Face to Face Interview

The following tips have been created by Student Guide to assist for students to succeed in interviews!

We present some basic suggestions for you. Small things matter a lot!! Try to follow the tips provided below and be successful in your careers.

Before the interview

Research the company by visiting their website, try to get important points about the company and note down it for reference. Identify the values of the company and compare it with your personal traits. Write down important ideas and bring it to the interview.

Enquire from your friends/relatives about the company and the mindset of the interviewer if possible. Try to get mock interview questions and if you feel necessary, try to do mock interview with some of your friends.

Think about how you would answer typical questions such as:

• What are your goals over the next two, five, and ten years?
• What are your strengths and would you explain with examples at workplace?
• What are your weaknesses? How you were able to overcome from it?
• What do you know about our company?
• Tell me about yourself in brief in 2 minutes?
• Why should I select you for the job?
• Who has been your favorite supervisor? Why?
• Who has been your least favorite supervisor? Why?

Try to look into the job description and how would you be suitable to the position. Prepare a list of specific strengths and professional qualifications you have for this particular position.

The day before your interview:

• Prepare your business clothes
• Prepare a folder with copies of your current resume and your professional reference list including daytime phone numbers
• Arrange your schedule so you can arrive 15 minutes early. Late arrival for a job interview is never excusable.
• Get a good night’s rest

At the office

Turn off your cell phone before announcing yourself to the receptionist. Arrive 15-20 minutes early and be on your best manners with the receptionist and everyone else you meet. If asked to fill out an application form, you should fill it out in its entirety. Do not write “See resume” anywhere on the form. Because you shouldn’t discuss salary or benefits early in the hiring process, put “negotiable” in the salary requirement blank. While standing up, smiling, and shaking hands firmly, you should greet the interviewer by his or her surname. If you are not sure of the pronunciation, don’t be embarrassed to ask for it to be repeated.

During the interview

Be polite and always display a body language that you are sure of getting the job. Try to wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright in your chair and look alert and interested. Maintain good eye contact and don’t fidget. During the interview, try to be a good listener as well as a good talker.

During the conversation, your goal should be to communicate to the interviewer that the organization needs you for the position. Try to avoid “Yes” or “No” answers. Efficiently explain your qualifications and skills against the suitable position. If you are not sure about the question, ask the interviewer to repeat in a polite manner. Answer intelligently but truthfully and in a frank manner.

Keep the conversation positive and non-confrontational. Don’t make derogatory remarks about your present or former employers. If the interviewer steers the conversation into politics or another sensitive topic, answer the questions honestly but avoid saying any more than necessary. Always conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the job you are discussing.

If you get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you have already been rejected, don’t let your discouragement show. Once in a while, an interviewer who is genuinely interested hiring you may seem to discourage you in order to test your reaction.

Closing the interview

If you are interested in the position, politely ask for it, or if this interview is one in a series, ask for the next interview. Should the employer come forward and offer you the job and you want it, feel free to accept it on the spot. If you wish some time to think it over, be courteous by setting a firm date when you will provide an answer.

In most cases, you won’t be offered a position immediately after the interview even if you’re the front-runner. The interviewer will often want to communicate with colleagues first or interview more applicants before making a final decision. Thank the interviewer for his or her time and considering you for the job. If you have the mail id of the interviewer send a “Thank you” reply the next day.

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