Interview for Employment: Preparation is Everything

Interview

          The term interview is derived from the French word ‘entre voir’ meaning view between. Interview could easily be one of the most frequently used and familiar words in India, even deep in the ‘Hindi belt’ of U.P. or Bihar. To avoid any confusion further in this chapter, it would be a good idea to identify the specific reference frame and context. We shall only deal with interview for jobs and competitive exams.

Orientation for competitive and selection interviews:

          An interview could be for selecting the one most suitable candidate among many; or saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a single candidate. We have discussed a term ‘personnel specification’ before in the book. It clearly puts down, in black & white, the qualities and qualifications a person needs to have, in order to be eligible for that specific job position. Among other things, a ‘Personnel specification’ would include.

·                 educational attainments

·                 professional degree or diploma

·                 age

·                 experience

·                 physiological  details (height, weight, eye-sight etc)

·                 previous training exposure

These are, more or less, easily verifiable attributes in a person. But one vital attribute, the attitude, can not be verified from records and needs face-to-face meeting hence, the need for an interview. Interview is an ever evolving science and it is expected of the selectors to keep devising new techniques, tricks and traps once the candidates start cracking the old ones easily and so no one is going to have the last word here. But as the overall salary levels are increasing, giant companies are getting extra cautious in picking up their employees because they do not wish to be paying through their noses for engaging a super-slick dud. It isn’t surprising then that the interviewers’ guiding philosophy these days is:

“Let a hundred good candidates be rejected but don’t select a bad one!”

To counter the extra-cautious strategy of the selectors, the candidate will have to be extra-careful in preparation. So, there we go!

Preparing for the interview:

1.     Brush up the technical knowledge: Interviewers like to ask a question here and there about the candidate’s chosen field of professional expertise. Inability to answer may hurt your chances of selection.

2.     Be prepared to talk about your family background: It is believed that families have a deep influence on the personality and attitude of an individual. Interviewers would like to assess from your answers, the quality of that influence. Here are two statements that reflect a positive influence.

“I come from a middle class family where the very lifestyle has taught me the values of careful financial planning, thoughtful prioritization and living within one’s own means. I not only learnt the humility to accept whatever life had to offers but also, to dream big and work hard for it”.

‘We live in a joint family and it’s a blessing. It is my biggest source of support, security and guidance. The days in our household are never dull or boring. I admit that there are usual frictions between the individual personalities and between generations. But that is how I have learnt to be sensitive to other people’s feeling and wishes and experienced the power and beauty of teamwork. Our grandfather is my role model for the way be leads the family by setting personal examples”.

3.     Learn to sell yourself: Think of yourself as a product and the interviewer as the buyer. People buy a product only if it fulfills some kind of need. A salesman has to inform the prospective buyer about the good points of the product in order to convince him or her. In India, praising oneself is considered to be a sign of conceit and arrogance. So people habitually avoid talking good about themselves. In an interview, it will obviously not work. Without taking recourse to lies, put forth all your qualities and achievements in a matter of fact manner to the interviewer. In presenting yourself, make a conscious effort to focus on those aspects which would be useful to the organization. You may also be asked to substantiate your claims with suitable examples.

4.     Know your world: If you aren’t aware, beware! Let us introduce you to the idea of ‘Butterfly effect.” 

‘When a butterfly would flutter its wing in shanghai, it could lead to a hurricane in California.’

 The wing upon fluttering would displace some amount of air which would displace more air and then that displaced air would further displace more air….. Until finally, the displaced air is so much that it creates a low pressure area and that attracts ferocious air movement, leading to the hurricane in far away California. The explaining is not very clear, I know!

 The far fetched example is actually a reflection of the closely inter-dependent reality of our present day world order. A small seemingly insignificant event could set off a chain-reaction of events culminating in a catastrophe in another corner of the world. Only a sharp, perceptive mind, always on the watch, can effectively deal with this world and its problems. The one who can not anticipate the powerful winds of change that are irrevocably transforming our world shall be swept off their feet into utter helplessness.

5.     Looking the part:  The wish to look like a movie star is common. The commitment, the willingness to go that extra mile for obtaining it, is certainly not very common. It takes years of extra ordinary self-discipline to look good and the short cut is yet to be found.  The whole world is a snob that reserves special treatment for those who look affluent so take the trouble to dress and appear richer than you actually are. Go easy on fashion but you should be able to turn heads when you enter a room just like a movie star does. In today’s intensely competitive times, when everyone in desperately trying to get noticed modesty in passé. Look good to feel good. Feeling good is the true source of confidence.

