Entries Tagged 'GD / PI / CV' ↓

Life is a challenge and it is indeed the survival of the fittest. We face several challenges on entering school, college or university. After completing our graduation and post graduation, we choose our specialization. We excel in our field of interest. However, skills and talents are not enough. One needs to develop a great personality along with degrees and expertise.

Preparing for an interview is not rocket science. But it certainly demands confidence, poise, personality and the commitment to excel. Interviews are always pre-planned and well structured. So, you, as an interviewee must also be prepared to answer questions with considerable aplomb.

There are different kinds of interviews - Hiring interview, exit interview, appraisal interview, persuasive interview, college/ university interview, counseling interview, etc. This article emphasises on college/ university entrance and hiring interview.

Hiring interview or entrance interview is one of the most popular interviews. Here are some skills to lessen your chances of being rejected.

Relax yourself before the interview. Get a good night’s sleep. Educate yourself about the company or educational institution. Research as much as you can, well in advance. It helps when you are familiar with the company’s/institution’s aims and goals, its vision, profile, etc. You can learn about the organizational structure, type of their students/clients, departments and branches, etc.

Prepare yourself to answer basic questions like, “What do you think about our organization?”, “Tell us about your weaknessess and strengths?”, “Tell us more about yourself?”, “Why do you want to join our organization?”, “Anyone you idolize and why?”, etc.

Dress right. Dress elegantly. Needless to say, your clothes should be well ironed. Go for basic hosiery and comfortable shoes. Avoid casual clothing, flashy ties and athletic shoes. Avoid wearing too much of jewellery and cologne. Make sure your portfolio is updated. Carry extra copies of your resume.

On the day of the interview, avoid eating anything that contains onion or garlic. Avoid heavy make-up. Preferably, arrive at least 15 minutes earlier. Give a firm hands hake when you introduce yourself. Greet everyone with a smile. Face the interviewer and be comfortable. Listen to their questions and answer them with confidence. Eye contact with the interviewer is a must.

Exhibit your degrees and certificates only if you’re asked to do so. Sit straight. Don’t slouch. Look confident. Avoid complaining about your previous employer, employees and organization.

A few other customary interview questions are as follows: Why did you choose our organization? Are you ready to relocate? Tell us about your scholastic record? Tell us about your interests? Why should we hire you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Once your interview is done, thank everyone and inquire about the next step. Make sure you follow up.

Telephone interviews are a popular way of recruiting candidates for employment. These interviews are used to taper down the screening process of selecting potential employees. It is a great way of minimizing expenditure as far as interviewing out-of-town candidates are concerned.

It is important for candidates to be well prepared for phone interviews. The employer can call at any given time, hence preparedness to tactfully tackle all questions is a must. You are given a few minutes to answer all questions.

Telephone interviews are not as easy as they appear to be. One has to be well versed with telephone skills to be able to deal with all questions. Mock interviews are a great way of assessing your conversation skills on phone. You may request your family member or a friend to conduct such interviews for you. Thereafter, you can tape record the conversation and listen to it.

Using ‘ums’, ‘uhs’ and ‘okays’ in formal interviews are a strict no-no. Avoid using them. Make sure you rehearse answers to customary questions likely to be asked in an interview. Prepare in a way you would prepare for a regular job interview. Compile a list of comprehensive answers to typical questions relating to your background, strengths and weaknesses, skills, etc. Keep a pen and paper handy for making any notes. Also, keep a glass of water handy, if need be.

Remember to turn off ‘call waiting’ to avoid unnecessary interruptions. Switch off your music system and television. Keep your pets and children away. Request the employer to call on your landline if you face call drops on your mobile. Keep your resume handy to promptly answer any questions pertaining to your educational background, your accomplishments, etc. Smile all through the conversation. It portrays a positive image about you. Keep your answers short. Don’t forget to thank the employer.

Avoid smoking, eating or chewing gum during the course of the interview. Don’t ever interrupt the interviewer. When you address the person, use their title- i.e. Mr. or Ms. followed by their last name. Use the first name only if you’re asked to do so.

