PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW
Since
an employment interview involves yourself, as
well as the organization as a represented by
the interviewer; preparing for an interview
should be focused on these areas. likewise,
there are other factors that one should consider
before attending such a meeting.
Looking
at the different elements that you need to prepare
before going to an interview can work like a
puzzle . Your ability to carefully think about
every factor individually and in relation to
one another can make your preparation for a
seemingly complicated task a lot easier. You
must remember that behind the puzzles and surprises
that go with an interview, there is really nothing
to be nervous about. Interviewing for a job
is centering on the subject you know best: YOURSELF!
The
following are the suggested steps that you may
take to prepare yourself for an interview.
STEP
1. KNOWING ABOUT THE JOB
When
somebody calls you on the telephone inviting
you for a job interview, you should be ready
to ask some questions. Knowing more about the
job is the first thing you need to do. The interviewer
usually conducts an initial screening when he
or she talks to you on the telephone to make
sure that the basic requirements are understood,
i.e. salary range, and type of position being
offered. When the interviewer does a prescreening,
use this as a way of soliciting more information
about the job. (During your telephone conversation
with the prospective employer, you should thoughtful
but honest in answering questions regarding
items such as salary and type of position. If
you give specific answer which is not within
the requirements, you may find yourself being
rejected right away. You should screen your
questions to make sure that they don't convey
negative thoughts about yourself. If at all
possible, avoid a lengthy telephone interview.
Once you get the information you need, you can
cut the conversation and confirm your interview
appointment. Telephone interview is a risky
proposition. It is always best to have a person-to-person
interview.)
IInterviewers
are usually cooperative in giving information
regarding what the job is all about and its
requirements. If you ask them, they can even
send you written job descriptions. If you know
more about the job and its requirements, this
will allow you to align your preparation based
on the information you have. The more knowledge
you have about the job, the more intelligent
preparation you can make.
STEP
2. RESEARCHING THE COMPANY
Knowing
as much as you can about the company you will
be interviewing is an advantage. The interest
you put into learning about the organization
is generally found helpful during the interview.
It creates a positive impression with most interviewers
and will also help you in terms of finding out
for yourself if this specific company is the
right organization you want to invest your time
and most especially your career. Get as much
information as you can before you go to the
interview. There are a lot of available resources
not only from the company itself, but also from
libraries, placement offices and local newspapers.
Below
are some questions which you may find helpful
when researching the company. If it is not possible
to get all the information you want, reserve
other questions about the company during the
interview.
CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES
What
are the different employment opportunities available
in the company?
Are
there other positions for which you may qualify?
Are
there training programs available?
ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
What
are the different divisions and departments?
Who
is who in this company?
Who
is a possible contact? (useful for future information
interview and networking)
Does
the organizational structure provide room for
career growth?
MAJOR
BUSINESS
What
is the company's primary business? What is its
reputation in the industry? What are the subsidiaries,
its parent, type of ownership?
PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES
What
are its products and/or services?
Who
are its major clients?
ACHIEVEMENTS
IN ITS FIELD
The
company's reputation in its field and in the
community.
How
profitable/stable? Rank in the industry.
Assets
and revenues.
Developmental
projects.
NUMBER
OF EMPLOYEES
How
big is the company in terms of total number
of employees?
Future
manpower plans, i.e. reductions, expansion,
etc.
YEAR
ESTABLISHED
How
many years has it been in business?
IIs
it a new company or a merger?
STEP
3. PREPARING YOURSELF FOR THE INTERVIEW
You,
the interviewee, are the main focus in preparing
for a job interview. Ideally, taking stock of
yourself should have been done even before the
resume writing stage. Unlike this early period,
preparing for an interview, includes an inventory
of your mental, inner drives, physical facets
and more. While resume preparation accomplishes
a broad sketch of who you are, going back to
the drawing board in anticipation of an interview
should cover a more detailed picture of who
you are in relation to a potential employer
and a specific job. The point to keep in mind
is the fact that the resume serves as the advertising
aspect of your job search. Once you are called
for an interview, regardless of how effective
your resume, final screening and selection decisions
are done during or after the interview. From
head to foot, this is the time you need to make
sure that you are completely prepared if you
want to come out a winner during this face-to-face
event. The color and kind of dress you wear,
the amount of accessories, perfume or shaving
lotion, including the shoes you wear - all should
be considered in a way that will help you exude
the physical presence and impact associated
with the job.
Objectives,
whether they are personal or career-oriented
should be carefully assessed. Each one of us
are driven by different motives and goals and
it is only fair to you and to the prospective
employer to honestly think about what you really
like, what motivates you most, and what factors
will affect your decisions to accept a job.