6.     Make an interview kit: An Interview Kit is a collection of things that you’ll require to carry with you on the day of interview. If should be prepared at least a week in advance to avoid last minute rush and hassles. The basic thing is a natty folder (or even a briefcase) to hold all these items that follow.

• Copies of your latest resume
• Copies of latest photographs (passport/full length/stamp size)
• Pens, pencil, Eraser
• Some loose A-4 size sheets
• A notepad to take notes in a hurry
• Fevistic, gem-clips, and safety pins (for a malfunctioning dress!)
• Make up implements for last minute touches and a deodorant
• Extra handkerchief
• Copies of relevant certificates
• The call letter for the interview
• The Day’s newspaper and the latest edition of a popular current affairs weekly
• Medicine tablets for headache and upset stomach
• Mouth freshener

7.     Learn about the company: Interviewers are very anxious to find out whether the candidate is really interested in the company or not because they would like, in majority of cases, the employee to stay with the company for a long time though that may not always be the case. Some companies may deliberately seek to flush out employees after some time as the compensation mounts up. Frequent turn-over is not only expensive in terms of repeated recruitment and training costs but also upsets the general schedule and rhythm of the organization. The best way to impress the interviewers is by talking knowledgeably about the company and showing keen interest in future developments. You may gather useful information about the company from the following sources :

• Company’s Annual Report
• Chairman’s speech in the Annual General Meeting (A.G.M.) (published in Newspapers)
• Business section of Newspapers and periodicals
• Company sponsored brochures etc.
• Present and ex-employees

8.     Know the industry: It’s the age of specialization and most of the people spend their entire working life in a single industry (not company), though they may hop jobs into different sectors or companies. It pays to know about the industry you are opting for, throughout the career. Many industries expect the newcomers to bring in fresh ideas and change the existing patterns of functioning. Unless someone has studied the industry and analysed about its SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats), how can he provide ideas and solutions? And please do not underestimate your own capacity to produce great ideas. Anybody can.

9.     Complete a list of industry specific problems and probable solution: You may be asked your opinion on the most probable solution to the pressing industry problems in order to test your understanding, wisdom, insight and maturity. Do not postpone the thinking to when you’ll be sitting in the interview room. Smart managers spend as much as 60% of their time in planning and only 40% in other activities including execution of the plans.

10. Watch interviews on television: Of course job interviews are not telecast on television but other types of interviews are definitely aired and by watching them, you could understand what makes a good impression on the audience and what doesn’t. You could learn how to present your views clearly and briefly. Other things that you may notice are;

• the body language of the person
• Sitting posture
• Tone of voice  
• Speed of speech delivery
• Facial expression
• Handling embarrassing or difficult questions
• Personal Grooming of the interviewee

11. Practice in mock-sessions: Practice makes everything perfect, including bad habits, so arrange mock-sessions only with experienced and informed people who can point out your weaknesses and provide suitable guidance. Sometimes negative feedback tends to do more harm than good because of the manner in which it is given. Teachers, elders, parents and other successful candidates are likely to do a better job in these mock sessions. Do not have too many sessions as it might dilute the focus and involvement of everybody concerned.

12. Study specimen interviews: Many periodicals that deal with competitive exams publish specimen interviews along with expert comments at the appropriate places. They are quite good for understanding the fundamentals of interview process and provide the right orientation to face the interview panel.

13. Interact with previously successful candidates: Apart from some very valuable insights and information, you can also get loads of inspiration.

14. Read the interviews of previously successful people: It’s a substitute in case you are not able to manage a face-to-face interaction. Sometimes, the answers of the successful people can be touchingly inspiring.

15. List building: All lists are aids to memory and a complete source of exhaustive information. Here, these lists are about the information pertaining to a candidate, which shall be useful during the interview process.

i.        List of achievements: Achievements in the areas that could of value to the organization should be highlighted. A history of achievements signifies potential for achievements in future.

ii.        List of activities participated in: Entries in this section would indicate what kind of personality you have; Active or Passive

iii.       List of difficult or complex situations that you faced, how you dealt with it and what you learnt from it: - This would identify your capabilities of dealing with unforeseen circumstances. What you learnt from it will be a reflection of your attitude towards life. This list is useful to substantiate your claims of ‘soft skills’ that you might have mentioned in your CV.

iv.       List of important decisions in your life and supporting reasons: Decision making is a skill best learnt from your parents. In our professional career, we would be called upon to take decisions all the time, many of which would probably affect hundreds of lives. You have to assure the interviewer that you can be trusted to make responsible decisions.

v.       List of important people in you life and why are they important: It would be my advice to name only healthy, positive influences. People become wary and skeptical of the ‘grudge holding’ types because they indirectly  contribute to an atmosphere of hate, fear, distrust, suspicion and intrigue.

vi.       List of important questions and their probable answers: There are FAQs, Frequently asked questions that we can be preparing to answer during interviews. When a candidate takes the trouble of writing the answers to FAQ before hand it allows clarity in thought and expression. Go over your answers with someone experienced to weed out the potential damagers. Then you may rehearse your answers for a perfect delivery on the appointed day of the interview. A list of FAQs follows for your reference.

