Talent Management

How to excel in an Interview - V

2016-05-03T02:35:00.001-07:00

I fail to understand why do I get rejected in an Interview?

Now as we have successfully figured out as to how to answer “Tell me something about yourself?”, we are successful in creating a positive inquisitiveness in the mind of our interviewer. Now the interviewer starts thinking in the line like ‘give me a few more reasons to just stamp you as a select’. Hence, what’s next? Next is the testing of specific skills of yours, suitable for the job. No matter what sort of questions would be coming up next, they would all be checking out on your skills on offer - in detail. Hence, here you don’t necessarily need to mug up 100 different kinds of answers to the most common interview questions, with an expectation to remember the best one for the time to come. From heron strategizing the process is what that best works.

Do you know that the biggest challenge ahead of us is fearless interviewing, because we all have given numerous interviews and will give more in times to come but we just do not stop fearing the moment. Do you know why because we are afraid of what question will come next and though they involve what we have done till now but then also we dread because we don’t know whether our answer will satisfy the interviewer or not. The remedy to this is preparation and preparation not in the sense what we have been told till now by anticipating different types of questions relating to our skills and experience, formulating answers to those questions and mugging them. Here we will also prepare but in a different way which will make you geared up for any sort of interview question anticipated or unanticipated and will make you fearless in turn.

Let me give you an example to give you clarity of thoughts. Ruchika once told me that she is not being able to get through interviews and fails to understand why. She had called me for some openings for her and divulged her frustration to me. I had known her for quite some time professionally but had also developed a personal rapport with her. I asked her about her resume whether it is well written or not. On this she revealed that she had got her resume professionally written and does get calls for interviews but the interviews were not turning positive. I have met her personally and she seemed to be a smart woman with impeccable communication skills to me and there was no reason that I was able to decipher causing her to fail. The negative thoughts were also making her wonder whether she is in the wrong profession. As a gesture to help and also for my own benefit I asked her if she can meet me somewhere in the same way she approaches her interview. There was no reason for her to disagree and we decided to meet in a not so crowded restaurant the next day for lunch. In the meantime she had mailed me her resume and she looked terrific on paper. She had over 5 years of experience into sales, also handled a team in her last experience and had handled some large accounts. Looking at the resume I had no doubt that she can have pick of number of sales position in the Hotel industry.

As we had planned she walked into the restaurant only after 10 minutes of my arrival. In the first few seconds, it was clear to me that she had excellent social skill and she looked confident. She was dressed professionally and there was nothing to not like about her. It was clear that the first impression was not a problem with her.

Though we had not decided or planned but our further conversation turned out to be like a mock interview. I was not asking directly but asked her as what answer she would give to the certain questions that was coming to me as an interviewer. It also helped as I was not having her resume with me. Ruchika’s answers to my questions though technically correct, were loaded with generalities and gave only a vague impression of what she could offer as a sales manager. Had I been an employer, I would have doubts whether she could really perform as well as she said she could and as her resume portrayed. How, specifically, could she prove her skills?

Like, for example, what did she mean when she said she was “extremely experienced”? Did she mean 2 years, 3 years, 5 years or 10 years? I said I was not having her resume at that time and had glanced at it only 24 hours before so that also contributed to create that vagueness in her answers.

She also said that she has an “exceptional record of service”. What was it that made her service exceptional? Did she mean to say that she exceeded the targets? Did she mean that she handled very large accounts? OR did she mean that there were no adverse remarks during her service?

What did she mean when she said that she has an “outstanding sense of the needs of the market”? Was she adept in market research? OR how does she understand the need of a customer before actually meeting him?

I was not surprised when she said that her greatest strength was her communication skills. Most of us, in fact, believe that we have good communication skills. But in an interview, we need to prove it.

It was hard to know what Ruchika meant since she did not really have any specific data or proofs to back up her assertions. No wonder, Ruchika was being turned down for jobs in spite of her experience and professional demeanor. The employer before hiring Ruchika for some lakhs of rupees per year would like to know as to how her skills had produced positive results for the other company and gets satisfied that she can do the same for his company. You can’t expect your resume to do the talking or the interviewer to connect between the dots for you.

This is what I meant when I said we have to prepare our answers with crucial data which is exactly the kind of ammunition needed to tackle any question hurled at you in a successful way.

