employment interviews

Upload: ankit-goel

Post on 10-Apr-2018

220 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    1/34

    Employment Interviews

    You want to go into the International

    Arena or into the National Arena

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    2/34

    A Question to yourself

    You should ask a Question to yourself,

    rather than others asking it-

    What do I have to offer?

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    3/34

    The search begins with :-

    1. Build towards career

    2. Prepare Resume & other employmentmessages

    3. Understand interview process

    4. Prepare for interview

    5. Participate in Interview

    6. Follow up & accept offer.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    4/34

    Understanding the Process

    The employer will hire someone who has the abilities

    and talents, which fulfill their needs. It is up to you to

    demonstrate at the interview that you are the personthey want.

    Do not get tired of taking interviews. A typical job

    search leads to many interviews (Average of 10 for 1

    job)

    Remember, Internet, colleagues, relatives & Friends

    can be a terrific source for salary information

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    5/34

    Selection for a post:

    Beginning of the selection

    process

    In the Middle stages

    Completing NOT Finishing the

    process

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    6/34

    *Sequence of Interviews:

    1. Screening stage Preliminary stage,

    Their Approach: most companies go for structured

    interviews, almost the same questions asked to every

    candidate. Some use standard evaluation sheets. Some

    screen candidates on phone or through video interview

    or on-line.

    Your Approach: try to follow the interviewers lead. Be

    short and concise but be heard. Make maximum use ofthe theme of your resume. Do not speak too much. Talk

    in an impressive manner so that you are easily

    distinguished from the other candidates.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    7/34

    2.Selection stage:

    Their Approach: the organization utilizes this stage tonarrow the field further, some companies have a series ofinterviews while some conduct an interview with severalpersons at a time, some may call you at the office and askto meet the various employees.

    Your Approach: you may have a series of interviews, facingone person or may be two, or you may be facing manypersons at a time. The catch is You are being observedfrom ALL the angles, on how you listen, think and express

    yourself. Show interest in the company, in the job offered,relate your skills and experience to the organizationsneeds, listen attentively, ask insightful questions anddisplay enthusiasm DO NOT OVERDO or UNDER DOanything.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    8/34

    3. Final stage:

    This stage may come on the spot or soon after the firststage or may be soon after the second stage or it maytake a little time: you receive the job offer.

    Their Approach: the organization may try to sell you on

    joining and working for the firm. They may decide tohave a final evaluation by the hiring authority and mightask to have a word with the authority. This is the time fordeciding the entire compensation package BUT let theinterviewer raise the question. If you are asked your

    salary requirements, it is always better to reply that youwould expect to receive the standard salary for the job inquestion. Once you have a good feeling for the type ofsalary and benefits you are willing to accept, it is time tonegotiate with the company.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    9/34

    Types of Interviews:

    Structured Interviews: controlled by the interviewer

    to gather facts

    Open-ended Interviews: recruiter encourages the

    candidate to speak freely; it is less formal andunstructured. It is to be more cautious as the recruiter

    keeps a close watch, is able to judge the personality

    of the candidate, and is able to test the professional

    judgment. You have to strike a balance between a

    friendly and a business environment.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    10/34

    Types of Interviews:

    Group Interviews: Usually conducted to judge

    interpersonal skills, to observe how a candidate

    behaves with the other.

    Stress Interviews: Usually conducted to judge howwell you can handle the stress and pressure. You

    may be asked questions that may irritate you; you

    may be subject to long periods of silence, deliberate

    interventions, criticism of your appearance, abrupt or

    hostile reactions of the interviewer

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    11/34

    Types of Interviews:

    Video Interview: It is very popular in the present

    scenario. Prepare a bit differently as compared for an

    in-person meeting:

    Reach early & know the equipments Establish a rapport earlier to the interview

    Try to be animated but within limits

    Relax & speak clearly

    6. Situational Interview: You are asked to explain

    how you would you handle a specific set of

    circumstances.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    12/34

    Qualifications for the Job

    For a Specific job, you are judged on:

    Academic Preparation

    Work Experience

    Job Oriented Personality Traits

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    13/34

    Be honest. Do not write or

    say the skills you do not

    know. Most organizations are

    going in for background

    checks.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    14/34

    ILLEGAL QUESTIONS

    During an interview, you may be asked some questionsthat are considered illegal. It is illegal for an interviewer toask you questions related to gender, age, race, religion,

    national origin, or marital status, or to probe into yourpersonal life for information that is not job-related.

    What can you do if you are asked an illegalquestion?

    Take a moment to evaluate the situation. Ask yourself

    questions like:o How uncomfortable has this question made me feel?

    o Does the interviewer seem unaware that the question isillegal?

    o Is this interviewer going to be my boss?

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    15/34

    Then respond in a way that is comfortable for you.If you decide to answer the question, be succinct

    (to the point) and try to move the conversation backto an examination of your skills and abilities asquickly as possible.

    For example, if asked about your age, you mightreply, "I'm in my twenties, and I have a wealth ofexperience that would be an asset to yourcompany." If you are not sure whether you want to

    answer the question, first ask for a clarification ofhow this question relates to your qualifications forthe job. You may decide to answer if there is areasonable explanation.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    16/34

    If you feel there is no justification for the

    question, you might say that you do not see

    the relationship between the question and

    your qualifications for the job and you prefernot to answer it.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    17/34

    Follow-up:After the Interview

    You are not finished yet. It is

    important to assess the interviewshortly after it is concluded.

