Interview Tips

SOME DO’s & DON’Ts FOR INTERVIEWS

Be yourself and smile. Do not try to be someone else or lie.
Be confident or at least show it (it is very natural to be nervous). A warm smile, firm handshake, eye contact, and good posture all counts. If you look away when speaking to someone, you’re viewed as lacking confidence or interest.
Do not sit until you are offered a chair. Sit upright, look alert and interested at all times.
Do not bring any food or beverage with you.
Avoid distracting gestures or making too many hand gestures.
Listen carefully before you answer. If you are not sure about the question, rephrase the question in your own words and clarify it. However, do not make the interviewer repeat questions too many times, which may work adversely. Watch the interviewer’s eyes – if they glaze over, you’ve lost them.
If you don't know an answer, just say so politely.
Do not answer before the interviewer finishes his question.
Speak clearly and avoid "uh", "you know", and slang.
If there is more than one interviewer, address all of them, not just the person who asked most of the questions.
Avoid answering with "yes" or "no", elaborate and answer to the point. If you did some work or project on the subject of the question, mention it. (This may generate more questions on that subject. You may impress them with your knowledge in that subject or you may expose yourself if you lie).
Do not lie or exaggerate about your experience.
When it comes to talking during an interview, sometimes less is more. As a general rule, you should speak one-third of the time and definitely no more than half of the time. The best interviews have a give-and-take atmosphere. To do this, you need to ask questions and try to draw out your interviewer rather than talking about yourself non-stop. When it's your turn to speak, don't hesitate to tout yourself -- just remember to stop talking after you do.
Answering Illegal questions: Respond Professionally. This is an opportunity for you to present information about your talents. Don’t direct answer it, deal with the underlying concern, and express your commitment to your career.
Look Better, Feel better: Wear neat & clean clothes. Looks can make a difference.
Virtual Thanks: You can send follow up letters through emails if this is the way you and the potential employer have been communicating all along. But before sending an email thank you – consider the downsides: Email is overused in several companies – it doesn’t get all read, there won’t be a hard copy unless the recipient prints it out, and you need to check not sending viruses in your emails.
Try to arrive early for the interview. Get to the site 20 to 30 minutes early to allow for any surprise disasters. Don't enter the building until 10 to 15 minutes before your interview. Arriving too early could throw the interviewer's schedule off and start you off on the wrong foot. Use the time spent sitting in the lobby to get a good feeling for the environment.
Managing time for a Job Interview: Give short answers for hard questions and long answers for easy questions.
Think of an Interview as a first date: You're both trying to figure out if there's a match. This mindset proffers many advantages. You come off as curious, not desperate, you don't assume that too-formal, phoney-appearing job-seeker persona, you talk about what you want to talk about instead of just passively getting bombarded with the employer's probes and you're more likely to ask questions during the interview. Those questions will help you assess if you really want the job, or if the tasks will be annoying and the co-workers dumb? Treat the interview as a first date, and you'll both be better informed when deciding whether you should hook up.
Get to work: Unemployed? Then your job right now is finding a job. Don’t let personal distractions keep you from putting in the hours necessary to continue your search. Think of this as going to work. Research Company, industries, positions. Knowledge is power; Power is confidence—something you’ll need to succeed in interviews.
Take a space photo & CV with you. Don’t expect the interviewer carry your resume everywhere he goes.

TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS

· Normally, telephone technical interviews are pre-arranged. Make sure you are present beside the phone at
that time.
. Instruct your family members not to disturb or distract you during the interview.
. Make sure you have a good telephone and it is static free. Avoid using a cordless or cell phone.
. Speak directly into the telephone. Keep the mouthpiece about one inch from your mouth.
· Do not eat, chew, smoke or engage in other task. Do not play music or TV.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS TYPES

· Work History
· Job Performance
· Education
· Career Goals
· Self-Assessment
· Creativity
· Decisiveness
· Range Of Interests
· Motivation
· Work Standards
· Leadership
· Oral Presentation Skills
· Written Communication Skills
· Flexibility
· Stress Tolerance
· Stability & Maturity
· Interest In Self Development

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

What made you apply for this position?
How did you hear about this job opening?
Tell us about yourself.

