THE JOB INTERVIEW
IInterview,
as defined by Websters New World Dictionary
is "meeting of the people face to face
as for evaluating or questioning a job applicant."
Its root word is entreveu, entreroir, a French
word which means "to see one another",
or "meet".
IIn
an employment setting, an interview is held
between two or more persons commonly done to
evaluate a job applicant's qualifications for
a specific position. Regardless of the approach
used (structured versus unstructured, informal
or stress interview); the number of people involved
(one-on-one, panel or board interview); and
the immediate objective (screening or selection
decision); the ultimate aim is to fill a certain
position in an organization.
IIdeally,
interview is one of the tools used by employers
to measure the applicant's fitness for the position.
It is used to assess whether the person satisfactorily
meets the requirements of a particular job.
To a certain extent, it is used to predict the
individual's future work performance based on
the interview findings. Because of the nature
to which a job interview was primarily designed;
you, as a prospective employee, are faced with
a challenge of proving to the interviewer that
you are the right person for the job. Remember
that during the interview, you are under scrutiny.
Regardless of whether you were lucky enough
to be interviewed by an experienced person,
be a guinea pig for an untrained interviewer
or a first-degree victim of a nasty Recruiter;
the point to keep in mind is to treat each interview
situation as a learning experience. It is only
when you learn the art of dealing with different
types of interviewers will you emerge a winner.
If you allow an inexperienced interviewer to
carry you away or let a panel of interviewers
scare you to death, you are bound to lose control
of everything! Winning is feeling good about
your self even after the most unpleasant meeting.
Winning is being able to direct the interview
when you have to.
You
can think of an interview as an ordinary conversation
with a friend but don't forget that it is also
a meeting of the minds and of personalities.
The theories behind what interview is all about
is dramatically altered by people's perception,
biases, moods and own needs - it's up to you
to face and survive them!
The
task of matching the criteria called for in
a specific job versus people's qualifications
is done by the interviewer but the quality,
depth and the relevance of information you provide
is entirely your responsibility. Merely having
the qualifications is not enough. It is essential
that you convey to the interviewer your ability
to perform the job better than any one else.
This perception is very important. To leave
positive thoughts in the mind of the interviewer
is the bottom line for a successful interview.