I also had once discolored one of my smoothly proceeding interviews due to such an answer. The interviewer seemed quite impressed with me until he fired me with a question regarding how well I was with interviews. To which I could not understand as to how to answer such a question. If I say yes then how comes next. Hence, I said that I am quite good at it because the judgment about 70 to 80 percent of the candidates I interview have been correct. It was a blunder. Nothing was wrong with my candidature for the position but this answer turned the course of the interview.

Hence, preparing well ahead with what you have is better than preparing by anticipating what is going to come. And what do we have with us? We have with us our skills and experiences which we have to make our arsenal with. We will start with assessing our skills.

Assessing your skills

I don’t think you will disagree with me that most of us after coming out from an unsuccessful interview state that we could not explain properly our skills or what we can do for the company. Even 90 percent of the interviewers also cite the same reason for not hiring a candidate. They could not clearly state his or her skills. It doesn’t mean that you don’t have the skills necessary for the job but they could not verbally state those skills in a convincing way.

In the coming posts I will explain in detail the ways to built a constellation of your personal skills and accomplishments which can also be called your “skills arsenal”.

No question will be able to catch you off guard because you will be well prepared with offer stories and proofs about accomplishments and your skills that will impress and maybe even dazzle the interviewer.

How to excel in an Interview - IV

2016-02-18T03:11:00.001-08:00

Tell me something about yourself?

This is the question you must have encountered numerous times during your career path and might be hearing it many more times in the years ahead. This is actually the “on your marks, get set go!” of the interview. Before this, you and your interviewer were just settling down in their respective positions. It is also projected in some more polished manner like, “run me through your resume” or “walk me through your background” or “tell me what is not in your resume” and many more variations of it. Basically, this is an icebreaking question of the interviews and also the base of all the questions that will be hurled at you during the conversation ahead. It is also termed as a “positioning statement” by many interview coaches.

Though, most of the interviewees prepare only for this question, they also dread this question the most. Yes, it is true that the answer to this question sets the tone of the interview and it is an opportunity, an opening to set the tone of the interview in your way by emphasizing the points that you most want this potential employer to know about you.

Now, to answer a question just as effective as it can be is by understanding as to what the employer or the interviewer wants to achieve by putting forth the question. The foremost and the most basic reason for this question coming at you in the first place is that, for the interviewer, it’s an easy and open-ended way to start the conversation. Next, his/her ultimate goal for this interview is to find out enough about you to decide if you’re a good fit for the job opening that he is being paid to fill. In most cases, he wants to like you. His life will be easier if he can find a great candidate quickly. However, he/she is also on guard because a bad hire will reflect poorly on his judgment and possibly be a mark against him.

The first and foremost question that comes to our mind while preparing for this question is that how long the answer to this question should be? Well it should be as elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a product, service, or business and its value proposition. And do note that it should be concise enough to be delivered during a short elevator ride (to maybe 5th floor and not 105th floor). You must keep it short and focused and ideally less than a minute and not more than 2 minutes. You must be thinking as to how can you fit all your qualities and achievements in such a small window then let me remind you that there is all the time in the world to elaborate later if you create much interest in your interviewer with your crisp and precise positioning statement.

I am here to discuss what all things you must include in your answer. A great answer will address the following:-

1. Who you are?:- You should start with an introduction to who you are professionally, an overview statement that shows off your strengths and gives a little sense of your personality too. It is not easy but it pays to prepare in advance. It should concisely summarize your background.

2. Highlight your expertise:- Do not assume that your interviewer has read your resume thoroughly and knows your qualification. Use your elevator pitch to briefly describe 2-3 highlights that make you a stand out. Emphasize on your experience, your positive attitude and proof of your performance.

3. Why you are here?:- You need to be very concise and positive. Never blame your past employer or manager. Don’t be too frank and your answer should not be general where it shows that you are interested in a job, any job.

Remember not to squeeze in too many information in your statement as you will get ample opportunity to elaborate on that and walk through your resume in detail. You have to create enough wise gaps in your statement for the interviewer to dive in and ask you questions and clarifications. Let him/her feel elated that he has caught you off guard with some very astute questions.

Only discussing about how to answer “tell me something about yourself” will leave some loop holes and even may let you commit some common mistakes while answering this question. Hence, it is pertinent to also discuss how not to answer “tell me something about yourself”.

