PREPARATION FOR INTERVIEW

Just in case you are preparing to be interviewed for a job, you must expect the unexpected. Gone are the days when a single interviewer asked questions that simply expanded on your resume. Today, you might find yourself face to face with employees you’d work with, if hired. An interviewer may hand you a sheet of paper and ask you to write down the reasons you should be offered the prospective job or you could find yourself, along with other applicants, being asked to solve a problem collectively.

Put Your Best Foot Forward
Regardless of the format, expect team interviews to be challenging. The initial exchanges with the interview team are the most difficult. At this point, you and your interviewers are evaluating each other. Those first few minutes could be the most critical, since strong impressions can be formed within that period of time. For this reason, realise the importance of external items and mannerisms. How you enter the room, your clothes and accessories, the way you shake hands, your voice -- everything creates an impression. If you make a good first impression, strive to make it better during the meeting.
As a candidate, your goal is to find out whether the company’s environment parallels your interests and values. Your prospective employer is trying to decide if your personality and background fit its culture.

Essential Tactics
Team interviews are more challenging than traditional encounters. But when handled well, you can show several people at once that you have the right stuff. Since you may not be told in advance that you’ll be interviewed by a team, be prepared for this possibility. Welcome the visibility you’ll gain when an audience watches you think on your feet in response to fast-paced questions. Remember, your interviewers understand how formidable non-traditional interviews can be and want you to succeed.
The following tips can improve your encounters with teams

Vary your answers
If you’re called back to interview with different interviewers, find ways to make the same information sound different. Don’t describe the same project you managed to all five interviewers. Instead, describe a different project in each of the successive interviews.
Activate your interpersonal antennae
As quickly as possible, try to read the various personality types and adjust to them.
Expect to feel additional stress
You’ll have less time to frame your answers than during traditional interviews, when the interviewer might take notes before asking another question. But with several people doing the questioning, you don’t have this luxury, because while one person is taking notes, another will jump in with the next question.
Recognise that interviewers too are human
Most understand that you’re nervous and will try to make the experience as comfortable as possible. They’re not interested in seeing you squirm. Their job is to determine if your talents will match with the opening.
Practice in advance
Gather together three or four friends or relatives with different personalities and have them ask a series of questions without pausing in between. This should replicate an actual team-interview situation. Ask for feedback on which of your answers impressed the mock interviewers and why.
Know what characteristics to emphasise
List the 10 traits associated with the position you’re seeking and prepare to demonstrate them during the session. Would creativity, presentation or facilitation skills be important? Ask people who are familiar with the kind of job you’re seeking to create short tests that might allow you to illustrate your skills.
Ask intelligent questions, do not state the obvious
If you’ve done your homework, you’ll know the organization’s culture and how you’ll fit in. Ask questions that reflect your knowledge of that culture. But don’t overdo it.
Learn to listen between the lines
With several people asking questions consecutively, you won’t have much time to prepare a response. However, if you read people well, you’ll be able to respond to the concern underlying the interviewers’ questions. Picking up on and responding to these issues is certain to impress an interview team. For instance, if an interviewer says, "Here at ABC we have a long tradition of teamwork," what he or she wants to know is, "How good are your teamwork skills?"

Watch out!
Sometimes what you may consider to be of little consequence may be important to the interviewer. Such as the following examples:
- Be careful about how much cologne or perfume you wear.
- If you feel that you do have a problem with bad breath, it makes good sense to take a breath mint before the interview.
- Dress appropriately for the type of job for which you are being interviewed.
- And last but not the least, do not be late.

1. One word of advice: sell yourself!
Sell yourself. Learn as much as possible about the position, the company, and the interviewers themselves. The more detailed information you have about the company and the position, the better prepared you are. Visit the company’s website, if it has one.

2. Employers want someone who wants to work for them. Demonstrate this by:

PREPARING QUESTIONS. No matter how thorough the employer is in the interview, you must ask questions. This demonstrates interest and thinking ability.
ASKING, "WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?" Tell the employer you were intrigued prior to the interview and are now even more.
EMPHASIZING AREAS OF YOUR BACKGROUND. Think of specific examples that demonstrate this.

3. Be prepared with answers to the following:

Here are the 10 most commonly asked questions in the job and other interview, which will help you prepare yourself better for the forthcoming campus placement and also give you a competitive edge over others.
A well thought out answer to each of these questions, prepared and rehearsed in advance with the logical sequencing of the events will help you sail through.

4. Tell us about yourself
This is an open canvas for you, giving you an opportunity to direct and lead your interview in the direction you want. A. good idea would be to structure your answer in the following three broad heads:

5. Why do you want to join us?
To answer this question, you must have researched the company well. Here you can quote some of your personal beliefs, which are in conjunction with the values of the company or talk about specific products and services which could be of interest to you too.

