The interviewing process: Stages of the Interview – Career Center

Stages of the Interview – Career Center

STAGE 1: Introduction

Lasting approximately two to three minutes, you are meeting the interviewers and being escorted to the interview room. It is essential that you start strong, offering a firm handshake, standing confidently, and making good eye contact. Some reports indicate that employers will make their decision to hire a candidate within the first 30 seconds of the interview! Employers may take the time to share information about their organization. Feel free to jot down notes to remember key points for future reference.

STAGE 2: Q&A

The longest portion of the interview, this is when the employer asks you questions and listens to your responses. If the interview is a 30-minute screening interview, this portion is typically about 20 minutes long.

STAGE 3: Your Questions

The employer will ask if you have any questions. This is your chance to demonstrate your knowledge of the organization by asking thoughtful questions. Always come prepared! Bring at least three questions, but also feel free to modify them based on the information you learn during the interview. Be sure to make notes as the interviewer answers your questions.

STAGE 4: Closing

During the last few minutes, take the time to end on a positive note. Reiterate your interest in the position and gather business cards from everyone present. Be sure to thank them for the invitation to interview and offer a firm handshake while making good eye contact.

Sample Questions to Ask Your Interviewer

The most effective questions are those that demonstrate your sincere interest in the position and organization.

• Can you describe the organizational structure of your company/agency/organization?
• How does the area I would be working in fit into the overall organizational structure?
• Can you describe the corporate culture or atmosphere of your company?
• What kind of supervision and training would I receive?
• How will I receive feedback on my job performance?
• Would I be working on my own, or on a team? Can I meet my team members?
• Would I be working with people outside of the company? Clients? Vendors?
• Would my responsibilities progressively increase throughout my work terms?
• Would I have the opportunity to travel?
• Have you ever hired a UMBC student/graduate before? Are they currently working for you? May I speak to them at some point?
• How would you describe the ideal candidate for this job?
• What do you enjoy most about working here? What would you change if you could?
• How would you describe a typical day in this position?
• What specific projects do you see me starting first?
• What skills are most important for this job?
• What are the prospects for advancement beyond this level?
• How many people have you hired as interns/co-ops in the past, and where have they gone after they graduated?
• Would it be possible to see where I’d be working?
• Your annual reports show a steady growth over the last three years. How rapidly do you plan to grow over the next three years?
• What particular computer equipment and software do you use?
• How much opportunity is there to see the end result of my efforts?
• What are the next steps in the interview process? How would you like to be contacted for follow up?

Are There Any Questions I Shouldn’t Ask?

Never, never, never ask any questions about salary, benefits, vacations, holidays with pay or sick days. Wait for the manager to bring up the issue of salary or wages. When they ask what salary you expect, ask what the standard salary is for your qualifications. Keep in mind that the company has a set salary for each job description and level of experience. So, play it safe. Wait for the manager to throw out the first figure. See: Negotiating and Evaluating Offers.

If You Want the Job, Ask for It!

Managers get frustrated when candidates don’t express enthusiasm for the job. If the manager seems to be someone you’d like to work for, if the company seems solid and  reputable, if they offer the security, growth and challenge that you want, look the manager straight in the eye and tell them you want the job.

I am interested in:

Strategies of Effective Interviewing

Leer en español

Ler em português

The executive engaged in the normal conduct of business devotes much of his time to interviewing. However, there is an appalling lack of effort given to systematic attempts at building improvements into this age-old process. Interviewing remains one of those activities that we think we know all about merely because we have been doing it so long; we have been lulled by habit. It seems apparent that a modest effort aimed at an analysis of our interviewing techniques would yield generous returns.

In the broad sense, interviewing is the process whereby individuals (usually two) exchange information. The individuals may be concerned with a job opening, a promotion, a special assignment, a product sale, information for intelligence purposes, a proposed merger, or other issues. The information exchanged need not be limited to facts. In business, particularly, such products of an interview as meaning and understanding are oftentimes more significant than objective factual statements.