1. Do not recite your resume in response to this question as all your relevant and impressive points might be lost amongst most irrelevant information and even the interviewer might also lose interest. You have to just highlight all those high points in your career which are relevant to the job opportunity you are sitting for and also on which you are prepared and confident enough to discuss in an elaborate way.

2. Modesty or being humble while selling yourself is a disaster. It is termed as imposter syndrome in psychology. The imposter syndrome presents itself as the feeling that, even though we have accomplished something, we somehow feel that we don’t deserve the recognition or prestige that goes with it. I was myself suffering from this. I used to never have problem talking about a friend’s accomplishment, when it came to my own, I used to feel embarrassed. Talking about myself and boasting my strengths and capabilities in a straight forward manner seemed to me like bragging. I think this happens with a lot of people and believe me if you prepare well in advance and choose the rights kinds of words you can very well overcome this feeling. Stating facts in support of what you are talking about will also take away the feeling of bragging yourself.

Just don’t say that “I am the best salesperson of my company”. Instead, you can state that “I led my division in sales for last three years and had an opportunity to bring in 20 Cr worth of new business.”

3. Same approach to all the interviews you face is also a complete thumb down. You need to prepare according to the opportunity for which you have applied for and what all qualities your potential employer might be looking in you to hire or select you.

4. Over thinking in this regard can confuse you and you may look hesitant and under confident. You may be pleased to say that “Tell me something about yourself” can be interpreted in many different ways. It will only confuse you and make you hesitant in your answer as you might attempt to answer to all your interpretation in one go or any one of your interpretations or might even ask for clarification like “What do you exactly want to know?” Stick to what I have told you regarding this question and if they are looking to know something else or something specific, they will ask.

I would like to share with a template for the positioning statement in response to the answer to “Tell me something about yourself”.

Positioning Statement Template

I have more than ___________ years of experience as a_____________ in the __________________ _____________________ industry, specializing in _________________,________________________,and__________________.

I have an [B.A., B.Sc., B.Com, certificate] in ___________________from the University of ________________________at________________________ and an [MBA, M.C.A, C.A.,Ph.D.] from the University of ____________________ at ___________________.

I have also taken (graduate, postdoctoral, vocational, internship) classes in __________________________and _____________________________.

An accomplishment I’m particularly proud of is [write a very strong statement that fits the needs of the company]:__________________________.

I’ve come here to talk to you about a position as a ___________________________, and I’d like to bring the same or better level of success to my work with you.

This is just in order to help you out with your preparation. You need to just fill in the information in the blanks and your positioning statement is ready to conquer.

I am trying to give out a few sample answers I have laid my hand on to give you a feeling as to what would sound best for you.

Example No 1: I have an experience of 2.5 years of working in a BPO which is the fastest growing industry and would like to continue with the same profession. I believe that I will get a lot of opportunities in this field and success. My interests are to play cricket, listen music, interact with new people and make fun with friends. This is all about me.

Example No 2: My name is XYZ. I am from Gurgaon. I am specialized in giving training and development as a human resource officer and have successfully conducted more than seven training programs in a year. My strengths are organizing learning modules, creating instructional activities and presenting concepts, thus i feel that I can work best is this field. I am willing to input my efforts with your company and moving ahead with this career.

Example No 3: My name is ABC. I am from Delhi. I have an experience of working as a production engineer for two years in ABC Company. Though I had a good working experience in my previous job, I am willing to change my profile and work as sales manager because I am fascinated with this job and I am sure I’ll be able to perform really well with all my interest and determination towards it. I have some part time experience of sales and was successful in selling several insurance plans in a year.

Example no 4: My name is ABC. I am from Delhi and the youngest of three siblings. All of my older siblings are professionals in the fields of Accounting, Law and Medicine. I have decided to pursue a career in Information Technology, having graduated with a degree in IT. This is also the ideal career path for me since I have always been interested and good at database management and systems development.

Example no 5: Well. I’ve been working for the past six years as a systems analyst and data manager. During that time I’ve been trained and certified on a number of different software platforms and systems.

I'd really describe myself as a person with a versatile skill-set, a lot of integrity and a willingness to go the extra mile to satisfy a customer. Perhaps the best way to let you know what I'm about is to share with you a quick experience I had.

