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What to Do and What Not To Do During a Job Interview
The mere thought of a Job Interview is enough to make some of us
sick in the stomach. Let’s face it, no one likes to be put in a
spot and questioned by a bunch of strangers. It’s tough; it’s
unnerving and it’s an outright torture!
However, some things just cannot be avoided and it is best to calm
and prepare oneself mentally before the d-day as much as possible.
Let’s begin with what to do before and during a Job Interview –
Relax – Keep your cool and believe in yourself.
Do your Homework – Before appearing for that crucial interview,
try to read up a little about the Company and its line of
business. Remember: Knowledge never hurts.
Dress Appropriately
– Like it or not, the first impression it
usually the last impression so make sure that you dress formally
for the interview. Avoid loud colors, strong perfumes and
distracting hair styles.
Be punctual – Don’t keep your interviewers waiting. Reach on time
or preferably a little before time.
Always Maintain Eye Contact – The way you handle yourself says a
lot about your personality. Maintain your composure, shake hands
firmly and maintain a good eye contact while talking to your
interviewer/s.
Listen well – You must first listen well before speaking. Speaking
out of turn is definitely a NO-NO.
Communicate - When given a chance, communicate your thoughts and
ideas properly. Explain yourself well. How you speak and put your
thoughts across makes all the difference.
Highlight Your Skills and Achievements through the years.
Follow up - with the interviewer in writing after the interview.
Here’s what not to do –
Don’t smoke, don’t chew gum and don’t pick your nose!
Do not sit before you are asked to take a seat.
Don’t go on and on about yourself or your accomplishments.
Don’t bad mouth your former employers.
Don’t try to find out everything in the initial interview such as
perks and vacations.
Keep away from topics that can lead to an argument or face a
difference of opinion.
Telephonic
Interview Tips
Phone Interviews have become a common tool for judging the
suitability of job applicants and screening out those who do not
match the job requirements. Hence, as a job seeker, you must not
take the phone interview lightly which is the first phase of the
interviewing process.
Just as you would prepare yourself for the face-to-face interview,
you should also devote sometime for planning and preparing for the
phone interview.
Time & Concentration Keep enough time aside for the phone interview
and make arrangements so that you will not be interrupted through
the course of the telephonic interview. Make sure you are completely
focused and your whole concentration is directed towards the
upcoming interview.
Preparation Keep a pen and paper handy to jot down important
information that you may have access to during the phone interview.
If you had applied for this position through a newspaper ad, keep
the ad cutting in front of you along with a copy of your current
resume.
Demeanor From the moment you take the call and till the time you end
the call, remember that you are being screened. Hence, you must put
every effort into conversing and communicating well with the
interviewer. You should sound interested, excited and involved.
Listening Skills If there was ever a time when your good listening
skills were needed, this is it. Don't speak out of turn and
especially while the interviewer is talking. Listen well to the
interviewer and then answer questions clearly and confidently.
Seek Information The phone interview is often used as a means to
analyze and judge the suitability of the candidate as well as know
more about them. It also provides the candidate an opportunity to
understand what the job entails. Hence, you must also ask questions
tat will help you to know more about the prospective job as well as
the Co, its policies and your ability to meet these requirements.
The phone interview can prove to be the first stepping stone towards
your dream job So put in your best efforts and do well!
Importance of Self Confidence For A Successful Interview
The very thought of appearing for an interview can be painful and
lead to nervousness, apprehension and butterflies in ones stomach.
However, the tensions related with appearing for an interview can be
brought down several notches by reminding yourself just how
important this interview is for your career advancement.
Once your goal is in front of you, everything else will fall into
place.
1. Having
Confidence in Yourself and believing in your abilities is the first
rule to follow when appearing for an interview. For if
you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you!
2. Preparing for the interview in advance is a sensible thing to do.
Prepare for the interview by gaining more knowledge about the
Company, its policies, work culture etc by visiting its website and
by reading some of its Corporate Company literature. By doing
sufficient homework before the interview, you will be able to add
tremendously to your self confidence because you will be ready to
answer specific questions that the interviewer may ask during the
course of the interview.
3. Dress Well for
the interview. What you wear and how you look can once
again add to your confidence level. Remember: First impression is
usually the last impressions. Hence, make sure that you dress
smartly and project a confident and professional image.
4. Communicate
well. From the moment you enter the interview room and
till the time you leave it, you will be under constant scrutiny.
Hence, you must portray your self confidence in the way you walk,
talk, sit and communicate. Build on your conversational skills so
that you may not be at a loss for words while replying to questions
posed by the interviewer.
5. Adopt a
Positive & Confident Tone of Voice. Each time you
talk, make sure that you sound interested, positive and confident.
Whenever you are asked a question, take your time to think about it
and then answer it to the best of your abilities. Believe in
yourself and have faith in your beliefs. In the event that you have
a doubt, clarify it before answering.
Results are not always in our hands. But it is definitely up to us
how well we make the effort. So believe in your abilities and have a
successful interview!
Candidates can forward their resumes to careers@xsyssoftech.com |
