|
Ambareen Fatima's WEBpage WELCOME Guest |
| HHome |
|
SUCCESSFUL
INTERVIEWING It
starts simply enough. A warm greeting. A
passing comment about the weather. A
light-hearted remark about a local sports team. Your resume is on
the desk between you and the employer. She glances down at it and then
back up to you. Her brow has a more serious cast now, “Well,” she
says, “why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?”
Her gaze stays fixed. The interview has officially begun. It’s
your turn. “I
attended St. Mary’s University and graduated with a degree in Business
Administration. I’m very interested in retail management, having worked
part-time as a sales clerk over the past two years. Your company is a
leader in retailing and I’d really like the opportunity to prove
myself.” Positive.
Eager. Safe. You
check out the employer’s reaction. A polite nod and
a pleasant smile. You congratulate yourself on the fine start,
thinking, “Fire away. I’m hot.” But
are you? Probably
not.
Chances are good that the employer’s agreeable manner is only a
professional veil to hide her true feeling, boredom. Why is she bored? A
better question: Why shouldn’t she be? After all, all you did was recite
the most skimpy, superficial, and obvious facts about yourself. Moreover,
she already knew them from your resume. Making matters worse, you gave her
your version of the same worn-out answer that she’s heard in almost
every interview she’s ever conducted. Far from excited, she’s
pigeonholed you early. You are predictable, commonplace, run-of-the-mill.
You are like everyone else. That’s not good enough. The employer is
looking for someone exceptional. For all practical purposes, the interview
has concluded. It will drag on for another twenty minutes or so, but
don’t kid yourself – it’s over. You
didn’t have to make this mistake. Behavioural science has given us
legions of studies of the interview process. Boiled down, these studies
have produced three documented-to-death findings. 1.
Interviews
count.
To the degree that the interviewer will influence the hiring decision, he
makes up his mind during the interview. He decides then that he either
wants to hire you or he doesn’t. Probably, this won’t get communicated
to you during the interview, but the decision is real and it’s
firm. ·
oral
communications
·
motivation ·
initiative
·
assertiveness ·
enthusiasm
·
confidence ·
drive
·
energy Another
study ranked the top selection factors as communication skills and
impression of personality. Different studies use different language, but
considered collectively, they all reach the same generalized conclusion.
It’s critical that you communicate to the employer that you are
confident. Employers don’t want to hire people who feel that they might
be able to do the job. They are looking for the
sure thing. Consider
the question literally. “Tell me a little bit about yourself.” What is
the “little bit” that would be most helpful? That’s easy – it’s
the most impressive and substantiated thing you can say about yourself.
What is it you do best? And what’s your proof? Before you ever get into
an interview, have answers to these questions firmly in mind. They are
your ammunition. Don’t be afraid of the open-ended question. Hear it as
an opportunity. You have been invited to tell the employer why he should
hire you. Do it. “The most important thing that I am eager to say is
that I’m very adaptive and respond well to pressure and change. As a
sales clerk, I worked in three different departments and under two
different managers. I had to learn new product lines quickly and, at the
same time, different sales approaches preferred by a new manager. I found
this challenging and exciting and my portion of departmental sales grew
steadily. My manager commended me for how well I handled the pressure.
Retail is always changing and I think I’m very well-suited for such a
career.” This
kind of answer – even if stated quietly – gets you off to the
all-critical right start. The employer will sit up and take note. You will
have distinguished yourself from the herd. You are confident and
assertive. You are special. We’re
all special. Each of us knows that we have some special qualities or
characteristics that cut us away from the crowd and make us good
prospects. We’ve seen the proof time and time again in our lives. The
beginning of an interview, when responding to an open-ended question, is
the one time in life that it’s not boorish to be right up front with it.