Recently while working at a location with a client, they mentioned that they had just purchased some software that I was familiar with but that their computer systems were having some difficulty integrating the program. I offered to take a look at the install and found that there was a step that had somehow been forgotten. I told him I would be happy to wipe the system and reinstall the software correctly. At first the client refused and when I asked him why, he told me that it was too expensive and that they were just going to learn to work around the problem. When I asked him further, he told me a different analyst had been in, looked at the problem, and told them that the files had corrupted their system overall and that it would take at least $25,000 to fix. When I told him it was a simple matter of wiping the previous version and reinstalling it, he was stunned. I did the whole project for a fraction of the cost the other “analyst” had quoted. My client was so happy he referred me to his friends and I’ve done similar work for several other companies in town as a result.

Now I’m looking to take my career to the next level and move out of contract work into a full time employee for a company where I can be a part of a team, but also allows me to focus my energy on my best strength, working directly with customers. I’d like to build a long term career that lets me focus on professional growth.

Example No 6: I have 7 years’ experience as a case manager, specializing in issues of adolescent behavior, substance abuse, and juvenile delinquency. I earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. In my last position at the Teen Discovery Center, I developed a curriculum to train juvenile offenders for job readiness. Within a year of the implementation of the program, over 75 percent of our clients found gainful employment and kept their jobs for at least 1 year. I’m applying here today as a licensed clinical social worker because I’d like to prove we can get similar results with your clients.

How to excel in an Interview - III

2015-10-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

First Impression

How to conduct yourself at the reception area.

It may sound inquisitive as to “What the hell! Do they watch us at the reception area also?” The answer is no. Nobody watches the visitors at the reception area until its some kind of an intelligence agency. You have to keep in mind that all your preparations in form of your imaginative interview actually starts taking shape right there at the reception area of the organization that you are attending the interview for. Let me assure you that at least half the chance of the interview to be a success or a failure is set up there in the mind of the interviewee right there at the reception area where you are waiting for your turn. If you don’t believe me, just remember the thoughts which were going on in your mind while waiting for an interview in the reception area from your most recent of the experiences, if you can recall.

It is where, you actually start to get the feeling that you are in their den. The ambiance, the certifications hanging on the wall, the receptionist, the colors, the furniture, the people coming in and out of the main door, the employees etc. and above all the other candidates, all start giving you judgments about a whole lot of things like the culture of the organization, well being of the organization, the work pressure on the employees and most of the times even how your interviewer would look like. Many even make a judgment then and there in the reception whether they will be selected or rejected based on their perception, even before facing the interview. When we are nervy, such things generally create a negative effect on your preparations and even on your chances to perform to your expectation in the interview.

I have had a number of friends who have returned from the reception area without attending the interview citing all sorts of lame excuses.

Now, how can one avoid such a situation where the mind can get diverted from the focus by such insignificant aspects? If you have reached early, take some time to have a last look at your appearance and give a touch up in the parking area itself and enter the reception only 10 – 15 minutes before the schedule time. As you enter through the main door, straight away register your arrival and purpose of the visit to the receptionist with a smile. You should not forget to greet her before announcing your name with the time and name of the person your interview is scheduled with. If the receptionist asks your name again then do register that you have to work more on your first appearance.

Immediately ask for the way to the wash room at the reception itself, if you are asked to wait for some time. Relieve yourself; wash your face and hand as you need to look clean and put forward a clean and non stick hand for handshake.

NOW

Managing the first twenty seconds of the interview

You have 20 seconds or less to impress upon an employer whether or not she should consider hiring you. From the moment you walk into her office to the moment you sit down in a chair, thousands of neurons will be firing in the interviewer’s brain asking one of two things: “Is this person friend or foe?” It’s an inescapable reflex, necessary to our survival as a species, to gauge immediately whether the stranger before us is going to help us or hurt us.

Whether it is morally right or wrong to judge a person the moment we meet her, it is a biological necessity that we do so. As long as we know that’s a fact, we need to ensure that we use it to our advantage.

If you want the interviewer’s initial response to be “this is a friend” rather than the opposite, you should follow a few simple instructions.

1. Wear a smile, no matter how you feel. A smile conveys confidence, high self-esteem, competence, warmth, and enthusiasm. Plus, believe it or not, medical testing of brain activity has shown that when people smile, they actually perform better at what they are doing because they are using more of both the left and right sides of the brain! Linguists and psychologists have said that 95 percent of communication is nonverbal, and the smile is one very important part of that communication.

