Institute of Information & Technology

M.A Jinnah Campus, Lahore.

Assignment of Business Communication

Course Instructor: Madam Ayesha Aziz

Name: Fahad Manzoor

Roll # 245
M.B.A-FA10-E
Interview skills and how ther effect Job Search Strategies:
PRE-INTERVIEW STRATEGY:

Most companies have web sites these days. Check them out. Do a search for
articles and news stories about the company. Ask around. You can even call the
company directly and ask a few questions. Your goal is to determine:

(1) The company's reputation. Is this a company you'd be proud to name as your

employer?

(2) The company's benefits. Salary isn't everything, and sometimes you won't know
what it is until you are hired and negotiate an amount. But most companies will tell
you about the other benefits they offer, such as pension plans, vacation and sick
leave, health care programs and so forth.

You should not have a generic resume that you submit for all job openings. You
want one that matches your talents and skills to those desired by the company for
that job. In other words, if the job announcement makes it clear that someone with
strong accounting skills is needed, be sure to highlight any accounting or
bookkeeping duties you've done in the past, even if they were a relatively minor
aspect of your previous jobs.

By studying the job announcement, you should have a fair idea of what kinds of
questions you will be asked. Some questions are generic in nature and fairly
standard for most interviews, while others are specifically related to the position you
hope to fill. Put yourself in the hiring person's shoes.

A list of possible questions and sample answers is provided at JOB INTERVIEW

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS.Review them carefuly and be prepared.

Come up with a few of your own questions, based either on the research you've
conducted about the company or specifics about the position for which you are
applying.

Hints and Tips:

• Give yourself time to compose an answer. When responding to questions don’t

feel that you have to immediately jump in with your answer.

1 • If you know you have gone off-track, you might say – “I seem to have taken the
wrong approach – a better approach would be …..”. This way you get to the point,
rather than taking three minutes to waffle your way to your final answer.

• If you have a mental block it may be hard for the interviewer to know if you have
finished your response. You could say - “Yes, I think I have covered everything” – to
indicate you have
Types of interview in job scenario:

It is a fact that in many things even when the goal is the same the paths leading to it
are always different. The same can be said for any job prospects where there are
diverse arrays of interview styles that seek to select that best for that particular
profile. Employers adopt a variety of ways to find out if the particular candidate fits
the bill. That is why a person coming to the interview shouldn’t expect just to impress
the interviewer with his or her professional successes but must be prepared to face
all the hurdles that the interviewer places before them. Since, the job profile is very
diverse so it makes little sense if there is only one type of interview structure. For
example, an interview structure that is appropriate for a sales representative will be
of little help when the interviewer wants to select, say, a person in the management
role. With increasing competition in the job market, different types of interviews have
become very necessary to recruit talents. Read below to know more on what these
different types of interviews are.

   
Gives you a chance to show samples of work you've done or
demonstrate your skills. For example, if you are a graphic artist, you
show the pieces of work in your portfolio. If you're a salesperson, you
Work sample make a sales presentation. If you're applying for a job as an office
interview worker, you may be asked to type and format a business letter.

Provides an opportunity for you to meet and talk with your prospective
Peer group coworkers. Just as in other interviews, the peer group will be
interview evaluating you and determining how you fit.

Consists of three or more people, all asking you questions. For each
question, direct your answer to the individual asking the question, but
Group or panel strive to maintain some eye contact with the other members of the
interview group.

Employers sometimes use a meal interview to see how well you can
handle yourself in a social situation. Company representatives
Luncheon attending may include the hiring manager, a human resources
interview(also department member, and one or more peer employees. Some advice:
known as "The choose your meal carefully. Make sure it is easy to eat, so you do not
Meal") have to worry about spills.

Involves being asked difficult or even offensive questions that are

designed to deliberately make you uncomfortable. Keep your cool,
take your time in responding to the questions, and when it's all over,
Stress interview reward yourself.

Uses video-conferencing technology to allow people from different

locations to interview you without traveling. Practice in front of a
Video conference mirror or have a friend videotape you to help ensure that you can
interview effectively communicate via camera.
Different Kinds Of Interview

Face-To-Face Interview:

• This is a traditional interview and the most common type.

• In this interview the candidate and the interviewer meets face-to-face.

• The main concept of the interview is to build rapport with the interviewer and
show how the qualifications will benefit their organization.

• The interviewee should maintain eye contact, and respond to all the questions
of the interviewer.

Panel Interview:

• A panel interview comprises more than two members interviewing a person

for the hiring.

• It is most common mode of interview when hiring at the senior level.

• The interviewee should try to connect with each interviewer and the best way
to do this is to read the personality of each interviewer.

• In a panel interview, the interviewer tries to gauge the group management and
group presentation skills of the interviewee.

• The interviewee should maintain eye contact with the person asking the
questions but also seek eye contact with the other members of the panel.

Phone Interview:

• Phone interviews are increasingly used in mass hiring.

• The interview is conducted entirely over the phone and this is very effective in
eliminating any bias that may arise from the appearance and manner of the
candidate.

• Phone interview is used to narrow a field of candidates. That is why

candidates should treat this interview with the same seriousness as a phone
interview.

• The candidate should focus on the conversation and listen to the questions
carefully before answering. In this interview, voice is also a key.
Group Interview:

• The main purpose of this interview is to see how the interviewer interacts with
others and how he or she influences others with knowledge and reason.

• Group interview is also the best way to discover any leadership potential
among the candidates.

• The leading candidates who are selected from the group interview are then
taken for an informal one to one interview.

Stress Interview:

• This type of interview is rare in the present job scenario. It was a very
common interview method when selecting for sales position.

• This interview is an attempt to see how the candidates handle themselves

under stress. So, the interviewer deliberately assumes a sarcastic or argumentative
position. The trick for the interviewee to remain calm under such a situation.

Assistance between C.V and Interview:

A CV looks very impressive if it includes a few quantified and relevant

achievements - evidence about you and your capabilities that relate to what the
interviewer is seeking, and what the job role requires.
Not all achievements (or any of them, in the case of young people at the start of their
careers) need to be work-based. Refer to the list of non-work experiences above for
ideas about non-work achievements too.
Describing your relevant and impressive achievements on your CV is therefore a
great opportunity for you:
 to show that you understand what the job requires - in terms of activities,
behaviour and style (by the key aspects of your achievements that you include in
your CV)
 to show that you understand the relative importance and priority of the
requirements of the role (by the achievements you list and the sequence in which
you list them)
 to provide evidence that you fit the job and person specification - that you've
done the things they need to be done, or similar things, in the past
(achievements are evidence the interviewer needs to see)
 to provide evidence that you have the personal characteristics that the role
requires (achievements with suitable scale and context and wording imply
personal characteristics)
Employers recruiting for any type job want to find people who are a 'safe bet'; people
who have a proven and impressive track record and/or with evidence of appropriate
capabilities, style, attitude and potential. Employers don't like taking risks.
Interviewers and recruitment decision-makers want to get the best person for the
vacancy, but they also want to protect their personal reputation by avoiding making
recruitment mistakes, which means minimising risk.
Therefore the more evidence you can provide that you will be a reliable and safe
choice, and a very low-risk appointment, the better.
Showing impressive, well-worded achievements, that indicate you have the sort of
capabilities, experience and personality to match the employer's needs, greatly
increases your chances of being short-listed and progressing through the interview
process.