In the event where your skill set is mapping with the requirement of the company, do not miss the chance to highlight the same. Specify the initiatives taken or work done to attain that skill set.

6. What would you like to be doing five years from now?
This question is asked to assess candidate’s career plan and ambition for growth and to see if the company will be able to provide that opportunity over period of time. Also to assess if your personal goals are not totally off tangent with what company’s objectives are. It is also to check your stability with the organization. It is good idea to be very realistic in your answer. If need be take guidance from your seniors who are already in the corporate environment.

7. Do you prefer working with others or alone?
This question is usually asked to determine whether you are a team player. Before answering, however, be sure you know whether the job requires you to work alone. Then answer appropriately.

8. What are your biggest accomplishments?
You may like to begin your reply with: "Although I feel my biggest achievements are still ahead of me, I am proud of my sense of involvement. I would like to make my contribution as part of that team and learn a lot in the process".

It will be a good idea to close your answer with also specifying what attributes and circumstances made you succeed.

9. What are your favorite subjects? It is a leading question giving direction to the panel members for possible areas where they can probe in further for your knowledge base and in-depth understanding. It is advisable to select the topics that you are competent in.

10. Why should we hire you?
Keep your answer short and to the point. You should highlight areas from your background that relates to the need of the organization. Recap the organization’s description of the job, meeting it point by point with your skills.

11. What are your hobbies?
This question is generally asked to assess whether you are "desktop" kind of a person or an "interaction orientated person". It also indicates your preference for team-oriented activities or projects with solo contributions. It enables the organization to place you accordingly after selection. Be candid in answering the questions.

12. What is the worst feedback you have ever got?
To answer this question you must admit and share your areas of improvement. Also sharing an action plan for improving oneself will indicate your ability to take criticism well. Your answer should reflect your open-mindedness.

13. What is the most difficult situation you have faced?
Here you should be ready with your real life story. The question looks for information on two fronts: How do you define difficult? and, how was your handling of the situation? You should be able to clearly lay down the road map for solving the problem, your ability to perform task management and maintain good interaction with your team members and other peers. It is advisable to close by highlighting the lesson learnt out of the incident.

There are few experiences filled with more anxiety and trepidation than a job interview. Thoughts such as "What if I don't get any job offers?," "What if I don't get the job I want?," or "Will I accept a position that isn't right for me?" can cause considerable upset. Here are a few notes and pointers on how to prepare for interviews and determine if this job is the right one for you. The key to reducing your anxiety is in being well-prepared for the interview.

The first step towards a successful job interview is self-assessment. You need to decide for yourself what kind of position you want. Since self-knowledge is the foundation of all decisions, a close scrutiny of your priorities, interestes, and short and long-term goals is necessary before any interview. Remember: if you're unsure of whether or not you want the position you're interviewing for, it will probably show.

If you don't have a reasonably clear focus, this is the time to do some hard thinking about what kind of position you want. The second step in preparation for your interviews is to research the companies you'll be interviewing with. You should know as much about the company and the position as you possibly can.

As you do your research, look for points where your interests, capabilities, goals, and personality match the company's needs (or what you guess their needs to be!). Every interviewer, whether directly or indirectly, will expect you to be able to answer these questions: Why do you want a position in this company? What can you do for my company? If you can't answer these questions adequately, the interviewer will assume you're not seriously interested in the organization.

Know something about the prospective employer's business--the type of product or services performed, overall reputation, location(s), size, philosophy, and opportunity for advancement. It's a good idea to be prepared to ask the interviewer questions about the company as well, as it indicates your interest in the position. It's also a valuable source of information for you about the company you're interviewing with. There are a huge number of resources for research, including the World Wide Web, directories, periodical indices, and books in the library. If the company is small and information is difficult to obtain, knowing something about the industry will carry you a long way. Industry trade journals, books, and talking with faculty in related departments at a university will help here.

If you neglect the thank you letter, you may just lose your chance of getting the job. If you use the thank you note, you'll create an additional opportunity for yourself. You have several advantages in a thank you note that you don't have in a cover letter.

When you write a cover letter, you haven't had an interview with the person who can say "Yes, you're hired." When you write a thank you note, you have met the people and had a chance to learn something about them. A cover letter is probably written before you've seen the workplace from the inside. The thank you note is more personal and lets you talk about the workplace you have seen, and how you feel you would fit into that workplace. It's important to help the employer--the person who can hire you--to see you in that job, at that work station, doing those tasks you'd do to get the job done. One way to do this is to describe things you've done that are like the job you seek. If you want an office job, write about records you have kept. If you want something with lots of public contact, describe some meet-the-people things you've done. If you got a chance to see the work station, describe yourself at that workstation.

