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Interview Tips
Preparing for the Interview
Preparation is the first essential step towards a successful interview. Interviewers are continually amazed at the number of candidates who have not prepared and possess little or no information about the company.
Ensure that you know the exact location and time of the interview as well as the interviewer's full name, the correct pronunciation and title they hold.
Find out specific facts about the company - where its offices are located, what its products and services are, what its growth has been, and what its growth potential is for the future. There are a number of research publications providing this kind of information.
Preparation is the first essential step towards a successful interview.
Among the most helpful are:
- The company's annual reports
- The Internet (the company's web site and news websites offer good places to start)
- Reading the financial
Refresh your memory on the facts and figures of your present (or most recent) employer. You will be expected to know a lot about the companies for which you have previously worked.
Prepare the questions you will ask and remember that an interview is a 'two-way street'. The interviewer will try to determine through questioning if you have the qualifications necessary to do the job. You must determine through questioning whether the company will provide opportunities for the growth and development that you seek.
The Interview
You are being interviewed because the interviewer wants to fill a vacancy. Through the interaction which will take place, the interviewer will be assessing your strengths and weaknesses. In addition, specific characteristics will be probed such as attitude, aptitude, stability, motivation and maturity.
Some do's concerning the interview:
Plan to arrive on time or a few minutes early. Arriving late for a job interview is never excusable.
If presented with an application, fill it out neatly and completely. If you have a personal resume, be sure the person to whom you release it is the person who will actually do the hiring.
Greet the interviewer by name and be prepared ahead of time as to the correct pronunciation.
Keep in mind that only you can sell yourself and make the interviewer
aware of the potential benefits that you can offer to the organisation.
Be prepared to answer typical questions like:
- What kind of job are you looking for?
- What do you know about the company?
- Why did you choose your particular vocation?
- What are your qualifications?
- Why did you choose a career in IT?
- Why would you like to work for our company?
- What do you want to be doing in your career five years from now?
- When was your last salary review?
- What style of management gets the best from you?
- What interests you about our product/service?
- What have you learned from some of the jobs you have held?
- Which job did you enjoy the most and why?
- What have you done that shows initiative in your career?
- What are your major weaknesses and what are your strengths?
- What are your hobbies?
- What does 'teamwork' mean to you?
Shake hands firmly.
Wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright in your chair, look alert and interested at all times. Be a good listener as well as a good talker. Smile.
Look a prospective employer in the eye when you converse.
Follow the interviewer's leads but try to obtain a full description of the position and duties expected early so that you can relate your appropriate background and skills.
Make sure that your good points get across to the interviewer in a factual, sincere manner. Keep in mind that only you can sell yourself and make the interviewer aware of the potential benefits that you can offer to the organisation.
Always conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the job you are discussing. Never close the door on opportunity. It is better to be in the position where you can choose from a number of jobs - rather than only one.
Negative Factors to Watch For
During the course of an interview, the interviewer will be evaluating your positive as well as your negative attributes. Listed below are negative factors frequently evaluated during the course of an interview and those, which most often lead to rejection:
Lack of preparation for interview - failure to get information about the
company, resulting in an inability to ask intelligent questions.
- Poor personal appearance.
- Overbearing, aggressive, conceited 'superiority complex', 'know-it-all' attitude.
- Inability to express thoughts clearly, poor dictation or grammar.
- Lack of planning for career - no purpose or goals.
- Lack of interest and enthusiasm - passive and indifferent.
- Lack of confidence - nervousness.
- Over-emphasis on money - interested only in remuneration.
- Evasiveness - making excuses for unfavourable factors in record.
- Lack of tact/maturity/courtesy.
- Condemnation of past employers.
- Failure to look the interviewer in the eye.
- A limp handshake.
- Failure to ask good questions about the job and company.
Lack of preparation for interview - failure to get information about the company, resulting in an inability to ask intelligent questions.
Answering questions with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Explain whenever possible. Describe those things about yourself, which relate to the position.
Lying. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and as much to the point as possible.
Making derogatory remarks about your present or former employers.
'Over-answering' questions. The interviewer may steer the conversation into politics or economics. These two topics can be controversial, it is best to answer the questions honestly, trying not to say more than is necessary.
Enquiring about salary, holidays, bonuses etc., at the initial interview unless you are positive the interviewer is interested in hiring you. However, you should know your market value and be prepared to specify your required salary or range.
Questions You Might Ask
- A detailed description of the position from their perspective.
- The reason why the position is available.
- The culture of the company.
- Anticipated induction and training program.
- What sort of people have done well?
- What are the company's growth plans?
- What are the company's best-selling products or services.
- What's the next step of the interview process?
Closing the Interview
If you are interested in the position enquire about the next interview stage if applicable. If the interviewer offers the position to you and you want it, accept on the spot. If you wish for some time to think it over, be courteous and tactful in asking for that time. Set a definite date when you can provide an answer.
DON'T be too discouraged if no definite offer is made or specific salary discussed. The interviewer will probably want to consult with colleagues first or interview other candidates before making a decision.
If you are interested in the position enquire about the
next interview stage if applicable
IF you get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you have already been rejected, don't let your discouragement show. Once in a while an interviewer who is genuinely interested in your possibilities may seem to discourage you in order to test your reaction.
Thank the interviewer for the time spent with you.
Finally, please contact your Peoplebank Account Manager once the interview is complete as your personal feedback is essential in establishing the next steps taken.
