dly manner, but when they the best possible held to know a person and to There are not many persons who c: i d ‘es to many people. an interview board. an remain unruffled at the thought of facing Even the most confident of persons i i at an interview. However, there i nothing on fuk Syn ontruatel fact, we go through interview—like situations several times in our day to day life. Sometimes without even being aware of it, for instance, while waiting at a bus stand, we might begin a conversation with the person standing next to us. We might exchange names, our destinations and other such information including our views on several topics. This is in fact nothing but an interview. We are able to deal with such an interview effortlessly because we are not conscious of the fact that we are being judged. But while facing a formal interview for admission or selection for a job, we are aware that we are being appraised. Therefore, such an interview requires a lot of preparation. What really is an interview? An interview is basically the last and the most important step in’ the hiring process. It offers both the employer and employee a chance to meet each other, exchange their views and come to some sort of conclusion about ‘hiring’ one another. : i "The word interview is derived from the word ‘interoue’, meaning the sight between. It is an interaction between two or more persons — see ee It is a face to face interpersonal role situation in W' aa interviewer—asks the ssdieda! being interviewed, specific queations See assess his suitability for admission, selection or promotion. It is a sys method of contact with another. It is not Tt must be noted however that interview is a two-way Pre aso. only the interviewer who is evaluating the interviewee but Led to show his At interviews for jobs, a person has to give of his beat. ch an interview is best manners and etiquette, The general disposition '» spam where the big sometimes the main factor. The interviewee enters the room! *) "ang ses are waiting for him. He has to stand before thems Sb calm exchange some pleasantries, and then sit down and talk. B® 18) torview. and composed, for a nervous person may cut a very SO1TY figureno SAHITYA BHAWAN PUBLICATIONS While interviewing for a job may not come naturally to most people, there is much that can be done to increase the effectiveness of a candidate. You need to know how to effectively sell yourself, communicate your skills and experience, and to portray your personality in such a way so that it matches with the culture of the organization. OBJECTIVES OF INTERVIEWS (1) Collection of information through face to face contact : It is a direct technique of collection of data by the interviewer. The interviewer collects the information by having face to face contact with the interviewee. (2) Information about qualitative facts : Information pertaining to facts can be a available even without having a personal contact but the information about the qualitative facts like attitude, behavioural approach, conduct and strength of character cannot be revealed unless there is a face to face contact, (8) To transmit information about oneself : The purpose of conducting an interview is not only to collect information but is also to provide the necessary information to the candidates. They may also be interested in knowing certain facts about the organization. So the interview provides a platform to the management to apprise the candidates about various spheres of the organization. PREPARATION OF INTERVIEW/MOCK INTERVIEW At an interview, whether it is for job recruitment or for admission, a person has to give his best shot. He obviously will feel nervous but in order to out perform everyone else he has to shed his fears. He must present himself in the best possible way. Following are the few points which must be kept in mind while presenting yourself in an interview : (1) Know the organisation and job for which you are applying Review the job title and description and seek clarification, © Contact the organisation for a more complete description if necessary. e@ Arrange an Information Interview with someone who has the job or a similar one. © Spend a day on the job observing someone actually doing the job. @ Find out who you would work for and ask questions of him or her. Research the organisation to become familiar with its reputation, work environment, culture, problems and prospects. ES Talk to people who would know about the organisation, such 2s job incumbents, former employees, family and friends, faculty alumni, etc. i e Peruse the company binders, directories and other literature in the Career Services Library. © (2) Prepare questions you will ask during the interview. ; e Examples include : ation © How does the job/department fit in the orgareo? eae