From: "ATUL GROVER" <PGPLAN/ATUL_G> To: 9adiwan Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2000 20:33:01 GMT+05:30 Subject: This might

be of use X-mailer: Pegasus Mail v3.1 (R1a) X-PMFLAGS: 128

------- Forwarded Message Follows ------From: To: Subject: Date sent: "atul grover" <grover_atul@hotmail.com> atul_g@pgplan.iimahd.ernet.in icici Fri, 08 Sep 2000 20:15:01 GMT

Believe it or not, interviewers want to hire you. Careful preparation and effective communication have a strong influence on the outcome of the interview. These articles direct you through the process that leads to successful interviews.

General Tips Goals of an Interview The Stages Of The Interview What The Interviewer Is Looking For Handling Difficult Questions

GENERAL TIPS

Find out specific facts about the company - where its plants, offices or stores are located, what its products or services are, how many employees there are in the company, department, etc. There are a number of research publications providing this kind of information. All this can be found in any public library.

Know the exact place and time of the interview, the interviewer's full name, the correct pronunciation, and his/her title. DO greet the interviewer by his/her name if you are sure of the pronunciation. (If you are not sure, ask her/him to repeat their name.)

Impressions are formed during the first two to six minutes of the interview. Thus, what you wear can affect your chances. Your dress should be appropriate for the organization with which you are interviewing. You should aim to convey an image of professionalism, authority, and competence.

Relax and be yourself. Confidence, poise and thoughtfulness are important

PDF Creator: PDF4U Pro DEMO Version. If you want to remove this line, please purchase the full version

ingredients of a successful interviewee.

When introduced to your interviewer, a solid handshake is a telling statement. A limp handshake gives evidence of someone of lesser confidence.

Be prepared to be challenged. A good interviewer is looking for depth, and most will probe if answers are too superficial.

If questions are focused on the academic record, don't make excuses, but provide the best matter-of-fact information that you can. Explain personal or extenuating circumstances that you may have been facing at the time, but don't make disparaging comments about yourself.

Find a way to convey some uniqueness about yourself in the interview. Don't provide answers to questions that weren't asked. Don't dominate the conversation. Give your responses fully, but present them in a logical, forthright and friendly manner.

Maintain good eye contact; there is no need to stare, but when responding to questions, talk TO the interviewer.

DON'T ever make derogatory remarks about your former companies or employers.

Be aware of the body language you convey when you sit. Sitting on the edge of the chair, gripping the seat will make the interviewer wonder if you have sufficient coping skills to handle the high levels of stress that you will face as a professional. Remember, 65% of communication comes in the way of non-verbal clues.

Prepared answers to questions sound just that, prepared! Most interviewers will attempt to ask you questions that you have not thought about before in order to introduce some spontaneity to the interview. Keep a positive, cheerful attitude. Be open, honest and believe in what you say.

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 awhile an interviewer who is genuinely interested in your possibilities may seem to discourage you in order to test your reaction.

Thank the interviewer for her/his time and consideration of you. If you have answered the two questions uppermost in the interviewer's mind: (a) Why are you interested in his/her company? And, (b) What have you got to offer them? -- you have done all you can. TOP

PDF Creator: PDF4U Pro DEMO Version. If you want to remove this line, please purchase the full version

GOALS OF AN INTERVIEW Goals of the Candidate (You): To obtain information about the job and the organization. To determine whether the job is suitable for you and whether you want it. To communicate important information about yourself. To favorably impress the employer. Goals of the Interviewer: To promote the organization and attract the best possible candidate. To gather information about the candidate. To assess how well the candidate's qualifications match the job requirements. To determine whether the candidate will fit in with the organization and the staff. TOP

THE STAGES OF THE INTERVIEW Regardless of the style of the interviewer, the interview will progress through four basic stages: the introduction, sharing general information, narrowing the focus, and the closing. Introduction -- begins with small talk initiated by the interviewer. The interviewer may ask a few casual questions or make some general remarks. The purpose is to put you at ease, establish rapport, and find a comfortable level of communication. Sharing general information -- starts when the interviewer shifts from small talk to general information about you, the organization, and the position. You may be asked to review your background, interests, and goals. The interviewer will discuss the organization and its goals. This will test your listening and speaking skills as well as give you additional information on which to base intelligent questions. Narrowing the focus -- occurs when the interviewer begins concentrating on the job and how you might fit in. You have the opportunity to expand upon your skills and to demonstrate how they apply to the job requirements. Your efforts in researching the job and the organization will pay off at this point. Closing -- happens when the interviewer begins summarizing what has been said and clarifying certain aspects of the interview. It is crucial that you express your interest in the position at this time. It is also important that you review the points you've made especially about how you are uniquely qualified for the position. If you have relevant skills or experience that you have not yet shared, do it now. The employer will probably explain how and when the next contact will be made and may end with, "Do you have any other questions?". Try to save at least one of your questions for the end so that you wrap-up the interview on a positive note, leaving an enthusiastic impression. TOP

PDF Creator: PDF4U Pro DEMO Version. If you want to remove this line, please purchase the full version

WHAT THE INTERVIEWER IS LOOKING FOR

Ability to communicate : This quality is probably the easiest one to evaluate since the interview is a face-to-face encounter in verbal and non-verbal communication. Many recruiters will try to help the communication process by asking questions such as, 'Would you tell me a little about the jobs you have held, how they were obtained and why you left?' Others will test your "ability to communicate" by more challenging questions such as, 'What is your major weakness?'

