Interview Handling Tips

BY FAHEEM AKHTAR
AM-HR
M.B.A (HR), LLB
Interview Tips
CREATED By INNOVATIVE HR GROUP
EMAIL: [email protected]
I. INTERVIEW PRE-PREPARATION GUIDE
A day or two before an interview you should take the time to really think about how you want the
interview to go, what impression you want to leave on the employer and what unique pitch you will
use to stand out from other applicants. Next step is to thoroughly research the employer, the idea is
to learn as much as possible about the organization, its philosophies, goals and plans.

• Your goal is to show them that you are like-minded—that you understand and agree with their
philosophy, and therefore, would be a good addition to their team.

• Best sources for researching your target company annual reports, the corporate newsletter,
contacts you know at the company or its suppliers, advertisements, articles about the company in
the trade press, and financial websites.

• Then list the 3 or 4 strong qualifications that you bring to the table. This way, you know
going in what they are looking for and why you are a good fit.

• If your profile requires networking (Sales & Distribution, PR etc) review any names or details
that could be helpful to reference during your discussion.

• Always compliment the organization and panel’s friendly conduct, this helps in creating a
positive, thoughtful persona.

Your goal is to leave the ideal impression, highlighting your best selling points and avoiding
weaker aspects of your experience.

II. INTERVIEWING BASICS

• Review Resume Key Points: Your resume is the potential employer's outline of your career—
and in most cases, the basis of questions asked during the interview. Make sure you are
prepared to provide details and expand on key points.
• Dress for Success: Look the part of the position you're interviewing for (appropriate attire,
meticulous grooming, etc.). Take the time to properly organize any paperwork you bring along
(i.e., extra resume copies, letters of recommendation, references, performance evaluations,
questions).
• Arrive on Time: Check out the address and parking facilities BEFORE the interview date.
• Be extremely Polite – Not only to the interviewer, but also to the receptionist or secretary.

Interview Tips
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• Use a Firm Handshake, direct eye contact and a friendly smile; demonstrate a sincere
interest and enthusiasm for the job.
• Always Display Loyalty to Your Former Employers—no matter what they did (or did to
you) never, say anything negative about them.
• Maintain a Positive Attitude and believe in yourself!
• Strategically Schedule Your Interview Appointment. If possible, try to schedule your
appointment so that you're not the first person being interviewed. (Research indicates that the
first person interviewed gets the job only 17% of the time, while the last person interviewed
gets the job 55% of the time. According to this study, it is also recommended that you avoid
interviews on Monday or late in the afternoon.)

III. RULES OF THE INTERVIEW

1. Keep your answers brief and concise.
Unless asked to give more detail, limit your answers to two to three minutes per question. Tape
yourself and see how long it takes you to fully answer a question.
2. Include concrete, quantifiable data.
Interviewees tend to talk in generalities. Unfortunately, generalities often fail to convince
interviewers that the applicant has assets. Include measurable information and provide details
about specific accomplishments when discussing your strengths.
3. Repeat your key strengths.
It's essential that you comfortably and confidently articulate your strengths. Explain how the
strengths relate to the company's or department's goals and how they might benefit the
potential employer.
4. Put yourself on their team.
Ally yourself with the prospective employer by using the employer's name and products or
services.
5. Image is often as important as content.
What you look like and how you say something are just as important as what you say. Studies
have shown that 65 percent of the conveyed message is nonverbal; gestures, physical
appearance, and attire are highly influential during job interviews.
6. Ask questions.
The types of questions you ask and the way you ask them can make a tremendous impression
on the interviewer. Good questions require advance preparation. Just as you plan how you
would answer an interviewer's questions, write out specific questions you want to ask. Then look
for opportunities to ask them during the interview. Don't ask about benefits or salary. The
interview process is a two-way street whereby you and the interviewer assess each other to
determine if there is an appropriate match.
7. Maintain a conversational flow.
By consciously maintaining a conversational flow—a dialogue instead of a monologue—you will
be perceived more positively. Use feedback questions at the end of your answers and use body
language and voice intonation to create a conversational interchange between you and the
interviewer.

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 8. Research the company, product lines and competitors.
Research will provide information to help you decide whether you're interested in the company
and important data to refer to during the interview.
9. Keep an interview journal.
As soon as possible, write a brief summary of what happened. Note any follow-up action you
should take and put it in your calendar. Review your presentation. Keep a journal of your
attitude and the way you answered the questions. Did you ask questions to get the information
you needed? What might you do differently next time? Prepare and send a brief, concise thank
you letter. Restate your skills and stress what you can do for the company.