Interviewing in the contemporary business setting invariably takes place in an atmosphere filled with a sense of urgency. The time allocated to the interview is necessarily limited. Consequently, a nondirective approach finds little application; it is necessary to use the guided interview in the vast majority of situations. This inherent time constraint sometimes brings about dysfunctional consequences: The interviewer is so preoccupied with budgeting his time that the content and the purpose of the interview are vitiated. Hence, we must define what we mean by an effective interview. For the purposes of this article, an effective interview optimizes the perceived communication objectives of the individuals involved, with time as the principal constraint. We shall focus on research findings concerning:

• The proper kind of preparation for the interview
• The value of such procedures as having an outline of points to be covered and taking notes
• The use (and misuse) of questions and questioning techniques
• The kind and amount of control that the interviewer should exercise over the discussion
• The analysis and evaluation of the information obtained

Planning and Preparation

The lack of adequate planning for an interview is the greatest single fault found in my studies of the interviewing process. ¹ All too often, the inexperienced interviewer launches into a discussion only to find midway through that his preparation is incomplete. A moderate amount of preplanning can easily obviate such unfortunate occurrences.

When the objective of the interview is well known in advance, it is usually a good practice to allow the individual concerned ample time to prepare for the talk before the actual involvement. By indicating, ahead of time and in writing, the points to be covered, the interviewer gives the interviewee an added advantage and reinforces the specific purpose of the session. Too often the expectations of the interviewee may be far different from those of the interviewer. This misunderstanding, if not corrected, can be disastrous.

On the other hand, too much preplanning and detailing for an interview can be equally harmful. The interviewee may then develop conventionally correct answers or platitudes that, of course, reduce the informational content of the interview to virtually zero. In short, he or she needs a guide, a “steer”—but no more than that.

A written outline of important points to be covered is not necessarily an indication of rigidity; rather, it reflects consideration for all parties concerned. When explained, it generates a feeling of confidence as well as fairness—particularly if two or more people are to be ranked in an evaluation. The outline may even include typical questions in order to solicit comparable responses. Again, however, a warning against excess is needed: Too much reliance on a programmed questioning approach is often disconcerting to the interviewee and may lead to stereotyped answers. Ideally, of course, each question should be designed for the situation and the respondent.

In presenting information, a speaker allocates blocks of time to various items on his or her agenda. If no time limit is established, the presentation can continue indefinitely. Even worse, the truly important information may never be told. This process takes place by dint of the normal human trait of retaining the most significant bits of information for the end. Psychiatrists recognize this and are particularly attentive in the last 10 minutes of the therapy session. Borrowing from this insight, the interviewer, although not able to set an hourly cycle as does the psychiatrist, should try discreetly to indicate a time scale. This allows the interviewee to plan and to include relevant information that otherwise might be withheld. If the interview is terminated too abruptly, the probability of losing valuable information is very high.

Read more about

4 Steps to Creating a Strategy in an Uncertain World

A time limit can be suggested by citing the next appointment or by noting, perhaps, a previously scheduled conference. Actions such as tapping—consciously or not—on one’s watch to indicate time are out of order, of course; so is sitting precipitously on the edge of the chair. Sometimes it may be in the best interest of both parties to set another date for an extended session or to plan on completing only one or two stages of progress at a time.

Building Rapport

Certainly the general tone of the interview should be one of helpfulness and friendliness so as to minimize the immediate barriers to forthright communication. In this connection it should be mentioned that privacy is a first prerequisite to good interviewing. An important component of this is freedom from distracting interruptions. (The telephone many times is such a distraction.)

To establish the critically important element of rapport with the interviewee, a genuine attempt should be made to put the interviewee at ease—especially in job application, promotion, or other interviews where significant differences in status exist. Unfortunately, sometimes this rapport is attempted by such gaucheries as, “Now, don’t be nervous!” or, “Relax!”

Normally, at the beginning of an interview an allowance should be made for the interviewee to adjust to the interview environment. The situation is new for the interviewee; it may be his or her first experience of this kind. Unless there is a specified adaptation period, the interviewee may be unable to reduce his or her level of anxiety, with the resulting loss of the entire session. Part of this adaptive process is familiarization with the surroundings. It is an often overlooked truism that whenever an individual is placed in a strange situation, he or she becomes apprehensive.

