Good interpersonal communication skills, polite, kind, obedient and easy to be entreated are good traits when getting to a job interview. as you arrive at the place of interview, starting with the first contact
Car-park attendants, Security guards, commissioners,
Secretaries, messengers, and other staff
All these will have an impression of you, and may put some input to the decision. You never underestimate anybody at the place of interview. Be courteous and polite. Don’t be over relaxed, or over nervous. Be prepared psychologically, physically and emotionally.
Once in the interview room, it is crucial to get to a good start.
Those first few minutes could be the most critical, since strong impressions can be formed in the first few seconds. For this reason, realize the importance of external items and mannerisms. How you enter the room, your clothes and accessories, the way you shake hands and your voice tone all create an impression. If it’s unfavorable, you’ll spend the rest of the interview trying to improve it. If you make a good first impression, strive to make it better during the meeting. Usually candidates are judged within the first one or two minutes of an interview.
In short, check on the following:
- How you walk across the interview room.
- How you shake people’s hands in greetings. How strong is it? A man’s should be strong whereas a lady’s should be softer and gentle.
- How you sit down on the chair matters
- How you manage the files and arrange out certificates to the panel members. Your briefcase must be arranged neatly. Even the way you dress necktie, belt or shirtsleeves matter a lot to indicate whether you are slovenly or lazy.
Remember to enter the interview room confidently not brashly, with a pleasant smile (imagine you know somebody in the panel to prompt a friendly response in your facial expression). Respond to a handshake firmly, wait until you are invited to sit, and remain quiet but alert to the opening moves by the interviewer. As soon as the leader of the panel speaks and introduces the panel, adjust your attention to him/her and maintain a pleasant eye contact.
Weigh up the Interviewers
Establish a good ‘chemistry’ between you and the interviewer.
This impression is important to note. If the chemistry is not right you always know. Be a discerner of times, places and means. Listen to yourself as you assess holistically about the team of the panel. Do something to adjust yourself to their mood of rapport. This is the hardest moment for you. One team may not favour argumentative reasoning; another may prefer intellectual reasoning rather than religious viewpoints; another may prefer humility and neatness of the interviewee and so on. This you will find out by intuition and careful response to the spirit of the prevailing mood of the panel. With this awareness you will always get your way through the interview!
Listen carefully
Be attentive, discerning and responsive as you listen to every question asked from each interviewer. Hear the form and understand the content (meaning) of the words spoken in every question asked. But respond to the meaning of the question. If not sure, restate the question and then respond after the questioning interviewer confirms it.
- It is good to practice to pause for a few seconds before you respond to all even the simplest questions. This shows that you are reflecting (thinking) about the question and also it psychologically gives the interviewer a feeling that the question posed is wise and worth thinking about.
- Always endeavour to be accurate in answering all the questions. If in doubt, better check by paraphrasing, repeating the question, asking for it to be repeated by requesting politely by saying, ‘Sorry, I did not get the question, kindly repeat out for me please.’
Always in every question asked, seek to understand:-
- the intent of the interviewer’s mind,
- reasoning behind every question,
- the clue for an appropriate answer in the question.
Reply skillfully
We always communicate our ideas in two ways.
Verbally and none-verbally
Apart from listening to the words, good interviewers will watch our unspoken reactions and body language:-
- posture, facial expression
- gesture, indications of tension
- Always convey a sense of:-
- a relaxed alertness, attentive alertness,
- respective posture a friendly responsiveness
- meekness in response agreeable attitude
In general, the answers should:-
- address both the point raised and what we believe to be the reason for it being raised.
- be well structured and logical, beginning with a clear statement, which is then explained or enlarged on.
- be neither too long nor too short. Brief answers should be reserved for simple, purely factual questions but we must also know when to stop.
- be well spoken –clearly, confidently, naturally and with good but not obsessive eye contact. Let respect be in your eyes, particularly for the ladies. And be patient and not easily provoked whatever the question. Comment on the questions positively before answering them, such as … ‘I like that question, because it will help me to explain what I have done with interest in my life in the last five years…’
- Remember, the panel is looking for information from you. Take the least available time and chance to sell yourself. Every question is your prompting outline to sell yourself to the panel.
- Keep within the bounds of your knowledge of the post and organization. Keep within truth only. It is better that you get the job by being truthful and honest than by untruthful means which when discovered later may lead to dismissal.
Ask Good Questions
Ask at least two to four questions related to the organization’s future plans of expansion, seeing yourself associated with that expansion.
Questions Not to Ask
Not only should you know what questions to ask during the interview, but it is important to know what questions not to ask. You don’t want to alienate the recruiter by putting him or her on the defensive.