2. Wear clothes that are appropriate to the occasion. It is not so much the color of your suit or the pattern on your tie that matters. It is the respect you show to the interviewer by indicating, indirectly, that the interview is an important occasion to you and that you value the interviewer’s time so much that you have put serious consideration into your appearance.

3. Have a firm handshake, using the whole hand. A handshake that is too loose unconsciously communicates to the interviewer that you are not fully committed. On the other hand, a bone-crushing handshake sends a message that you may be overly competitive. Neither of these messages is attractive to an interviewer. A handshake that is firm with one, two, or three “pumps” of the elbow is an appropriate business greeting, signalling to the employer, “Let’s get down to business.” There is no reason to shake a woman’s hand any differently than you would shake a man’s hand. Firm and businesslike is the rule to remember. Many people, both men and women, have no idea how their handshake feels to other people. I strongly suggest that you practice it with a few friends or family members and ask for their honest feedback. Keep testing different strengths and positions until you and the other person feel comfortable.

4. Address the interviewer as Ms. or Mr. ________________ until you’re invited to call him or her by a first name. Again, this greeting is part of being respectful of the interviewer’s time and authority.

5. Introduce yourself by your first and last names and say that you are happy to be there. Do you know that only 40 percent of interviewers are trained to do the job of interviewing? My experience with managers and directors from companies indicate that they very often feel more nervous about interviewing you than you feel about the interview! Introducing yourself and expressing that you’re glad to be there is the first step to putting the interviewer at ease, so that you can both enjoy a relaxed meeting.

6. Do not sit down until the interviewer suggests that you do. If he or she doesn’t, ask politely if you may sit down. As soon as you sit down in a chair in the interviewer’s office, you become part of his or her territory. It is therefore wise to wait until you are invited to sit or you have asked permission to do so.

7. Do not, at any time during the interview, put anything on the interviewer’s desk. Keep briefcases, note pads, and purses by your side or on your lap. The employer’s desk is even more sacred and private territory than the surrounding office. Keep hands, elbows, and any other items from the top of the desk. If, however, you have been invited to sit at a conference table or a round table that is not a desk, you should feel free to take notes on the tabletop as the meeting goes on. These spaces are shared territory, unlike a person’s desk, which is private.

8. Turn your cell phone off! If you forget and it happens to ring, do not glance to see who called. Simply apologize for the interruption and turn off the device.

Another thing to remember is that you are interviewing the company, just as the company is interviewing you. When you keep that fact in mind, you’ll remember to notice how you’re being treated before, during, and after the interview. Do you like being treated that way? If you were left waiting for an hour in the waiting room, if you were treated rudely by the receptionist, or if the interviewer was taking phone calls during your interview when he or she was supposed to be paying attention to you, you need to remember that you most likely will be treated in that same way on the job.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you like the general tone of the company?

• Do you feel respected?

• Do you feel you’re being listened to?

• Are your questions and answers being taken seriously?

You might even think of it this way: You are hiring a new boss! Do you want to work for this person? Would you like to be around this person almost 40 hours a week? Would you like to be a part of this organization?

When you think about it, the power belongs not only to the interviewer but also to you! There will be many more things you need to ask yourself before you accept that offer.

How to excel in an Interview – II

2015-09-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

As I had suggested that we will move on the topic with the flow of the day so that we can take up each and every aspect as it comes by and hence we will start with the first thing for the day i.e.

Getting ready for the day!

Have a good night sleep before the interview day

It is easier said than done but try to think about other things in order to get a good night sleep otherwise it will only add to your stress and you may even sit up in the middle of the night to revise a certain hopeless topic that you are not able to recall. You have had so many days to think and recreate your interview in mind and you cannot change anything at the last moment. You should look fresh and ready for the day.

Groom yourself for the day

Now this is very important as it gives out your first impression. Following guidelines should be taken care of which may seem obvious for many but here we need to discuss it generally for all.