    Following your interview you

    should:

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    18/34

    Facing the Interview:

    Three stages of a usual Interview:

    Gearing up Start / Begin [Handshakes/ eye

    contact/ words initiated/ smile/ taking a seat/

    answering the first question ..]

    Middle Settled by now, but still to go

    Ending the meeting certain questions/

    getting up from the chair/ saying a bye ..]

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    19/34

    Let us have a look at few questions

    These are few questions that are most commonly

    asked by the interviewers:

    1. So, tell me a little about yourself / Introduce

    yourself / Describe yourself This type of question is probably the most asked

    question because it sets the stage for the interview

    and it gets you talking. Be careful EACH Question

    asked has a definite WAY/ STYLE of answering

    Do not to give the interviewer your life story here.

    You dont need to explain everything from birth to

    present day. Relevant facts about education, your

    career and your current life situation are fine

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    20/34

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    21/34

    3.Tell me what you know about this

    company.

    Do your homework before you go to any

    interview. Whether its being the VP of marketing

    or the mailroom clerk, you should know about

    the company or business youre going to workfor.

    Questions like: Has this company been in the

    news lately? Who are the people in the company

    you should know about? Do the backgroundwork, it will make you stand out as someone

    who comes prepared, and is genuinely

    interested in the company and the job.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    22/34

    4. Why do you want to work at X

    Company?

    This should be directly related to the last

    question. Any research youve done on the

    company should have led you to the

    conclusion that youd want to work there. After all, youre at the interview, right? Put

    some thought into this answer before you

    have your interview, mention your career

    goals and highlight forward-thinking goalsand career plans.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    23/34

    5. What relevant experience do you

    have?

    If youre applying for a position you may have related

    experience, and if thats the case you should mention

    it all.

    But if you do not have any work experience or youare switching careers or trying something a little

    different, your experience may initially not look like

    its matching up.

    Thats when you need a little honest creativity to

    match the experiences required with the ones youhave. Mention relevant skills. People skills are

    people skills after all, you just need to show how

    customer service skills can apply to internal

    management positions, and so on.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    24/34

    6. What motivates you to do a good

    job?

    The answer to this one is not money, even if

    it is, or you believe it to be so .

    Show that: You should be motivated by lifes

    noble pursuits. You want recognition for a jobthat you have done. You want to become

    better at your job. You want to help others or

    be a leader in your field.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    25/34

    7. How are you when youre working under

    pressure?

    Once again, there are a few ways to answer

    this but they should all be positive.

    You may work well under pressure, you may

    thrive under pressure, and you may actuallyPREFER working under pressure.

    If you say you are uncomfortable, this is not

    going to help you get your foot in the door.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    26/34

    8. Whats your greatest strength?

    This is your chance to shine. Youre being

    asked to explain why you are a great employee,

    so dont hold back and stay do stay positive.

    You could be someone who thrives underpressure, a great motivator, an amazing

    problem solver or someone with extraordinary

    attention to detail. If your greatest strength,

    however, is to get a top score on Need forSpeed, keep it to yourself. The interviewer is

    looking for work-related strengths.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    27/34

    9. Whats your biggest weakness?

    If youre completely honest, you may be

    having many.

    If you say you dont have one, youre

    obviously lying.

    This is a horrible question and one that

    politicians have become masters at

    answering. They say things like Im perhaps

    too committed to my work and dont spend

    enough time with my family.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    28/34

    Avoid saying, I think Im too good at my job,

    it can often make people jealous.

    Please, lets keep our feet on the ground. If

    youre asked this question, give a small,

    work-related flaw that youre working hard to

    improve.

    Example: Ive been told I occasionally focuson details and miss the bigger picture, so Ive

    been spending time looking at the complete

    project every day to see my overall progress.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    29/34

    10. Lets talk about salary. What are

    you looking for?

    one tricky game-play in an interview

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    30/34

    11. Has anything ever irritated you about people

    you've worked with?

    Of course, you have a list as long as your

    arm. But you cant say that, it shows you as

    being negative and difficult to work with.

    The best way to answer this one is to think fora while and then say something like Ive

    always got on just fine with my co-workers

    actually.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    31/34

    13. Would you rather work for money or

    job satisfaction?

    Its not a very fair question is it? Wed all love

    to get paid a massive salary doing a job we

    love but thats rare indeed. Its fine to say

    money is important, but remember thatNOTHING is more important to you than the

    job.

    Otherwise, youre just someone looking for a

    bigger pay pack.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    32/34

    14. So, explain why I should hire you.

    As Im sure you know, because Im great or

    I really need a job are not good answers

    here. This is a time to give the employer a laundry

    list of your greatest talents that just so

    happen to match the job description.

    Its also good to avoid thinking about other

    potential candidates here. Focus on yourself

    and your talents.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    33/34

    Finally, do you have any questions to ask

    me?

    Ill finish the way I started, with one of the

    most common questions asked in interviews.This directly relates to the research youve

    done on the company and also gives you a

    chance to show how eager and prepared you

    are.

  • 8/8/2019 Employment Interviews

    34/34

    Youll probably want to ask about benefits if

    they havent been covered already.

    A good generic one is how soon could I

    start, if I were offered the job of course. You may also ask what youd be working on.

    Specifically, in the role youre applying for

    and how that affects the rest of the company.

    Always have questions ready, greeting thisone with a blank stare is a rotten way to finish

    your interview.