e What type of formal or informal tr are avail ¢ How would I advance? What career P® tho first interview, © How is job performance measured? airing in Jd Intervieng is 2 (Usually not What is the salary? (Us i ioe Pp ° See (3) Review the Question Most Often of the and write out your answers to about ten = mafINTERVIEW. m ‘The two major types of questi :. F ions to e; : aa t xpect are ; . i canten eee in/what do you know about our cor . hits aectiaee, us/why should we hire you? sek r os Bian o ee oi ae aber et Career Services staff member) ask wo Bive you constructive feedback on your eo « Audiotape or videotape yourself, Schedule a Mock Interview with Want to take an online mock interview? (6) Make certain of the interview date, time and locati e Write these down on your cats * . appoint: A Inlerviewer’s name and phone eomnement calendar along with the ° Allow ens of time to get to the interview location, k your best for the intervie i izati stir whenever poe cheat Sa eamng She_ ognize ‘¢ Be conservative in your dress when in doubt, Make a trial run in new clothes so you'll be more comfortable. @ Trim your hair, have shoes repaired and shined, ete, P Bring a pen and paper, extra resume, etc. (6) Punctuality : Being punctual is the foremost essential for a candidate. itis imperative that the candidate reaches the ‘interview site well in time, half an hour or so before the scheduled time of the interview. This will serve two purposes. First, you will make a good impression and second, you will not reach there ina flurried or flustered manner and will have enough time muster up a degree of composure. ee @ Career Services counselor. You should always be polite to everyone both before and after the interview. The nicer you are to the people, more they will help you. But if you try to out do a person by your churlish tricks, you will also get the same in reciprocal. So it is better to be cool, calm and nice to others. (1) Appearance : Appearance forms an important aspect of candidate's personality. Even before he speaks his looks can make an impression in the eyes of the interviewer. So proper attention must be given towards this aspect 88 opinion once formed at the beginning of an interview is difficult to change during the time span of the interview. So candidate must wear a smart and Pleasant look. If everyone is at the same level in other aspects, then it is going to come down to looks. Sometimes appearance is given more importance than intelligence, , . Hence, i ure @ iinpression, you must be wearing neat and clean sae re ea here or noted is that the cloths should neither too casual nor too formal. Footwear should be well polished. Women should "y to eliminate jewellery as much as possible. th .,,. (8) Body language : Je do not know that even when they Sitting ants they ptares is a lot about their personality Soroagh be body language. Body language is the language spoken through facit "ressions, gestures, postures etc. ‘ ae Through body language we can sometimes express our ideas, emotion: *elngs even more effectively than through our words.sitting, standing or-walking:' Bent or lowered neck indicates lack of confidence Hence, you must enter into the interview room Your hand shape with the interviewer shou slack. It should, however, be firm. ._,_ What you are saying, must be consistent with your body language for the interviewee is bound to trust your body language more than your words. Hence, Correct body language is something that needs to be practised in order that your inner Personality as well as your message may be conveyed properly, A good interviewee is always attentive and he is able to stimulate the interest of intervi in hi i interviewer. If th than one interviewer he treats each and every member in such a unique way that it maintains their individuality. Listen skills are of utmost importance as a person talks only to that person who is willing to listen as well. An entrepreneur emphasises the need to improve body language in Securing job opportunities. “As Managing Director of the lookout for competent i y company. While conducting interviews, I keep watching the interviewee's positi and inferiority complex, “May I sit down’, neither be too tight nor top “A point to note while appearing in an interview is not to slouch or lean backwards in the chair, This puts across a feeling of lack of interest crime arrogance and disrespect on the part of the interviewee towards the job interview,” he added. (9) Brevity : Brevity here implies, the conciseness of speech, communication should be done in a moat concise way. It doeg not Pi speaking in a sweet mode, rather it should be clear and unambiguous, A who speaks too much is often looked down upon as a gossip monger, Pet (10) Skill of marketing oneself ; Interviewee can