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Land that job  |
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Your resume has landed you a job
interview and now you must make the most of a "face-to-face" meeting
to land the role. The Managing Director of Ambe Consultancy Services
(WWW.ambe.com) Mr.
Sunil Kochhar has some practical pointers on getting interview-ready.
Being as prepared as possible is the key to success
in the interview game. |
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Research |
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Visit the prospective employer's
website and browse through the "About Us," "Employment," "Careers," "Our
People," and "Media" or "News" sections.
The State Library and other large public reference libraries will
be able to provide newspaper clippings on a given company so it might
be worth a visit. An annual report can also be a great source of
information and can be picked up from the reception desk of the company
you are interviewing with. Again, State Libraries keep the annual
reports of government organizations as well as a number of publicly
listed companies. If you are going through a recruitment firm, your
consultant should be only too happy (and impressed) to help you do
your homework. |
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Rehearse |
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Rehearsing with a friend or family
member is a great way to soothe pre-interview nerves. In fact, do
it! It will not only build confidence and communication skills but
will also help you get your thoughts straight. Your rehearsal partner
can tell you if you're speaking too quickly, if your sentences are
too long or your answers hard to follow. Rehearse again and again
until you feel your answers are flowing. Oh, and don't get mad at
your rehearsal partner when they raise improvement points. They're
on your side, remember? |
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Use the "behavioral interviewing" technique |
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This is where the question
requires the interviewee to provide an actual example from their
work or life experience. Questions will start with words such as "Tell
me about a time when..." or "Give me an example of ...".
The technique is built on the theory that best predictor of future
performance is past performance.
I have prepared a detailed article on this technique
so use the Ask Mr. Sunil Kochhar link if you want a copy. I have also written
a separate article on how to answer the dreaded "strength/weakness" question. |
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Pre-interview check |
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Before the interview, find out the name and
title of each and every person you will be meeting with. Memorise the
names. Again, your recruitment consultant should provide these. If
you are dealing directly with the company, it's perfectly acceptable
to ask its HR department to provide these details. |
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Appearance |
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Take extra care with your appearance.
Ensure your clothes are clean and well ironed. Check for stains,
stray threads and loose buttons. Avoid visual distractions such as
loud ties, chipped nail polish, heavy make up, sheer fabrics, heavy
ear rings, jewellry that jangles, overpowering fragrances and unwashed
hair or hair that flops into your eyes or needs constant pushing
back. |
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Feeling good |
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On the morning of the interview,
go for a walk or spend some time doing stretches. You will breathe
deeply, which will help you relax, have better posture and therefore
look the part of the successful candidate. On the way to the interview,
walk tall and smile. Strangers will smile back at you and the receptionist
at the interview firm will be nice to you. By the time you hit the
interview, you'll feel good. Remember, some butterflies in the stomach
are okay. Fear and excitement both cause butterflies so tell yourself
those flutters are excitement. |
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During the interview
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Don't say anything
negative about a past employer. |
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Don't interrupt anyone. |
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Keep your answers relatively
short and to the point. If the interviewer wants more information,
he or she will ask for it. By the same token, try to avoid
answering with just a "yes" or "no". |
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Maintain good eye contact.
If there is more than one person at the interview, talk to
both or all of them - no matter how junior or seemingly incidental. |
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Prepare something for when
you are invited to ask questions. Two to three questions is
enough. Sound questions could include who you will be reporting
to, questions about the team you would be joining, and career
path options, projects you could be working on. Salary and
benefit questions are best saved up until you have ultimate
bargaining power - at the very least, second interview stage.
The point of ultimate power is the time between being offered
the job and accepting it. |
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Think carefully before
accepting a drink. You might find yourself in a chair without
arms and out of reach of a table balancing a coffee, tea or
glass of water throughout the interview. |
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Smile - whenever appropriate
of course. |
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Use the Get the Job section to ask for
a copy of more useful articles including |
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Resume writing - the basics |
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Behavioral interviewing explained |
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How to write a cover letter |
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Career planning ideas |
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Tackling the "strength/weakness" question |
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By Mr. Sunil Kochhar
Managing Director of Ambe Consultancy Services. (WWW.ambe.com) |
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