Saturday, November 19, 2011

What to ask an interviewer in an interview


The applicant is given the opportunity to ask any questions at the completionof the interview. The candidate must prepare some thoughtful questions prior toattending the interview. He must gather some information about the company andits competitors well in advance. The questions asked from the interviewer mustbe relevant to the job profile, no unnecessary questions must be asked from theinterviewee to waste his time. The applicant has to be attentive so that hedoes not ask any such questions which he can get the answers from the websiteof the company, brochures, job description or from any of his friends workingin that company. Couple of such questions which an applicant may ask from theinterviewer is mentioned below:
  • What kind of job related training would be given to assist me enhancing my capabilities and efficiency required to do this job?
  • Do I need to go and attend that training in any institute or would it be in-house training?
  • Is there anything you wish me to study or work upon before I joined for this job?
  • What is the expansion plan of this company and how do we plan to beat the market competition?
  • Who would be the person I would be reporting in the organization?
  • When can I expect a call regarding my selection or should I call you back after 15 days to know the result of the hiring process?
  • Which would be the key factors on which the evaluation process is based?
  • Is there anything else which I need to know before joining for this profile or is there any responsibility of this profile which is not mentioned in the job description?
  • What would be the salary hike which I can expect in this profile?
  • What are the major goals the organization aim to reach in nest 10 years?

How to prepare for Group Discussion


Group discussions are meant to test the ability of the candidate to performin a team. The candidate has to use all his influence and persuasive skills tobe successful in the group discussions. To prepare for the group discussion thegroup must divide the topic amongst themselves. The group must use reasoning tobe able to perform well in the discussion. To analyze the knowledge of othersin the group one must ask questions so that everyone in the group canparticipate in the discussion. Expressing the opinion without being aggressiveis the key to success in the group discussion. While preparing for a groupdiscussion the conflict and argument must be avoided as it can kill the groupdiscussion and its motive. Some important tips to keep in mind while preparingfor the group discussion are:
  • The candidate must try to be focused on the topic without deviating from it.
  • One must have a clear balance between quality and quantity talk thus he must talk only if he has something valuable to say or share with the group.
  • The applicant must be very confident but at the same time he has to be polite. He should not only be a good speaker but a good listener as well to get the success in the discussion.
  • When one person is speaking no side talk should happen.
  • In the group everyone must get a chance to express their views one by one and when a person is speaking others must listen carefully.
  • The applicant must try to become the group leader to win the discussion but it should be with the conscience of the group.
  • The group leader must have a fair behavior and he should not be biased towards anyone.
  • The group must behave like a group with some sort of bonding and flow in the discussion to make it a triumph.

Important factors to be considered while preparing for an interview


An interview is the first step towards getting a job. The applicant has tokeep multiple things in mind before going for the interview. Starting from hisattire till his documents everything must be in place. The applicant mustprepare some mock interviews so that he can confidently face the realinterview. Candidate should also do some home work to prepare himself for allthe answers asked during the interview. The most decisive factor about thesuccess of the candidate his bundle of knowledge and the ability to express it.The candidate must have good communication skill to be able to answerconfidently in the interview. Some of the important factors which a candidatemust bear in mind are:
  • The candidate must dress formally and his attire should be neat and decent.
  • The candidate must be confident.
  • He must gather all relevant information about that company and for the profile he is opting for.
  • He must also gather information about the competitor of the company he is willing to join.
  • He must keep a good CV along with all his documents in place.
  • He must have extensive knowledge about his specific fields along with some general knowledge about the common subjects.
  • He must brush up his technical knowledge to be able to answer all the questions correctly and confidently.
  • He must be prepared to answer all the questions asked about his educational background and professional expertise.
  • He should have clear idea about his hobbies and interests.
  • He should be thorough with all the technology and work experience he has gained in his previous organization.
  • He must have convincing answer and reason behind leaving his current job?
  • He must be ready to influence the interviewer with all his answer.
  • He should have some reasonable figure about his salary expectation.

Does appearance affect your interview


Appearances are deceptive but at times they are decisive. When applying fora job or attending the interview appearance has its own role to play. Appearancedoes not mean the beauty, height, weight or color of the applicant but it isall about his personality as a whole. First impression is always important foran employer and bad appearance and poor dressing sense can weaken the chancesof the candidate to get selected for a particular position. Strong grooming ofthe candidate always influence the hiring decision of the employer. In a jobinterview appearance is not only about the cloths wore by the candidate but italso consists his body language and communication skill. In general appearanceis the combo of multiple factors. The most important things to keep in mindabout one’s appearance are:
  • Dress according to the job position one is applying for.
  • Dress should be clean and wrinkle free.
  • The applicant must have neat and tidy hair.
  • The nails of the candidate must be neat.
  • The candidate must not wear too many jewelry and perfumes and also not too much of make-up is needed in a job interview to make good appearance.
  • Shoes must be polished and scuff-free.
  • One must wear comfortable cloths and cover all their tattoos and body piercing.
  • One must have a pleasant face all through the interview and he must sit straight.
  • The applicant must create a decent and friendly eye contact with the interviewer.
  • One must also take care of his body language and must be confident while answering all the questions.
  • The candidate must not talk on phone and listen to the music while waiting for the interview.
  • One must demonstrate extreme professionalism to make a good impression upon the employer.
  • The candidate must give a firm hand shake in the beginning of the interview to show his confidence level.

Tips to attend your first interview


First job interview is something which scares a candidate as he is totallynew to it. Thus preparing before appearing for the interview can provide enoughconfidence to the candidate to secure the job without any hurdle. The mantra tosuccess in the interview is research, rehearse and relax. The applicant mustgather all the relevant information about the company before going for theinterview. He must also understand the market dynamics and competitors of thecompany to be able to answer all the questions asked in the interview. Thecandidate must have sufficient information about his specific field. He mustalso prepare well about his hobbies and interests. Some of the great tips toattend the first interview are given below:
  • Collect as much information about the company as possible.
  • Do the intensive home work before appearing for the interview.
  • Dressed professionally and neatly to make good first impression.
  • Understand the market in which the company is operating and gathering some information about the senior management might also be useful.
  • Prepare for the interview style.
  • Keep all your documents, passport size pictures and other proofs at place.
  • Collect all the information about your background be it your family or the education.
  • Practice a mock interview to answer all the questions about your skills and abilities.
  • Prepare a good and thoughtful answer about your career plan, strengths and weaknesses.
  • One must gather complete information about the venue of the interview and he must reach their well before time.
  • Must keep a pleasant face in the interview and answer all the questions confidently.
  • If the applicant is not sure about the questions he must politely admit that he does not know the answer.
  • Never try to talk unnecessary and do not give the answers which you are not aware of.