The employer wants to know why we’re special. Tell her. All
other interviewing advice pales in comparison to this. If you do
everything else right, but don’t get this down, you’ll be stuck with
mediocre results. Conversely, if this is your only preparation, you’ll
still be a shade or two above most. Presuming
that you’d like to have a wider margin of success than a mere shade or
two, let’s cover a few other points. These tips can be roughly divided
into three groups: before the
interview, during the interview, and after the interview. BEFORE
THE INTERVIEW
After
carefully preparing to identify and substantiate your main strength,
concentrate on three other areas of preparation. Get
inside employers’ shoes. What
do employers care about? This is not a great mystery. They have been asked
this question many times and their responses are generally quite similar,
giving more weight to interpersonal skills and other personal
characteristics than to objective measures such as grades, institutional
reputation, and past work experience.
For example, in a recent study conducted by the National
Association of Colleges and Employers, here’s how employers rated the
importance of various qualifications using a five point scale: ·
Interpersonal
skills
4.67 ·
Teamwork
skills
4.65 ·
Analytical
skills
4.56 ·
Oral
communication skills
4.53 ·
Flexibility
4.52 ·
Computer
skills
4.32 ·
Written
communication skills
4.12 ·
Leadership
skills
4.08 ·
Work
experience
4.05 ·
Internship
experience
3.77 ·
Co-op
experience
3.37 In
a related question, employers identified the personal characteristics that
are most important to them. They are, in order: ·
Honesty/integrity ·
Motivation/initiative ·
Communication
skills ·
Self-confidence ·
Flexibility ·
Interpersonal
skills ·
Strong
work ethic
·
Teamwork
skills ·
Leadership
skills ·
Enthusiasm All
this emphasis upon personal qualities doesn’t mean that you have wasted
your efforts accumulating a lofty GPA or stacking up an impressive work
history. Far from it. But it sure does
mean that you cannot rest on these laurels alone.
Instead, see them as contexts from which you can draw examples that
prove you have the traits employers seek. Before
interviewing, look at the above lists and sift through your experience, inside
the classroom and out, identifying situations that prove
that you have what it takes. For example, the fact that you maintained a
solid GPA while holding down a part-time job says something significant
about your time management skills and your motivation, as well as your
work ethic. Your teamwork skills might have shown through on a class
project. Perhaps you exhibited initiative and leadership skills while
holding an office in a student organization. Your experience will be as
valuable as you make it by translating it into proof that you have the
skills employers seek. Research
the job and the organization. Learn
what you reasonably can about the nature of the job. Ask if a written job
description is available. How about an organization
chart. Talk to others. Visit the organization’s website. If you
have been given or directed to printed materials, be sure to read them.
Don’t get carried away with this task. You don’t have to become the
world’s leading authority on the subject. Just make sure that you
understand what the job entails so that you can envision yourself in it
and that you have a clear understanding of what the organization does.
That will keep you from looking like a know-nothing. Anticipate
the questions and practice. Look
at it this way: Almost all of the questions will be about you – your
goals, skills, work attitudes, education, expectations.
You are the expert. No one knows more about this subject than you. Still,
a little practice can help. Get friends to simulate interviews and ask you
predictable questions. You can even do it by yourself in front of a
mirror. Don’t strive for rote answers to the questions. Instead, aim to
get the main points of your
desired responses into your head where they can be easily recalled.
Evaluate honestly, but don’t worry about the fine details. Look for
evidence that you are answering with poise and clarity, coming across as
comfortable and confident. Your answers need to be clear and concise,
directly responding to the questions. Stress
specificity. It’s
critically important to make sure you back up your claims with specific
evidence. Think of yourself as a trial lawyer proving your point. While
this is always good advice, no matter what the situation, it’s
absolutely essential when employers are deliberately conducting
behavioural interviews. This methodology has been adopted by many
employers who feel that it helps them discern the “best” candidates
from those who simply talk a good line. Using their most successful
employees as models, employers identify traits that these employees have
in common. This exercise tells them what they need to look for when
interviewing candidates. They then frame questions that ask you to provide
specific evidence drawn from your past that proves that you have what the
organization seeks. The basic idea is that past success is the best
predictor of future success. For
example, a company that values teamwork may ask you to tell about a time
you worked on a project as part of a group. Then you will be pressed for
specifics. What exactly was your role? What contribution did you make? How
do you know the project was successful? Precisely, how did you make it so?
