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How To Be Successful At Interviews



N


o matter how expert or          fully prepared. Gather            
experienced you are, when       information about the recruiting  
you are applying for a          organisation (this includes your  
promotion in your own                 present employer if it is an      
organisation, or a post in            internal interview): before you   
another organisation, being fully     decide whether to attend the      
prepared for the interview is         interview, it is essential that   
critical. Your expertise,             you gather information about the  
knowledge, reputation,                organisation and analyse this.    
experience, and appearance, will      You need information on its       
help you, but it is highly likely     recent and forecast performance,  
that the other candidates will        the condition of the business     
have similar attributes.              sector in which it operates, and  
                                      the post that it is offering. If  
The key to success is to treat        the organisation and sector are   
the interview as a project, for       healthy, and the post looks       
which you must gather                 secure and has potential, then    
information, make decisions on        you can move on to the next       
feasibility, set objectives,          stage. If your findings are       
identify the resources needed,        negative then it is almost        
draw up a plan of action, and         certain that the best decision    
manage the project carefully          would be to reject the            
through to closure. In simple         opportunity. You need to gather   
terms, you must be professionally     information about the condition   
prepared for the interview, in        of yourself, looking at how your  
order to have the optimum chance      personal and career plans are     
of success.                           progressing, focusing on how the  
                                      prospects in your current job     
Here is list of actions that you      match with your personal and      
should carry out in order to be       career objectives, and then how   



the new post could help you to        you because it will become        
achieve those objectives.             obvious to them that the position 
                                      they are offering is not a        
Decide to attend or not to attend     natural fit with your career to   
the interview. You need to make       date, and worse, they may well    
an objective decision as to           ask you how this new opportunity  
whether taking up this new post       fits with your future personal    
is the right decision for you, at     development plans, and be         
this time. Armed with the             disappointed with your            
information that you gathered         unconvincing response.            
earlier, you can assess the                                             
merits of being appointed to the      Gather details of the job itself. 
new post, against staying in your     You need as much information as   
current post, albeit perhaps          you can gather about the nature   
until a more appropriate              of the job, the role,             
opportunity arises, and make your     responsibilities, reporting       
decision confidently. It is, of       relationships, location of the    
course, tempting to apply for a       workplace, working conditions,    
job which appears to offer a          and conditions of employment such 
higher salary, more                   as working hours, holidays, and   
responsibility, more status, and      corporate policies and procedures 
new directions, and if this is so     that apply to the position. Some  
appealing that you are confident      of this information will be given 
that you can adjust your              to you in the information pack    
development plans to match it,        sent to you by the interviewing   
and be happy with that decision,      organisation, or department, but  
then yes, attend the interview        often, sadly, the quality of      
and perform to the best of your       information sent out is poor.     
ability. However, be warned that      Most professional organisations   
the interviewers may well reject      will have HR departments that     



will answer your questions on         time to tidy your physical        
these issues, or pass you on to       appearance after your journey,    
the appropriate line manager.         and sufficient time to become     
                                      calm before the actual interview. 
Research the interview format:                                          
you need to do some basic but         Your appearance. Do not make the  
essential research on the             mistake of thinking that it is    
practicalities of the interview.      only your history,                
Again, some of this information       qualifications, skills, and       
will be sent to you. You should       knowledge that will win you the   
be clear about: how to get to the     job. Most other candidates will   
organisation and the specific         have similar attributes, so you   
interview location (don’t rely on     need to make an impression, to    
asking for this information when      look professional, smart, and     
you arrive, as this adds to the       appropriate for the post. In many 
stress of the occasion); who is       cases, there will have been a     
on the interview panel (their         previous holder of the post that  
titles will give you important        the interviewers may be using,    
clues as to their relationships       albeit subconsciously, as a       
to the post); what format the         benchmark. You can’t guess what   
interview will take (there is         the interviewers want, or don’t   
nothing worse than arriving           want, in terms of physical        
expecting a traditional               appearance and personality, but   
face-to-face interview and            don’t for one second believe      
finding that it is a day-long         anyone that tells you this        
series of tests, group                doesn’t matter (it shouldn’t,     
activities, and interviews).          perhaps, in certain               
                                      circumstances, but you are being  
Timing of arrival. Make sure that     invited into their world, and     
you arrive in good time, allowing     they will be looking for someone  



who they will be comfortable with     is that type of environment. In   
(even if the role requires you to     most situations, for most posts   
be an aggressive change-agent).       on offer to professionals,        
Yes, in some countries there is       specialists, managers, experts,   
legislation that says the job         consultants, a business outfit is 
should be offered to the most         expected at the interview, even   
appropriate person, regardless of     if, after appointment, they would 
appearance, but in real life this     never again expect you to come to 
isn’t what happens. The answer to     work in anything remotely as      
this dilemma is to research the       formal.                           
culture of the organisation that                                        
you are joining, so that you are      Your approach: in a word – think  
aware of how people, in positions     positively. You are offering your 
similar to the one you are being      talents, your experience, your    
interviewed for, dress and            time, effort, and energies, to    
behave, and you can comment on or     this organisation, and you need   
ask questions about this during       to give the impression that you   
the interview. However, don’t go      would be a valuable asset that    
to the interview in jeans and         they would be foolish to reject.  
t-shirt, even if that’s the day       This doesn’t mean being           
to day standard. You need to look     aggressive, over enthusiastic,    
as professional, as serious about     pompous, or pretentious, but it   
obtaining the job, as possible.       does mean showing the             
For men, that almost certainly        interviewers that you are a       
means a business suit, or jacket      confident, assertive, pro-active, 
and trousers, with or without         flexible, professional who would  
tie. For women, a business suit       perform successfully if           
or business outfit. For both          appointed.                        
sexes, smart-casual can be                                              
acceptable, if, but only if, it       Prepare for, and practice         