Interview is an official process of getting to know the candidate better. Through an interview, an employer understands his potential employee better and vice-versa. Holding an interview serves two purposes – Evaluating the candidate’s technical and professional expertise and, more importantly, assessing his other qualities like body language, facial expressions, honesty, conscience, ethics and morals, and commitment towards work and people. It is a kind of background screening of the candidate, which allows the employer to scour as much as possible in a short span of time. Below are few important points that you need to bear in mind before going for an interview:

1. Reach your destination 15-20 mins in advance. It always helps to get familiar with a place before an interview. Don’t reach too early nor too late. Don’t wear casual dress nor overdress. Wear comfortable formal clothing
2. Relax and don’t be nervous. Remind yourself of all your achievements; this helps to boost energy and makes you confident of answering any questions. Avoid negative body language such as biting nails, etc
3. Remember to switch off your cell phone before entering the room
4. Have sufficient information about the company you are being interviewed with
5. Keep your answers very precise and concise. Don’t brag too much about yourself and at the same time don’t be sheepish
6. Avoid showing any kind of disrespect or resentment towards your past employer or manager
7. You must have technical expertise about your job and work responsibilities. You should put across your strengths gracefully and let employers know to what extent you can contribute to the company
8. Keep at hand all the major contributions that you made to the last job and what you would expect from the new job and also your short-term and long-term goals
9. Your body language should exhume qualities like honesty, friendliness, dedication, alertness and curiosity.
10. Be respectful of people in general, never boast about your achievements and do not criticize people or work you have done in past. In short, be humble and take things in your stride

You are getting prepared for an interview and lots of questions doing rounds in your mind. What if the interviewer asks me this or that and so on… So it’s good to be acclimatized to the different interviewing styles that interviewers adopt. The interview process is usually lengthy, wherein the interviewer may call you back many times to know if you can fit into the company culture. And when you actually face the interview, you may identify that the style may be one of the following –

1. Traditional Face to Face Interview
Most interviews conducted world over are of this type and have a one-on-one conversational approach. You must maintain eye contact with the interviewer and listen carefully to what he says and only then answer the questions. Listening carefully also helps to frame your answers in your mind at the same time when you are hearing out the questions. Developing a rapport with the interviewer is of utmost importance.

2. Panel/Committee Interview
As the name suggests, this type of interview has more than one person in the panel as interviewers. It’s typically a group of 3 to 10 people who judge you at the same time. This is a challenging situation to be in as your management and group presentation skills are put to test. As and when you converse with interviewers, try to gauge their personality type. Maintain eye contact with the concerned interviewer who is asking you questions; however when responding, make eye contact with other people in the panel too. Meeting eye contact of other people is a subtle way to ask for their approval and also a sign of your confidence.

3. Behavioral Interview
This interview is based on the fact that past behavior can be the best tool to judge a person’s future response to situations. These questions can be guised in telephone, panel or one-on-one interview formats. It should be noted that behavioral questions are not imaginary or based on presumptions. The interviewer is asking you something very specific and hence the answers must be based on facts related to your past. The interviewer is looking out for tangible results from the activities undertaken by you in your past. Few examples of such questions are – “Give an instance when..”, “Have you ever done something wherein..”, “Can you think of a situation when you were…”

4. Case Interview
This type of interview tries to measure your problem solving skills. The interviewer places a situation to you or provides you with a case study and asks you to come up with an apt and logical plan that aims to solve the problem. Interviewers are not seeking the best solution, as they already know one. What they are keener to find out is the process or approach you take to solve the problem. If the situation or problem is unclear, do not hesitate in asking questions to the interviewer or getting clarifications. The more you are able to explore ways of solving the case, more close you are to achieving your goal. This is the only interview where you are allowed to carry a pad and a pencil and take down notes as you work through the case.

No matter what your academics and potentials are, in the end what matters is how your interview goes. Interviewer judges you in those 10-15 min. In short, it is not about being good candidate but it is all about being good interviewee. One mistake at the interview can actually shatter your dreams. To reply in a better manner to every conversation, you need to understand what purpose every question serves. Besides, following tips will further help you to be good interviewee:

* Learn to be mentally prepared for the interview. Practice practically too.

* Know how to behave and dress at the interview. Also learn to have perfect body-language. That too makes a difference.

* Learn how to listen to the questions carefully and answer the intelligently.

* Preparation also includes learning to avoid stupid mistakes. They are easy to avoid if you keep presence of mind.