WORK HISTORY
What special aspects of your work experience have prepared you for this job?
Can you describe for me one or two of your most important accomplishments?
How much supervision have you typically received in your previous job?
Describe for me one or two of the biggest disappointments in your work history?
Why are you leaving your present job? (or, Why did you leave your last job?)
What is important to you in a company? What things do you look for in an organization?

JOB PERFORMANCE
Everyone has strengths & weaknesses as workers. What are your strong points for this job?
What would you say are your areas needing improvement?
How did your supervisor on your most recent job evaluate your job performance? What were some of the
good points & bad points of that rating?
When you have been told, or discovered for yourself, a problem in your job performance, what have you
typically done? Can you give me an example?
Do you prefer working alone or in groups?
What kind of people do you find it most difficult to work with? Why?
Starting with your last job, tell me about any of your achievements that were recognized by your superiors.
Can you give me an example of your ability to manage or supervise others?
What are some things you would like to avoid in a job? Why?
In your previous job what kind of pressures did you encounter?
What would you say is the most important thing you are looking for in a job?
What are some of the things on your job you feel you have done particularly well or in which you have
achieved the greatest success? Why do you feel this way?
What were some of the things about your last job that you found most difficult to do?
What are some of the problems you encounter in doing your job? Which one frustrates you the most? What
do you usually do about it?
What are some things you particularly liked about your last job?
Do you consider your progress on the job representative of your ability? Why?
How do you feel about the way you & others in the department were managed by your supervisor?
If I were to ask your present (most recent) employer about your ability as a____________________, what
would he/she say?

EDUCATION
What special aspects of your education or training have prepared you for this job?
What courses in school have been of most help in doing your job?

CAREER- GOALS
What is your long-term employment or career objective?
What kind of job do you see yourself holding five years from now?
What do you feel you need to develop in terms of skill & knowledge in order to be ready for that
opportunity?
Why might you be successful in such a job?
How does this job fit in with your overall career goals?
Who or what in your life would you say influenced you most with your career objectives?
Can you pinpoint any specific things in your past experience that affect your present career objectives?
What would you most like to accomplish if you had this job?
What might make you leave this job?

SELF-ASSESSMENT
What kind of things do you feel most confident in doing?
Can you describe for me a difficult obstacle you have had to overcome? How did you handle it? How do you
feel this experience affected your personality or ability?
How would you describe yourself as a person?
What do you think are the most important characteristics & abilities a person must possess to become a
successful ( )? How do you rate yourself in these areas?
Do you consider yourself a self-starter? If so, explain why (and give examples)
What do you consider to be your greatest achievements to date? Why?
What things give you the greatest satisfaction at work?
What things frustrate you the most? How do you usually cope with them?

CREATIVITY
In your work experience, what have you done that you consider truly creative?
Can you think of a problem you have encountered when the old solutions didn't work & when you came up
with new solutions?
Of your creative accomplishments big or small, at work or home, what gave you the most satisfaction?
What kind of problems have people recently called on you to solve? Tell me what you have devised.

DECISION MAKING
Do you consider yourself to be thoughtful, analytical or do you usually make up your mind fast? Give an
example. (Watch time taken to respond)
What was your most difficult decision in the last six months? What made it difficult?
The last time you did not know what decision to make, what did you do?
How do you go about making an important decision affecting your career?
What was the last major problem that you were confronted with? What action did you take on it?

RANGE OF INTERESTS
What organizations do you belong to?
Tell me specifically what you do in the civic activities in which you participate. (Leading questions in
selected areas. i.e. sports, economics, current events, finance.)
How do you keep up with what's going on in your company / your industry/ your profession?

MOTIVATION
What is your professional goal?
Can you give me examples of experience on the job that you felt were satisfying?
Do you have a long & short-term plan for your department? Is it realistic?
Did you achieve it last year?
Describe how you determine what constitutes top priorities in the performance of your job.

WORK STANDARDS
What are your standards of success in your job?
In your position, how would you define doing a good job? On what basis was your definition determined?
When judging the performance of your subordinate, what factors or characteristics are most important to
you?

