Looking for a job? There are four major things that will determine weather you will get the job, get to be called for a another interview or get regrets forever. Below are the four major interview basics you should have:
Look apart.
It has always been said that you have one chance to make a first impression. Most interviewers tend to make or form an opinion about you in the first 20seconds of an interview. While you may be able to overcome an initial poor impression why would you then fight an uphill battle when you can start off on a very way neutral basis if not a positive one. Most of the first impression come from the way you look and the way you introduce yourself to the panel.
No matter what job you are looking for, you should be very well dressed in a suit exception may be a role in advertising, this for men. Your shirt or blouse should be neatly pressed and cuffs on the shirt and the blouse should not be frayed. Make sure your shoes are way well polished and business like in their appearance. It is clear that polished shoes will communicate to the interviewers that they are dealing with someone who cares about how he looks. For ladies shoes with heels are okay but not so high. The skirt should be the required length. Too short does not play well for you even thought it might get all the guys turning their heads while your walking down the street.
However, the introductory greetings and the hand shake are also essential at this level of the interview. Even though the panel knows who you are its polite to go a head and shake their hands and tell exactly who you are. You should shake the hand slowly and firmly but not s firm, say your names also slowly so that the interviewers can clearly get. Make sure you do not shake the interviewers fingers, to a proper greeting and by proper i mean that the inside of both thumbs meet. Squeeze gently , shake twice and then let go slowly
While you do all this simple things that most people forget , the interviewer will be glad and it makes a lot of difference in what the interviewer thinks about you before he or she starts the interview.
The interview should also introduce themselves and as they do so make sure you note down their names and try to use them in the course of the interview. It is always appealing when someone uses your name in a conversation and not repeating sir or madam all the time.
What have you achieved or accomplished ?
This whole thing about interview is about looking at stability. You as a person for the company, and the company for you. Most interviews will start by put a bit of focus on your previous jobs. It is very sad that most curriculum vitae focuses on what the person has done and not what he or she has accomplished. Most interviewers look for what the results are and not what the actions were. For example if you worked as a Human Resource, it is less important that you handle personal files and much more meaningful that you computerized the Human resource files that made their management easier and simpler to use. When a company hires you it expects you to produce results and not just carry out the tasks given to you. So in any case your asked about a role you had on your previous job, do focus more on the result you achieved and not the tasks you carried.
What would you like to be when you grow up ?
From your previous job to a little psychometric testing. This are open ends questions that provoke your thinking processes. Such questions includes: “at what position do you see you self five years from now in this company?” such questions are asked to see how you approach each one of them and what is required is you approach them in a reasonable and a mature way and think critical before answering them. Now for the example given above... if your answer is be the manager of the company then this is deemed as immature because within five years you cannot rise be the manager of a big company.
In this kind of questions no answer is wrong but at the end of the day they help the interviewer to frame in his or her mind what kind of a person you are.
And now what do you want to know about us ?
You can clearly get extra insight when you turn interview around and ask the person being interviewed if the is anything at all cost her or she would like to know about your company. According to my knowledge and opinion the worse answer to this question is to say No. Remember even thought you were called in for interview your there to find out if the job and the company are a good fit for you. In that case you should really probe the interviewer about what the company is like. In additional to this make sure you do some research online to see if there is any public information you can clarify. Do not be afraid to ask the interviewer about the company policies, training, career development and promotions. It is most likely you may not stay with the company for a long time but you have to understand if they provide training that will allow you to advance to a different company. Find it okay to ask the interviewer about their experience or even career development. this a good way to know how the company deals with its employees.
Final the only question your prone not to ask is the salary of the job on your first interview. Some companies will advertise and spell out the remuneration so by the time you get there you know others will not. If the job is right for you and your the right candidate you will be granted a second opportunity , this where now you ask about salary and any other benefits.
This four tips are the best for any interview this does not mean your guaranteed a job. But also performing poorly at any of this spots you will never get another interview.