Overcoming this fear is often a most difficult procedure. By explaining, for example, the need for commonplace objects such as pencil and notepaper that are anxiety-provoking, the level of tension may be reduced. Also, it is well to remember that the manner and simple courtesies extended by the interviewer are greatly magnified in the eyes of the interviewee. Thus, a limited amount of pleasantries may be condoned if they fulfill this useful purpose.

By jotting down significant bits of information, the interviewer can readily reconstruct what actually took place. The record assists with details that would be hard to remember if not recorded. The time that would be needed to fix them in his mind without the benefit of notes can be used to greater advantage listening and thinking. Then, too, writing down items compliments the interviewee; it means that his or her responses are considered important enough to be recorded. It is a convenient reinforcing mechanism; it may even be used to guide the path of the interview.

Information of a picayune variety should naturally be avoided. Similarly, allowing the interviewee to relate too much information can be dangerous. Any inadvertently revealed facts or incidents may bring about severe anxiety feelings when he or she reflects on them later. Temptations to divulge information too freely should be sidestepped as lightly as possible so that continued rapport may be maintained. In addition, circumspection should be exercised at all times lest the interviewer become too emotionally involved in the exchange. Disagreements tend to provoke planning for verbal counterattacks with the result that the informational content is lost.

Guiding the conversation.

The interviewee is overly sensitive to all reactions by the interviewer. Taking advantage of this, the interviewer may easily steer the conversation along the most productive channels. Small inflections in the voice give encouragement. By repeating phrases already expressed, one finds the respondent expanding with details on a relevant issue. Sometimes, merely restating the reply allows a time for reflection and quite natural expansion or clarification of a point perhaps lost in the first verbalization. Phrasing a question by rewording it into a rhetorical one gives the interviewee a period to think through a definite response (although caution should be observed that the “right” words are not put into the mind of the interviewee).

Support given by nodding is most effective. Other nonverbal means of rendering assistance are equally significant. The use of semiverbal expressions of a meaningless nature—for instance, “Umm…”—can prove most useful. Because such utterances provide no direct interpretation, they are received as the interviewee wants to receive them. He or she then emphasizes or magnifies the point as he or she sees fit.

A succinct summary of information from time to time not only allows for clarity in the communication process but also gives the informant a mirror of just what has occurred. Alterations can be made easily by the interviewee once he or she hears what he or she has said. In the final stage, a precise statement of what was agreed on or of the general conclusions reached often allows for a reduction of confusion.

When details or figures have been discussed, the summary can often be in the form of a written memorandum. If the interviewer wants to be sure of what the interviewee communicated or to check on whether the interviewee really understood the data discussed, he can ask him or her to write the memorandum.

Developing Information

The tools of the interviewer are his questions. They should be used with dispatch and yet with the utmost care. Sarcasm or obscure humor should be avoided unless the interviewer is positive that the interviewee perceives them as such. Usually, the latter’s interpretation of such activity is entirely serious; he or she may respond at the time with a semblance of perceived humor, but the real reaction is often deep concern and suspicion.

Through the judicious use of questions, the skilled interviewer not only obtains information but also guides the talk along productive lines. Leading questions or questions designed with built-in responses are usually not very effective. Similarly, the double-negative type of interrogation is to be shunned as it tends to evoke anxiety. To avoid slipping into such traps, even the best interviewer should review his questioning techniques from time to time. Thus, self-analyzing by tape recording or by having a third person observe an interview for diagnostic purposes can prevent poor techniques from developing into set procedures. This process may be extended to the use of videotape recordings with proportionately more significant results.

In a research project that concentrated on questioning techniques, I analyzed the recordings of about 100 interviews held for the purpose of selecting job applicants, appraising executive performance, or counseling employees in their careers. One of the conclusions from this study is this: Successful interviewers (as evaluated by information obtained) utilize at the outset of the interview a pattern of broad, general questions. Apparently this allows the respondent to answer with information that he or she feels is important, as well as providing the respondent the opportunity to expand into areas that he or she deems to be of vital concern. Once this information is released, the interviewer can sharpen the focus with specific questions eliciting short answers. For example, the “yes or no” kind of question should be reserved for the final exploration of a subject, while queries such as “How do you feel about working with Joe Smith’s group?” might well obtain results most useful at the beginning of a particular subject.