IV. TYPICAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ASKED

These can be categorized under the following heads:

• Personal

• Education

• Experience

• Career goals

• General
• Most tricky (with answers)
• Job specific (with answers)

PERSONAL
1. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths?
2. Can you name some weaknesses?
3. Define success. Failure.
4. Have you ever had any failures? What did you learn from them?
5. Of which three accomplishments are you most proud?
6. Who are your role models? Why?
7. How does your college education or work experience relate to this job?
8. What motivates you most in a job?
9. Have you had difficulty getting along with a former professor/supervisor/co-worker and how did you
handle it?
10. Tell me about yourself.
11. What are your hobbies?
12. Why did you choose to interview with our organization?
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13. Describe your ideal job.
14. What can you offer us?

EDUCATION
1. Why did you choose your major?
2. Why did you choose to attend your college or university?
3. Do you think you received a good education? In what ways?
4. In which campus activities did you participate?
5. In what ways do your college education or work experience relate to this job?
6. Which classes in your major did you like best? Least?
7. Which elective classes did you like best? Least? Why?
8. If you were to start over, what would you change about your education?
9. Do you plan to return to school for further education?

EXPERIENCE
1. What job related skills have you developed?
2. Did you work while going to school?
3. What did you learn from these work experiences?
4. What did you enjoy most about your last employment? Least?
5. Have you ever quit a job? Why?
6. Give an example of a situation in which you worked under deadline pressure.
7. Have you ever done any volunteer work? What kind?
8. How do you think a former supervisor would describe your work?

CAREER GOALS
1. Do you prefer to work under supervision or on your own?
2. What kind of boss do you prefer?
3. Would you be successful working with a team?
4. Do you prefer large or small organizations? Why?
5. What other types of positions are you considering?
6. How do you feel about working in a structured environment?
7. Are you able to work on several assignments at once?
8. How do you feel about working overtime?
9. How do you feel about travel?
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10. How do you feel about the possibility of relocating?
11. Are you willing to work flextime?

GENERAL
1. What motivates you most in a job?
2. Have you had difficulty getting along with a former professor/ supervisor/co-worker and how did
you handle it?

Interview Tips
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 V. MOST TRICKY QUESTIONS

1. Tell me about yourself.

Keep your answer to a minute or two at most. Cover four topics: early years, education, work history,
and recent career experience. Emphasize this last subject. Remember that this is likely to be a warm-
up question. Don't waste your best points on it.
2. What do you know about our organization?
You should be able to discuss products or services, revenues, reputation, image, goals, problems,
management style, people, history and philosophy. Let your answer show that you have taken the time
to do some research, but don't overwhelm the interviewer, and make it clear that you wish to learn
more.
3. Why do you want to work for us?
If you've researched this company then you can say something specific, like "object-oriented relational
database technology really turns me on. Show that you have done some research marks you as a self-
starter with a solid grasp of the big picture.
4. What can you do for us that someone else can't?
Talk about your record of getting things done, and mention specifics from your resume or list of career
accomplishments. Say that your skills and interests, combined with this history of getting results, make
you valuable. Mention your ability to set priorities, identify problems, and use your experience and
energy to solve them.
5. What do you look for in a job?
Keep your answer oriented to opportunities at this organization. Talk about your desire to perform and
be recognized for your contributions. Make your answer oriented toward opportunity rather than
personal security.
6. What motivates you?
Money, power and recognition are all basic motivators and they should not be mentioned as they
portray a selfish image. Rather “a job well done” &/or “ a challenge." &/or "Interesting
work/technology."
7. What important trends do you see in our industry?
Be prepared with two or three trends that illustrate how well you understand your industry. You might
consider technological challenges or opportunities, economic conditions, or even regulatory demands
as you collect your thoughts about the direction in which your business is heading.
8. Why are you leaving (did you leave) your present (last) job?
Be brief, to the point, and as honest as you can without hurting yourself. Refer back to the planning
phase of your job search where you considered this topic as you set your reference statements. If you
were laid off in an across-the-board cutback, say so; otherwise, indicate that the move was your
decision, the result of your action. Do not mention personality conflicts.
The interviewer may spend some time probing you on this issue, particularly if it is clear that you were
terminated. The "We agreed to disagree" approach may be useful.
9. What do you think of your boss?

Interview Tips
CREATED By INNOVATIVE HR GROUP
EMAIL: [email protected]
Be as positive as you can. A potential boss is likely to wonder if you might talk about him in similar
terms at some point in the future.

ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR

SMART JOB SEARCH!!

Interview Tips
CREATED By INNOVATIVE HR GROUP
EMAIL: [email protected]