Then comes the references. Give atleast two. Then you can put in your interests, hobbies and achievements. Put in a photograph of yours. Add your signature at the end to ensure the authenticity of your resume.
A complete and comprehensive resume is a very handy tool.
- Expect the unexpected
Sometimes you won't directly go in an interview. The company would have planned a shortlisting method. So, you can expect a group discussion or a listening comprehension test, or an aptitute test prior to the personal interview.
You can also expect some really weird questions. Some may ask General Knowledge questions. I confronted such an interview. My first question was, ''If you were the Prime Minister for a day, what would you have done''? This was rather unexpected. I wasn't prepared for such kind of a question. But then too I managed to sneak through.
I also appeared for a Group Discussion whose topic was very vague. It was ''Death''. We have to speak on this topic for five minutes atleast. You can also have topics like ''If'', ''But'', ''We can'' or ''Sky is Blue''. Yes, friends, such topics have really come. The only advantage with these topics is that you can speak anything you want; if you can prove your stand. There is no right or wrong in these topics.
So, expect the unexpected everytime you step in for an interview.
- Last words of wisdom
Usually, interviews are conducted in English. So never use any second language.
Enjoy the moment, instead of getting stressed out.
Be yourself. Be natural and normal.
Show pleasing and graceful manners, sufficient politeness and verve.
Speak more. Do not complete your answer in a sentence. Increase the quantity of your answers. This will impress the interviewer and he will think that you really know.
Always be relaxed. I know that being relaxed during interviews is difficult. But try to reduce your tension.
Always keep in mind that the person who will be taking your interview is a HUMAN BEING just like you. He is not going to eat you up. So maintain a calm head.
So, I wish you all best of luck for whatever interview you are going for.
Just stay calm and focused. For the rest, leave it to the others.
Bye then people.
Ciao!