Most frequently asked questions during interviews

1.     Tell us something about yourself.

2.     Why do you want to join us?

3.     Why should we hire you over others?

4.     Where do you see yourself after 5 years?

5.     Tell us about your (career) achievements so far.

6.     Why do you think you are suitable for this job?

7.     What are your strengths and weaknesses?

8.     What compensation (salary) do you expect?

9.     Why do you want to leave your parent organization?

10. What is the present cost to the company?

11. Tell us something about your family.

12. What are your hobbies and interests?

13. If you are not selected, what would you do?

14. Which is your area of interest and why?

15. Where did you do you Industrial Training? How was the experience?

16. What do you think of your Institute?

17. Who is your favorite teacher and why?

18. Tell us about the place you come from?

19. Why did you choose Hotel Management for a career?

20. Do you know someone in the industry, like relatives, family friends etc?

21. Are you willing to work anywhere in India?

22. How would you describe yourself as a person?

23. What is your philosophy/ motto in life?

24. What is your source of inspiration?

25. Would you like to ask any questions?

26. If you are not selected, what would be your reaction?

Types of interview:

i.        Structured, Patterned or Directed

ii.       Unstructured or free flowing

iii.      Stress

iv.      Telephonic

Structured Patterned Or Directed:

          There are a predetermined number of questions and they are asked in a fixed sequence. Questions are developed through job analysis and are related to the job. Every candidate is asked these standardized versions of questions which facilitates quick and easy comparison.

Unstructured or Free-Flowing:

          The interview runs its own independent course, without too much conscious effort by the interviewer to control it. Most of the questions flow from the candidates responses.

Stress:

          In the interviews for job positions where the candidate is expected to face some stressful situations or environment, interviewers may deliberately try to create stress during the interview in order to check the candidate’s ability to cope with it.

Telephonic:

          Sometimes, due to the distances involved, it is not possible to organize a face-to-face interview. Hence, interview is conducted over the telephone on a date and time mutually agreed upon. The rules of the game slightly change as a result. If would be possible to conduct all interviews through video-conferencing one day and then, new strategies will have to be developed.

Types of questions:

a.               Close – ended

b.              Open – ended

c.               Behavioral

a.     Close -ended questions

These are questions that can categorically be answered with either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Normally, interviews open with these types of questions and then move on to the open-ended questions. Interviewers use these questions to limit and control the direction and duration of the interview.

b.    Open-ended questions:

          These are questions that require an explanation or description for an answer. They usually are framed with ‘why’, ‘when’, ‘how’, ‘what’, ‘who’, and ‘where’. They make the candidate talk and it is believed that the more you talk, more you reveal of yourself.

c.     Behavioral question:

          The presumption behind these questions is that by knowing the candidate’s past behaviour under similar circumstances, it is possible to predict future behaviour. These are open-ended questions and they focus on those behavioural aspects which the organization considers as crucial in the selection criteria. We have already studied the ‘quality spectrum’ which provides a broad framework for all the possible behavioural selection criteria.

          In the behavioural questions, the interviewers would like to elicit the following information.

• What was the situation? How were the circumstances?
• Why was it challenging? Who were the other people involved?
• How did you handle it? Did you succeed?
• What did you learn from it?

                          Behavioural question would focus on the following aspect:

• Solving difficult problem
• Making difficult decisions or simple decision-making skill
• Effectively using oral communication
• Taking initiative and responsibility
• Goal setting and achieving of goals
• An eye for detail and patience to execute a complex, long drawn project
• Making a team, working in a team and leading a team
• Coping with stress
• Putting to effective use professional competence and expertise

Gaps and overlaps in the answers: Interviewers consciously look for any incomplete and inconsistent information in the candidate’s representation of facts. When you sit down to prepare your answers, systematically search for any incompleteness or inconsistency in what you are going to say. Prevention is always better than cure.

An interviewer’s perspective and purpose: Try to see things from another person’s point of view and being sympathetic to another person and his or her point of view is known as empathy. If you want to develop great people skills, develop empathy. Here, we are going to try and see things from an interviewer’s perspective so that we are mentally prepared and alert fro his behaviour and reactions.

