Interviews and Interviewing Skills

Interviews and Interviewing Skills

A job interview or an academic interview is a formal meeting at which people are asked questions by one or a panel of interviewers to find out if they are suitable for a job or a course of study. Job interviews usually follow an application being sent by a candidate, in response to an advertisement or otherwise. Interviews for jobs could be walk-in, which means that the candidate, following instructions in an advertisement, goes directly with all relevant documents, such as a CV, certificates and testimonials to the place where an interview is conducted—sometimes after a preliminary screening. Being a form of oral communication, interviews are usually conducted face-to-face, but this is now also being done increasingly over the telephone.

A good academic background is undoubtedly the most important factor in your being able to find a job of your choice or in furthering your educational goals. It is, however, just as important that you learn how to face an interview with ease and self-confidence. This is because it is at the interview that the prospective employer(s), for example, will take a final decision on selecting just some of the candidates from among the many with almost the same kind of qualifications and capability critical therefore that you must not only perform well with regard to your subject knowledge, but also that you conduct you appropriately and leave a positive impression on the interview Remember that interviews are not only a test of your su knowledge but are also a means for the people on the other side of your subject n the other side of the table to find out whether you have the qualities and attitudes they are looking for.

This section has been included in your textbook in order to help you perform well at interviews, and it suggests some useful techniques you can use to handle an interview. Also included are guidelines and tips for prospective interviewers to help them make the experience pleasant for the person being interviewed. Additionally, these will help the interviewers make the right choice in terms of their requirements.

Interviews have an internal structure that consists of a beginning, a middle and an end. The first part relates to preliminaries, such as greetings, introduction and opening remarks of a general nature. The middle part involves the real exchange of questions and answers that will allow the people conducting the interview to assess the candidate. The concluding part consists of remarks that signal the end of the interview, clarifications the interviewee may want to ask for, expression of thanks and leave-taking.

Preparing for an Interview

An interview calls for the same degree of planning and preparation that you will need for an examination. Some points you must bear in mind, for the days preceding the interview and for the day itself, are as follows:

Brush up on the subject or area related to the interview and update yourself on recent developments. It also helps to get some information on the organisation and its activities/ products.

Prepare answers to some questions you think the interviewers will ask. Some of these could be:

Tell us a little about yourself. Why do you want to be with us? Could you tell us why you want to change your job?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Would you be willing to travel? How do you expect to contribute to the field/ institution?

Arrange the papers and certificates that you may be to produce neatly in a folder. Check the interview calls sent to you to see if there is anything you have missed Wear something that is comfortable as well as appropriate for the occasion.

Be comfortably early as this will give you time to familiarise yourself with your surroundings and to relax.

Think positive, pleasant thoughts and try to regulate your breathing to remain calm.

Facing an Interview: Techniques

Wait for your name to be announced, and knock or seek permission before you enter.

Greet the people in the room formally, but in a pleasant manner.

Do not sit down until you are asked to.

Be conscious about making eye contact with the person speaking to you and of maintaining a proper and relaxed body posture and a steady tone of voice, which should not be either too loud or too soft.

Remember not to interrupt the interviewer and allow him/ her to finish speaking before you answer a question or react to a statement or an opinion.

Listen carefully to the interviewers' questions and comments, and speak clearly and at a moderate pace to avoid having anyone repeat themselves.

Do not ask questions to impress, but only if they happen to be genuine, intelligent queries.

Avoid repetitions, long silences and fillers, such as 'hmm.. ‘er ...', 'you know ...' and 'okay'.

Avoid answering questions with just 'Yes' or 'No'. Even the case of yes-no questions, the interviewer will find it more satisfying if you add to your reply or explain it briefly. in reply to 'Is your mother tongue Bengali?', you could 'No, it's Punjabi. But I can speak Bengali fluently.

Do not feel embarrassed to say that you do not know the answer to a question. Use expressions such as I'm afraid I don't know ...' and 'I'm sorry, but I'm not really certain’

In case you do not hear a question you are asked or if you do not understand it, you could politely ask for it to be repeated or explained. For example: I'm sorry, but could you repeat the question, please. I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean. Are you asking me if I ... ?/Could you clarify the question, please.

Express your opinions politely, not aggressively, using expressions such as 'I think ...', 'I believe ...' and 'In my opinion ...'.

Do not get into arguments or speak negatively or criticise former teachers, colleagues or employers. .

Do not boast or display your knowledge, skills and experience, but if asked, state your achievements simply and honestly.

Wait for the interviewer to invite you to ask questions in case you have queries. In case this does not happen, wait until you sense that the interviewers are done before asking them politely if they could clarify something for you. Examples of the questions you may want to ask the interviewer are, ‘Could you tell me whether the position involves travelling, please' and 'Could I know when I can expect to hear from you, please.'

Wait for the interviewer to tell you that the interview has ended before you get up from your chair. Thank all the people in the room before walking out of the door and closing it softly behind you.

In case the interview is conducted over the telephone, most of the points above will still be relevant. In addition, be careful about regulating your voice, avoiding long silences and butting in before the interviewer has finished speaking. In fact, if the person at the other end of the line interrupts you, do not drown his or her voice by raising yours, but let the person speak. You can then continue with 'As I wa saying ..., etc.