Fear of silence.

It seems that silence in our society is to be avoided at virtually all times and all places. Unfortunately, this feeling affects the interview. Usually fear of silence is felt most by the inexperienced interviewer. All too often he tends to put forth another question while the respondent is meekly attempting to formulate his or her own thoughts into a logical reply—all just to keep the air filled with words.

The tendency to hurry questions and answers is compounded by the distorted sense of time that people get during an interview. To understand the amount of distortion, one research group carried out such simple tests as stopping a conversation for a short period. Interviewers’ estimates of the period of silence magnified it by a factor of 10 to 100!² On the other hand, I find, when asking participants in an interview to estimate the time elapsed, invariably the interviewee underestimates the period. Consequently, the interviewer in particular should be cautious of pushing forward too quickly. In many instances, if he will permit another few seconds to elapse, he will obtain vital bits of information that would otherwise be lost or allowed to remain in a half-expressed state in the interviewee’s thought processes.

During these periods of silence, the interviewer may profitably spend his time pondering the question: “What is he or she really trying to tell me?” Often the content of the interview makes an incomplete story when analyzed later on. Not only may the words fall far short of the desired goal, but also they may convey misunderstandings. Allowances for the ever-present failures in semantics must constantly be made, and further interrogation conducted, in order that a clear approximation of the true meaning be obtained.

Art of listening.

The often posed maxim to the effect that we hear what we wish to hear does not appear at first glance to be a profound statement. Yet it summarizes the mechanics that lie behind poor listening techniques. Individual biases and attitudes as well as role perceptions and stereotyping all contribute to the phenomenon of selective perception. Thus, to obtain the best possible information, it is necessary that one be aware of his own particular filters that tend to impede if not prevent clear and relatively undistorted reception of information.

It is possible to hear at the rate of 110 to 140 words per minute over sustained periods.³ The thinking or thought projection rate is approximately seven times this figure. The result is a surplus of thinking time over listening time. The manner in which this surplus time is utilized varies, of course, with the individual. However, it is at this point that the interviewer tends to project his ideas into the interview process, thereby filtering out the interviewee’s responses.

Strategy & Execution

The tools you need to craft strategic plans — and how to make them happen.

One result is that he makes assumptions about the respondent and his or her information that are compatible not so much with the interviewee as with what the interviewer has already concluded about the interviewee. Suffice it to say that it is altogether more rewarding to spend this extra time in formulating hypotheses, which later can be confirmed or denied as more information is revealed, or in constructing a frame of reference for the ongoing interview, which allows acquired information to be categorized easily as it is given.

Analyzing data.

The information that is gathered should be approached and analyzed from two points of reference: the objective and the subjective.

Objective view. The objective category can be broken down into content and form:

Content—This term refers, of course, to the factual presentation: what is actually being said and whether it is reliable. The overview of the interview or the pattern of the total situation must be firmly grasped and then noted. In addition, it would seem that the following items are valuable in evaluating information:

• A response that is overwhelmingly conventional is probably suspect, owing to the great possibility of its being less than valid. For instance, in an employment interview, the response, “My boss didn’t like me,” is suspect as a cliché. Similarly, the response, “I quit that job because the pay was too low,” could be merely a platitude to satisfy the interviewer.

• If the respondent is impervious to interruption during the interview, then a measure of doubt is cast as to the kind of information the interviewee is relating. Such behavior generally indicates a need to cover all points in a predetermined pattern with such compulsion that, if the interviewee was interrupted, he or she would never be able to reassemble all the parts. Weaknesses in the “pseudo armor” should be investigated.

• A constant shifting of the subject or an extremely short attention span often denotes a degree of suspicion.

• Should gaps or illogical sequences be prevalent, care should be exercised to augment or to complete the lapses. The voids should be completed by direct interrogation, preferably later in the interview, to check continuity and to arouse a minimum of suspicion by the informant. Later validation by telephone may help with these questions.