-                  In an organization everything has a cost, including the amount of time the interviewer spends in the selection process. Do not waste an interviewer’s time. If he seems to be in a hurry, do not feel offended. Probably he has targets to achieve or deadlines to meet.

-                  The purpose of the interview is to select the most suitable candidate for the organization. The profile of an ideal candidate is already drawn in accordance with the job analysis and job specification. Therefore, respect the interviewer’s judgment in selection. It is not good or bad candidate but a suitable or unsuitable candidate.

-                  There is something called ‘traditional subjectivity of assessment’ during interviews when the bias and prejudice of the interviewer may colour his judgment. But all said and done, the interviewer is answerable for the performance of the candidates he selects, so he is likely to be very careful with his selections as his job depends on it.

-                  All the interviewers are trained to be pleasant, cordial and helpful during interviews. If they are not, chances are may be it’s a stress interview and you should be able to take it in your stride.

-                  Duration of the time you spend in an interview is indicative of how easy it is to dispense with a particular candidate. It’s only when the interviewer has a doubt in his mind that the interview stretches on.    

Common mistakes that interviewers make:

          It doesn’t hurt to keep some extra information about our opponent.

1.     Playing the public prosecutor: Only concerned with catching the inconsistencies in the candidates statements.

“How could you say that when just now…?”

2.     Playing the psychologist: Too concerned with deciphering the hidden meanings behind the candidates statements.

“Oh, I see!’

3.     Halo Effect: The interviewer is so impressed with some of the candidate’s traits and qualities that he ignores the weak or undesirable points. It’s also called ‘falling in love with the applicant’ syndrome.

4.     Horn Effect: The opposite of the ‘Halo Effect’. The interviewer dislikes some attributes of the candidates so much that he fails to see the good points.

5.     Playing good-natured uncle: The interviewer fails to probe for details even when the inconsistencies or gaps in the answers are clearly visible. It’s called ‘glossing over’ and is committed by people wishing to be popular at the risk to their organization.

6.     Playing teacher: The interviewer gives all the answers, does most of the talking himself and enjoys giving lectures on ‘how to improve… ’

7.     Asking leading questions: These are agreement seeking questions which the candidate can only answer one way i.e. to agree.

E.g. “I really enjoy door-to-door marketing, don’t you?”

8.     Playing the executioner: Give a dog a bad name and then hang it. The interviewer, on seeing that the candidate is faltering, appears to be aggrieved, even offended. Then proceeds to shred the poor chap into pieces. The candidate feels guilty for having done poorly.

Issue of importance during interview process:

• Nervousness & anxiety
• Etiquette & manners 
• Body language
• Grooming
• Sense of humour
• Expectations sharing
• Ending the interview
• Follow-up action
• Handling stress
• Communicating effectively.

Nervousness & Anxiety:

          It is a natural body response to anticipations of fearful situations. The warrior’s hormone, Adrenalin, gets pumped into the blood-stream and creates excess energy for one of the two responses; fight or flight. You could use that Adrenalin to face the situation or run away from the situation. Try these to help you deal with the jumpy nerves.

-                  Do deep breathing exercises.

-                  Do light stretching exercise.

-                  Have sumptuous, non-spicy, non-oily breakfast.

-                  Keep yourself occupied before interview. The more you sit and brood over it, more anxious you become.

These precautions will cure the symptoms of nervousness like shallow breathing, dry mouth, irregular heartbeats, sweaty palms, excessive and jerky body movements, stammering, stuttering etc. But the surest cure is a thorough preparation and consistent hard work.

Etiquette & Manners:

-                  When you get called into the interview room, knock gently, but audibly on the door. Get in after a pause. Since you’ve already been asked to come in, you do not need to ask for permission again.

-                  Make sure that you’ve checked and tidied your appearance before going in.

-                  Upon entering, walk erect and steady. Your gait would be observed           for any physical deformity. We shall not deal with the issue of discrimination here.

-                  In case the table is quite near the entrance close the door softly behind you, turn around and greet the interview panel.

-                  If the table is at some distance, walk closer, stand at ease, bow smartly and greet.

-                  Who should you greet first? The conventional order of precedence is;

·                 Older ladies first, then younger ladies

·                 Older gentlemen next, young gentlemen last        

·                 However, if the panel is too big (i.e. more than 3 people) then the most appropriate style would be to greet collectively “Good morning, madams and good morning to you, sirs!

-                  You may enter without asking permission but never sit down without being asked to. It’s the basic etiquette of respecting seniors.

