Interview Skills

Interview Skills. First of all we must know what is an interview?

An interview is a conversation between two or more than two people where one (interviewer) asks question from others (interviewee) to get facts of the interviewee.

Prepare for an interview:-

Some of the easy suggestions which help you to prepare for an interview:-

The keys to a successful interview are preparation and practice.
Self-evaluation is important for you to think about yourself and your past experiences in order to be ready to particulate what you have to offer an employer.
How your present and past experience relate to the position of the job.
Your current and future career goals.
What skills and expertise you have to offer in front of the Company.
The skills that you would like to develop or improve.
Location, salary, and lifestyle priorities
Kinds of people and environments you prefer.
Past experiences you want to highlight such as volunteer work, hobbies, travel.

What preparations should be done before the interview:-

Research the Company – A company’s website is an excellent place to begin. Most companies are very proud of their websites. It usually gives you information about:-

Whether it is international or domestic.
Revenues (Entire amount of Income) of the Company.
of Locations of the Company.
The nature of its major products.

Don’t be surprised if one of the first questions interviewers ask when you arrive is, “Have you have had a chance to look at our website?”

Practice interviews – Write down a list of possible questions that you think may be asked, then have a friend act as an interviewer and direct them to you in a practice interview situation. Don’t stop until you feel comfortable answering each question. Practising beforehand will make you feel more comfortable and relaxed during the interview.

Dress Professionally – For dress code either contact the HR Manager of the company or get to know the full details regarding the dress code from the advertisement for the recruitment. Then dress one level above. For instance, if it is business casual, men can wear dress pants, dress shirt, and sport coat. Men also wear tie but it is not mandatory. Women can wear a pant-suit, dress, or a skirt and blouse. Visual impressions are very important. Therefore, if in doubt, always dress on the conservative side.

Arrival – Try to arrive at the interview location a little early. This gives you time to determine where you need to go, and will give you a few minutes to collect your thoughts. Never arrive late. Nothing destroys your chance at impressing an employer more than arriving late and offering no explanation. If you learn at the last minute that you are going to be arriving late at the interview, call and let the interviewer know. Interviewers understand that things can come up suddenly. You are never considered late if you call and make them aware of the fact.

What preparations should be done during the interview:-

First impressions – First impressions take only thirty seconds. The following ingredients make your first impression the best one:-

A well-groomed professional appearance is required.
Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake, whether it is a woman or a man. (No one likes a weak handshake.)
Always maintain eye contact while shaking hands.
Smile – A smile denotes confidence in a candidate. Try to smile often. Also, don’t be afraid to use some hand animation while answering questions.

Body Language – Use good posture, and look the interviewer right in the eye. Sit up straight. Never take over a dropping posture.
Speak Clearly – Don’t mumble. It portrays a lack of confidence. Speak with assurance. Allow the employer to begin the interview, but be prepared with some opening statements or questions such as, “I understand that this position involves…,” or “What are you looking for in a job candidate?” Make sure you understand the question. If not, ask the interviewer to clarify it. Don’t be afraid to take some time to think before answering. Interviewers are impressed with someone who thinks out an answer before speaking.
Give Brief Answers – Make your answer concise and to the point.
Be Truthful – Don’t lie when asked about something you haven’t done. The next question will be “tell us about it.”
Resume – Be prepared to talk about every fact that is on your resume. Avoid making your resume more attractive by adding fake accomplishments. Keep things at a professional level – Sometimes near the end of an interview, the two parties start feeling comfortable with each other. Don’t let this comfortable feeling lead you to telling them something about yourself that they really shouldn’t know.
Look for something in Common – This is something that has given us an edge in the past. Try to find a common bond between yourself and your interviewer. If you are being interviewed in an office, look at how the office is decorated. Look for something you can identify with. Is his/her college diploma hanging on the wall? Did you attend a nearby school, or perhaps one in the same Division? If so, make a quick comment about it: “What a great football conference.”

Interviewers sometimes feel more comfortable with people with whom they have something in common. This approach has helped several candidates obtain a position over other qualified candidates.

What preparations should be done after the interview:-

Back in Touch – Ask the interviewer when s/he expects to get back to you on her/his decision.
Get Everyone’s Business Card – Before you leave, be sure to get the business cards of all of the people with whom you visited.
Thank the Interviewer – Verbally thank the interviewer for taking the time to interview you, before leaving. Within a day, send thank-you letters to all of the interviewers with whom you spoke. An e-mailed thank-you works just as well.
Do not give up – Sometimes, within ten minutes of the start of an interview; you will know that the job is not one you want to pursue. If you begin to feel this way, don’t give up on the interview. Continue to interview as if the job was the most important thing in the world. This provides you with practice for your next interview, which may be for your dream job!

Overall be sincere before, during and after an interview.

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