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Facing Job Interview

Facing the job Interview

It is a very tough job market now days. You have to have additional skills to be successful. A little careful study and practice will give an edge over the others and you will come out with flying colors. Here are some useful tips and suggestions.

First step for getting a job is to be able to get a call for personal interview from perspective employer. Your record till date matters a lot and how do you present that in the CV will get you noticed among the crowd. Be sure that your CV is written properly and is impressive. You may like to take expert help for writing the CV.

Second step, which comes across, will be in form of written test for
œUQ and reasoning.
–ynglish.
—õeneral awareness or general knowledge.
›^bilities with basic math.

The third and final step before you are called for a final interview could be in the form of a Group Discussion where your various abilities, which are discussed later, will be tested.

Congratulations now that you are through with first three steps the finale has come and you have to show ?Do you have it in you?. For this you have to know what do they really want?
What your interviewer is looking for is how suitable you will be for the job can you hit bull?s eye by having showing them suitable mix of Qualities in you? Just remember that having these qualities is one thing and demonstrating these is another, which is more important. Do not think that you have the qualities and it is for them to judge these qualities. You will 100% go wrong. The qualities are

Must Qualities Following qualities can be considered to be must which you must posses, however depending on job profile there could be some differences: -
ϡour Attitude
Žäincerity
вaith in yourself
µetermination and self confidence
µepth of knowledge
›^nalytical abilities
œUntegrity
œUnterpersonal Skills
Deam spirit
”÷oyalty
µiscipline
”÷eadership
“larity of Thoughts

Should Qualities. These are additional qualities which, though not essential qualities but can be labeled as desirable qualities: -
‹ðaturity
›^daptability
вlexibility
Qisdom
Š´unctuality
Qritten and verbal communication
œUnitiative
ϡour over all Personality
›^bility to influence others
Š´hysical Appearance
Dolerable stress levels
Žäense of Humor
Talue System
‹ðotivation Level
›úonesty
—õood IQ and EQ
ˆÓoticeable past demonstrated performance
—õood listening skills

This all put together reflects your overall potential for the suitability of the post on offer. There are few more qualities which can be put as could have qualities, which will give you, edge over others should there be a tie among you and your competitor: -

”÷earn to solve problems and not create them.
Š´lan and organize work in systematic manner.
—õet things done through other people.
Žähow evidence of your motivations and interests.

Let us come closer and see what prospective employers have to say about their disliking about a candidate. These are results of a survey, which was undertaken by a popular magazine to find the reasons for not hiring an otherwise suitable candidate: -

You can eat away your chances of success if you: -

›^ct disinterested
µo not do your homework
Dalk too little / TOO MUCH
µisplay bad manners
ˆ¤un down your current or past employer
Dake credit for things you did not do
›úide holes in your resumes
Žähow lack of confidence in the prospective employer
ˆÓegotiate too early about the salary even before they tell you that you are hired.

Their Criticisms of the candidates

µid not prepare well for the interview
вailed to listen to questions asked / answered the wrong question.
Š´rovided superfluous information and unnecessary detail.
‹ðade negative comments about yourself / Showed low self-steem.
‹ðade negative remarks about the company or the interviewers.
Qere poorly motivated - didn't ask job related questions - didn?t take opportunities to sell yourself.
Žähowed poor face-to-face communication skills

Certain don?t during the interview

–úse interviewers' names, unless asked.
Žäit down, until you are invited.
Qorry about being nervous. Be sure that makes you more nervous.
Žähow samples of your work, unless specifically requested
Žähow disappointment if things aren't going your way.
“orrect the interviewers unless in a tactful manner.
Žäay anything negative about yourself/put yourself down.
“riticize your current or previous employers.
—õive up hope if the interviewer is negative/abrupt.
›^sk how well you've done in the interview.
Dalk about salary/benefits/holidays unless they bring it up
Before D Day

µo company research. Know about the company in general and the department you are being tested for. This will give you the idea about the type of questions you will be asked and also prepare for the answers you should be giving.
œUdentify your skills & personal strengths and list these in a logical order.
‹ðatch your skills to job requirements. By doing so you will position yourself at an advantage over others having similar qualifications and experience.
”÷ist likely Interview questions

During the interview. Be careful your

Durnout
?ody Language
”÷istening and verbal skills
?nowledge
Žäharpness
—õrasping power
ARE BEING PUT TO TEST

A word about Turn out

In a major survey of employer attitudes to candidate?s appearance at job interviews, the majority agreed that grooming strongly influences their decisions on who will be hired.
The Secrets of Interview Success
–yxpress yourself with clarity and precision.
Žäpeak confidently, making sure to support your answers with relevant examples from your work
›^lways relate your answers to the job for which you are applying.
›^lways present a positive face
ϡou should state and supply evidence that you enjoy your job; that you are enthusiastic and ambitious; and that you welcome challenge.
œUt is important to tell the truth in interviews.
“onvince them that your experience qualifies you for the job on offer.
Group Discussions: What is Group Discussion

Group

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Discussion is an important part of the selection process where employers evaluate the candidate?s potential to be a leader and also the ability to work in teams. Groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given a specific situation to analyze and discuss within a given time limit, which may vary between twenty minutes and forty-five minutes.