Sometime, this questioning can seem aggressive if you aren’t specific
enough. Behavioural
interviews stress specific experiences you’ve had.
If you’ve done your homework properly, thinking of examples that prove,
beyond all doubt, that your sterling qualities are not figments of your
imagination, you will be ready. Being
ready for behavioural interviews, even if that method is not anticipated,
is ideal preparation. It requires you to arm yourself with facts that
prove your merit. This is what interviewing is all about. Specificity is
your most important ally. Don’t
fear technical questions. For
some jobs, you may be asked technical questions. These questions are asked
to see if you are familiar with a particular technique or process required
by the job or, if the question is of a problem-solving nature, to
determine the process by which you reach your answer. Usually, that is
more important to the employer than the accuracy of the answer. This type
of question is not typical and doesn’t merit a lot of anxiety on your
part. It’s the sort of thing that either you know or you don’t so
don’t sweat it. Concentrate instead on this list of common questions.
They are far more likely to be asked and far more likely to cause you to
stumble. Practice
with these. 1.
Tell
me a little bit about yourself. 2.
Why
are you interested in this position? 3.
Why
did you choose this type of career? 4.
What
are your greatest strengths? 5.
How
would you describe yourself? 6.
What
motivates you to put forth your greatest effort? 7.
How
do you determine or evaluate success? 8.
Provide
an example from your past that demonstrates the contribution you could
make to our firm. 9.
Describe
the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those
supervised. 10.
What
are your weaknesses? 11.
What
accomplishment has given you the most satisfaction.
Why? 12.
Describe
your most rewarding educational experience. 13.
If
you could do so, how would you plan your preparation differently? Why? 14.
What
major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it? 15.
Cite
a situation from your past that required you to respond to pressure. How
did you deal with it? 16.
What
are your long-term goals? 17.
Why
should I hire you? There
is a perfect answer to questions about salary.
If the employer asks you about your salary expectations, don’t be
bashful. A perfect answer: “I’m aware that the typical range for this
kind of position is ___ to ___ and naturally I’d like to be at the
higher end of the range. This type of answer is positive and assertive but
still non-demanding enough to leave room for negotiation. Of course, to be
ready with this kind of reply, you need to do some homework. Research
salary issues. The Internet provides an abundance of salary
information. Check it out. If your career centre conducts an annual survey
of graduates, that may be your best source of comparable information. You
don’t have to get extremely precise, but it helps to have a realistic,
five-thousand dollar range in mind. Be
ready for inappropriate questions. One
other type of question deserves attention. Once in a great while and
fortunately with diminishing regularity, you may be asked a question that
you consider illegal, unethical, or at least inappropriate. The question
may have to do with marital or family status, race, gender, or some other
taboo topic that has no bearing upon your capacity to do the job. The
question might be something like, “Will your spouse object to you
traveling alone or with members of the opposite sex?”
Or, “How do you feel about working in a predominantly white
environment?” could be asked of a job seeker from an underrepresented
ethnic group. An older applicant might hear, “How would you feel about
reporting to a younger supervisor?”
Marriage, race, and age aren’t supposed to be the subjects of job
interviews. We all know that, don’t we? But it can happen. When it does,
it customarily catches the job-seeker off-guard. Stunned, uncertain of how
to answer, the applicant simply unravels until the thread of the interview
has been lost altogether. For better or worse, so has the job. A
little forethought might have saved the day. Anticipate inappropriate
questions just as you have anticipated the predictable ones listed above.
How do you want to answer? Basically, you have three choices. You can
refuse to answer or you can go along with the employer and respond. Those
are two of your choices and in both cases the results are unpredictable.
It may well be that there was no pernicious intent to the question and
your response, whatever it is, will be inconsequential. Or the opposite
could be true and you were being deliberately tested by an irascible
employer and your response brought the curtain down on the job. Or
labelled you an easy mark. The
third choice has more merit. Decipher the question and respond only to its
appropriate content, ignoring the offensive issue. For example, the
question regarding your spouse’s attitude about work-related travel
contains a legitimate, though unspoken, question. “This job requires
travel. How do you feel about that?”