• Conflicting times or facts as well as gaps or illogical sequences may indicate areas for careful attention or further penetration.

• Useful visual barometers of an unduly high anxiety level are such things as color of face, erratic body movements, varying eye contact, dryness of the mouth, pitch of the voice, and excessive perspiration.

Form—By form I mean the “how, when, and why” of the information. Words take on different meanings when differentiated along these lines. Form can be subdivided into verbal (what is heard) and nonverbal (what is observed) content. Nonverbal expressions are perhaps the purest kind of information transmitted, because they are the most difficult to mask or disguise. By developing an awareness of and a sensitivity to such signals as when a certain fact was mentioned, what prompted the mention, how it was presented, and so forth, the skilled interviewer takes a most useful if not an essential step. Indeed, this awareness might well be extended to include the nonverbal transmissions of the interviewer himself.

Subjective view. In evaluating information from a subjective point of view, the interviewer is attempting primarily to assess feelings and attitudes. It is often argued that these intangibles have no obvious place in an interview that takes place in a business environment. Yet, even though it is impossible to determine exactly how feelings and attitudes do influence the information transmitted, it is nonetheless crucially necessary that one be fully aware of the fact that these intangibles are powerful, active agents in creating opinions.

Concluding the meeting.

The final 10% of the interview is perhaps the most important, since the greatest amount of information per unit of time is generally exchanged during this time interval. In a series of taped interviews involving appliance sales and sales in which travel arrangements were a factor, it was found that the salesperson often did not hear vital information offered toward the end of the interview or after the sale. This overlooked information brought about frequent misinterpretations, which, in turn, accounted for many later cancellations and unsettled complaints. All of this could have been avoided if a moderate amount of attention had been exercised so as to prevent a premature termination of the interview.

Part of the conclusion usually consists of a plan of action—something to be done or achieved by either or both parties. A clear, concise summary of this plan, as mentioned earlier, is a most useful technique for achieving good results. The summary is helpful to both parties because it enables them to realize exactly what has been accomplished as well as to focus on a final concordance.

Follow-Up

I have observed in my studies that a general failing of interviewers is their inability to document just what occurred in a talk. In their usual—often premeditated—hurry to get to the next interview, they neglect valuable notes. This impatience in many cases is merely behavior resulting from a self-satisfying need to prove to themselves that they are busy.

Adequate notation of significant events, impressions, and agreed-on information is of great value in reconstructing the interview at a later date and in providing a framework for planning the next session. By documenting a series of events, one is able to see things that, if merely left to the fragile human memory, may fuse into meaningless, disconnected scenes in a panorama of many human happenings. To be sure, too much recorded information may well lead to a surfeit of data, a situation I have also observed in several interviewing offices, but this extreme is easily prevented if good judgment is exercised.

Another benefit of effective documentation is that it offers the opportunity to reflect on a previous event. By reviewing and considering this information, one can oftentimes discover errors and flaws in technique and improve his approach. Without such specific means for learning, the same mistakes tend to become routinized until the point is reached where they become, unintentionally, an integral part of the interviewer’s technique.

But of all types of learning, self-learning is the most valuable. Without a doubt the most important key to effective interviewing is recognizing how one’s own attitudes and biases affect the information he acquires. There is a moral in the story of the professor who lost his key by the front door, but was discovered on all fours under the lamppost. He rationalized to the police officer as follows:

“Sir, it is probably true that I lost the key by the front door, but—after all—there is no light there. Here, there is light. And, besides, while I’ve been looking, I’ve found a 50-cent piece already.”

So often the interviewer is content to come up with “50-cent pieces” of helpful information about techniques, personality, and so forth. Actually, however, the real key to effective interviewing lies closer to his own front door. Once discovered, it can help him attain truly effective results of a professional nature.

1. See, for example, my report, An Analysis of Precision Learning, Evaluation of Information and Decision-Reaching, in Two Groups, Using Closed Circuit Television (Los Angeles: Western Management Science Foundation, 1962).
2. C.H. Best and N.B. Taylor, The Physiological Basis of Medical Practise (London: Baillier, Tindall and Cox, 1950).
3. B.A. Houssay, Human Physiology (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1951).

