(Part 1)
Getting through an interview successfully is a challenge many of us confront and deal with throughout our adult life. During my long tenure of service in the private sector, I have run into many successful and also failed interviewees.
Some of them succeed purely on personality, exposure and confident approach, irrespective of the skills or related subject knowledge. On the contrary, some others fail and get rejected despite possessing the necessary skills and knowledge, due to interview blunders.
What does this phenomenon imply? It means that the interview process is a serious subject. At an unexpected instance you may be compelled to face an interview on varied reasons, such as a new job, a promotion, an overseas tour and so forth.
However, the practices discussed herein predominantly apply to private sector employment.
As per my personal experience as a professional salesman, an employment interview provides an opportunity to sell yourself and goes through every stage in the basic ‘selling process’ practised world over.
The process is: Prospecting (looking for job opportunities), Pre-approach (preparatory research), Approach (introduction at the interview), Presentation (presenting yourself), Meeting objections (answering interview questions) and Close (conclude successfully and get the job).
A well thought-out and properly outlined resume is the first hurdle to win. Even though a specific resume will make the applicant more appealing, the usual practice is to keep one document at hand for all interviews.
There are numerous methods of making an application. Let me offer a modest opinion on this.
The resume should be simple, but must contain all details briefly. Personal details, such as date of birth and age, address and contact details must come in the first section as the receiver initially wants to know whether these important criteria are suitable.
An example is that if the job is available in Kandy and the applicant is from Colombo, the selector will have an opportunity to eliminate the applicant without going further.
It must be noted that going through many job applications is a tedious and exhausting process. Educational and professional qualifications and personal achievements should be brief. Experience, if available, must be more descriptive. A straightforward and easy to read resume will be appreciated.
When called, one must take the interview seriously and consider it as the most important task at hand. You are about to confront resistance by way of interviewer’s questions. Also personally you are facing an interview to achieve or obtain something better. Therefore, preparation is first in the agenda.
A complete search of the background, history, current status and the business line of the potential employer is required. With the availability of technology, this is not a daunting task. In addition, another vital factor is to fully understand the expected job role.
Untidy, disorderly and poorly dressed applicants give a wrong impression and they are not welcomed by any interviewer. Hence, dressed in appropriate and professional manner is an essential criterion of an interview. Irrespective of the position applied for, the interviewee should be conscious of the dress and choose cloth accordingly.
In my personal experience, both as a candidate and an interviewer, I would recommend a well pressed, light colour dress without loud patterns and polished, laced shoes for any interview.
Another good practice is to prepare for anticipated possible questions at the interview.
With the background search information, the applicant can imagine a list of possible queries and formulate ballpark answers without memorising them. If the search is done properly, it’s a cinch that you will get some of the listed questions.
Therefore, be prepared to answer those with brief details but with strong conviction.
Punctuality at the interview is absolutely essential. Arriving to a job interview late can produce the worst result. However, if for some reason, you are late due to an unavoidable and justifiable reason, it is very important to call and inform the interviewer ahead of the time given and explain the reason.
Being present at the interview location too early also can be frustrating to the interviewer. My personal opinion is to arrive about 10 minutes earlier than the allotted time slot and go through the preparations. Study all your preparatory notes on interviewer company information, job role related and pre-planned questions and answers carefully until you are called for the interview.
I have explained the preparatory stage for an interview. If the contender extends adequate attention to the details about preparations, the face to face interview will be easy to deal with as the applicant is well armed with specifics.
However, the important facts about the actual interview will be discussed in due time.