LEADERSHIP
In your present job what approach do you take to get your people together to establish a common approach
to a problem?
What approach do you take in getting your people to accept your ideas or department goals?
What specifically do you do to set an example for your employees?
How frequently do you meet with your immediate subordinates as a group?
What sort of leader do your people feel you are? Are you satisfied?
How do you get people who do not want to work together to establish a common approach to a problem?
If you do not have much time & they hold seriously differing views, what would be your approach?
How would you describe your basic leadership style? Give specific examples of how you practice this?
Do you feel you work more effectively on a one to one basis or in a group situation?
Have you ever led a task force or committee or any group who doesn't report to you, but from whom you
have to get work? How did you do it? What were the satisfactions & disappointments? How would you handle
the job differently?

ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS
Have you ever done any public or group speaking? Recently? Why? How did it go?
Have you made any individual presentations recently? How did you prepare?

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Would you rather write a report or give a verbal report? Why?
What kind of writing have you done? For a group? For an individual?
What is the extent of your participation in major reports that have to be written?

FLEXIBILITY
What was the most important idea or suggestion you received recently from your employees? What
happened as a result?
What do you think about the continuous changes in company operating policies & procedures?
How effective has your company been in adapting its policies to fit a changing environment?
What was the most significant change made in your company in the last six months, which directly affected
you, & how successfully do you think you implemented this change?

STRESS TOLERANCE
Do you feel pressure in your job? Tell me about it.
What has been the highest-pressure situation you have been under in recent years? How did you cope with
it?
STABILITY & MATURITY
Describe your most significant success & failure in the last two years.
What do you like to do best?
What do you like to do-least?
What in your last review did your supervisor suggest needed improvement?
What have you done about it?

INTEREST IN SELF DEVELOPMENT
What has been the most important person or event in your own self-development?
How much of your education did you earn?
What kind of books & other publications do you read?
Have you taken a management development course?
How are you helping your subordinates develop themselves?

SAMPLE INTERVIEW ANSWERS
. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF: Prepare answers for open-ended questions, like, "Tell me about yourself," by making a list of your skills and traits that match the employer's requirements. The closer your skills and traits are to the job description, the better chance you have of landing the job. You should leave the interviewer with a clear picture of what you have to offer.

· REASONS FOR LEAVING: Succinctly describe the reason for your departure, and don't go into details unless asked. Provide references to support your reasons for leaving and job performance. Stay with the facts of what happened, what you did, how you felt and what you learned. Then describe how you will handle things differently in the future.

· YOUR WEAK AREAS: In an interview, bring up a weakness before you're asked for one. For example, "The truth is, I really need to work on my leadership skills. I'm a good worker and totally competent, but sometimes I lack the confidence to stand up and take a leadership position."

· PROVE WHAT YOU COULD DO? Always put a positive spin on your answers to difficult questions. If you lack a particular skill or don't know a certain computer program, be sure to emphasize how quickly you learn. Give an example of a time when you were able to get up to speed in a similar situation. Companies are interested in people who can hit the ground running.

· Interviewing is about selling.
§ The product you are selling is you. Give them reasons to buy.
§ Tell them what you can do for them. Emphasize what you can bring to the company.
§ Convince them that your product is better than the competition's.

· Ask the Power Questions: Great questions to ask early in a job interview: "What are you most hoping to find in the person you hire?" and "What would be my first priorities on the job?" The earlier you can ask these questions, the sooner you can start tailoring your answers to the employer's priorities. At the end of the interview, ask, "Based on what we've talked about today, I feel good about the position. Do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job?" Often, that gives you a chance to counter any objections.

· WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU: Research the job and the organization. What do they need and what you can contribute. What skills of yours is a match to their requirement. In case you cannot match anything, you can emphasize some attributes that you think can be an asset to them.

· HOW DO YOU HANDLE CONFLICT BETWEEN EMPLOYEES: I know everything cannot run smoothly all the time. When there is a conflict, I try to determine the source and see if it can be solved. This might involve other members of the team discuss their problems and offering possible solutions. I would try to put up the best solution and put it into action.

· WHAT CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE: Assess your skills and need of the company. This technique is called skill match. Their requirement vs My Offerrings. Apart from that emphasize some of the achievements of last companies you worked for.

· What are some of the things you find difficult to do? The interviewer is looking to determine how well you know yourself, how you react to difficult situations/tasks and credibility. Look back over your work experience for examples of challenges...speaking in public at a meeting, disagreeing with a manager over an important issue, being asked to use a software program you have not had an opportunity to learn...