-                  Stand by the chair and wait for their signal. If too much time elapses and the panel seems to be ignoring you, politely ask for their permission. “May I sit down, please?”

-                  Once permission is granted, sit down without any fuss or noise. Be graceful in your movements. Any abrupt or jerky movement would betray nervousness.

-                  While sitting, maintain an erect and comfortable posture. Slouching is as bad as sitting too rigid. Avoid crossing arms, legs as they signify a defensive attitude.

-                  Don’t rock in your chair or lean heavily on the table, tap yours fingers or feet, Play with a paperweight or keep your belongings on the desk. Cut down on excessive movement and unnecessary mannerisms.

-                  Chewing gums, tobacco products are strictly forbidden. So is smoking before the interview.

-                  Decline politely all offers of tea or coffee as there is a possibility of some accident. Remember ‘Murphy’s Law’  ?

-                  So far as possible, avoid drinking water inside.

-                  Maintain eye contact. It’s a mark of respect and attention.

-                  Interview over, get up with least amount of noise and thank the panel for their time and kindness.

-                  Say something like “Have a nice day’, Bow smartly, turn around and walk briskly to the door.

-                  Open it, bow your head once and softly close the door behind you.

-                   On your way back, thank the secretary, janitor or and whoever else helped you.

Body Language: This topic is dealt with in detail in a separate chapter because of the significance attached to it. Here, we would take a cursory look at some important points.

-                  Leg cross or arm cross denotes a barrier and a protective shield. The person adopting this gesture is either not being honest (open) about his answers or does not accept what he hears. It shows defensive attitude as well as skeptical one.

-                  Rocking on the chair reveals the candidate’s secret desire to run away from the interview room.

-                  A person sitting with feet and arm wide apart or sitting with a ‘4’ ankle-on-knee posture reveals his argumentative or competitive bent of mind.

-                  Unnecessary movements, like adjusting tie, flicking an imaginary speck of dust on cuffs, pulling at the watch strap, fiddling with pen or paperweight are collectively called “fidgeting”. A sure indication of candidate being ill-at-ease.

-                  Chewing lips or putting a pen or pencil between the lips shows that the candidate is feeling insecure.

-                  Leaning forward could be a sign of interest as well as aggression.

-                  Leaning back show that the candidate has either lost interest or thinking and contemplating about a decision.

-                  Lack of eye-contest denotes a lack of confidence or the fact that the candidate isn’t sure of himself.

-                  Feet tapping or finger drumming signifies impatience and boredom.

Grooming: Another topic needing a full chapter treatment. Here important points are enumerated.

-                  Use modern but conservative attire. Use sober and formal colours.

-                  A bath in the morning cleanses not only physically, but also spiritually.

-                  A light deodorant and some mouth freshener is a good precaution against unpleasant odour. No strong perfumes should be used.

-                  Pay attention to your face. Hair, eyes, eyebrow, nose, teeth, lips, ears, neck, they all should be meticulously cleaned.

-                  Keep accessories to bare minimum. Avoid heavy jewellery.

-                  People observe shoes very closely. Keep them shining.

-                  Avoid food that could sit heavy on your breath e.g. onion, garlic,

-                  Poor set of teeth really mar the impression. Consult a dentist.

Remember this punch line from an advertisement,

 “What’s on your mind is on your body”.

Do not let yourself down.

Sense of Humour: Ability to laugh at the right time is a skill. If somebody in the panel tries to crack a joke, humour him by smiling politely. Never guffaw loudly or you might offend someone. Anything ‘civilized’ that can make the panel smile, use it. But my gut feeling is that employment interviews are serious business and one shouldn’t set out clowning about.

Expectations Sharing: Perspectives On Salary Negotiations: Its only when the interviewer has made up his mind to offer you the job that this need for negotiation would arise. Here is a list of suggestions.

-                  For expected salary, never quote a wild guesstimate. Find out the going market rates and quote a figure 10% on the higher side.

-                  Never quote lowly rates to get selected. People mistrust cheap goods.

-                  For experienced people, expected salary should be 10-20% more than their current salary.

-                  Don’t sound apologetic for demanding higher salary. Nobody would change jobs if it weren’t for better prospects.

-                  People who hop job for minute differences in salaries are ultimately distrusted for their disloyalty and fickleness.

-                  Be polite and gentle. Too much rigidity could break down negotiations.

-                  If you really have to decline an offer for inadequate compensation , do not sound bitter or disappointed. Express regret and thank them for their time. Express your willingness to try again for a position in the organization sometimes later.