succeed only if he is able to sustain the interest of the interviewer. Tf interviewer is not int sted no matter how good the candidate js, he would not be able te sues then interviewee must realize the areas of interests and the Peyche of So interviewer and try to mould the pattern of the interview in that way, the ae ee ck 10" and conde inbaviow time and Princeton thy z 0 if necessary, interviewer's name lead from the interviewer as fer 98 introd op 2, ‘Take Yor" ar speech and a firm handshake. Do not Smile gr hee® are concerned : use Om =o if invited to do 89- e interview and job (even if it’, i Show enthusiasm baleen eye contact, varying you, tong first : intaining Voi choice!) by main : ~3 Snswers and questions, and by 4] 2 Sve @ general answer (“{ hel; i aot oa of hate a Tength”); be more specie CThatinn ey ib ena jpform bots going on”); and finally, give an example: wy, sown, People president of my fraternity I establishes our first newsletior ws ali saree mith cach committee chai newsletter and held weekly 5, Be ready for unusual questi wan interviewer says, “Okay, bogie perches jn the job and organisation, to highlight your abilities and to ask appropriate questions. If you're given, roblem and asked how you would handle tt take sinilar situations you've heard about or bear can. 6. At the close of the interview, bring up any of p your positive points that © to cover earlier and ask the interviewer for and don’t let them throw to tell about your interest and relevant experiences, a hypothetical situation/ & moment to think about and then answer as best as 's information to improve, If it paiiegoHi 'prove.) If really interested, ask After the Interview 1. Write the interviewer a brief: thank-you letter, e: i i te e » expressing your interest in the position and covering any points you were unable te snake w the interview. Ask for a second interview (or the jobl) if you're really interested. 2. Keep trying! Learn from your experience and improve next time. QUESTIONS MOST OFTEN ASKED BY EMPLOYERS IN JOB INTERVIEWS Ideally, job interview questions are designed to help an employer learn as much as possible about you in a very short time. (Most interviews last only 15-60 minute.) Questions can fall into a number of categories—personal goals and accomplishments, self-assessment, educational and work experiences, relationships with people, and life/career expectations. As part of your preparation for a job interview, we recommend that you read the questions below, looking for categories; check off one or more important questions per category; and prepare and practice answering these ‘high-priority’ questions. 1, What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives? When and why did you establish these goals and how are you preparing yourself to achieve them? i 2. What specific goals, other than those related to your occupation, have you established for yourself for the next ten years? 3. What do you really want to do in life? : 4. What are your long-range career aise eti i 5. How do you plan to achieve your career F im 8. What are 1 a niost important renaris Tete in your career? ie earning in five 3 4 oe you mids fo ba seme which you are pre 2 you, choose the c vagtha and W et 5. What do you consider your greatest stre ll me about yourself. well would UL. How do you thing a friend or professor who knows you wscribe you? i life? Who or what has had the greatest influence on Your. What motivates . What qualifications do ¥ . What changes would you make . Do you have plans for continued study? . Do you think that your grad . In what kind of a work enviroy . How do you work under pressure? . In what part-time or rt?. forth your best effo Eee you for a career? have that, make you think that you will be successful in this career?!" ? How do you define or evaluate Success? — rs . What ee think it takes to reais ina aera’ like ours’ . What qualities should a successful manager i . Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and subordinate. . What two or three accomplishments have given you the Most satisfaction? Why? . Give an example of a time in which you worked undér deadling pressure. . Give an example of a situation in which you provided a solution to an employer. - Describe your most rewarding college experience. it . If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what qualities would you look for? . Why did you select your college or university? - What let you to choose your field to study? ; What college subjects did you like best? Why? . What college subjects did you like least? Why? . If you: could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently? Why? in your college or university? Why? les are a good indication: of your academic achievement? Why or why not? - What have your learned 2 from participation in extracurricular activities? nment are you most comfortable? es summer jobs have you been most interested? y? . How would you describe the ideal job? . Why did you decide to seek a job with us? ). What do you know al . What two or three t . What criteria ar bout our organisation? ~ things are most important to you in ee e you usi i for w maser you using to evaluate organisations Rad . Will you travel and/or relocate? . What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it? 45, 46. 