Interviewing Techniques

The change from the situation when you were interviewed to the when you have to conduct one may not take very long, and it will therefore be useful to understand how to perform well as an interviewer in case you have to play the role. Further, the guidelines will help you function well in situations when you may be called upon to interview an eminent person or a celebrity or someone closely connected to some important event or situation. The following tips are meant to help you conduct interviews for jobs, for getting information and opinions from experts and for finding out details about the lives, experiences and work of famous people, such as sportspersons and actors.

Prepare to conduct an interview by getting information on the candidate's educational as well as personal background, his/her area of work, experience, etc.

Be clear about the purpose for which the interview is conducted—to select a candidate for a position, to get expert opinion or to talk to a celebrity about his or her life and work .

Always begin by greeting the interviewee politely and end the interview by thanking the person.

Your tone and body language should be appropriate polite, friendly and interested, not critical, aggressive or intimidating. Use a variety of questions-yes-no as well as Q-word to conduct an interview. Examples of the two kinds of questions are 'Are you willing to relocate to Nagpur?' and Where did you do your internship?'.

Another technique is to make a statement about some known aspect of the candidate's life or work or about a fact related to the subject area on which an expert has been invited to share his/her views and knowledge, and follow this up with a question. For example: You were born into a family of poets and writers. What role did this play in your development as a sensitive and articulate human being?

While it is always important to be courteous, vary your approach slightly when conducting interviews of different kinds. Make an effort to put the interviewee at ease especially in a job interview.

Interviews conducted to seek expert opinion are usually very formal, while interviews with celebrities could sometimes be chatty and less formal.

When interviewing dignitaries or people in authority, it is appropriate to use less direct questions of the following kinds: If I may ask, ... Could you now tell us about ..., please. Would you mind telling the viewers ...? If you don't mind, could you explain ..., please.

Except when you are conducting a radio or a television interview, it is useful to make quick, brief notes. This has to be done without disturbing the interviewee or making him/her wait for the next question.

Sample Interview

Read the sample interview below and take turns to role-play them with a partner so that each of you gets a chance to play the interviewer and the interviewee.

Candidate: Can I come in, please, ma'am.

Manager 1: Yes, please come in. Good morning. Candidate: Good morning, ma'am.

Manager 2: Please sit down. Candidate: Thank you, sir.

Manager 1: Could you begin by telling us something about

yourself, please.

Candidate: Ma'am, I am from West Bengal, but I grew

Surat, where my father worked until he retired. I'm m

and have a baby daughter, who is a year old.

Manager 2: I assume you speak both Bengali and Gujarati. Am I right?

Candidate: Yes, sir, absolutely. I also speak Hindi.

Manager 1: Why do you want to join our company?

Candidate: You're one of the leading publishers of law books in the country. With my background and work experience. I hope to be able to contribute to the company and also find here the opportunity to grow further.

Manager 1: Actually, the vacancy we have is for Lucknow. Would you be open to the idea of being based there?

Candidate: Yes, ma'am. I'm willing to relocate from Mumbai toany part of the country.

Manager 2: Could you tell us what kind of salary you expect, please.

Candidate: I'm earning Rs 22,000 net in my present job, sir. I think anything a little over that should be all right.

Manager 1: Well, thank you, Mr Shravan Kumar. We'll get back to you in a week's time. Candidate: Thank you.

Exercise A. Complete the dialogue given below. You are Rajat Sharma (R.S.), and you are appearing for, interview at Dell for the post of Voice and Accent Trainer. have just completed your BA with English Honours.

R.S.: Sir, may I come in please.

Interviewer: Yes, please.

R.S.:

Interviewer: Good Morning, please have a seat.

R.S.:

Interviewer: To begin with, tell me something about yourself.

R.S.:

(Don't go overboard with this question. Answer only the details required.)

Interviewer: Why do you want to work here?

R.S.:

(Make sure that you have done proper research about the company and the position that they are offering. Any fumble or nervousness from your side will make you come across as a person who is not completely prepared for the interview.)

Interviewer: Why did you pick up English for specialisation in your college?

R.S.:

(On what basis do you make choices? Do you make intelligent choices? Are you sure of your choices or not?)

Interviewer: What is your dream job?

R.S.:

(Are you credible? Will you be satisfied with the position if you are hired? What are your long-term goals?)

Interviewer: Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses ?

R.S.:

(Make sure you know your strengths and weaknesses well in advance and none of them goes against the required job profile and the expected qualities.)

Interviewer: Describe a difficult problem that you have dealt with at your college level?

R.S.:

(This question is designed to probe your professional profile, especially your analytical skills, so answer it tactfully in accordance to the requirement of the current position offered.).

Interviewer: What kind of salary would you be looking for?

R.S.:

(Don't quote a particular figure, ask the interviewer for a range and then give a wide one yourself.)

Interviewer: Do you have any questions?

R.S.:

(Never say no to this question, instead ask questions.)

Interviewer: (Answer to R.S.'s question.)

R.S.:

Interviewer:

Very well, Mr Sharma. Thank you.

R.S.:

(This is an indication for you to exit, exit gracefully without asking questions like 'Who will inform us about the selection?')