-                  Other expectations, if any, should also be discussed openly and confidently to save disappointments later. Request for all offers and promises to be committed in writing.

-                  Ask the interviewers about their expectations from you.

Note: India, with its huge work force, still remains largely a buyer driven labour market. Do not be over-confident.

Ending the Interview:

          “Last impression can be a lasting impression”.

          Although the chances are that the issue of selection would already have been decided for or against you, you still have half a chance, to make it or break it.

-                  If given an opportunity to ask questions, do ask questions that would convey your interest in the job, organization, industry, or the interviewer.

-                  Never embarrass the interviewer by asking ‘have I been selected?”

-                  You may request for quick feed-back to pin-point areas needing improvement.

-                  Inquire about any follow-up action you need to take, like calling or visiting websites etc.

-                  You may ask for the answer to questions you were unable to answer;

-                  Do not take too long while doing all this. Value interviewer’s time.

-                  Seek permission to leave.

Follow-Up Action:

          Heaving already inquired about the follow-up action; make sure that you do it. Following up confirms your interest and enthusiasm for the job. Jobs sometimes go not to the best but the keenest. Follow-up could be through a phone call, a letter, an e-mail or a personal visit. Remember that line from sales ‘it takes at least three calls to make a sale.’

          In the unfortunate event of not being selected, despite the best of your efforts, do not get disheartened. Show your quality by sending a “Thank you’ note or card to the interviewer. The world is round and we keep bumping into the same people again and again. All is well that ends well.

Handling Stress: Interviewers are instructed to go that extra mile so as to be able to make the candidate relaxed and comfortable so, stress would be recreated during the interview process only if the candidate is certain to encounter stress in his future role. Today, with very strong emphasis on customer care and satisfaction, most of the job positions involve providing service with a smile which can be quite taxing and stressful. Companies are getting ultra-competitive and deadlines are increasingly becoming shorter creating a tremendous amount of stress at the workplace. As things get better for ‘us’ customers, the things for ‘us’ workers get more demanding and challenging. The phenomenon of work-related stress is here to stay so expect stress in the interview, too.

          Some of the common techniques of giving stress are

-                  Interviewer ignoring the candidate completely for a long period of time.

-                  Using provocative or unsettling language and gesture.

-                  Commenting unfavorably on the candidate’s appearance, dress, voice etc.

-                  Asking one question after another without giving enough time to answer

-                  Many members asking questions at the same time.

-                  Endlessly cross-questioning. Also referred to as grilling.

-                  Making fun of an answer

-                  Not listening while candidate is narrating an answer and then asking him to repeat all over again.

-                  Staring without saying a word.

-                  Keep asking the candidate to raise his voice

If and when you come under ‘stress scanner’, you can help your cause by:

-                  listening more and talking less

-                  not taking anything too personally

-                  Responding from the present ‘moment’. Let not past offences show up on your present response.

-                  Maintain eye contact. Neither frowning, nor smiling. Remain still.  

-                  Focusing on the issue, not on the person.

-                  Remembering Bhagvad Geeta’s philosophy of ‘detached action’.

Communicating Effectively :

-                  Brevity is an art. Speak after careful listening and be to the point.

-                  Never interrupt the interviewer while he is speaking

-                  Be loud, clear and quick. Neither too fast nor too slow.

-                  When in doubt, check as seeking clarifications is a mark of confidence.

-                  If you do not know the answer, admit it without much fuss. No answer is better then wrong or vague answer.

-                  Slang and colloquialism is strictly forbidden.

-                  Use simple, correct language. Unless you are very sure, do not use that word.

-                  Add variation to your tone and pitch of voice to sustain interest. Avoid speaking in a monotone.

-                  Do not put on false accents. Speak naturally.

-                  No jokes or inane comments.

Common Mistakes Made During Interviews:

