This document provides guidance on preparing for and excelling in a job interview. It discusses researching the company and position, tailoring one's resume, practicing answers to common questions, proper interview attire and behavior, questions to ask the interviewer, and following up after the interview. Key tips include focusing on how you can contribute to the employer's needs, having examples prepared, maintaining confidence and eye contact, sending a thank you note, and avoiding negative topics or exaggerations. The document stresses the importance of preparation, research, and making a positive impression through professionalism.
3. Interview goals: Job
candidate
Obtain information about position and organization
Determine whether position is suitable for you
Communicate important information about yourself
Favorably impress the employer
4. Tailoring your curriculum vitae:
What does the company need?
You may need to make the dates a little vague if there are
gaps in your career
Summarize ambitions and key achievements at the top ; keep
personal details to a minimum
Employment details in date order with the most recent at the
top
List your personal selling points (punctuality, honesty, ability to
communicate ,loyalty, efficiency-consciousness)
5. Before the interview
Research Job / Company/Product
Practice! Practice! Practice!
Prepare and Anticipate Questions
Know Your Resume Contents
7. Day of the interview
Appropriate Professional Attire
Good Grooming / Personal Hygiene
Arrive on Time / Correct Location
8. Day of the interview
Turn Off Cell Phone!
Leave Kids / Relatives / Friends at Home
Bring Extra Resumes / Reference List
9. Establishing rapport with the
interviewer:( things that really matter)
Who do they choose? At the end of the day, they choose the
guy they like best.
Are you comfortable with people who are senior to you in
status?
Do you find it difficult to relax and be open with authority
figures?
Are you stiff and even sometimes a little aggressive?
Or excessively quiet and unassertive?
10. Opening moves:
Be aware of your surroundings and people waiting
for you
Take you out of yourself and be less self conscious
You are a “celebrity” for whom people are waiting for, so walk
with confidence
11. Opening moves:
Smile
Make eye contact
Wait to be invited to sit
Address the interviewer formally unless invited to
use first names
Speak clearly ( don’t be nervous)
12. Pacing and leading:
Don’t assume that the interviewer controls your
pace
Take it to a level which enables you to make your
best impression
Match the speed of your gestures and voice and
ease down to a manageable speed
Interviewer’s level of interest will rise with your own
if you can moderate the pace
13. During the interview
Speak Directly to Interviewer
Make Eye Contact
Open Body Language
Be Confident / Professional
14. During the interview
Answer Questions Completely
Provide Relevant Information
Use Action Words
Give Specific Examples
15. During the interview
State How You Can Contribute
Focus on Employer’s Needs
Avoid topics: Time Off / Salary
Ask the right Questions
17. Buying signals:
The interviewer is trying to fit you into a slot in the
organisation
Demonstrate that you are the right size and shape
for that particular slot
Analyze the job criteria and decide what to sell
18. Asking questions:
Asking right questions are as important as answering the
questions right
Asking questions gives you control and breathing space
Eg: What kind of performance appraisal questions do you have?
What would be the opportunities of growth in the organisation?
Save the worst till the last (about pay, conditions, equal rights,
benefits etc)
There is no rule against asking direct questions and no prize
for being unnecessarily devious
19. Controlling the content:
Focus your mind on your strong points
Let go the part of your experience, which is
irrelevant to your potential employer
A well written CV gives you lots of hooks for focus
on your good points and achievements
Make sure you at least have an informed opinion on
any books, films that you may refer to in the
interview
20. Listening skills:
Your interviewer will tell you exactly what they want to hear-if u listen
carefully
Active listening prompts the person you are listening to and help
them relax
It builds rapport
You can use the following carefully:
Nodding
Interested facial expression
Attentive body language, leaning forward, alert
21. Being remembered for right
reasons:
Looking good
Feeling good
Sounding good
Seeing eye to eye
22. Looking good:
Concentrate on looking clean and smart than glamorous
Make sure you are:
Clean: shower and wear clean clothes and shoes, minimize
perfume and aftershave
Covered
Checked: for smudges and dandruff
creaseless: do not wear linen
23. Feeling good:
Charm is the quality in others that makes us more satisfied
with ourselves
Smile
If you find yourself in an interview situation where stress or an
aggressive interviewer is winding you up like a spring then you
may use the following:
Breath deeply and slowly
Imagine your interviewer as a cartoon character (use this only
if someone is seriously threatening)
25. Seeing eye to eye:
Don’t gaze for too long and make the interviewer
uncomfortable
Don’t be too shifty
Don’t look directly at the person’s eyes (focusing on
their nose or forehead may be comfortable)
The sincerity triangle runs between the eyes and
down to the nose
Avoid the triangle which includes the nose and
mouth
29. Interview mistakes
Talk Badly About Former Employer / Company /
Products / Co-workers
Talk Too Much / Too Little
Lie / Exaggerate / Arrogance
31. Common dreaded questions
What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?
Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?
Why Should I Hire You?
Why Do You Want to Work Here?
32. Common dreaded questions
Why Does Your Resume Show a Gap in
Employment?
Why Did You Leave Your Last Position?
Tell Me About a Time When You Made a Bad
Decision / What Did You Do About it?
34. Typical questions and
suggested answers:
Tell me about yourself?
I am down-to-earth, smart, creative, industrious,
and thorough
Prepare a customized write up based on what kind
of interview you are about to appear for and
rehearse it many times
35. Why should we employ you?
I have good co-ordination skills
Good analytical skills
Ability to motivate people
I don’t lose my cool even during emergencies
Good entrepreneurial skills
Good team player
Ability to work in difficult conditions
(try to give appropriate examples)
36. What do you know about our
company?
Do not give your opinions about the company
Stick to reported facts that you have gathered from
newspapers and so on
Talk about the product portfolio, size, income, and
market perceptions of the company
37. Why should we choose you
over someone else?
Talk clearly about problems that you have solved in
your College/Project Team and highlight the quality
required
38. How much do you think you
are worth?
you would know how much other people in similar
jobs are paid. Quote the range upfront
If you can bring some extra skills to the table, do
not hesitate to ask for more than the market value
39. Which is more important to you-salary,
perks or growth opportunities?
be true to yourself
If you think this is a negotiation move, then say
clearly that you will never sell yourself short
40. What do you expect to be doing five
years from now? Ten years from now?
The interviewer is looking for evidence of career
goals and ambitions
The interviewer wants to see your thought process
and the criteria that are important to you
41. Criteria based questions:
These are the likely criteria for which the interviewer may be
looking for:
Initiative
Stress tolerance
Adaptability
Leadership
Problem analysis
Interpersonal skills
Team attitude
Reliability
Persuasiveness
Innovation
42. How do you plan your day?
By asking this question the interviewer might be
trying to find how well organised you are
“I review the day before I go to sleep at night and make
some final notes in my diary about anything that’s left
over. Then in the morning I am always on the early train,
so I go through my detailed list. I prioritise my tasks and
estimate how long each one is likely to take, allowing
some leeway for emergencies. The last thing I do before I
go home at night is review what’s been done and what
hasn’t.”
43. Do’s of an interview:
Do take a practice run to the location where you are having the
interview -- or be sure you know exactly where it is and how long it
takes to get there
Do your research and know the type of job interview you will be
encountering
do prepare and practice for the interview, but don't memorize or
over-rehearse your answers
Do dress the part for the job, the company, the industry. And do err
on the side of conservatism
44. Do’s of an interview:
Do plan to arrive about 10 minutes early. Late arrival for a job
interview is never excusable. If you are running late, do phone
the company
Do bring extra resumes to the interview
Do shake hands firmly. Don't have a limp or clammy
handshake!
Do wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. And do
remember body language and posture: sit upright and look
alert and interested at all times. Don't fidget or slouch
Do make good eye contact with your interviewers
45. Do’s of an interview:
Do show enthusiasm in the post and the company
Do avoid using poor language, slang, and pause words
(such as "like," "uh," and "um")
Do have a high confidence and energy level, but don't be
overly aggressive
Do avoid controversial topics
Do make sure that your good points come across to the
interviewer in a factual, sincere manner
46. Do’s of an interview:
Do stress your achievements. And don't offer any negative
information about yourself
Do show off the research you have done on the company and
industry when responding to questions
Do always conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the
job you are discussing. Never close the door on an opportunity
until you are sure about it
Do show what you can do for the company rather than what
the company can do for you
47. Don’ts of an interview:
Don't rely on your application or resume alone to do the
selling for you. No matter how qualified you are for the
position, you will need to sell yourself to the interviewer
Don't be soft-spoken. A forceful voice projects confidence
Don't act as though you would take any job or are desperate
for employment
Don't say anything negative about former colleagues,
supervisors, or employers
48. Don’ts of an interview:
Don't ever lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and
succinctly. And don't over-answer questions
Don't bring up or discuss personal issues or family problems
Don't go to extremes with your posture; don't slouch, and
don't sit rigidly on the edge of your chair
Don't assume that a female interviewer is "Mrs." or "Miss."
Address her as "Ms." unless told otherwise
49. “Being the best you can be in three
quarters of an hour isn’t easy
but…planning and practice can work
out miracles for you”