While it may be difficult to give a hundred
percent account on this element, you will do
yourself a favor if you have already set certain
parameters on matters which eventually you have
to decide on anyway. These include: type of
job you will accept, salary, benefits, work
schedule, environment, geographical location
and other factors which for some reason have
a great impact on your career and your personal
life. Job search is considered successful only
if you are able to get the job which satisfies
a majority of your basic needs and goals. If
you accept an offer just for the sake of having
a job, you are bound to go back to the job-hunting
line sooner than you expected. This is a loosing
proposition when you consider the benefits derived
from seniority, amount of time and energy spent
in looking for another job, adjustment period
and stability. If you frequently change jobs,
in the minds of interviewers you may be perceived
as indecisive and a job-hopper with no stable
career direction.
Ultimate
goal is something you should think about before
going to an interview. Remember that a prospective
employer is not only interested in what you
want to do today but also in your plans five
to ten years from now or even until you retire.
This gives the employer a glimpse of how an
employee fits into their future plans and needs.
In the same manner, you as a prospective employee,
will be able to make a more intelligent decision
if you have carefully thought about what you
want to be not only today but also in the future.
Related
achievements should be examined. This is necessary
if you want the task of selling yourself to
a prospective employer to have a better probability.
If you are called for an interview for a specific
job, you should be able to convince the interviewer
that you have the qualifications for the position.
Think of each accomplishment you have made in
your previous job. This may include your contribution
to profits and efficiency, simplification of
procedures, pioneering projects, and any other
measurable skills that relate to the position
you will be interviewed for. Doing so will prepare
you to conduct yourself in a more persuasive
manner. The key word here is relevance. You
should focus first on the achievements that
would similarly be necessary for the operation
of the job in question. Keeping in mind other
accomplishments is good and should be handy
when needed. Achievements are good indicators
of your ability to perform a given task and
you should learn how to highlight them during
the interview.
Skills
is another aspect you should check. It is always
good to outline the skills that you have in
relation to the position you are aiming for.
This will alert you to some other things which
you need to do like practicing typing if the
job involves typing, or refreshing yourself
about a certain subject in anticipation of a
technical question that may come out during
the interview. Remember that the interviewer's
task is to find out whether your knowledge and
experiences are congruent to his or her organization's
needs. Your ability to effectively communicate
that you do have the skills is vital and necessary.
Employment
history, is an area you should never forget
to review especially if you have been working
form many years or if you have several employment
gaps which most likely are bound to be checked
by an experienced interviewer. Consistency is
important during the interview and what you
placed on your resume or on the application
form must be the same as what you say. Based
on many people's experience, interviews have
a way of putting you under tension and giving
you a feeling of nervousness. Reviewing every
detail about yourself including employment dates,
position titles, salary history, names and telephone
numbers of your previous supervisors will save
you from additional tension caused by fumbling
for facts. The more prepared you are, the better
you will feel during this person-to-person encounter.
Liabilities,
as used here, basically refer to something that
will work to your disadvantage or anything that
relates to your weaknesses. While this is one
aspect which most of us hate to tackle, it is
inevitable. Hence, it is to your advantage if
you give this aspect some thought. Your ability
to pinpoint your weak spots will give you a
better outlook of the areas you need to improve
on. It will also give you an idea of what job
you need to target seriously or what job you
need to stay away from. Having an objective
and a mature approach in analyzing yourself
can help you turn the negative into the positive.
Forte
or areas where you do particularly well and
any strong points that make you stand out uniquely
from other applicants should be included in
your self-evaluation. The interview is the time
to bring out the best about yourself. Your ability
to make this happen is dependent on how well
you know yourself, how much proof you are able
to produce and how effectively you present these
to the person interviewing you. You will notice
that if you have taken a look at the different
elements mentioned previously, it would be easy
for you to unravel your real strengths. You
will be surprised to discover that you have
more talent than you may have thought before.
The ability to really take time to understand
your own self and perceive your own skills and
abilities will yield self-confidence and more
power to survive even the most devastating interview.
The
interview is the time assert your achievements
in their best light. Sell your strong points.
Don't be embarrassed or be intimidated. Prepare
to talk about your strengths with sharpness
and confidence!
Regardless
of whether you end up getting a job offer or
not, you will feel good about yourself if you
are able to respond with candor and self-assurance.
The worst feeling after the interview is the
feeling that you had just given the most stupid
answer to a very simple question. Preparing
for the interview is one of the best things
you can do to keep yourself out of trouble.
Remember that while anything can happen during
the interview, the power to control its content
lies with you. The interviewer merely directs
you through a series of questions. The kind
and quality of your response rests with you.
BE PREPARED! It's the best thing you can do
before an interview.
