Interviewing

Interviews can be conducted in many different styles. The interview experience you have will depend on a lot of things. It will vary according to the industry you are currently in, the position you are applying for and of course the personalities of both yourself and the interviewer. Preparation for these interviews will vary accordingly.

Understanding the most common interview structures and techniques should allow you to prepare your answers to expected questions. You should understand he general techniques for dealing with the different approaches.

The job interview is a communication process, if you can impress your employer with your communications skills, experiences, and interests effectively then there is a good chance that the employer will remember you. Interview questions are design to reveal personality. It is important that you can show the employer how you can be an asset to the company.

Behavioral interviewing.

This is based on the idea that an individuals past behavior is usually a reflection on future performance given a similar environment. An interviewer would describe a situation and then ask a series of question designed to obtain details of your behavior in past circumstances. This is to see how well an individual responds to certain issues or problems that are likely to arise within the position. Behavioral interviewing also allows the interviewer to ascertain the level of a persons communication skills which is highly regarded in the office environment. All candidates will probably be subjected to the same questions, and most of the time individuals may feel they were not given the opportunity to be as articulate as they can.

To prepare for behavioral interviews, think of situations that you can discuss on the fly without having to pause and think for long periods of time. Consider possible questions and answers in advance, talk to friends and/or people who have experience with these sorts of interviews. Develop strategies for dealing with ‘difficult’ questions that may be encountered. Having something prepared and being able to execute it well during an interview will help you to relax and be more confident as the interview progresses.

Typical behavioral type questions:
“How do you cope with a deadline that you know is impossible to meet?”

“Please describe a situation where you had to deal with a difficult customer? What was his or her response?”

Panel Interview

Usually large organizations conduct panel interviews. Panel interviews are usually conducted to speed up the recruitment process when large organizations embark on large scale recruitment exercise. A panel interview may consist of anything from two or more interviewers, and can be an intimidating experience for the inexperienced. Interviewers may take turns firing questions at you; others may just sit, observe and take notes. Try to maintain your composure, don’t panic, and speak in a strong clear voice. Try to look at everybody at least at some point in the interview.

Stress and Tough interview questions

Stress interviews are usually only conducted for high-pressure positions. During a tough interview an employer will try to induce stress in candidates through difficult, awkward or sometimes inappropriate questions. The purpose is to see how an individual reacts to tough interview questions that is related to the job. It is usually a very unpleasant experience and is not a common interview technique. Try to give a cool, professional response to inappropriate questions, maybe ask for a clarification or why the question is being asked? This maybe the response the interviewer is looking for. Tough interview questions are usually reserved for high stress jobs.

Group Interviews

Group interviews bring a number of candidates together and ask them to work on a specific task. The goal of employers in this situation to see numerous candidates at one time and also to assess their abilities to work with people. Communication skills, time management skills and problem solving skills are usually evaluated in these situations.

During a group interview situation you should focus on finding the best ways to achieve the set tasks or contributing to the discussion, while keeping in mind what the employer is actually looking for. So a bit of acting skills does come in handy. Remember contribute even if you agree with an idea or comment that has already been suggested, give reasons for your support of the idea rather than quietly agreeing. This way you will ensure that you are heard.

 Interview Questions

 Interview Preparation

 Interview Attire