FLP eBook 19 - Interview Tips and Do's and Don'ts
Ask Yourself. Am I Present? Awaken the Observer and Come Present to Now.
With great gratitude, appreciation and praise we welcome you to the creation space of self love, courage, inspiration and the peace of mind that comes from gently balancing and lowering your brainwaves.
Listening to this THETA wave will assist you in creating a transformative meditative state, that will quiet your mind, relieve tension in your body, soothe your spirit, and help you remember how good it feels to be fully present in this beautiful moment of now.
Listen to this THETA brainwave as you study the following lesson.
We all know the importance of making a positive impression - and that's never more important than during a job interview! A little preparation and homework in advance can help reduce the stress of an interview and give you a game plan for success. Here are some tips to help you prepare.
Before going to an interview, do some research about the company you are applying. News publications and the internet will provide just about everything you need. This is the most important preparation to do. The organization wants to know that you are interested enough to find out and remember some important facts about what may be your new employer.
DOs
1. Visit the company's web site to get a sense of its products and marketplace. To dig deeper, research them using these resources. Fill out the online Application. Then figure out how to get an interview.
2. Be prepared to discuss your specific contributions to the projects included in your portfolio as well as the improvements you would like to have made. People who take responsibility for the deficiencies of their work and learn from their experience, while remaining pragmatic about deadlines, are much more likely to be hired.
3. Ensure that your portfolio contains no errors (typographic, formatting, etc.) that would reflect badly on your professionalism.
4. Prepare a list of questions you'd like to ask at the interview. Candidates who don't ask questions (about the department, the company, responsibilities, tools, benefits, etc.) generally do not appear interested in the job and are seldom offered it. To get some ideas, review Questions to Ask Potential Colleagues, Questions to ask about a Company, and Questions to Ask the Hiring Manager.
5. If you're interviewing for a position for which you feel exceptionally qualified and are confident that you understand the core skills to do the job, we suggest that you take the opportunity to summarize your résumé in terms of what you understand the job requirements to be. Prepare a 1-3 minute speach about:
• what you imagine they need done and what kind of skills you believe the right candidate must have to succeed
• what you've done — and, just as importantly — what you hope to do (that's relevant to their needs)
• your strengths and how complementary they are to (your understanding of) the company's goals
6. Remember that your main objective is to help the interviewer understand what you can do to make them look good, and how you've succeeded in similar situations in the past. Make it clear early on that you can learn almost anything, are sincerely interested in their products or services, and are committed to helping them succeed.
7. Get plenty of sleep before your interview. If you're tired it will show as disinterest and boredom.
8. Arrive 15 minutes early.
9. Bring at least two (2) clean copies of your resume.
10. Some companies require you to fill out an application form before the interview. If the application form asks for your salary history and you choose to omit that information, just write in "call" (or something similar) to indicate that you didn't ignore the instructions but instead wish to discuss those details in confidence.
11. During the interview:
• Make eye contact, especially when you're speaking.
• Uncross your legs and arms, and face your interviewer.
• Smile and don't be afraid to show your passion for the work. Pay close attention to what your interviewers say, and answer their questions clearly and succinctly, then ask if they would like more information.
• Give clear examples of past achievements or experiences that prove your points.
• Share personal opinions only when they're strictly relevant.
• Always ask questions that demonstrate your interest in the subject being discussed — an interested but under qualified candidate will be hired almost as readily as a qualified but passive one.
12. Send each interviewer email to thank them for their time and interest in your services, even if you're not sure you want to work there.
DON'Ts
1. Don't be late. Circle the building, park and meditate, or sit in the lobby and read magazines but do whatever it takes to be at the right office door 15 minutes before they expect you. We know it seems obvious, but being on time the first time you go to a place may prove challenging if you underestimate travel and parking time. If you have not been to the building before, be sure you have reliable directions and have researched traffic patterns so you can get there with time to spare.
2. Don't criticize former colleagues, employers, or clients. Badmouthing only proves that you can't be trusted not to disparage your peers and managers in the future.
3. Don't forget your portfolio. Unless you have been told you that it will not be needed, bring it.
4. Don't discuss money in the first interview. Say that you need to educate yourself more about the opportunity and think about it overnight before you can give an appropriate number. If pressed, give them the range of salaries for the jobs for which you are interviewing. If you are interviewing for a Synergistech job listing, contact us for useful information on salary negotiation.