You can respond to that on your own terms. Forget your spouse.
Simply tell the employer that travel is not a problem for you (assuming it
isn’t, of course). “Working in a predominantly white environment”
can be translated into a question about the type of environment within
which you prefer to work. No racial overtones to that. Just describe in
non-racial terms your preferred work environment. Don’t talk about the
age of supervisors. Talk about the relationship that you’d like between
you and your supervisor. Thinking this through in advance will keep you
from falling apart during the interview. When it’s all over you can
decide if you think the employer made an honest mistake or acted
deviously. And whether or not you want the job.
That has merit. DURING
THE INTERVIEW
Even
with your preparation to rest upon, you can still expect nervous tension.
You’re on the spot. It’s natural to feel a little uneasy. The employer
knows that, having experienced the same thing himself. It doesn’t have
to mess up your interview. Proceed, and as you do, keep these tips in
mind. First
impressions count. Be
on time and look sharp. The employer is already employed and has the
luxury of being late. You don’t. Tardiness will be taken as a sure sign
that you will always be late for work. Dress, at the
least, as you would if you were on the job, and probably a step or two
higher than that. It’s almost impossible to err on the
conservative side and easy to go astray by being too casual. If you are a
bit over-dressed, the worst that will happen is that the employer will
assume you are trying to impress her. Is that bad? Start
strong. As
stressed above, research proves that it’s important to begin on the most
positive note possible. Be on the alert for that predictable open-ended,
beginning question, “Tell me about yourself.”
Don’t interpret it as an icebreaker. It’s the real thing. The
interview has begun. Trot out your main strength and its proof. Get the
flying start you want. Send
the right behavioural signals. Let’s
not belabour what pop psychology has already beaten to death. To the
greatest degree possible, relax and be yourself. Aim for a demeanour that
is attentive but moderate. You don’t want to look like you’re ready
for a nap, but you also don’t need military posture. If you normally use
hand gestures, go ahead. Just don’t flap around like a seagull.
Establish eye contact to show self-confidence. Communicate
carefully. Since
we all know that interviews are all about us talking, we are quick to rush
in and fill any silence with our words, whether or not we’ve decided
what we want to say. Often, to the listener our words sound like
gobbledygook. It figures. How can you be clear when you aren’t
organized? Take your time. If you need clarification, ask for it. It’s
okay to pause, reflect, and get your act together before you start
talking. If
you know you speak with an accent that others sometimes find difficult to
decipher, you’ll naturally want to do your very best to speak as clearly
and intelligibly as you can. Be especially alert for speaking too softly
or too rapidly. Adjust you pace and your volume accordingly. If necessary,
ask if you were understood. Appear
enthusiastic. Projecting
low energy or being flat in your voice or demeanour can be devastating.
These impressions are drawn from your expression and your tone of voice
more than the words you utter. If you know that you tend to have low
affect or speak in a monotone, it’s advisable to use a little trick.
Raise your eyebrows when talking. It may sound silly, but our voices tend
to follow our expression and raised eyebrows put liveliness into your
voice. Try it. A smile here and there is nice, too. Participate,
don’t dominate. Let
the employer set the tempo. In most cases, that won’t be a problem. The
interview will move briskly along and you’ll be surprised when it has
ended. You can expect to do at least half of the talking. Some, though,
may be torturously slow. The employer will plod and pause and hem and haw.
Don’t let it rattle you. Your task remains the same. Make a good
impression by settling in for a rather tedious pace. Perhaps the most
difficult situation is the employer who converts the interview into a
monologue. It’s awkward, but you need to occasionally find a way to
interrupt the droning and make a few points of your own. Look for pauses
and use “That reminds me…” beginnings for your own comments. Mostly,
though, you can expect to do a lot of listening. Ask
questions. At
some point in the interview, you’ll be asked if you have any questions.
Count on it. You look disinterested if you don’t, so prepare specific
questions for each interview. Some of these questions can be general but
others should reflect the research you did on the company. |