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1.Pre-
Interview preparation
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Make sure you know the
precise time and location
for your interview and leave
enough time to get there. A
10 minute margin for error
should be adequate. Use
travel planning websites for
directions or nearest train
station information.
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If possible, find out whos
interviewing you and their
position within the
organization. You may also
be able to ascertain the
format for the interview.
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Research the organization. A
good place to start is the
company website if they have
one. Look at recent press
releases for current
activity and read their
about us pages.
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Think about questions you
might be asked during the
interview and mentally
prepare some answers.
Preparing for the worst
questions will ease any
apprehension you may have.
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Know your own CV Its amazing
how many people let
themselves down because they
havent taken the time to
read their own CV before an
interview.
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Consider questions that you
might like to ask during the
interview. The interview
should be looked as a
two-way process.
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2 When you arrive at
the interview ?
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Be on time. In fact, be
early if you can.
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Dress smartly. Even if the
company dress code is
normally pretty casual, they
will always want to see that
youve made the effort to
look smart for the
interview.
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Carry a notepad and pen, to
take notes, to jot down any
questions you want to ask
and just because it makes
you look professional and
well prepared.
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Smile! Be confident and
friendly.
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Listen carefully to what the
interviewer says and what
they are asking you before
responding. Dont just assume
you know what they are going
to ask and what they need to
hear; you dont.
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You should always have done
your research about the
company and the roles so if
you have a chance to
demonstrate that, take it.
Its a good idea to prepare a
couple of questions
beforehand, so that they
realise youve interested
enough to do some research
on the company.
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Dont be nervous. A good way
to get rid of the nerves is
to remember that you are
interviewing them as much as
they are interviewing you.
Its a two way street.
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Be on time. In fact, be
early if you can.
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3. At the interview
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The interviewer will not only be
examining your experience and skills,
but will also be looking at how you fit
into the
organisations culture. Always
be your self, but it might be helpful to
also consider the following:
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A firm handshake and
engaging smile is always a
good opener.
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Maintain good eye contact
with your interviewer(s).
Looking out the window
whilst talking gives a bad
impression.
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Beware of rambling when
answering questions. Try to
deliver an informative but
succinct reply and avoid
yes/no monosyllabic answers.
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Do not over criticise your
current employer.
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Be positive and enthusiastic
for the position youre
applying for. If you have
any reservations, these can
be addressed with your
recruitment consultant at a
later point.
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Be natural. If you obtain an
offer by acting, you will
have to maintain an act for
the duration of your
employment.
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4.Closing
the interview |
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Always leave the interviewer
with a positive impression.
Thank them for their time
and the opportunity to meet
them.
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Immediately after the
interview, jot down your
thoughts and any questions
you may have forgotten to
ask, whilst theyre still
fresh in your mind.
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Contact your recruitment
consultant and give them
feedback on the interview.
The sooner you do this, the
sooner your consultant can
speak to the organisation
and find out what they
thought of the interview.
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Follow up the interview with
an email or letter, again
thanking them for their time
and interest.
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It is important to stay in touch
with your recruitment consultant at all
times. They are familiar with the whole
recruitment
process from interview, through
to offer, acceptance/rejection and
resignation, and will guide you through
the whole process.
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More and more
companies are relying on
telephone interviews as part
of their selection
procedures. Some people
think
telephone interview
is easier or less important
than a face to face meeting,
but that is not the case.
Just like any other
interview, the better
you are prepared, the
better the phone interview
will be. Because you wont
have any visual feedback
from the
interviewer, you need to be
even more prepared mentally
than for a face to face
interview. |
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1. Preparing for the Call
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It is essential
to make sure the
environment at
your home or
office is clear
of other people
and extraneous
noise, such as
radios, TVs,
pets etc.
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Have your CV in
front of you for
quick reference,
and if possible
have the company
website up on
your screen, so
that if
something comes
up in the
conversation you
look right on
top of things.
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Prepare a list
of achievements
for each of your
positions prior
to starting the
call. Know what
you want to
highlight.
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Just like any
interview,
research the
company,
products,
revenues, and
any other
relevant
information.
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Prepare
questions based
on the
position's
responsibilities,
goals and
targets,
cultural style
of the company,
or the
interviewer's
background.
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Be on time and
dont get wrapped
up in another
call at the time
when you are
expecting this
interview call.
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2. Getting Things Started |
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Be enthusiastic.
The first 15
seconds are
crucial and
interest in your
voice is key.
Just the way you
answer the phone
has an impact on
the caller. Talk
distinctly and
with confidence,
but dont get too
carried away the
interviewer will
need a chance to
speak too!
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Establish a
connection. Ask
about the
callers
experience with
the company or
mention
something you
have read about
the company.
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Establish a
connection. Ask
about the
callers
experience with
the company or
mention
something you
have read about
the company.
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3. During
the Call |
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Know your CV.
Don't assume
that the person
on the other end
of the phone
knows your
background or is
familiar with
the companies
listed on your
CV. Assume that
you have to
illustrate your
entire
background. Make
your CV "come
alive". Try to
anticipate what
a company may
ask about your
background and
have your
answers
prepared.
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Demonstrate a
career plan. The
interviewer may
start with the
question, "Tell
me about
yourself." One
approach is to
begin by saying,
"Let me tell you
how and why I am
in my current
position". If
you have had a
number of other
titles at one
company, explain
how the value
you added to the
company resulted
in promotional
opportunities.
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Demonstrate
accomplishments.
Review a problem
that you turned
into a positive
situation for
each position
that you list.
Help the
interviewer
understand the
problem, your
specific role,
what steps you
took to resolve
it, and the
final result.
Paint a picture.
Also, try to
quantify
accomplishment
in each position
(e.g. reduced
RIDDOR rate by
X%, achieved
cost savings of
Rs.X etc).
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Address your
reasons for
leaving. Be
clear on your
reasons for
leaving each
position. Almost
every
interviewer will
ask that
question. If you
left a job
because there
was a conflict
with your
manager, for
example, be
brief about the
conflict. Most
people don't
enjoy hearing a
long drawn out
negative
explanation.
Also, no
interviewer
likes to hear
someone
badmouthing
previous
employers, so
keep your
language neutral
and general.
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Ask questions
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Be open to
questions about
the sort of
package your
looking for. If
you are asked,
be precise about
the basic
salary, bonus,
benefits, etc.
If asked, "What
salary are you
looking for to
make a change?"
A good answer
is, "My current
package is a
base of RsXX.XX
and bonus of
XX%, and I am
hoping you will
make me a fair
offer based on
my experience
and the value I
can bring to
your company."
The interviewer
will usually not
press you for a
specific number
if you answer
the question in
that manner.
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4.
Winding Up
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Give up control. The
end of the call is always a
tricky thing. A good
suggestion is to thank the
caller for his or her time
and say
that you are
interested in the
opportunity. If the
interviewer has not asked
you about your schedule or
availability, it is a good
idea to ask, "What
would the next step be in
the process?" Let the
interviewer re-establish
control of the interview
with this
question. Confirm
information. If you don't
already have it, be sure to
ask for the interviewer's
exact title and name
spelling,
along with an office
or email address, so that
you can send a thank you
note
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