Many well qualified and extremely able candidates fail at job
interviews simply because they are unaware of the conventions of
the job interview and the expectations of the interviewer.
Successful candidates, on the other hand, manage to impress
prospective employers precisely because they know how to present
themselves.
Thus, they study the job advertisement; they analyse what is
required in the way of skills qualifications and experience;
they assess their own suitability for the job; and finally, they
present themselves in a thoughtful and carefully prepared
manner.
Their written applications are comprehensive and business like,
containing all the relevant information presented neatly and
concisely.They prepare themselves carefully for interview
anticipating likely questions and rehearsing their responses.
They study the structure of the interview and devise a strategy
to satisfy the interviewer's requirements. In short, they
prepare themselves to succeed.
Let us begin by giving some general advice to candidates who are
considering the daunting prospect of an interview. As a
candidate you should be able to express yourself with clarity
and precision. To do this, you must make adequate preparation,
anticipating likely questions and rehearsing your responses.
However, this does not mean that you should learn your responses
by heart.
To do so would make you sound unnatural. Your answers should
appear spontaneous. At the same time, you should come across as
thoughtful, articulate and coherent. So preparation is
essential.
During the interview you should speak confidently, making sure
to support your answers with relevant examples from your work
experience. Sometimes the questions might not be wide-ranging
enough to enable you to present your case as fully and
convincingly as you would wish. In such circumstances, it is up
to you to take the initiative and acquaint the interviewer with
whatever information you consider to be important in advancing
your claims to the job on offer. Remember, it is up to you to
sell yourself.
Always relate your answers to the job for which you are
applying. This is particularly important in the case of
candidates who are faced with the sort of indirect questions
favoured by many interviewers. For example, the interviewer may
ask you to describe your current job. This is an indirect way of
asking you to what extent your present skills and experience
relate to the job for which you are applying.
Always present a positive face. Having studied your application
form, interviewers will have identified the weaker aspects of
your case. They will often use such material to build up a
negative impression of you. So it is in your own best interests
to examine your application critically with a view to
identifying any weaknesses or negative aspects, which the
interviewer might spot. Having identified such negative aspects,
you should be ready to answer tricky questions by preparing
positive answers.
Since interviewers are looking for candidates who display a
positive attitude, you should state that you enjoy your job;
that you are enthusiastic and ambitious; and that you welcome
challenge.
It is important to tell the truth in interviews. However, try to
present the facts as persuasively as you can. It would be
pointless and self-defeating to reveal negative facts which are
largely irrelevant and which only serve to highlight weaknesses
in your case. So examine and assess your own case and tailor the
facts to give the best and most positive impression.
It is essential to develop a rapport with the interviewer. If
you can give the impression that you are in agreement or have
something in common with the interviewer and if the interviewer
takes a liking to you, you are off to a great start. So be
pleasant and agreeable.
On the other hand, it would be a grave mistake to appear as a
grovelling 'yes' man or woman. Discretion should be your
watch-word in this as in other areas.
Interviewers usually place a greater emphasis on experience than
on paper qualifications, so it is up to you to convince them
that your experience qualifies you for the job on offer. This
will involve using your experience as evidence to support
statements that you make in answers to questions.
Now to sum up: here are the success secrets known understood and
applied by thousands of successful job interviewees.
1. Make adequate preparation to enable you to express yourself
fluently in the interview situation.
2. Be confident but try not to sound conceited: use examples to
support your answers.
3. Make sure to acquaint the interviewer with all the relevant
information in support of your case.
4. Relate all your answers to the job for which you are
applying.
5. Look out for indirect questions and know how to cope with
them. 6. Concentrate on the positive aspects of your case and be
ready to deal with questions relating to any negative aspects.
7. Do not tell lies, but tailor the truth in order to present a
positive impression of yourself.
8. Determine to establish a rapport with the interviewer right
from the start.
9. Convince the interviewer that your experience entitles you to
the job.
For further information, visit http://www.assignmentsplus.com
Print this
|
