Basic Interview Concepts.

What is an interview?

An interview is a face to face meeting, especially for the purpose of obtaining a statement or for assessing the qualities of a candidate. It can have two objectives:

•  To obtain a statement or opinion, as done when film stars are interviewed to get their views on any particular role.
• To assess a person for his/her suitability for a job or for admissions to educational institutions.

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.   Preparing for an interview.

• One of the most fundamental factors that contributes to the success in an interview is the time and quality pf preparation.
• The degree of preparedness for an interview helps reduce the uncertainty and anxiety prior to the interview.
• The amount of effort you wish to put into the preparation should be directly proportional of the importance of the interview.

 

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW.

•  Learn about the institute
• Get a brief idea of yourself (strengths, weakness, achievements)
• Carry all relevant documents as proofs.
• Refresh yourself on your subjects of graduation.

Tips for an interview.

• Take permission before entering the room.
• If the door was closed before you entered, make sure that you shut the door behind you softly.
• Seek permission to sit down.
• Brevity is the hallmark of a good communicator. It is recommended that you volunteer information in a lucid and to the point manner. An over-talkative person is instantly disliked and misjudged.
• Don’t bluff. Interviewers immediately take a stance of grilling a candidate if they suspect him or her of lying.
• The way you conduct yourself reflects your upbringing and your culture. Be polite and well-mannered.
•  Maintain eye contact with the panel all through the interview. This shows your self-confidence and honesty.
•  Be yourself. Interviewers appreciate a genuine person.

Typical questions.

1. Tell me about yourself.  

 This is a very general question in which you can say almost anything about yourself.

Prepare well for this question so that you can tell about those things which are important such as your basic details, personality traits, achievements, aspirations, motivations and ambitions.You should be able to say a lot without being verbose or self-opinionated.

     2.  What are your strengths and weaknesses?

2       This is a question that has stumped many an interviewee. It is asked to ascertain how much you know about yourself, since a person who knows oneself well is likely to be more effective in life. Interviewees try to give a weakness that will not jeopardize their chances in the selection. So prepare well in advance as to what your strength and weakness are and how you intend to improve on you weakness.

3         3.  Tell us about your family background?

 This question is asked by the interviewers in order to determine the social culture, religious and economic milieu you come from. The best approach for such a question is to bring out not only the facts of parentage and background but also some principles they taught you. Mention family values.

4         4.    Why did you choose your particular field of specialization?

This question is asked to get to know your aptitude and personal qualities and to understand if you have a flair for the subject or not. Try to link your personality traits with the requirement of the specialization. For example, “I choose to be in a marketing job because I am an extrovert and I like meeting people”

5       5. Why do you consider yourself suitable for a seat?

The panel is concerned whether you have the requisite knowledge, skills and attitude that they are looking for in the prospective candidate. You have to mention as to why you are better than others and how passionate you are for the job/course.

 The Bottom Line.

Managing yourself effectively under all circumstances is critical to your success. Tell yourself that you are as much an architect of a good interview as the panel. You will enjoy the experience with this perspective.

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