* Be ready with the answers of some of the commonly asked questions at the interview.

* Its great if you can determine the person that interviewer is seeking for and quickly match to the profile.

* If the interview is going worse, learn to rescue from it. Do not worsen the situation.

* Study the topics that you might want to avoid and topics that interviewer is likely to talk about.

* No matter how did interview go, learn to finish the interview professionally.

Telephonic interviews are a way of screening a large group of candidates. More and more companies are increasingly opting for telephonic interviews to hire candidates. It is just one of the many interviews given by candidates before they are finally hired by a company. It also helps companies to cut down their expenses. Candidates are rejected despite being qualified, if they don’t successfully crack the telephonic interview.

Consider the below mentioned do’s and don’ts the next time you attempt a telephonic interview:

Do’s:
1) Make sure to give your correct contact details so that the interviewer does not have a tough time connecting with you.
2) Your family should be aware of the importance of the telephonic interview in your job search.
3) Do research everything about the company and the job you are applying for.
4) Practice as much as you can. Learn to modulate your tone. Work on your pronunciations. Develop the habit of taking pauses when important.
5) Make sure you can hear, and you are being heard. Settle down in a place free of noise and clutter to allow the interview happen peacefully.
6) Keep synopsis handy to avoid fumbling. Be prepared so that you can tackle every question confidently.
7) It is important to close the call intelligently. Hence, ask sensible, thoughtful questions before you end the call.
8) Do keep your resume in front of you. All your important material should be handy, within your reach.
9) Have a glass of water before you take the call.
10) Do take it seriously.

Don’ts:
1) Try to not get anxious between conversation breaks. Don’t fill in airtime unnecessarily. Don’t start talking until the interviewer asks you the next question.
2) There is no need to panic if you have special needs. Telephonic interviews are possible for the hearing impaired as well.
3) Avoid sneezing, coughing or talking loudly. If you cannot control yourself, make sure to at least say ‘excuse me’.
4) Needless to say, don’t eat or drink while talking. Avoid chewing gum.
5) Turn off your music system, Television, etc. The idea is to minimize distractions.
6) Try to avoid using your cell phone. There can be signal problems and call drops.
7) Don’t ever use the interviewer’s first name unless you are asked to do so.

Job hunting is no mean feat. Once you have landed a job interview, half the battle is won. To be able to crack the interview, you need to follow some important guidelines. They are listed as below:

Don’t arrive late: Walking in for an interview even 5 minutes after the scheduled time portrays you in a negative light. It sends a wrong impression about you to potential employers. Make sure to get detailed directions to the place, and calculate your time accordingly so that you are at least not late. Being punctual shows you value time and also that you respect your interviewer’s time.

Don’t dress inappropriately: Improper grooming and clothing can jeopardize your interview. Casual clothes are a strict no no. Dressing inappropriately for an interview is the biggest interview faux pas. Dress right. Dress smart. Don’t over dress; don’t under dress. Needless to say, your hair has to be combed back, shoes polished and nails cut. These are petty things but they matter a lot when going for an interview.

Bad communication skills: A candidate with poor communication skills and bad grammar is definitely not shortlisted. Moreover, avoid talking too much. Don’t be too open; don’t be too close. The key is to strike the right balance. Speak when required. Avoid unnecessary talk.

Poor Preparation or Performance: As a prospective employee, you need to thoroughly prepare yourself before the interview. Make sure you understand the job you are applying for. Ensure you have your basics right as far as the company is concerned. Don’t avoid eye contact. It shows you are weak or under confident of your abilities and skills. Avoid extreme movements or gestures. Don’t turn off your employers.

Don’t display a negative attitude: Look interested and enthusiastic. If you look bored and disinterested, chances are you would be rejected. Avoid profanity. Don’t talk in an arrogant manner. Avoid gossiping or bad mouthing your previous employer. These are major turn offs.

Don’t lie in your resume: Avoid lying in your resume, and even in the course of your interview. Don’t make false claims. Don’t produce fake degrees and certificates.

Don’t fail to confirm interest: It is your job as a prospective employee to show interest once the employer has finished talking about the job profile and organization. You need to reaffirm your interest and follow up subsequently.