47. What have you learned from your mistakes? What salary and benefits do you expect? Technical question from your field of study: More and more employers are using a technique.ters will usu; dl x categories Payasclosoationtion in iyo” uate an applicant on the follow: tgtbecontent of your answers} way to answer questions See © @ Confidence : Assent a8 you would yr Assertive, takes nits: answers, i: initiative, "i A Communication eat ™Planations and eric ep lishment oriented e: nunication Skills : Gy, Poised in character, ‘ammar puso cones, {hovghis wer opie tesla anisational Skills . isemstrceea ee, ly F Time Management : Able to work within a deadline conscientious of walseaty oe eden not Procrastinate, ability to budget time e see sae ee = Shows ability to cope well while under stressful remains calm when answers wor, ere eth {0 interview essfully manage ishes priorities; i howed good attention to detail, answers with logical reasoning, di i » Supports Pays attention to finding a solution, ‘bility to problem-colve, Keep these points in mind as you prepare for your job interview. Wh an mock interviews, have the observer give you feedback on these points. e TYPES OF INTERVIEW (A) On the basis of Object Sometimes interviews are conducted with a certain objective in mind. It could be either for ascertaining certain weaknesses in the candidate and diminating them or collection of information. This type of interviews are sub-classified as below : (1) Clinical interview : As the name suggests a clinical approach is followed in this type of interview. What happens in clinic? A particular disease is i and the various ways are explored to solve this problem. Similarly in this type of interview cause of a problem is found out and then the remedy ‘sought, Generally this type of interview is used in medical profession, (2) Selection interview : It is used after some type of screening Process has ly taken place. This interview is generally conducted by professionals w ‘las candidate's supervisor. This type of interview is conducted for selecting *tindidate on the basis of certain qualities or traits. cee erihions 16 'S) Reserach interview : In this type of interview the cause of a probl out and analyzed in detail. "On the basis of Number of Candidates pr aa tain) Group interview : When the number of Hi method is applied under which ew each candidate separately. Then this method is apriin' cy efcandidates is formed which are interviewed ¢: he Noe tay amal ay ®) Individual interview : When the number : : ‘ndividual is interviewed separately. Ors -_ ugh then each and every individual is ei © basis of Forms f is of in y thin; this ‘type etn ae Inga, Structured interview: Every thing + questions, their time *d. The questions, form and presenN6 SAHITYA - o Sequence are fixed i jew. An interviewer, however may lowed some dete sees Ses . It also makes use of ee gehedules which we’, Fania pared to obtain information relating "esearch problems, ete A HNO, 2) Unstructured interview : As the title suggestsy in this type eae 18 NO set structure or pattern. This type of interview is ee oxi aoe chen. Al ough it is true that the interviews are governed by the purpose for Which they are bei i ch an interview is entirely in the hands of taviewse nice eae Scere is used. TECHNIQUES OF INTERVIEWS Followings are the techniques of interviews 1 D Sequential interview + Sequential means something in a particular Sequence. This techni que of interview is adopted in large organizations, In Sequential technique of interviewing, Members but there are more than one interview W candidate does not have to face them at once. Rather, first he will give interview to first interviewer, then to the second one and then on to . Thus, he moves in \d a decision is taken on the basis of marks. It is a useful technique where the number of candidates to be interviewed is large. (2) Sereening interview : In this type of interview, the applicanta who do not have the minimum required qualifications are filtered out. If there are a large number of candidates who qualify the minimum criteria, then the criteria is changed in order to observe smaller number of candidates for further Selection. the initial exchange of by any of following methods : e Being asked more than on e question