Willingness to take initiative : This trait is an important one for any person who wishes to prove himself/herself on the job. In an interview it can be demonstrated if you answer 'How do you spend your spare time' or ' What have you done in your life which demonstrates initiative?' in a satisfactory manner.

Leadership potential : Many employers believe that leaders are born not made. Regardless of whether or not you agree with this opinion, there is evidence to prove that people who generally get top management positions demonstrated their leadership potential quite early in life. If, during the interview, you were able to prove by example that you had served on the executive of student club or outside organizations, the recruiter would most likely assume that you possess this trait.

Ambitious/ Motivated : One way of determining motivation is to test whether or not the candidate has plans for his/her future. 'What do you hope to be doing five years from now? If employed by this company, which department would interest you most in the long term?' and ' What salary do you expect?' help the recruiter assess your ambition.

Intelligence : "What have you learned from some of the jobs you have held? What were your grades in school?"

Self-confidence : "Why should I hire you for the job? What qualifications do you have that make you feel you will be successful in your field?"

Sociable / Gets along well with others : "Define co-operation. What type of people rub you the wrong way? How do you feel about team work?"

Imagination : "What do you have to contribute to our company? What in particular, interests you about our products, or service?"

Flexibility : "Describe some changes you've made in your life. Can you give me some examples of how you have adapted to changes in your life?"

Persistence : "Would you describe some obstacles you have overcome in your

PDF Creator: PDF4U Pro DEMO Version. If you want to remove this line, please purchase the full version

life?"

Aggressive : "If you were not pleased with one of your employee's work, how would you handle it?"

Independent : "How much supervision do you wish in a work situation? What kind of work do you prefer and why?" (research or more routine kind of day-to-day work?) TOP

HANDLING DIFFICULT QUESTIONS What questions do you dread being asked in an interview? Some of the more commonly asked dreaded questions include: "What are your strengths and weaknesses?", "Where do you see yourself in five years?", "Why should I hire you?", and "Why do you want to work here?". When you think about it, they are all legitimate questions. You may not have done sufficient soul searching or strategizing to handle them well, but each presents you with an opportunity to sell yourself. It is helpful to look first at why they ask the questions and then to strategize a response. "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" The employer may be assessing how well you know yourself and how honest and open you are. You have an opportunity to showcase your strengths and also to reveal a not too serious weakness. It is best if you demonstrate how you are working to improve your stated weakness. For example, you might say, "My computer experience is somewhat limited. However, I recently took a week long training program on using the MAC and I'm looking forward to building on the skills I learned." "Where do you see yourself in five years?" They want to know if you are ambitious. If you find it hard to look five years out, try this: "Five years seems like a long time. I can see myself as a programmer analyst in two years. Five years from now, I might be a software developer or a systems analyst. I won't know which direction I want to take until I've been in the field for awhile." "Why should I hire you?" Here's where they find out how well you understand their needs and how confident you are of your qualifications for the position. How about a response like this one? "I think you should hire me because I have the skills you need in this marketing support position. My technical skills exactly match the requirements as I've been using your software in my present job. And my interpersonal skills are strong as a result of my student body experience." "Why do you want to work here?" This is where the employer finds out how much you know about their organization. You want to convey your interest in contributing to their mission or in being part of an important project they've been awarded. For example: "I've read about your contract to develop tax accounting software for the federal government and I want to be part of the action..." To be able to answer this question you need to have researched the organisation before the interview.

PDF Creator: PDF4U Pro DEMO Version. If you want to remove this line, please purchase the full version

Then there are those questions that you hope no one asks but they inevitably do -- important questions that demand a well-prepared response from you. For example, if your resume doesn't show continuous employment, you should expect to be asked for an explanation. What positive results came out of your decision not to work? An upbeat way to explain might be, "That's correct, I did not work in 1988. I was nearing the end of my degree program at Northeastern. I realized that if I attended school full time I could complete my bachelor's degree in one year, rather than working and taking three years to finish. I feel I made the right decision: when I went back to work, I was offered a salary considerably higher than my previous earnings." Perhaps you were laid off last year, so you dread being asked why you left your last job. You want to frame your explanation in a way that dispels any shame or guilt you may be harboring. "I was one of 180 people laid off last September when XYZ Corporation went through a major downsizing." What if you were fired for some reason? This can be very worrisome to the job seeker. "To be honest with you, I just didn't fit into the organization. Finally, my supervisor and I decided it was best for me to leave. While this was a devastating experience, I feel I'm ready to begin again." These examples show honest, straight forward responses that will be acceptable to an employer. The important thing is for you to come to terms with the issue, see the positive side, and demonstrate that you are eager to move on in your career. TOP

_________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com.

PDF Creator: PDF4U Pro DEMO Version. If you want to remove this line, please purchase the full version