A version of this article appeared in the January–February 1964 issue of Harvard Business Review.

10 golden rules of the interview — Work.ua

An interview with an employer can rightfully be considered the most difficult and responsible stage in the job search process. We have prepared for you 10 rules that will help you successfully pass it and get the desired position.

1. Do your research

Knowing as much as you can about the company before the interview is very important. To do this, it is not enough just to study the company’s website. Collect information from various open sources, use an Internet search. You can also find people who work or have worked in this organization and clarify the details of interest with them. Your knowledge will play into your hands during the interview and allow you to impress.

2. Be sure to prepare yourself

80% of success in an interview depends on preparation. Prepare detailed responses with examples for the top three interview questions: Can you do this job? Will you enjoy your work? Can we work together?

3. Research the position

You must accurately represent and understand the nature of the position you are applying for. Prepare for the “Tell me about yourself” question so that your story matches the vacancy as closely as possible.

4. Prove your competence

To understand that you are a good fit for a job, the interviewer must assess your competence to perform the required tasks. To do this, be prepared to give examples of situations that you have encountered and talk about ways to solve them, describe your skills and experience.

5. Know Your Importance

You must not only know why you need this job, but also why you need this job. And, of course, you must convey this to the interviewer.

6. Rehearse answers

Carefully study the job description and the requirements for the candidate. For each requirement, make up possible questions and prepare answers for them. Rehearse by yourself, in front of a mirror, or ask a friend to help you.

7. Be honest

There is nothing worse than lying in an interview. Be prepared to go over the details of your resume and ask difficult questions like “Why did you leave your last job.” Your answers must be honest. If there were unpleasant situations, then it is worth considering in advance how to comment on them more accurately.

8. Try to buy time

If a question is too difficult or unexpected, feel free to ask for some time to answer it. You can ask a clarifying question or ask for an example – this will buy you some time to think everything over.

9. Ask questions

Not only the interviewer can ask questions. Be sure to prepare a series of questions that interest you. After all, not only you should approach the company, but also the company to you. In addition, it will show you are interested in the job and oriented in the industry.

10. Good end to the conversation

Be sure to thank the interviewer for the conversation. And do not be afraid to ask about the next steps in the selection for the position.

Receive news in Telegram

You must be logged in to leave a comment.

How to successfully pass an interview

So, the employer found your resume on the Superjob website, got interested and wanted to invite you for an interview. A job interview is a kind of culmination of the employment process. An interview with an employer causes stress even for professional and experienced applicants, so it is important to think in advance how to behave during an interview, how to answer questions asked by a recruiter during an interview. Do you know how to successfully pass a job interview, what to be prepared for? Superjob will help you find answers to these questions!

1. Telephone conversation with the employer

A telephone conversation is your first personal communication with a future employer, and it is important to make a good impression already at this stage. Even if the secretary makes the appointment, he will definitely tell your immediate supervisor or the person who will interview you about how the conversation went.

What should be done during a telephone conversation preceding a job interview?

Specify what position you are being invited to, ask the necessary questions about the vacant position. If the position does not suit you initially, politely inform about it and refuse the interview, giving reasonable arguments. You should not waste precious time (your own and that of your employer) on unpromising meetings.

Write down the name of the company, the first and last name of the person you were talking to, a contact number where you can contact him in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Find out who exactly will be interviewing you, what is his name. You will make a good impression if you address him by name and patronymic when you meet.

Find out the exact location of the interview. When negotiating the time of the meeting, plan it so that no other business will interfere with you. It may turn out that you have one or more interviews with other employers scheduled that day, then the interview schedule should be planned so that the time between successive interviews is at least 2–3 hours. Remember that you are not waiting for a minute conversation, but a detailed conversation, questions about your work experience and professional skills will be asked at the interview.

Find information in advance on how to behave in an interview. Find out how long a job interview lasts, whether you will have to fill out a questionnaire, pass written tests, and perform practical test tasks.

2. Preparation for the interview

So, you agreed on the time of the meeting with the employer, now it’s time to start preparing for the interview. What needs to be done?