They may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a problem. They may be given a topic and are asked to discuss the same.

What is being tested?

You?ll have to be able to understand the other person?s point of view while making your point and ensure that your team as a whole reaches a win-win situation.
The group discussion is a test of your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people.

The objective of a group discussion is to mainly check your team playing skills because as a manager, you will be working in organizations with people

Skills Tested during Group Discussion

Š´ersuasive Skills
“ommunication Skills
—õeneral awareness and knowledge
Š´ower to influence others
”÷istening skills
›^bility to withstand pressure
œUnterpersonal Skills
”÷ogical Thinking
”÷eadership and team Skills

And other Skills
“omprehension of the main idea and ability to generate ideas
Dhe rapport you strike
Š´atience
›^ssertion
›^ccommodation
ˆ¤esponsiveness
?ody language

Remember having qualities is one thing and demonstrating these during the discussion is another

Handy Points to remember
?nowledge is strength.
›^ddressing the Group as a Whole.
œUf you are not sure about the topic of discussion, it is better not to initiate.
›^ GD is not a debating stage.
”÷anguage use should be simple, direct and straightforward.
‹ðaintain rapport with fellow participants.
–úse positive body language.
“ommunicate with each and every candidate present.
Qhile speaking don't keep looking at a single member.

Tips for the Group Discussion

›^ Good level of general awareness will come in handy.
Dhe wider your reading interests, the better prepared you will be.
Dake time to think of what you are going to say.
Qork out various strategies to help you enter the discussion.
Žätarting the discussion is considered to be good however it isn't that important; what is important is that you speak for a period long enough for you to be able to communicate your viewpoint.
?e patient; don't lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to.
µon't take the discussion personally.
?e responsive to ideas from other people and very receptive and open-minded but don't allow others to change your own viewpoint.
–ymployers are looking for a range of different skills and although you may think that leadership is key, and want to demonstrate this in a discussion, you need to be careful that you don't dominate the discussion as this may come across as aggressive.
‘zuality and NOT QUANTITY: Often, participants think that success in-group discussions depend on their decibel levels. Ironically, it?s the opposite.
ˆ¤ounding the discussion off - when about 2-3 minutes are left, someone in the group must take the initiative and summarize all the issues discussed. Let it be you.

Remember the six C's of effective Communication
“larity
“ompleteness
“onciseness
“onfidence
“orrectness
“ourtesy.

Here are some of the GD topics of leading Institutes
‹ðanagerial skills learnt in the classroom can never match those learnt from experience.
µemocracy is hampering India?s progress.
‹ðBA in India is highly overrated.
ˆ¤eligion is a private affair and should be of no concern for the state.
µecreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is the need of the hour.
Qomen's empowerment will lead to social development. (IIM Kozhikode, March'99)
“omputers result in unemployment. (FMS Delhi, March'99)
Are we raising a generation of burnt out children? (IIMB, Mar 97)
›^dvertising is all glitter and little truth. (MICA, Apr '97)
œUs bureaucracy a hindrance to economic reforms in India? (IIMC, July '97)
вilmmakers are indulging in cinematic Fortitution in the name of folk culture. (IIML, Mar'97X Are we raising a generation of burnt out children? (IIMB, Mar 97)
–únder Indian parliamentary democracy it is impossible to ensure balanced regional development. (IIMC, Mar ?97)
“orruption is the main outcome of democracy in India. (IIML, Mar '97) In an over-regulated society corruption is inevitable. (MICA, Apr '97)
вor the poorer sections of society, a state-controlled economy is better than a liberalized economy. (IIMC-PGDCM, March'97)
Qith IT replacing middle level management, software jobs are more lucrative than MBAs (S.P Jain, March'99)
µo you think accent holds you back? Would you prefer everyone speaking uniformly? (XIM Bhubaneswar, March'99)
‹ðen resent women power at work place (NMIMS, March'99)
Youth in India are becoming greedy by the day (MICA, March'99)
‹ðBAs should be taxed at higher rates in the country (IIMB April'99)
–yfficiency and corruption go hand in hand.

After the Interview
–yach job interview should be a learning process. Learn from your mistakes - don't repeat them.
“arry out a post-interview analysis immediately after the interview while it is still fresh in your mind.
ˆ¤eview tough questions and make notes for your next interview on areas where you might handle difficult questions better.
‹ðotivate yourself to approach your next interview in a positive frame of mind.
–úse the experience gained at each interview to improve your technique and overall presentation

Seven Mantras for Success

“ommunication Skills
œUnfluencing Abilities
Š´roblem Solving
“reative Thinking
Žäocial Skills]
‹ðanaging Finances

About the Author

Author has 28 years of experience in the field of Teaching and Management. He is M. Tech from IIT Kanpur and has worked in different capacities including Signal corps Indian Army, Regional Manager for a Telecom Company. Currently he is Associate Professor with ITM, Gurgaon that is rated as best Engineering colleges of North India.