answering, the interview              which links your experience and   
questions: think about questions      existing skills to the demands of 
that you are likely to be asked.      the new role. If you are asked -  
Brainstorm this with a colleague,     What would you say are your       
friend, or partner, and practice      biggest strengths and worst       
answering. Practice using the         weaknesses? then talk mostly      
interview questions to strengthen     about your strengths, giving      
your argument that you are the        examples of how these have been   
best person for the job. For          effectively used, and be very,    
example, you will be almost           very careful talking about your   
certainly be asked about your         alleged weaknesses. Choose a      
experience and qualifications,        relatively harmless weakness that 
even though this will be shown in     could be interpreted as a         
your CV. Your response should be      strength, such as being           
phrased in such a way that you        over-zealous about quality        
relate your experience,               criteria being met, or insisting  
knowledge, and qualifications, to     on deadlines being met which can  
the role and responsibilities of      upset some team members. Don’t,   
the new post, showing how these       under any circumstances,          
existing attributes will give you     negatively criticise your present 
the confidence and skills to          or past employers, or colleagues. 
successfully handle the tasks         Even if the organisation that you 
that lie ahead. With luck you         work for is known to have faults  
will not be asked questions such      or bad practices, don’t criticise 
as - What do you think are the        it or any personnel within it.    
main benefits that you could          This is almost always a fatal     
bring to this job, if appointed?      mistake. You will almost always   
However, it still happens, so you     be asked some questions about the 
must be prepared for them. Again,     interviewing organisation. Again, 
practice responding in a way          use these as an opportunity to    



show you have researched the          them and one that has arisen      
organisation, but also to explore     because something raised in the   
what the organisation is planning     interview. Make sure that your    
(at least in the area that you        questions are ones that reinforce 
will be working in), and-or what      your suitability for the post.    
they are expecting of you. For        You could, for example, ask       
example, you could mention new        questions about personal          
markets that the organisation has     development opportunities,        
recently entered and ask if that      explaining, briefly, what you     
will impact on the post that you      feel would be a potentially       
are being interviewed for. If you     useful development activity (of   
are asked about hobbies and           benefit to you and to the         
interests, don’t give a list of       organisation) if you were to be   
twenty, keep it simple and don’t      offered the post (this should be  
try to impress with esoteric          an area that you have considered  
hobbies that you don’t actually       whilst researching the            
have. Imagine saying that you         organisation and the job itself). 
enjoy watching French films and                                         
then being asked a question about     General behaviour: remember, you  
this, in French, by one of the        are being assessed at all times,  
interviewers who is fluent in the     possibly from when you enter the  
language!                             building and approach the         
                                      receptionist, certainly from the  
Questions asked by you. Most          moment you walk into the          
interviews will close with the        interview room to the moment you  
interviewee being asked if they       leave. You must be as natural and 
have any questions to ask. The        relaxed, physically and mentally, 
answer should always be - Yes.        as possible, but also             
Have two questions ready, and         professional, polite, and         
either ask these or ask one of        courteous. Never argue, unless    



you have been given a direct          have appeared negative as the     
instruction to give your opposing     interview ended you will have     
views. Be alert, show an interest     reduced your chances              
in each interviewer as the ask        considerably.                     
questions, and answer directly to                                       
that person, but occasionally         In summary, the key to being      
look at the others during your        successful at an interview is to  
answer. In answering questions,       treat it as a project that needs  
don’t be evasive, be confident,       to be planned and executed in as  
and use your answers to               professional a manner as          
demonstrate how you would make a      possible. Changing jobs, moving   
good match for the position on        into a new position, changing     
offer.                                organisations, changing the       
                                      direction of your career, perhaps 
Final words: as the interview         moving into a different business  
ends, thank the interviewers for      sector, leaving behind friends    
their time and questions. Say         and colleagues, meeting, working  
that you would be very pleased if     with, managing, new colleagues,   
appointed to the job and that you     is a major change in your life.   
look forward to hearing from          The interview is your doorway     
them. Even if you have doubts at      into a new world, into the next   
that moment, this is a courteous      stage of your personal            
and wise way to end the interview     development. It is a major event, 
– you may later decide that you       a major opportunity, and must be  
would like the job and if you         treated as one.                   




About the Author:

CJ Williams is a tutor and management consultant currently working with Brighton School of Business and Management in the UK, specialising in Business and Management courses taught via distance learning. CJ Williams can be contacted via http://www.brightonsbm.com


Published At: www.Isnare.com


...Archive >>
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What To Do After The Job Interview
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