at a time, e Being asked further question witho ; tt being allowed adequate time to respond. y i stioned in an interrogatory tune, : ee asked an unrelated bunch of questions, ss interview the candidate may not realize that hi Ab the ad ich etesaibe However, he will realize it after a few qua eine put pressurized sa |d be better for the candidate if he remains coo}, calm en are asked. It wot re because any sign of frustration is enough for the aS ee tha should not be any hint of retort or retaliation = a to scale 5 tone.ey Se VW haa INTERVIEW PROCESS Interview is not something that can be exectited in one go, rather it is a rovess which involves various stages, Step I. Initiation of interview First step is to initiate the interview. In beginning of the interview, the interviewer should try to recoup the idence of the candidate who will probably be feeling nervous. Normally, therefore the interviews begin with encouraging and lively questions, There various methods of initiating an interview, They are given as below : 1. With the candidate's background : This is one of the common methods of initiating an interview. The candidate may be asked questions relating to pis/her family and academic background. The interviewer may ask about the Jace candidate belongs to and the important spots of that place, Then he can ask about the family background ie., about his father’s occupation, number of his family members ete. The purpose is to make the candidate feel easy, for instance. Chairperson : Miss Pushpinder you belong to Jalandhar. Tell us about the important industries it has pioneered? 2, Initiation on candidate's interests and hobbies : In an interview the ; interviewer, has got a form filled by the candidate in which his interests and hobbies are mentioned. While filling the form, the candidate only should be honest about his interests/hobbies. He must not boast of possessing hobbies that he has no interest in for a wrong choice of hobbies may lead to a question, which the candidate can not answer. Thus he must mention his true field of interests and hobbies. Chairperson : In your C V you have mentioned that you like reading science fiction novels and books. Tellus the books and novels that you have read. Also, mention the name of their authors. 3. Initiation on general awareness : Sometimes the interviewer starts with a question to test the awareness of the candidate. This is considered to be a tough beginning. It is tough because the range of question may vary from big bang theory to the incidents of 9/11, from global terrorism to current political conditions. Thus it is vital that the candidate has wide variety of ‘knowledge of various subjects. He must have the habit of reading newspapers, magazines etc. He must keep in touch with the latest developments. Chairperson : Miss Pushpinder, why is it not possible to adopt federal Structure of Govt. in India on the lines of America? 4. Initiation on academics ; This is the most common method of initiating the interview. This method seems difficult as thorough knowledge of all the Telated subjects is required to ensure success, But it has a touch of familiarity 48 well. Candidates usually seem to be at home while dealing with questions "elated with their subjects. However, the candidates must take care that they wre aware of the basic and fundamental concepts and about the latest Yelopments that have taken place in their discipline. ‘ey, C*airperson : So you have done B.Com, What do you think about the latest, '8es made in tax rebates and reliefs by the finance minister in the badget? of ta mitiation on odd question : This is another tough beginning, In this type “art, instead of making candidates feel easy, the interviewer tries to further Perplex the candidate and unnerve him to weaken his confidence. Basically, “Se questions and their answers act as parameters for judging the confidence ostricky situation of the candidate, circumstances. e of grapes are you? Ankur : Sir, my name is Ankur not angoome-\si eo Step 2. Observing the behavioural pattern : Interview is not condi merely to judge academic ability of a candidate, rather it is conducted to j the total personality of the candidate. So it becomes important for ‘te interviewer to assess the behavioural pattern of a candidate right from moment of his entrance into the interview room, his activities there to his exit from the room. The conversation between the members of the board the candidate reveal many aspects of a candidate’s personality. Step 3. Assessing a candidate’s knowledge and awareness : This isa important aspect of an interview. Although an interview is conducted to Judge the total personality of a candidate, his hold on academics and the genera) awareness is of utmost importance. The board evaluates his