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An interview is a formal conversation between the employer and candidate where questions are asked by the interviewer to elicit facts or statements from the interviewee with an intention to check the suitability of the candidate for a particular job.
The job interview is a crucial part of the job search because it’s an opportunity for the employer to figure out if the candidate is the right person for the job or not. There is no doubt that lots of people are really scared to face an interview even if they possess adequate levels of qualification and experience, they still mess up the interview. A job interview can be an excruciating, painful, stressful and awkward hour. Or it can be pleasant, educational, enlightening and successful and this will depend upon your preparation and abilities. The experience of that hour is largely determined by how you spend your time before the interview. If you are ready for your preparation then it will be a pleasant experience, however, if you walk in there without any homework, then you know the rest.
An interview is your first physical impression that you give in to the concerned authorities or the employer taking your interview. Prepare and plan that first impression long before you walk in the door. Continue that excellent impression in the days following, and that job could be yours. There cannot be a specific way to prepare for a job interview and there is no specific syllabus for interview questions. People say that your overall skills are tested and you need not prepare for it, your general ability will be checked in the interview, which is wrong. Though it is correct that in an interview your general ability is checked but along with that your knowledge related to the job is also tested and you do need a thorough preparation before you walk in for the interview.
There is a common question that comes to the mind of every candidate i.e what to prepare for and how? The answer is very simple. You know the post that you have applied for, check out the website of the company to find out the necessary key skills that are required for the post and the kind of work activity that company is involved in and according to the post you applied for, you can prepare for the interview and face it confidently. There is also a great misconception that to secure a job you need to manipulate the facts during an interview, which is absolutely wrong. You just need to speak truth and answer honestly whatever is being asked of you, manipulation may land you in a job that you are incapable of and further lead to tension and wastage of time. Hence prepare well and be true to yourself.
An interview is one of the very important events of your professional life. These days competition is increasing day by day and it is very important for the candidates to give out their best to secure a job during an interview. Hence, proper preparation is only the way out to secure a job during the interview. To make a good impression at an interview do your research well, rehearse properly and relax. If you have done your best then no one can stop you from being successful. Practice ahead of time with sample questions and different interview styles. One of the best ways to prepare for an interview is to anticipate questions the interviewer may ask. This will allow you to give thoughtful and organized answers during your interview. There may be different kinds of question that are being commonly asked, some of these may either be related to your professional knowledge whereas few questions are aimed to check your general mental ability.
Do your homework well and prepare for all those things that you consider importantly related to the post you are applying for. Learn as much as you can about the opportunity and the interviewing organization. While preparing for the interview try to evaluate your own knowledge, skills, and abilities and think about how you qualify for the opportunity. It is important to find out information about the organization ahead of time so that you can prepare well and come out with flying colours. Check out the website of the company, find out the requirement for the post that you have applied and key skills required. This information can help you to give a clue about what you should prepare. It is very important to practice well before an interview, as the saying goes practice makes a man perfect, and it will give you confidence and a sense of ease when you're truly in the hot seat at an interview. With a friend or a career counsellor, practice responding with confidence to typical interview questions like:
Be ready to answer these types of questions. These are a few questions that are generally asked during every interview and preparing these in advance can give you a lot of self-confidence during the interview. Have your answers prepared well in advance that is clear, concise and truthful. People admire honesty and frankness, which they will judge from your answers. Don’t try to make your answers to long and philosophical, keep it simple and straight. You need no repeat words like “I am honest, hardworking etc.” the way you answer such general questions itself gives an overview of your actual personality. Think about challenges you’ve faced in the past, and be prepared to describe how you dealt with them and what you learned.
As stated earlier, there is no single way of preparing for an interview. However, there are few tips and tricks that do work out in most of the interviews. These days a lot of companies hire professionals on the basis of their overall personalities rather than just on the basis of academic grades as was done a few years back. The concept is changing, these days there is a lot of competition for good jobs and obviously, this has led to the employers getting choosy and picking up the best candidates. These days apart from your grades and experience there are a lot of other things that matter in your interview. Here are a set of 10 tips that would help you to overcome your fear of interview and at the same time would help you to give out your best.
Research the Organization
An interview is a big occasion for anyone and you should be nervous about it. All that you have studied over the years would finally be tested at the time of the interview. An interview is an event where you are screened properly for a job and your academics, as well as practical levels, are tested simultaneously. However, if you start with some thorough research, you start to build a case in your own mind about why you should be sitting in that interview room or in front of a panel. When you research about the organization you tend to get a lot of knowledge about what the company is dealing with and what all can be your responsibilities there which further helps you in preparing for the interview. Having some confidence is a solid first step to overcoming nerves.