A bad hygiene can ruin the best of the outfit. You need to look clean and fresh as you enter the interview room otherwise your interviewers may assume you sloppy and careless. Always shower the day of your interview. Even if you're busy before the interview, take the time to wash your hair and body as close to the time of the interview as you can. Not only will your skin look clean and fresh, but you'll feel better because you'll be more refreshed.
Smelling nice is also a part of hygiene but here is a catch to it as you have to also avoid overwhelming your interviewers with it. It is generally recommended that men should avoid heavy cologne or aftershave or even deodorant. Just a light touch will do only when they have an issue of bad body odor. Women can wear a bit of perfume or scented lotion, but should avoid wearing anything with an overpowering smell. However, I would suggest not putting any kind of deodorant, cologne or perfume other than the soap from your shower as you will be surprised to know what strong reactions people do have for scents. They can either love them or hate them. Don’t take a chance as you might be wearing the same scent as any person of his/her dislike. Even if you put on your perfume, never put it right before the interview. Also walk into the interview with fresh breath.
You also need to pay attention to your hair for the interview. The best bet is to be conservative. No matter what length or style you hair is, it is worth to spend a few bucks to get a haircut before stepping into the competitive world of interviews. You can have any kind of a hairstyle after you are selected. Your hair should be clean & dry and avoid using any excessive hair products. Women should avoid any exaggerating hairdo until you are not appearing for the position of a model. Don’t allow long or wavy hair to hide your face. Any flashy hair-clips are a complete no. Check your shoulders for dandruff especially if you are wearing any dark clothes.
Your face will be the first thing employers see, so you should look professional, approachable, and fresh. Women should wear nice and subtle eye makeup and a subtle shade of lipstick to show your employers that you spend time on your appearance. Avoid wearing too much makeup. Wear just enough makeup to make a pleasant impression. Men should shave off all their facial hair and if you prefer mustache or stubble it should be neatly trimmed and not give you a shabby look.
Your employers will notice your hands as soon as you give them that first handshake, so you should have job-ready fingernails at all times. Check under your fingernails to avoid dirt. Women should manicure their nails. They can be clear or a subtle shade of pink, but loud colors should be avoided. Let me tell you that for the job of a receptionist all these things will be especially looked upon. Men should trim their nails so they have nice, even edges.

Now what to wear for interview?

Though there are certain unwritten rules of the dress code for interviews and even the interviewers can frown upon if you break them. There is a very simple rule to follow that you should not wear anything weird, flashy or gaudy to give an impression that this event or opportunity is not important for you. You necessarily don’t have to spend a fortune to buy the appropriate outfit for the event but to invest a few bucks to get your dress ironed or get your blazer dry-cleaned. There is no specific dress code for interviews. You just need to look neat, clean, polished and professional for the event. You need to keep it simple. However there are a few suggestions you can be open to.

Men

Shoes Hard-soled, hard-toed. The best colors are black or brown. No tennis shoes, sandals, or boots. I once heard that interviewers spend a lot of time looking at shoes! It would be a shame to go to the trouble of shaving and putting on your best black suit, only to find that the toes and heels of your shoes look scuffed and shabby. Take the time to have your shoes shined, or, if you’re in the mood, do it yourself. It will help complete the picture for a knockout first impression!

Ties Conservative: black, brown, navy, or red. A solid color or a simple pattern is best. Avoid ties that are too wide or too narrow. No potentially distracting artsy or modern patterns. No pastels or flashy colors. No bow ties.

Suits Matching business suits are best. If you do not have a tailored, well-fitting business suit in gray, black, navy blue, or brown, you may, as a second choice, wear pants (other than jeans) with a shirt, tie, and complementary jacket. In India suits or jackets are not much in practice due to the warm weather, hence the dress minus the jacket/blazer is fine.

Shirts The only type of shirt that is acceptable for men at a job interview, in my opinion, is a button-down shirt with a collar. White or light blue, or a shirt with very narrow and light pinstripes is best. T-shirts and turtlenecks are too casual, and a complete no.

Jewelry Avoid wearing more than one ring per hand. Don’t wear a pinky ring. If you happen to express your own style by wearing piercings on your lips, tongue, ears, or any other place that would be visible to the interviewer, I suggest that, just for now, you take them out. Wait until after you have the job offer and have put in a few weeks at the job. Then, you can decide whether piercings seem to be acceptable in your workplace.

Accessories Always bring a pad of paper and a pen or pencil for taking notes. Keep your cell phone switched off as that may ring, which could send the whole meeting rather rudely off course. Even having a cell phone silent on a vibration mode, in my opinion, can distract you to not be fully focused on the interview. Interviewers expect, and should get, your full and undivided attention.