· What are your short and long term goals? It comes down to where you are in your professional life and what you want to do. The best advice is to be certain to relate your answers to the organization that interviews you. Do not make a point of having goals that cannot be realized there

· What do you know about our company? If you can relate your knowledge to the area that you would be involved in, it would show that already you have an active interest in the organization. For example, if you were interested in marketing, "I understand that you are one of the top 10 companies in sales to Europe but are currently interested in expanding your market into Asia. Competition is keen in that area but you have an advantage in that you product offers features that others do not, such as....."

· What motivates you? Other than looking into your past experiences....times when you were motivated and times when you were not... no one but you has this answer. Find concrete examples when you had to pull it all together and get motivated to get the job done; what does it for you?

· What are the attributes of a good manager? A good manager is one who plans, organizes, leads, and controls effectively -- that is adds real value to the organization in the execution of these processes. She/he works with his/her work group (team) to motivate them to carry out the activities of the function so that the manager meets (or exceeds) the goals and objectives determined in the organizational planning cycle. In the process he/she maximizes results at an effective cost.

Negative Factors Evaluated by An Interviewer
Personal appearance, which is less than professional.Overbearing, overaggressive or egotistical behavior.No positive purpose.Lack of interest and enthusiasm -- passive and indifferent.Lack of confidence and poise; nervousness.Over-emphasis on compensation.Evasiveness; making excuses for unfavorable factors in work history.Lack of tact, maturity and courtesy.Condemnation of past employers, managers, projects or technologies.Inability to maintain a conversation.Lack of commitment to fill the position at hand.Failure to ask questions about the position.Persistent attitude of "What can you do for me?"Lack of preparation - failure to get information about the company, resulting in inability to ask intelligent questions.

Closing
Do you have any questions?
Suggestion: Begin answering this question with a short preamble "This really looks like an interesting opportunity (or something like that). The question - "How do you think I match up against your requirements?"

This question gives you a sense of how you did in the interview. If the interviewer has some reservations he or she might express them. Such as: Well I'm a little concerned about your lack of ------- . This is called, "smoking out objections." This question gives you a chance to address any concerns the interviewer might express,

The second question you should ask is: "What's the next step?" You should never end an interview by saying; "I'm looking forward to hearing from you." It’s a totally weak thing to say. If you ask about the next step, the interviewer will probably tell you the time frame for filling the position. Something like: "We'll be interviewing for another week and we'll make our decision by the fifteenth". Invite yourself to call back! "Great, if I don’t hear from you, will it be okay for me to call on the sixteenth to touch base?" You will usually get the okay to do so. By asking this, you have expressed an interest in the position and you will be in a position to hear the results quickly. Many people stop their search as they wait to hear about the results of an interview where they thought they did well. This is a serious strategic error.

· Attitude Adjustments: It’s difficult to remain upbeat in a tough job market. Isolating yourself and waiting for the phone to ring is the worst way to handle negative thoughts. When you Start feeling down, take steps to turn things around. Go for a walk, or do something fun. It may be just what you need to feel relaxed and ease.

More details can be had from the following links:

http://www.collegegrad.com/jobsearch/16-0.shtml
http://www.natives.co.uk/skijobs/interview.htm
http://www.virtualville.com/employment_agency/interviewing.html
http://jobs.asiaco.com/resources/top10interviewtips.shtml
http://www.collegegrad.com/intv/
http://www.jobweb.com/Resumes_Interviews/default.htm
http://www.joblink-usa.com/interview.htm
http://www.alec.co.uk/interview
http://www.montana.edu/~wwwcp/tips.html
http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/interviewing/
http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20045.htm
http://www.geocities.com/aer_mcr/libjob/interview2.html
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview
http://www.brockport.edu/career/behave.htm
http://www.iseek.org/sv/41315.jsp
http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/interview_tips.jsp
http://www.collegerecruiter.com/pages/articles/article35.htm
http://www.thestudentzone.com/articles/interviewadvice.html
http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/interview/l/aa071999.htm

Author

Biswajit Tripathy

Mumbai Address

28/503, Seawoods Estate, NRI Complex, Palm Beach Road, Nerul
Navi Mumbai, 400614, MH, India. Call +91 9833216944

Orissa Address

A 140, Sahid Nagar, Bhubaneswar 751007, Orissa, India
Call: +91 674 2520530, 2545552



Email id: b_tripathy@excite.com