Institute of Business

Administration - IBA
Effective Interview Skills
By
Aadil Riaz

What market needs

Objective (What is the objective / purpose of

the position?)
Education (Desired education level for the
position?)
Academic
Professional
Work experiences (what type of experience
should the position holder have?)

What market needs

Competencies

Professional - (Areas of work Specialization required)

Personal - (Interpersonal Skills)
Computer skills
Responsibilities
(Key duties / responsibilities of the
position)

What market needs

Processes Ownership

Main output for which the position is

responsible
Where this position participates
Other Skills
Presentation Skills
Communication Skills
Analytical Skills

1. Presentation and Manner

First Impression, General appearance,

Confidence, Posture, Cleanliness

Positive Indicators
Neat and clean formal business clothes
General cleanliness, trimmed facial hair
Upright posture, agility, enthusiasm,
pleasantness

Negative Indicators
Casual clothes, denim jeans, stained or
soiled
Soiled, dirty or unkempt appearance
Drooping or sluggish posture

2. Attitude, Stability, Maturity

Sense of responsibility, Attitude towards

work, society and family, Self discipline,
Work ethics, Friction with previous
employers, peers, colleagues,
Frequency in job change, Relationships
with friends, peers.

Positive Indicators
Builds positive relationships with people
Seeks to understand expectations
Tactful and diplomatic
Maintains relationships in difficult situations
Negative indicators
Difficulty in building relationships
Inappropriate handling of problems
Emotional and erratic
Insensitive to others

3. Communication

Expression and Clarity of thought,

Concise manner, Listening skills,
Understanding and responding to
questions.

Positive Indicators
Communicates clearly and concisely
Appears friendly and personable
Shares information
Listens and responds appropriately to
questions asked
Comes across as relaxed & easy to talk to
Negative indicators
Hesitant in speech, lacks clarity,
inappropriately brief response
Strays from the point
Doesnt answer the question

4. Motivation and Ambition

Self-direction, Energy in work, attitude

and clarity about future goals and
direction, Areas of interest and
candidates effort towards achieving
goals.

Positive Indicators
Clear understanding about personal career
& goals
Plans a strategy towards achieving desired
results
Aware about personal strengths &
shortcomings
Works towards self development
Negative indicators
Confused and unclear in personal goals
Haphazard and irrelevant goals
Indecisive

5. Leadership potential

Previous leadership experience, degree

of assertiveness, confidence level,
ability to motivate others, sincere effort
to reach mutually agreed and workable
goals, empathy with others.

Positive Indicators
Has experience of leading others
Has experience of working actively in groups
Demonstrates ability to motivate and support
Manages own time effectively
Looks for evidence to substantiate personal opinion
and views
Achievements as a leader
Negative indicators
No experience of sharing information with others or
team work
Lack of understanding about team shared goals
Lacks planning / organisation
Doesnt show interest in others view
Insecure about own opinions and views

6. Problem solving skills

Analytical abilities, Articulation and

organisation of thought, Mental
alertness, Grasp of ideas, Problem
solving ability.

Positive Indicators
Provides considered answers in tackling questions
Demonstrates sound judgment and reasoning
Gives examples of analyzing and resolving
problems
Comes up with lateral solutions to problems
Describes situations of his/her good decisions
Negative indicators
Is not logical, structured and coherent in
describing problems
Does not demonstrate a logical and consistent
approach
Does not tackle problems at an early stage
Does not anticipate issues
Prefers to refer problems to others over taking self
initiative

7. Business understanding and Interest

(Relevant to the position interviewed for)

Basic understanding and requirements of

the task, Previous achievements in the
area, future development plans.

Positive Indicators
Demonstrates interest and understanding of
business
Demonstrates understanding of the industry
Keen interest in general business and financial
issues
Speaks enthusiastically about studies and previous
jobs
Negative indicators
No understanding of the Industry and role of the
professional
Does not demonstrate understanding of wider
business factors
Lacks understanding of how a company operates
Lack of interest in general business and financial
issues

8. General interests

Participation in extra curricular activities,

Active pursuit in hobbies, Attitude
towards life in general

Positive Indicators
Physically maintains his/her self
Active in social and/or public events
Constructive and intellectual hobbies
Has a positive attitude towards self, society
and life
Negative indicators
Apparently physically unfit
Remorseful towards self society and life
Lacks interest in any activity