By the way, whether or not you normally wear a wristwatch, wear one to the interview. It signals that you’re conscious of time, and most interviewers want an employee who has that attribute. Finally, I suggest that if you don’t have a briefcase, bag or masculine- looking leather portfolio, buy one. There are plenty of briefcases or bags that look like real leather but are made from other materials. The same goes for portfolios. Backpacks should be avoided for the interview. Collect all the things to carry, a day before. Keep aside everything that will be needed on the day; the documents, the stationary, photographs, the address of the interview venue, concerned person’s contact number and name etc. in your bag/portfolio that you will be carrying, only a day before and it should be done in one go. Don’t keep anything for the last moment or the day. Even if you have nothing better than a copy of the news paper to put inside your portfolio. That’s OK. Carrying a briefcase or handsome portfolio will make you look 100 percent prepared to do business!

Women

Shoes Wear covered business shoes with a medium-sized heel. Do not wear high, excessively spiky heels or boots. Black, brown, taupe, or navy is fine. Avoid flashy shoes with bright colors like red or glittery gold. No tennis shoes, open toes, or sandals.

Dresses or Suits I strongly suggest that you wear either wear a dress or woman’s business suit. If you like, you may wear a skirt with a complementary jacket or blazer. Again, we’re going for a conservative “business” look, so hems should be only slightly above the knee and necklines should not be revealing. In the Indian context you can wear neatly fitted salwar suit but, in my opinion an Indian woman in a saree would look extremely professional. The colors of your dress are not terribly important, but try to wear solid colors or very simple patterns so the interviewer’s eyes are on your face rather than lost in the pattern of your clothing.

Jewelry Again, it’s always better to err on the conservative side. Except for a wedding band and an engagement ring, stick to one ring per hand, one bracelet per wrist. Don’t wear dangly or multiple earrings that may be distracting to the interviewer. Remove, just for now, any additional piercings you may have on your ears or face.

Accessories Don’t forget that your purse, briefcase, or portfolio needs to look good too. Remember to check them for scratches or tears. A pad and pencil to take notes shows that you’re an attentive, interested listener.

These rules may seem stringent, but try to find ways to express your style as much as you can within these guidelines. My idea is to look different but within the specified limit or to look ahead of the crowd and not out of the crowd. I can bet you that the interviewers will remember you even after days.Be sure to wear clothes you feel comfortable in and colors that compliment your skin tones. When you can look in the mirror and say, “Okay, I’m ready!” you’ll know you’ve found a good combination of businesslike attire.

Punctuality

There is one last aspect of interview preparation that we need to discuss before moving on to the next part of this series, in which we’ll walk through the interview process step by step. It’s about punctuality. Unless you know the exact route and the amount of traffic likely to occur at the time of day your interview has been scheduled for, it’s a very good idea to make a dry run of your trip to the interview site a couple of days before your scheduled interview. Take some time a day or two before the interview to locate the best route to the building. Don’t forget to also identify the most convenient parking, and find out which entrance to the building you’ll be using. Use the number of minutes it takes you to get to the interviewer’s office on your dry run and add an extra half hour to it to allow for any unforeseen difficulties. Get to know that day’s situation of your town regarding some political or social rallies etc. to plan your commutation without any mid way surprises. Knowing exactly where you are going, how long it will take, and where to park will put you at ease and really let you know you’re completely prepared for a knockout interview!

How to excel in an interview - I?

2015-09-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

Getting through an interview is the biggest nightmare of the intelligent and the dumb alike. You all must have felt nervy before an interview at some point or the other in your career. Must have also wished that you had answered that question differently or negotiated with the situation more tactfully.

Let’s face it.

Interviews are not normal conversations. Why? Because you are there in the hot seat and the interviewer is the authority figure that has all the power to select or reject you. This is scary, isn’t it? Panic creeps in with the fear of failure. The biggest mistake that the interviewees commit is that they over prepare for an interview and that to in the manner they prepare for their written tests and exams. All this preparation seems futile after coming out of that ordeal. It’s also difficult to actually assess as what went wrong because you either never get or wrongly get a feedback on how have you performed in an interview.

“I will illustrate an example of one of my acquaintances. He did his engineering from Manipal University and got through the CAT entrance and had to appear for an interview in one of the IIMs. He had prepared for everything around his curriculum and also whatever he thought he could be grilled for and while doing this he hadn’t had a good night sleep for two nights. The director of that IIM was also present in the panel of interviewers and as this acquaintance of mine entered the room and before he could ask himself to be seated, he was hurled with a bouncer from the director, “Oh! So you have graduated from Manipal University where they get admitted by giving heavy donations”. Dumb struck; he could barely lower down his back to sit on the chair. All his preparation had gone down the drain and he only wished to get over it as soon as possible. “

Here, I will discuss the practical aspects that really administer an interview and how to actually conquer them. The best thing in your favor is the fact that over 75% of the interviewers are not at all trained in the art of interviewing and generally go with the flow. In fact, as I believe it is actually in the hands of the interviewee to control that flow in their favor or against it.