You can search about the information of the company on the internet and at the same time, you can also judge the probability of the questions that would be asked to you during the interview, depending upon the type of operations that the organization is carrying out. The web is such a wealth of facts, but what you need to do, is turn this into useful information. You can look at annual reports, media releases and product and service information. If a career page has an email contact with an employee and invites contact then do it. Often companies will use testimonials that way to attract new people. Use sites such as linked in to research companies.
Research the Responsibilities of the Post Applying for
It is very important to research about the job that you are applying for and the responsibilities associated with that post. A lot of times candidate do not have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities associated with the job and when asked questions related to those, they are blank. Since a lot of candidates just see the advertisement for the job and don’t look at the details. Though a lot of candidates do not search for the responsibilities very well but still, even job advertisements are partly to blame for this. They are often misleading. The person writing the advert is often not the person that you’ll be reporting to. Things always sound different on paper compared to what you will actually be doing in the role. Hence it is wise enough if you check out for the responsibilities in advance so that you could prepare accordingly.
Once you get an interview call; do check out the career column on the website of the company. It is really important to get a real insight into the role and the recruitment process. Dig deeper than the advertisement. In the career column where the job has been advertised, you can find out very easily the desired skills from the candidate as well as the responsibilities for the job. Make a list of all these, search on net and books thoroughly and gather useful information and be prepared to rock the interview.
Get References and Letters of Recommendation
These days a lot of MNCs need in reference numbers for reference as well as feedback about the candidates. Once you clear in your interview than before giving you joining letter companies do want to be sure that you are the right candidate for their organization. Think of three to four professional associates (i.e., co-workers, former bosses) who you believe will give you a good recommendation. Do inform them about this in advance and ask their permission to use them as references. If they say yes, get their correct title, work address and work phone number. You could also ask them to take the time to write out a general letter of recommendation for future use.
Identify your Key Skills and Accomplishments
During an interview there is a very common question that is asked very often “What are your skills?” or “tell us about your few accomplishments”. Hence it is very important to be ready for the answer. Make a list and be ready to describe your personal and professional strengths, your transferable skills and your relevant accomplishments. Make sure you don’t sound like you are boasting anything. With your research, identify qualities that the company values. Come up with a few personal anecdotes that illustrate your possession of those qualities.
Smartly Crafted Resume
A resume is a document that gives the reader an insight into your academics and professional life and a good resume is very important these days. Prepare a well-crafted resume that gives complete information about you, your academic details, professional details as well as your achievements. Your resume reflects your personality. Be sure that you mention even slightest achievement and quality that can be related to your role in the company.
Practice
Practice makes a man perfect and it is very important to practice well the interview questions that you expect during the interview. Most organizations now use behavioural questions which mean they will be expecting you to provide specific examples of where you have demonstrated the skill they are seeking. Be prepared with such questions and do not hesitate while you answer and maintain a natural flow while you speak. Don’t act as if you have crammed it like an answer from a textbook. Be natural, take proper pauses and maintain regular eye-contact and wear a smile.
Be Yourself
Do not lie about your personality or your abilities. One day or the other this will come to notice of everyone. So in order to save yourself from humiliation, it is advised to be yourself, rather than pretending something or manipulating facts about you. You will be doing yourself no favours if you try and suppress your personality, or pretend to be something that you aren’t.
Formal Clothing
Check head to toe what you're going to be wearing, these days companies are really serious and observant about small things and casual wear is considered highly non-professional these days. Don’t even think about wearing a casual for an interview. Wear proper formal clothing and impress them well with your personality at first glance. Also, gather all the things you'll be bringing to the interview: an extra copy of your resume, references, a portfolio, a pad of paper, a pen.
Keep Relaxed
A lot of people mess their interview either because of stress or anxiety. It is very important to approach your interview in a cool and calm manner. While you think this may be the perfect job for you, it may be that it’s not. There are other jobs out there. If you keep this in mind then you’ll remove some pressure from yourself that this is your only chance to perform. If you think the interview is going badly, relax and use it as practice for the next one. You never know you could even recover if you take this approach. Hence, be cool and leave the rest to your abilities and luck.
Ask Questions
In the end, a lot of professional interviewers give a chance for the candidate to clear their doubts if any. This is the time for you to clear your doubts if any. It gives a good impression when you ask about your responsibilities and a few other things related to your job, this shows your seriousness towards the job and your interest as well. It is advised that don’t ask silly questions just for the sake of asking. Ask only if you have some serious query, un-necessary talking is always a negative sign.