5. To the eternal question, "What should I wear?" we reply: Don't make a fashion statement.
• Attire for women: conservative (and matching or complementary) colors, unprovocative styles, minimal makeup, and low heels. For a first interview, heels and hose are fine, but stick to low heels for the second and third interviews.
• Attire for men: conservative, clean, unwrinkled, unlogo'd shirt with a collar, pants (not shorts or jeans) that have a discernible crease, and relatively well-cared-for leather shoes (not sandals, boots, or cross-trainers). For a first interview, a sports jacket and tie are entirely appropriate, but a three-piece suit is overkill.
6. Don't yawn, look bored, or look at your watch. (Seems obvious? You'd be surprised what hiring managers tell us about what they see from otherwise high-quality candidates.)
7. Don't let your answers ramble or wander off topic.
8. Don't blame, judge, or let yourself become defensive.
9. Don't let down your guard. It's a bad idea to get too familiar with interviewers, even if "everything went really well" and you're just chatting with your potential colleague or manager in the lobby. Remember, they are evaluating you continuously until the offer is signed.
10. Don't cancel the interview less than 24 hours in advance even if other prospects look much more promising. It makes you look flaky. An exception to this would be if you have already signed another offer letter and would be wasting the interviewer's time.
The Main Types of Interview You May Come Up Against
In this interview overview, you'll see that not all interviews follow the same format. Here are some of the types you may well come up against.
Screening interview overview
These aim to do an initial sift of candidates. They are often carried out by recruitment consultants or sometimes personnel or HR staff. Often they are done over the phone. They usually focus on your relevant experience and skills so that the candidates they put forward for second interview are qualified to do the job.
One-to-one interview overview
These are the most common types of interview you'll come come across in the private sector. As there is usually only one person involved, it’s important to try and develop a relationship. Work on rapport building as 'compatability' scores higher than 'competence'.
Sometimes a series of one-to-one interviews with different interviewers might take place, and this is known as sequential interviewing. The interviewers may cover similar ground, so remember what you tell them! Sometimes, two people may interview you together.
Panel interview overview
These interviews are most common in the public sector and in education and when you apply to work in some charities.
The panel usually consists of people who have a common interest in making a successful appointment. To ensure fairness and consistency, the panel asks all candidates the same set of questions in the same order. The panel’s chairperson will normally introduce and direct the proceedings.
The thing most candidates seem to worry about with panel interviews is who to look at.
The answer is simple.
Look at the person who asked you the question and glance occasionally at other members of the panel as well to show that you are including them in your response. On the positive side, panel interviews can be much fairer to candidates in that there is less room for personal bias from the interviewer.
Competency based interview overview
These are becoming increasingly common. Instead of being assessed by comparing you with the other candidates, using whatever standards the interviewer chooses, you are assessed against the competencies required in a job.
Competencies are the skills, qualities, knowledge and characteristics needed to succeed in a particular job.
Competency based interviews don’t just look at what you did but how you went about it. They will want to collect examples of your past behaviour which are relevant to the requirements of the new job.
So you might face questions such as:
• Describe the toughest problem you have faced in the last six months. What would you have done differently if you tackled it again?
• Tell me about how you have improved production quality. What did you do?
Try to keep your answers concise and structured around the competencies that you used — so that the interviewer can pick them up easily from what you say.
The interviewers will probably write down most of what you tell them.
Telephone interview overview
Formal:
These are often used as part of the selection process for jobs in the customer service or telesales area. The company will tell you when the interview will take place. You will usually be asked a series of structured questions and perhaps asked to take part in a role-play situation on the telephone.
You might also come across automated telephone assessments. Candidates are asked to respond to questions using their telephone keypad to indicate their answer. If telephone manner is important in a job, employers might also carry out a telephone performance test.
Informal:
This is when a company rings you up unannounced to ‘have a chat’ or to ask you to clarify something on your application form. Get them to call you back in a couple of minutes when you have had time to sort yourself out and do some quick preparation.
If a job advert invites you to ‘ring for further details or for an informal chat’, do take up the offer, you might learn something, but be prepared to make a good first impression. Have a copy of your CV at your side, a notepad and a copy of the job advert.