Signs of a Good Leader:
1. A leader is confident, able to carefully articulate his thoughts into words and can persuade his audience with ease. Leaders ought to be patient, perseverant and understand human behavior.

2. A leader must be able to interact easily with others in the group.

3. A leader should be able to motivate others and make the group willingly follow his suggestions.

4. Everybody possesses a different temperament, sociability and communicates differently. A true corporate leader can manage people of myriad viewpoints and maintain composure even in sticky situations. It is important to remain calm in the harshest situations.

5. The leader must smoothly steer the dialogue in the right direction and see that it reaches the intended conclusion. Apart from other attributes, it is the crisis management which makes him acceptable to all.

6. A leader is able to tactfully deal with arguments of the participants and provide an opportunity to every candidate to speak their mind.

7. A leader should also be able to demonstrate his intellectual excellence and leadership quality and utilize it to steer the discussion away from the murky waters

8. A leader must be able to express views logically and cogently within two or three minutes.

You know that you are the best candidate for the position, but does the recruiter think so too? Here are five things to help you from falling flat on your face during an interview:

Grooming and Etiquette
In reality, the first few minutes of the interview determine if you are going to get hired. The rest of the time is spent in validating and justifying the decision already made. In other words, the impression you create when you walk through the door counts the most. Your appearance speaks much to the recruiter about your personality, competence and professionalism. Basic hygiene includes dressing appropriately, punctuality, a firm handshake etc. Dress professionally even if the company encourages casual dressing.

Do not express negativity about your previous employer
Unkind remarks about your last employer or colleagues is viewed as an inability to work get along with co-workers and seniors. Dealing with bad managers or employees is an experience we will encounter, but don’t mention it. The reason for leaving your last job should be positive. Growth or better opportunities are reasons you could mention. In general, avoid creating an impression of being unhappy at your last workplace.

Research, research, research
Do your homework on the company’s business. Gather information about products, competitors, opportunities as well as industry data and make sure that you bring it up during the interview. Researching the company background proves to the recruiter that you are seriously interested in the job you have applied for. The interviewer may also interpret this as a sign that you could be a worthy contributor to organizational goals.

Encourage Two-way Communication
Doing all the talking in the interview will never benefit you. Keep your responses brief and concise. This shows confidence, poise and intelligence. You could engage the interviewer with questions based on your understanding of their business. Listen and then respond appropriately. However, directing a barrage of questions at the interviewer could be annoying. Never interrupt the interviewer; let him complete his sentences.

Money Matters
If there has been no communication during the interview about hiring, then do not discuss salary. Hold your horses about questions of salary and benefits during the first interview. Salary should be discussed only if specifically asked. Delaying these discussions would be in your best interest; you will have the opportunity to negotiate a higher salary when you’re sure they want you.

Using the wrong words in your CV might deter a recruiter from selecting you, no matter how qualified you are. Wrong or negative words and phrases in your CV lead to misunderstanding in the mind of the recruiter.

1) Responsible
Saying that you were ‘responsible’ for something will not get you the recruiter’s attention. The employer is more concerned with how you used this responsibility to contribute to organizational goals. The recruiter wants to see the effort you put in and the final outcome. Mentioning your achievements will add weight to your CV.

2) Fail
The word ‘fail’ is perhaps the most negative word that you can put in your CV. Your CV must be about your achievements, not your shortcomings. Discuss such issues only if asked.

3) Expressing Dislike for your boss
Do not rant about your ex-boss. The recruiter may view this as something you might say about him too when you leave his company. It’s a small world and the person interviewing you might even know your ex-boss.

4) Lay Off
Lay offs have hit all sectors and is a common phenomenon across industries. The current market situation has forced employers to lay-off several employees, especially at junior levels. Lay-offs are not always because of incompetency or failure of the employee. There is no need to mention that you have been laid off on your CV. If the interviewer asks you about your reason for leaving, then you can mention it.

5) Health Problems
Do not write about your health problems on your CV, no matter how minor they may seem. If your CV shows that there is a break in your career due to some health issues, let the interviewer ask you about it and only then discuss it.

6) Family ties
The interviewer could not care less about your family issues. If the employer must bear the expenses of your family or if the information will affect your working conditions, bring it to the recruiter’s notice.

7) Political views and links
Your CV is the wrong place for anything political.