To start the New Year we will be posting our frequently asked for series on interviewing. It will be broken down over the next six postings. The breakdown will be:
1- Preparing yourself for the interview
2- Doing practice interviews
3- The most often asked questions at an interview
4- What you should bring up at an interview
5- The dynamics of a job interview
6- Understanding the stresses facing the interviewer
DYNAMICS OF THE JOB INTERVIEW
Expectations of the Interviewer:
It is important for you to satisfy the basic expectations of the interviewer. Wear the style of clothing appropriate to the type of job you are seeking. Arrive well groomed from head to heels.
Bring extra copies of your resume.
Confirm the date and time of your appointment in advance and arrive five minutes before the scheduled time.
You want to generate an impression of energy and self-confidence as you meet the interviewer. Smile; look them in the eye; shake hands firmly. Convey that you are genuinely glad to meet them; be relaxed. Be prepared to like the person you are meeting. Intuitions are a funny thing – if you do not like them, they will be able to sense it and probably won’t like you either. Not many people are hired by folks who do not like them. Most interviewers want you to be relaxed and will start out an interview with small talk in an effort to make you feel at home. Look around the office and see if there are any personal items (college memorabilia, hobbies, crafts, pictures, etc.) on which you might comment and use to form a bond and rapport with the interviewer. Don’t press it – if there is nothing, let it go – you don’t want to look stupid.
Realize that you have done your best to prepare yourself for the interview. Go to the interview with the attitude that you are ready and interested in finding out even more about the position and company and whether or not you want to work for them. If you do not get this particular position, it is not a judgment upon you as a person. Maybe it was not a match; maybe you didn’t do your homework well enough; maybe you weren’t interested after you found out “the rest of the story.”
The Purpose of the Interview:
Keep fresh in your mind the goals you have set for yourself in this interview.
First, you are meeting with a hiring authority to convince them that you have the skills and abilities needed for the position.
Second, you are also in the position of the screener. You want to be active in the interview, not passive. You want to discover as much information as possible about the job and the person to whom you would be reporting so that you can decide if this is indeed the position, company and environment in which you can do your best job and grow professionally.
Third, you want to answer the following questions that will be in the front of the interviewer’s mind, whether they ask them directly or not:
1) Why are you here? Why have you chosen our company?
2) Precisely what can you do for our company?
3) What kind of personality do you have – how would you fit in with the other employees?
Presenting yourself effectively in an interview requires the ability not only to listen to what the other person is saying, but also to listen to what they are thinking.
By thoroughly preparing yourself to meet you interviewing goals, you will put yourself ahead of most other applicants for the position.
To start the New Year we will be posting our frequently asked for series on interviewing. It will be broken down over the next six postings. The breakdown will be:1- Preparing yourself for the interview2- Doing practice interviews3- The most often asked questions at an interview4- What you should bring up at an interview5- The dynamics of a job interview6- Understanding the stresses facing the interviewer
