We all want to crack our interviews and get a good job. For this, we need proper preparation. However, facing an interview takes a lot of courage. For some, it can be a challenge to sit in front of an unknown person and answer tricky questions. To help you in such a situation here in this article, Isha has shared a few points to improve your interview skills.
INTERVIEW SKILLS
Preparing for the interview
Candidates preparing for their interview for the first time need to be mentally healthy. They may feel a little confused and nervous but can surely achieve success with proper practice.
Research the organisation
Nowadays, most companies have their own websites. You can check those out to know about those in detail. You can search through google and quickly find out how long this organisation is in business. Checking the organisation’s employee strength and the organisation’s owner would explain how it works. You also need to check the founder members of the organisation. Going through the products and ideas these companies share would also give you a better idea. You can also check out the organization’s qualities and job profiles and find out if those match with you.
Tests and preparation
In the interview, you have to sit for several tests, which may vary from general H.R round with some basic questions to psychological test, aptitude test etc. Apart from that, there could be technical questions related to your skills and job profile. Coming prepared with a P.P.T can help you immensely if you are asked to perform one out of the blue.
Qualified Employees Seek
Organisations always prefer candidates who are all-rounders. They also look out for self-motivated candidates who are committed to the job and organisation. Does the person have the workability to solve the problems or not, can he or she communicate with other employees and work in a team or not whether you can solve the issues or not etc. A balanced personality is something they also seek.
Competency-based interviews
Depending on your skills, you may be asked about several types of questions. You can be asked about the projects you have worked on in your earlier organisation. They can also check your competency by giving you hypothetical situations and follow how you are planning to come out of such a situation.
Responding to competency Questions
One effective way to handle such a situation is to reply with a ‘STAR’ answer. Now a STAR response stands for Situation- Task-Action-Result. First, you need to have a good idea about the situation your examiners are providing you. You have to describe the situation. You need to think about the task or problem you would face in such a situation and explain it.
Now A stands for Action. You have to tell them what type of Action you will take alone or with your colleagues to overcome such a situation. R stands for Result. After taking Action, there would be some outcome or Result, and you need to explain it. So this is how you can arrange your answer step by step following this formula. Lastly, you need to explain what you learned from this whole experience.
Competencies required by X Company
If you are an experienced person, then the organisation taking your interview may check your integrity, adaptability, teamwork, and a few more things. They may also check your knowledge regarding the industry you have been working throughout your career. Moreover, they also check your decision-making capabilities and how your skills are helping in doing that. H.R is the first round of interviews. In this stage, they do the first screening. Once someone passes the interview, they are selected for the second interview round.
The common questions that one has to face are why we should hire you? And interviewers tend to get confused with such a question. You should check the job profile and the skills they require in such a situation. You need to tell them that the skills you have got match the job profile. It would also help if you mentioned the projects you have worked upon. Sometimes the interviewer may ask you a tricky question like ‘what is your weakness?’ Make sure not to say something that may affect your selection process.
Types of questions
Every organisation gives you the chance to ask you something during the selection process. You must be sure not to ask anything related to monitory. This can vary from the percentage of increment and appraisal to how much of the bonus they pay. All these would affect your selection process. The questions you ask should be job or organisation oriented; like the types of training they provide, the growth opportunities, additional skills they are looking for etc.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Always smile throughout the interview.
- Reach the premise 15 minutes before the interview.
- Carry your freshener.
- Make sure you are smelling good, and check your attire.
- Do a firm handshake.
- Maintain a professional gesture, posture and look.
- Avoid swinging your legs.
- Make sure your palms are not sweaty or cold while shaking your hands.
- Keep your jewellery sleek and minimal.
- Wear a comfortable but formal dress.
- Maintain a dress code if there is any.
Apart from this, you should also communicate confidently and adequately.
Tutor bio: Isha has completed her M.B.A in H.R and Admin. She has been working for 13 years in the corporate sector as an H.R. Lately, she was associated with Maruti Suzuki. From 2010 she was working as a full-time communication trainer. She has also grabbed certification courses in this field. Now she is working with UrbanPro in Bangalore since 2014 and training learners throughout India. She conducts various types of communicative training based on the learners’ requirements.