People make decisions based on things they can imagine as possible. Put that picture in the employer's head, and you can help the employer decide in your favor. One thing you'll want to be sure to do in your thank you note is to identify some value that the employer has and to show somehow that you share that value. For instance, if the employer emphasized working with details, explain how detailed work is one of your strengths. If your prospective employer is interested in government or politics, you might mention your ongoing interest in civic affairs. Listen carefully for the values in the interview...then identify them in the thank you note.

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When attending a job interview, you want to impress your prospective employers by projecting a professional image of yourself. Much of this is achieved by anticipating questions that will be asked and preparing appropriate answers. The following tips might be useful to you in preparing for an interview.
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Listening to and Answering Questions
	1 You need to concentrate and listen very carefully to the questions. Make sure you understand the question before offering any answer. Allow the interviewer to finish asking the question before offering an answer.
	If you miss the question or are not sure about it, rephrase the key words and ask the interviewer to clarify. Do not attempt to answer without fully understanding the question.

	If you do not anticipate a question and have not prepared an answer for it, pause and think before offering one. It is better to think carefully for an appropriate answer than to offer an answer in a hurry. Make sure you do not spend too much time thinking.

	If you do not anticipate a question and have not prepared an answer for it, pause and think before offering one. It is better to think carefully for an appropriate answer than to offer an answer in a hurry. Make sure you do not spend too much time thinking.

	You need to take the initiative in providing useful information for the interviewer in order to evaluate your suitability for the position. Do not give Yes/No answers only. Give your answer directly and support it with relevant evidence from past experience because interviewers do not have time to listen to your long and comprehensive replies.

	Although you should prepare your answers for interview questions beforehand, you should not recite them directly from your memory in front of the interviewer. You should memorize the main ideas and offer the answers in a natural and spontaneous way.

	You should attempt to offer positive responses to every question in the interview. Even when your answer is negative, you should stress your present situation and discuss your future plans or inclinations. Offer clear and positive explanations of why some of your accomplishments are less than satisfactory. Do not try to put blame on others or offer an excuse for yourself. Be honest and sincere about your weakness or shortcoming, and turn it into something positive.

Language Use
1
	If you cannot hear the question, do not ask the interviewer to repeat directly using
		"Pardon me" or "Excuse me, can you repeat the question again?"

	They make the interviewer feel that you have not been paying attention. Use key words the interviewer has used and rephrase the question to ask for clarification. You can use, for example,
		"Do you mean...?" or "Do I understand correctly that you mean...?"

	Be careful in using expressions such as
		"Sure" "Obviously" "Of course" "No problem" "As you know"

	They make the interviewer feel you are conceited and arrogant. Offer answers that are factual and modest. You can rephrase your answer in other equally positive ways, for example,
		"I believe that..." or "I don't see a major problem in..."

	Be careful in using expressions such as
		"To be frank" or "To be honest".

	They imply that you have not been honest in answering previous questions. You should only use these expressions when you want to turn something negative into something potentially positive, for example, negotiating salary and terms of employment or discussing your weaknesses.

	When you cannot avoid a negative answer, you should soften the tone of the reply first, then offer affirmation to reassure the interviewer of your ability and eagerness for the job. For example,
		"I do not have the answer to that question at this moment, but my past experience shows that I can learn fast. I believe I can acquire knowledge of that field on the job."

	End your answers promptly when you have offered all necessary details. Do not end by saying
	"That's all."

	You can indicate the end of your reply by nodding your head lightly to assure your interviewer.

Body Language
1
	Handshake
	Shaking hands with your interviewer is good practice although it is not common in Hong Kong, even in the business field. It helps you create a friendly and professional image. Make sure your handshake is prompt and firm.

	Posture
	You can place your portfolio or briefcase on the side of your chair or on your lap. Make sure you feel comfortable with your posture. You may sit upright or perhaps lean forward a little to project an eager and confident image. You should not fidget. Make sure you are seated properly in your interview suit and that it is not creased.

	Eye Contact
	You should look at all interviewers when answering questions. Don't just maintain eye contact with the interviewer who asked you the question you are answering. Make sure you look sincere and honest.

	Facial Expressions
	You can keep a friendly smile on your face to show your enthusiasm. Be careful not to look too eager for the job or so relaxed that you don't seem to care. Try to project a serious and professional image on your interviewers.

	Voice
	You should speak clearly and relatively slowly. You can pause when you are thinking of appropriate replies before answering questions. Make sure you do not pause for too long. Be careful not to pause too often in the middle of your answers or fill your pause with too many fillers such as
		"Em..." or "Ugh..."

	They make it difficult for your interviewers to follow what you are saying.

Humour
1
	You can use humour appropriately in an interview to lighten up a tense atmosphere in the interview room. You can demonstrate your leadership quality by showing that you are a confident person who is relaxed and capable of controlling a tough situation.

	Be careful not to be overly humorous. Your interviewers may feel that you are not serious enough for the job.