understanding of current affairs, his awareness of what is happening around him. It is not the test of knowledge of a candidate but also how he applies his knowledge and how he grafts his knowledge into the required form. The candidate must have an in-depth knowledge of his field of academics and of current affairs. Step 4. Assessing interpersonal and social qualities : In most cases, the questions asked at various stages are such that they try to reveal interpersonal and social qualities of an individual like his sense of responsibility, co-operation, adaptability, integrity, behaviour in a group and power of persuasiveness. There will be questions, which will reveal the candidates qualities specifically, Like he will be asked to assume to be in a particular situation and his reaction to that situation will reveal diverse aspects of his personality. Step 5. Summing up : In this last stage of the interview, board takes a last lopk at the candidate. Few questions may get repeated in this last stage just to check whether the candidate is firm on his stand or not. The candidate's answers must be same all along the interview. There should be a consistency in his approach. i di deat ‘The chairperson may give a hint that the interview is over. At the end of the interview when the candidate is leaving and standing up, he should wait for a fraction of a second to see whether the interviewers are standing up of or if they keep sitting, he should bow a little, turn and walk correctly out of not. If they th confidence without looking back. He should never extend his the 100m Wit esake. While leaving the room, he should softy close the dont pe ad nan pang it or show that he is in a hurry to leave, and shot ‘THE MOCK INTERVIEW ‘ ock interview is one of the vest best ways to The videotaped wor arview. It allows you to gain experience ang ertehe an actual employme™ nich you are likely to be asked by they recruiter and jn answering OE Oi deotape, to see yourself as others see you, then, by wa! ‘ member who takes the role of the reery; The Gareer Services ee valistic a8 possible by asking Guestions tha to make the intervie") *'. asked for the type of Position you are seating. try those that might © jew you will have the opportuni eking. typical of thos? «ring the Cait actual interview. ity to ask ould as) The ‘and3 ng The mock interview takes eee discuss and critique it, Pee {Wenty minutes; then you will watch it preparation for the Mock Interview: a Hou for the appointment. oh and t an about. Deesible Tesponses, Di 0 respond to the i; eet esperiences that will help gi Iaharvioret ae ie toneribing past qualifications. Also obtain a list of intery} It would be a good idea either development, prior to scheduling ea emeise ort rigeald “the . 1 7 i ices library. Be on time or early and being a copy Pe gc FOR EVALUATING A CANDIDATE As stated earlier, an interview is the - i, ante Foals nnn met tem ae situation, rather it is a blend of different qualities of mind, 1, Disposition : It includes : (a) Appearance, (b) Social manners, is (e) Overall impression. ers, (c) Dynamism, (4) Mental power, 2. Knowledge : It includes : H (a) Range of knowledge, (b) Depth of knowledge, (c) Application of know- ledge to real situation, (d) Coherence of thoughts. 3. Communication skills : It includes : (a) Language, (b) Voice, tone, rhythm, (c) Convincing power, (d) Clarity and logic, (e) Overall impression. 4, Leadership qualities : It includes : (a) Initiative, (b) Deciding power, (c) Organization power, (d) Character, () Overall impression. Generally, criteria should be made in such a manner that each head is allotted 25 marks, with 5 marks for each sub-division. Negative marking can Also be there, QUALITIES OF A CANDIDATE FOR AN INTERVIEW . 1. Disposition : Every place and person has a distinctive spirit. Just like college, a house, a park or a temple has a different atmosphere so does every n carries a different spirit around him. Appearance, clothes, facial pressions, manners and way of talking, all these are the components of a Tan's i the candidate going in for an interview must eager sonality. Therefore, lasti ion. ‘ure th; , in such a way that leaves a lasting impressic athe presents himself in such point which candidates tend twos Career objectives : This is very im] t it ines interview panel often erayetok and are caught unaware aoe “Al tries to evaluate candidate's en souaidates caters objectives rstency and reasons for change. Tre pan eecuPation, his background, his cons. In doing so the panel is just jatel may also refer to a variety of options. [OOS 6, the board may ay 2 Candidate as to what he wants to pu imself 10 years down the . , here he sees himsel lag, getty ask the candidate as to wher® UN Toe prospects. é Candidate must be very clear about his