“This happened with me when I had to interview this person for the post of Project Manager and the resume was forwarded to me from one of my colleague after his technical interview was successfully through. He had an experience of around 13 years in some not so big organizations and the technology he had worked upon looked matching to the position we needed to fill. I could not spend more 10 minutes with him even after trying my best of the efforts. I would remind you all that I am a person who spends at least more than half an hour even with a fresher whom I reject. There was no flow at all. He had the shortest possible answers to all my questions with a really stony face with a continuous dead man’s stare and I literally ran out of questions even before 10 minutes had passed after I had entered the room. I had no other choice than to reject him because he did not give even an iota of a reason to consider him a select. “

I have already discussed in few of my earlier posts on the art of interviewing but here I will discuss about the techniques & methods for the person on the other side of the table i.e. the interviewee.

The biggest drawback in the preparation of an aspirant who prepares for an interview to get into a college or a job is their weak hold on their own personality, skills, weaknesses, strength etc. Most of their preparations are focused on the theoretical preparations and they really miss out on developing their personalities on the ways to effectively present themselves when faced by their future employer or mentor as the case may be.

I would suggest each student and a job aspirant to really look into how do they look and sound to the outer world and what do they perceive from it as no school teaches this.

Hence, the first and foremost preparation to present yourself for sale is to know what people have been thinking and perceiving about you all these days. You can find it from all the people around you. You require to be a good listener and not argumentative to get these hard facts out of the people around you. You need to make a careful note of all the things, even the minutest or the most irrelevant of the perceptions that people have made about you. On making notes, I would like to mention here that making notes here doesn’t mean to just jot down whatever the other person vomits, but to listen to the other person carefully noting his or her expressions the crest and troughs of the sentences and the words chosen to describe you. If you want to jot down something then just note down the important points and later do make an elaborate notes while recalling all that was said about you.

It may seem and sound very ordinary or even stupid for many of you when you are preparing your day in and day out to achieve a milestone in your career but believe me, this is what will decide between a yes or a no for all your labor and hard work.

“I would like to illustrate a short example to give an insight to you. I had interviewed this one fresher, out from a renowned engineering college, whom I was very impressed with as he was doing some fabulous projects during his academics, but my boss simply rejected the guy as he negatively spoke about his college and teachers.”

In addition to the above you also have to note down all the characteristics you think you possess and achievements you had in life, irrespective of them being personal or professional. Now you have to make a repository of your positive as well as negative aspects which you and the other people have pointed out. Now point out the key skills and achievements that give boost to your resume and are relevant to what you aim for. Now elaborate on each skills and achievements in your own words with very good live examples from your life to prove them to be genuine.

Next step is to look at your weaknesses and drawbacks. Here I have a genuine suggestion for you all to work on only those weaknesses that have relevance to your profile. I would rather utilize my precious time to improve upon my strengths so that all my weaknesses seem dwarf in comparison to my strength. Weaknesses that directly affect my strengths will be worked upon automatically if I improve upon my strength. We will discuss on strengths and weaknesses elaborately in my later posts. However the greatest weakness that can affect any kind of strength is your confidence and inability to communicate well. It is now difficult for me to exactly guide you on your findings about yourself but you have to believe me that if you complete this task religiously, you will get a very good and clear insight as to who & what are you for the world and if administered wisely may also find the characteristics to work upon. As we will progress on this subject in further posts I will try to touch on all the possible aspects involving the process of interview and you may find the solution to your findings about you.

Once I had a chance to guide one of my friends in need for his interviewing skills. All the time when I thought that I had covered every possible aspect of giving interviews tactfully and fearlessly before sending him to face another interview, he came up with a new hitch where he couldn’t manage the interview in his favor. He got successful only after 25 interviews. Hence, we will move on this topic with the flow of the dooms day or interview day.

Come with me on this new interesting journey and your comments and suggestions are always invited to fill in the loopholes in my presentation of the subject as it is universal truth that one can never know everything.