The following areas should generally be avoided:
- Avoid asking questions that are answered in the company’s annual report or employment brochure. Recruiters are familiar enough with their own information to recognize when you haven’t done your homework. If some information in the annual report isn’t clear to you, by all means ask for clarification.
- Don’t bring up salary or benefits in the initial interview. The majority of companies recruiting are very competitive and will offer approximately similar salaries and benefits. The recruiter may choose to bring up the information, but you should not initiate the topic.
- Avoid asking any personal questions or questions that will put the recruiter on the defensive. This includes questions such as the interviewer’s educational background, marital status, past work experience and so on.
- Don’t ask questions that have already been answered during the interview. If you have prepared a list of questions and some of them have been addressed during the interview, do not repeat them unless you need clarification.
Questions You Should Ask
Now that you know what you shouldn’t ask during the interview, determine what questions you should ask.
- Ask specific questions about the position. You need to know what duties will be required of the person in the position to see if there is a fit between your interests and qualifications and the job you seek.
- Try to find out as much as possible about qualities and skills the recruiter is looking for in job candidates. Once you determine the necessary qualities, you can then explain to the recruiter how your background and capabilities relate to those qualities.
- Ask questions concerning advancement and promotion paths available. Every company is different and most advancement policies are unique. Try to find out what the possible promotion path is to see if it fits your career goals. You may also want to ask about periodic performance evaluations.
- It is appropriate to ask specific questions about the company’s training program if this information is not covered in company literature.
Ask questions about location and travel required. If you have limitations, this is the time to find out what is expected in the position.
Finish on a top note
Conclusion of the whole matter is important. If there is no anything else which you need to get any clarification leave the room the way you came in, confidently but not brashly, shaking hands firmly and with a friendly smile if you are offered a hand and if not, just a ‘….thank you for invitation for the interview…’ statement. Then wish them well and leave. Don’t say anything funny. Just leave. Because anything misinterpreted may be used against you.
The Right ‘Thank You’ Letter Can Land You an Offer
The next call was supposed to be an offer, followed by salary negotiation. My candidate for a human-resources job had sailed through three interviews. Her four references had checked out and I’d been assured that she was the top candidate. As the executive recruiter, my income, not to mention my credibility with the client company, was at stake. The call I received instead was a first.
My candidate had followed my instructions to the letter — sort of. She’d sent a follow-up note to each person who had interviewed her. My company contact called and told me that my candidate was out of the running. Her letters were replete with errors and she’d misspelled the name of the company on every one. My candidate didn’t get the job offer because she, the proud possessor of an MBA, had not used her spell checker, nor had she proofread her letters.
Closing the Deal
Thank-you letters following an interview can make or break your candidacy. Your follow-up is not only a matter of courtesy and professionalism, it’s an opportunity to affirm your positive impression on hiring managers. A carefully crafted thank-you note can even re-open a door that was once closed.
David Knowles, an executive recruiter with Excel Unlimited Inc., an executive search firm in Houston , cites the example of the candidate he’d worked with who had received a “no thank you” letter from a prospective employer. The applicant wrote back. He thanked the hiring manager for his time, mentioned some items that had come up in the interview and asked to be considered for future openings. In two months, the manager called him. He’d remembered the candidate and his professionalism.
Some employers look for that “surprise” element in a candidate, according to Mr. Knowles. In many instances, employers will interview a number of candidates who have similar backgrounds. They’ll look for the one who surprises them by showing creativity or asking the right questions. Sending an appropriate follow-up note can also give candidates this edge. “The key is showing enthusiasm and making a statement of interest in the job,” he says.
Making the right impression with a thank-you letter after an interview requires a mix of art and science. To craft an appropriate follow-up, use the following guidelines:
Send an individual follow-up letter within 24 hours of an interview to everyone with whom you’ve met.
Make sure that the letter is written on a computer (not hand-written) and is carefully proofed and spell-checked. Tom Royston, a Western regional recruiting manager for Expanets Inc., a telecommunications company in Valencia , Calif. , recommends that candidates follow up on e-mail. “Everyone reads their e-mail. It’s fast, it’s efficient and it shows your computer friendliness,” he says. Hiring managers’ e-mail addresses are usually on their business cards. If not, ask his or her assistant for it as you leave.
Send a letter even if you’re working with a recruiter. You may wish to run a rough draft of your letter by your recruiter.
Mention specifics from the interview, including ways that you can add to the firm’s bottom-line; ideas for the future; and points of discussion that had arisen during the meeting. Make the letter personal. Form letters are useless and could be considered insulting.
