As no interviews are completely predictable, there is no magic formula which you can follow. However, if you plan and prepare carefully, your chances of getting the job will be high. The information given here is designed to help all job seekers.
Preparing for the interview :
What are you going to be interviewed for? It is essential that you have a clear idea of what the job entails. Read the advertisement carefully. Then look at the demands of the job itself. How is the job described? Is that what you want? Look at exactly what the job demands and what other things are implied. Have you got the right qualifications and experience? Are you overqualified? Will training be given? There may be qualifications or experiences which are essential, or you may be able to make a case for lack of qualifications being balanced by relevant work experience or vice versa.
Once you have decided to apply for the post, find out all you can about the organization and make the application. You may need to obtain guidance on this, if you cannot do this own your own. Getting it right at this stage may mean the difference between being invited for an interview and an immediate rejection. Keep a copy of the original advertisement and your application so that you can refresh your memory before you go to the interview.
Work out your strengths and weaknesses :
Work out your strengths and weaknesses before making the application. Strengths and weaknesses should be assessed in the light of the demands of your chosen job or career. If you haven’t already thought this through and you really aren’t qualified or experienced enough for the posts you apply for, your moral will crash with the subsequent rejection letters. You must establish a through knowledge of your plus points in relation to each company. You must consider your potential weaknesses too. Be realistic – nobody expects you be to be perfect, but balance is essential. There may be ways you can show your weaknesses in a positive light, so do this as long as you won’t seem too clever or arrogant.
Interviewing technique :
A good interviewer will treat you politely, will ensure that you will be free from interruptions and noise, and that you have been put at your ease before the actual interview begins. Often you will be asked about your journey or the weather at the beginning.
A good interviewer will test you through his/her questions to see if you are able to do the job, and will also give you information about the job. It is important for the company that even if you do not get the post, you should not go away from the interview feeling unfairly treated. You should listen well while they are talking, stay looking attentive and when answering ask if you can add anything if you are not sure whether to keep talking.
Once the interview begins the interviewer may either start by telling you more about the job and the company or may ask you questions first, and then give you details of what the job entails. The interviewer will probably take notes; do not be put off by this. Most interviewers will jot down a few reminders of the things that you have said so that they can remember all the facts later and make an informed judgment on which candidate to appoint. It is in your interests that they write rather than forget you. Don’t make the mistake of trying to see what the interviewer writes; it probably won’t help you and it will destroy your concentration on what you are saying.
The questions themselves can be asked in a variety of ways. A good interviewer will link the questions well and the conversation will flow as one question leads naturally on from another. Most interviewers will try to ask all the candidates the same sorts of questions so that they have a basis for comparison, whilst still leaving them enough flexibility to probe areas of possible weakness.
A good interviewer will test you through his/her questions to see if you are able to do the job, and will also give you information about the job. It is important for the company that even if you do not get the post, you should not go away from the interview feeling unfairly treated. You should listen well while they are talking, stay looking attentive and when answering ask if you can add anything if you are not sure whether to keep talking.
Once the interview begins the interviewer may either start by telling you more about the job and the company or may ask you questions first, and then give you details of what the job entails. The interviewer will probably take notes; do not be put off by this. Most interviewers will jot down a few reminders of the things that you have said so that they can remember all the facts later and make an informed judgment on which candidate to appoint. It is in your interests that they write rather than forget you. Don’t make the mistake of trying to see what the interviewer writes; it probably won’t help you and it will destroy your concentration on what you are saying.
The questions themselves can be asked in a variety of ways. A good interviewer will link the questions well and the conversation will flow as one question leads naturally on from another. Most interviewers will try to ask all the candidates the same sorts of questions so that they have a basis for comparison, whilst still leaving them enough flexibility to probe areas of possible weakness.
Create a good impression
The interviewer will need to see what kind of a person you are and whether you will fit in with the organization be happy there. You will be showing them what kind of person you are by every answer you give to each question. Your likes and dislikes may reveal your motivation too. Although you might think that your happiness is of no importance to the interviewer, remember that if you are content, you won’t interrupt others and will probably stay with the company longer. No one wants to employ someone who is permanently miserable or moaning.