1.     Unkempt, untidy personal appearance.

2.      Failure to show interest and enthusiasm for the job or the company. Acting passive and indifferent.

3.     Too much focus on money.

4.     Rubbishing the past/present employer.

5.     Inability to maintain eye contact while conversing with the interviewer.

6.     Limp, ‘dead-fish’ kind of handshake.

7.     Refusal to relocate where there is an opening. Non-mobile.

8.     Coming late to the interview.

9.     Failing to appreciate the value of interviewer’s time.

10. Asking no questions about the job.

11. Vague, indefinite responses to questions

12. Suffering from a “know-it-all” superiority complex.

13. Overbearing or overaggressive behaviour.

14. Poor communication skills: bad grammar, diction or pronunciation.

15. Having no purpose, no goals or no career plans.

16. Lack of confidence and poise: nervous and ill at ease.

17. Failure to participate in activities.

18. Not willing to start at the bottom-wanting too much too-soon.

19. Not able to explain unfavorable factors in record.

20. Evading probing questions.

21. Gives excuses for everything

22. Not showing tact in behaviour or answers.

23. I’ll mannered, brash and irreverent

24. Showing immaturity

25. Appearing to be devoid of energy and zing

26. Indecisive and muddled, confused

27. Failure to appropriately fill in the application form. Leaving too many blanks,

28. Not being serious, merely having a feel of things

29. Lack of commitment, wanting job only as a temporary arrangement.

30. No interest in the industry.

31. Having low moral standards.

32. Acting cynical, doubting everyone and everything.

33. Lazy

34. Intolerant: carrying strong  prejudices and pre-conceived notions.

35. Uni-dimensional personality with very narrow range of interests.

36. Hyper-sensitive, unable to accept or handle criticism.

37. Using some form of pressure, normally emotional to secure the job.

38. Name dropping trying to intimidate the interviewer.

Some Typical Questions And Suggested Approach:

Q.1     “Tell us something about you” or “Introduce yourself.”

Repeating the factual contents of you CV won’t do. You need to highlight your achievements and strengths. It’s an opportunity to all yourself so don’t miss it.

Q.2.    “Tell us something about your family.”

          Besides giving the factual information about your parents and siblings, talk about values that you have imbibed from your family. Remember that the home is our first school and parents are our first teachers. Acknowledge everyone’s contribution in your success and achievement so far. Under no circumstances should you talk ill about anyone.

Q.3     “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

          This question is to test your level of self-awareness, self-esteem and sense of self-worth. To answer this question satisfactorily, you ought to have done some analysis and introspection before. Whatever claims you would be making of strengths, you should be able to support and substantiate them. The weaknesses that you enumerate shouldn’t be so grave as to jeopardize your chances. The best strategy would be to put forth strengths in disguise.

Q.4     “What are your hobbies and interests?”

          This question is aimed to find out the kind of personality you have (active/passive, extrovert/introvert), your time and resource management skills as well as capacity for creativity and innovation. Your hobbies could also indicate some mental “oddities” that you might have. Having no hobbies and interests would signify a very dull personality.

Q.5     Why should we select you?

          Any attempts at comparison with others would be superfluous and shot down. It is an opportunity to enumerate your skills, qualifications, history of achievements, records of training etc. which in your opinion would be useful for the job position you’ve applied for. This list, you should already have had prepared. Prepare this list under two columns: tangibles (verifiable) and intangibles (non-verifiable or not easily verifiable). Begin with tangibles when you start answering i.e. hard skills first, then soft skills.

Q.6     Why have you chosen this career?.

          The interviewer would basically like to find out whether you have a career plan or not. Your answer would reveal your understanding of the career and the industry. It will also show up whether they can expect long term commitment from you or not. Make sure you have done your career returns analysis and understand the associated ‘occupational hazards.” You will need the help of experienced people to crack this one.

Q.7     “Why would you like to join us”.

          The interviewer is searching for that spark of interest and hint of commitment. Explain how joining the organization would build up your competencies and add value to your quality of work life. Also emphasize on how you can contribute to the organization.

Q.8     “Where do you see yourself ten years from now?”

          What they are looking for here in called vision  and ambition. It is believed that all successful people have a time-bound goals and career plans. Moreover, you need to have some idea about the industry norms for an average career path so that you can place your ambition in the right perspective.

          I am sure you by now understand and appreciate the value of career planning decision process beginning quite early in life. In my opinion, as early as middle school level.

Q.9     “If you are selected what would be your reaction”.

          You would obviously be disappointed so say so. But you will be expected to have an alternative plan i.e. fall back option. You could also talk about trying again, after better preparations. Never project your rejection as some kind of mistake on part of the panel or loss to the organization. Such arrogance will not go down well with the selectors.

Some Additional Tips for Answering:

-                  Negativity out, positivism in

-                  Be generous with praise, cautious with criticism

-                  Show (Have) a genuine interest in people.

-                  Pause before answering. Collect your thoughts and then proceed.

-                  Smile when appropriate. It makes you more likeable.

Handling ‘Trick’ Questions:

          Due to an all round improvement in standards, the candidates these days are equally matched in qualifications, grooming grades, experience etc. The interviewers are hard put to reject equally placed candidates. These ‘trick’ questions are meant to bring out that bit of ‘extra’. These questions may have a degree of job-relatedness but little relevance. But since selection and rejection seems to hang on them, they should rather be taken seriously.

