INTERVIEW PREPARATION-1

INTERVIEW PREPARATION:


You have been granted an interview because your qualifications are exactly what the company is looking for. Congratulations! What’s next? Preparing, research and practice!


Now is the time to start your research on the company. Be thorough and learn everything that you can about the company. Most of the relevant information you need to arm yourself is going to be easily accessed on the internet, business journals or in newspaper articles.


The job description you are applying for should also be researched. The information you need to find is a Base salary and job requirements. These facts will help you later in determining your pay if you should be offered the job in a second interview. Remember not to bring up pay during your first interview. Avoid setting a figure that you might later regret. In the same manner, putting down a low figure and then changing it during negotiations would portray you as being greedy.


Of course you can’t anticipate every question that will be asked, but practicing some general questions will help you gain the confidence you need for the real interview. Do not be surprised if the interviewer should ask you a question they do not expect you to be able to answer. If this happens to you be honest. Say that you do not know the answer but you would like to give an educated guess. This will impress the interviewer. Review your answers to the practice questions and critic yourself, or ask a friend for feedback. Interviewing is a learned skill and the more you practice the better you will become.


Make sure your resume is up to date and free of typing errors. There is nothing worse than having an outdated resume with spelling errors. Bring extra copies of your resume and be prepared to explain everything that is listed.


Part of the preparation of interviewing is deciding on what to wear. Call the company and tell them that you are coming in for an interview and you would like to know what the office policy is for attire. Business attire is always the most professional, even if the office attire is casual. You always want to dress one step above what is expected. Dress to impress! Make sure your clothing is clean and pressed and you shoes are shined.


Nothing breaks a business outfit like a dirty, dusty pair of shoes.

Find out where the interview will take place. Once you know this information do a trial run to see how much time it takes to arrive. This will be very important information so that you arrive on time. It is not good to show up late for an interview. It could either show that you are inconsiderate of the interviewers time or that you did not care enough to find out ahead of time.


Imagine that today is the interview day. See yourself driving to the location, parking and entering the building. Make sure that you arrive in plenty of time to give yourself a last minute head to toe check. Smile and proceed to the reception desk. Greet the receptionist with all due respect. After all, this is the first person you will have contact with and their opinion might well be factored in the hiring process.


Now you have been asked to enter the interview room. Remember to greet your interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake. Make eye contact but don’t stare into their eyes. You don’t want to given them reason to feel uneasy. The most important thing to remember during your interview is to breathe! It will not only relax you, but it will calm your speech pattern. If you are nervous, your breathing will be shallow and you will sound like you just ran a mile to the interview.


Remember all the important techniques you practiced before? Now is the time to implement them into the meeting. Don’t be overly friendly with the interviewer. This is not a social event; it is about business.
Make sure you remember to get business cards from everyone you will come in contact with on the interview day.


Most interviewers will give out their business cards but if they do not, request one. This will serve two purposes. It will give you the name, address and phone number for sending a thank you note after the interview. Secondly, it will give you the person to contact so you can follow up on the interview process.
Be positive and enthusiastic. Make sure you sell yourself without exaggerating. This is your moment to shine and prove that you are the most viable candidate for the job opening.

   Thanks & regards

Suresh Chowdary Yepuri