If the interviewer asks you to call at a certain date, do so. But calling doesn’t get you off the hook in writing a follow-up letter. You still need to follow up immediately in writing. You can refer to the forthcoming call: “I look forward to speaking with you on the 26th as we discussed.”
Use the letter to clarify or amplify points that arose in the interview. “In our meeting you mentioned that you were looking for an individual who had the ability to work with all levels. In my position as a sales rep with ABC Publishing, my territory included Arizona and California . In that capacity, I called on a wide variety of clients from beauty college instructors to professors at UCLA.”
Don’t send gifts. They can make the receiver feel obligated and, in some cases, uncomfortable. Chris Remmers, a senior recruiter at Nestle USA Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of a Swiss food company in Glendale , Calif. , had a candidate once send him a box of chocolates. “They were chocolates from a competitor! What did that show me? What a faux pas,” he says. Mr. Remmers also recalls with disdain the candidate who sent him a sneaker after an interview. The candidate wanted to remind Mr. Remmers, who then worked at an entertainment company, that he wanted to “get a foot in the door.” The effort backfired.
Types of Letters
No matter how well or poorly your interview goes, you should always write a thank-you note. Generally there are three types of follow-up letters:
1. The “closer.”
You want the job. It has your name on it. The interview went well and you feel you’re a contender. You may even know that the company is checking references. The closer follow-up is the icing on the cake. It’s simple but, as sales pros would say, it “asks for the business.”
“Ms. Hiring Manager,
“I want very much to become a part of the team. I look forward to hearing a positive response from you soon.”
2. The “fix-it.”
“Fix-it” letters are for correcting an impression when you feel you’ve been misunderstood in the interviewing process. They don’t always work, but they’re worth sending. Make sure your “fix-it” letter is positive and in no way criticizes the reader.
Mr. Knowles tells an instructional story about a candidate for a marketing position with a major entertainment company. She blew her interview and she knew it. Sitting in a comfortable chair, she’d become too relaxed and forgot she was in an interview. The company official casually asked why she’d majored in drama. Without thinking, she said, “I always wanted to be a newscaster.” The manager later told Mr. Knowles that her answer signaled to him that she had a “hidden agenda” and that he’d lose her to the “bright lights.”
Mr. Knowles advised her to send a “fix-it” letter. She wrote to the manager, saying that she realized that he may have gotten the wrong impression from her answer and she wanted to set the record straight. She told him that the newscaster idea was one she’d had as an undergraduate, but that her goals had changed. She then enumerated the reasons why she’d be an asset to the company.
The hiring manager agreed to see her for a second interview and later hired her.
3. The “no thank-you.”
You may have been interested in a company and then lost interest. If you’re working with executive recruiters, you need to take their lead as they are, in effect, your agents. If you’ve been to more than one interview, call your primary recruiter contact to inform him or her of your decision. Your letter to the hiring manager should be brief, gracious and to the point. “I appreciate the time you have afforded me during the interview process but I have decided to explore other avenues at this time.” If possible, mention any particular courtesy he or she may have shown, e.g., “I especially enjoyed the tour of the plant.”
You also can follow up with a phone call. But be careful of becoming the type of candidate who some recruiters refer to as “stalkers” — people who call so often that they take themselves out of the running.
Follow-Up Calls
One follow-up phone call is usually appropriate and often appreciated. Sometimes hiring managers are so busy that a quick call from a candidate helps to put the hiring process back on track. A few tips for a follow-up phone call include:
- Make it short and simple.
- It’s OK to leave a brief message on a hiring manager’s voice mail.
- Be positive.
- Call about five days after you’ve sent a follow-up letter.
Ask for the job: “I’m still very excited about the prospect of joining your team. Please let me know if there is any further information I can give you about myself.”
Once you’ve been hired, you have a few more follow-ups. Thank-you notes should go to your recruiter and your references for giving their time during the process. Not only is it courteous, it’s an opportunity to maintain your contacts.
Summary
The dos
- Research organization and job thoroughly
- Anticipate likely questions
- Dress the part
- Plan the logistics
- Get off to a good start
- Weigh up the interviewers
- Listen with care
- Reply confidently not brashly
- Ask good questions
- Think success throughout
The don’ts
- Apply for unsuitable jobs
- Over-dress
- Risk arriving late at the interview place
- Be rude to secretaries, receptionists or others such as security staff
- Assume that the interviewers are skilled and confident
- Offer a flabby handshake
- Answering questions with assumption that you have understood everything asked
- Give very short or very long answers
- Attempt bluffing or deceit
- Let down your guard too soon.