          These ‘trick’ questions could be of following types

a.     Questions with incomplete information

b.      Question requiring arithmetical calculations

c.     Questions to test presence of mind

d.     Questions to test power of imagination

e.     Trivia.

a.     questions with incomplete information

          E.g. How much water flows down Ganges per day?

b.     Questions requiring simple arithmetic calculation

c.     Questions to test presence of mind :

E.g. Why are the covers of the manhole round and not square?

d.     Questions to test power of imagination

E.g. How would you design Bill Gate’s bathroom?

e.     Trivia :

          E.g. What is the name of Sachin’s restaurant?

          Which film personality has the pet name “Duggu”?

Succeeding In Interviews:

-                  Interviewers are not robots. They are human beings with the usual emotions, likes, dislikes, prejudices and opinions, Show respect to them and their words. Be cautions in what you speak and how you act.

-                  Interviewers by and large, do not like servile, subservient behaviour. They do not like arrogance, either.

-                  Organizations like to keep things simple and predictable. They also place much emphasis on social harmony and blending. Never ever express extreme views or radical thinking. Remember ‘political correctness”.

-                  Restrict mannerisms to the minimum. Many people find excessive mannerism as a sign of phony personality

-                  Listen very attentively. Show it through nodding and eye contact.

-                  Do not expect to get the job on the basis of a ‘sob story’! Do not beg for the job, either. You won’t get it.

-                  Find out who the ‘Chairman’ of the panel is. Pay extra attention and reverence to him. He might have the ‘deciding, vote or the ‘veto’.

-                  Observe carefully for any sign of negative body language. It would mean you need to do something about it quickly.

-                  Do not try to influence the panel by name dropping. Do not brag about other successful family members or friends.

Handling Telephonic Interview:

          In this situation as the interviewer can not see the candidate, the emphasis shifts to voice quality and language. Generally, it would be a long distance call so time becomes an expensive commodity and the candidate can not afford to waste a single moment of the interviewer’s time. This necessitates thorough preparation and meticulous organization. Here are some ideas and suggestions to effectively tackle a telephonic interview.

-                  Make sure to keep your phone at a location free from disturbances and background noises

-                  Ensure that your phone is in working order.

-                  Collect all documents that you may need to refer to during the interview and keep it handy.

-                  Keep a notepad and pen around for noting down anything important

-                  Dress formally as for a personal interview. It will prepare you psychologically for the important task ahead.

-                  Avoid eating sour, sweet and cold items as they tend to choke vocal chords. Gargle with some salted warm water to attain a clear voice.

-                  Have a full stomach. If enhances voice quality.

-                  At the appointed hour, be around the phone. Do not let the phone ring more than thrice. Convey your keen interest in the job and the organization by promptly attending to the phone. Remember, this is going to be your first impression.

-                  Do not say ‘Hello’ or ‘Yes’ abruptly. Instead, wish according to the time of the day; announce your name and your city. e.g.  

“Good morning. This is Rajesh answering from Mumbai”.

-                  Make sure you get the interviewer’s name right. It is vital. If you are in doubt, please do check again.

“I beg your pardon, Sir I Could you kindly tell me your name once again, please?” “Thank you very much”.

Best thing would be to write down the name and the designation of the interviewer.

-                  Speak as clearly as you can by paying attention to the pronunciation of each word. It’s called articulation.

-                  Do not yell in the mouth piece. The modern day telephones are designed to carry voices at normal pitch.

-                  Do not speak too fast or too slow.

-                  Never answer vaguely when you aren’t sure what the question was. Whenever in doubt, you must check and double check. Listen attentively to avoid this hassle in the first place.

-                  Whenever you find yourself confused about a word ask for its spelling. If you still do not understand try the ‘paraphrasing technique” i.e. repeating in your words what you think the speaker is saying.

-                  Keep your answers brief and to-the-point.

-                  Do not distract the interviewer with inane comments.

-                  Never try to get too personal to the interviewer.

-                  It would be ideal if you could prepare the answers to some anticipated questions so that you waste no time in thinking on the line.

-                  Keep another person around to assist you should such a need arise. This person could also protect you from outside interruptions.

-                  The entire set of questions that you wish to ask should be listed on a paper.

-                   Inquire about any follow-up action you need to take regarding the outcome of the interviewer.

-                  Over the telephone if you smile the voice assumes a pleasant quality for the listener at the other end. 

-                  Thank the interviewer for his time and attention.

-                  Wait for the interviewer to disconnect the phone before you keep the receiver down.

-                  Since you are in the privacy of your home, its easy to slip up and sound casuals. Be very serious if you really want the job.