First prepare the documents that you may need at the interview:

• resume in two copies;
• passport;
• diploma of education with insert;
• diplomas of additional education, certificates of completion of courses, certificates, etc. (You should not take with you documents that are not related to the position for which you are applying).

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the information about the company you are going for an interview in advance. Connect all possible channels: go to the company’s service on the Internet, use business directories, the press or other sources. Familiarize yourself with the activities and history of the company (year of foundation, stages of development), study the names of departments, remember information about the company’s achievements, etc. Thus, during a conversation with an employer, you will be able to demonstrate the seriousness of your intentions. At the same time, even if you are not taken to this particular company, you will in any case expand your horizons.

Plan the route of the trip to the interview, calculate the time you need to spend on the road, add more time (30 minutes) in case of possible traffic difficulties that you may encounter on the road. You can make a preliminary trip to the place of the interview if you doubt that on the appointed day you will be able to quickly and easily find the right building.

Think over the answers to the questions of the employer at the interview, which in one form or another will definitely sound during your conversation:

• why did you leave (decided to leave) your last job; where do you work now?
• why do you want to work in our company?
• How can your work as an employee benefit our company?
• What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses as an employee?
• name your greatest achievements as a specialist; Have you had any failures in your professional activities, and what are they?

Get ready to give truthful answers to interview questions (during the interview or after the lie will definitely come up). When answering the question: “Why did you decide to change jobs?” – you should not give negative feedback about colleagues and managers, limit yourself to neutral statements: lack of opportunities for professional growth, irregularity in receiving monetary rewards, remoteness from home, inconvenient work schedule, etc.

Speaking about a possible future job in a new company, let the interlocutor understand that you are interested in working in this particular company, that you can be useful to her as a specialist, but at the same time you must clearly understand what the company does in order not to get into trouble. If you manage to behave correctly in this matter, your chances of being hired by this company will increase several times.

When answering questions about your strengths and especially weaknesses, about achievements and failures, be careful. Show sufficient self-criticism to your person, this will raise your authority in the eyes of the interlocutor. When talking about your shortcomings, it is not necessary to mention your biggest mistakes. The main thing here is that you can show that you yourself corrected your mistake and saved the company from troubles or reduced them to a minimum.

Be prepared for tests or practical tasks (both psychological and vocational) that your employer may ask you to take.

Prepare in advance the questions you would like to ask the employer.

Consider the clothes you will wear to meet with your employer. Everyone is familiar with the proverb: “Meet by clothes, see off by mind.” Let the first impression of you be the most favorable. Naturally, the clothes must match the position for which you are applying. Perhaps a strict business suit is not appropriate for every position, but neat business-style clothes, clean hair and nails, polished shoes will certainly make the necessary positive impression on your interlocutor. No shopping bags, shopping bags, soiled grocery bags, backpacks in your hands should not be!

3. Interview

Here comes the hour of the interview that can change your life! What should you keep in mind during an interview?

Try to come to the meeting a little earlier than the appointed time. Better you wait 10 minutes at the reception than the employer will wait for you for half a minute. Being late for a meeting, even due to circumstances beyond your control, will 99% destroy all hopes of getting a job in this company.

If all of a sudden this situation happened, you feel that you are not in time for the appointed time, be sure to call the contact number, apologize, explain the reason for your delay and find out if the employer will be able to accept you on the same day a little later or there is a possibility reschedule the meeting to another time.

If you decide not to attend an interview at all (changed your mind about working for this company, you have other urgent matters, etc.), ALWAYS call the employer and report this, first apologizing that you violated his plans. Let the good impression of you, received in a preliminary conversation on the phone, spoil nothing!

When entering the office, be sure to say hello, ask the employee with whom you have an interview to inform about your arrival. If you are asked to wait a little, do not be indignant and take it as disrespect to yourself. Be patient and do not lose the sense of goodwill with which you went to the meeting.

Turn off your cell phone beforehand so that nothing can interfere with your conversation.

Entering the office, say hello, addressing by name and patronymic to the employee with whom you will talk. Be sure to smile. Say that you are very pleased with the invitation to an interview in this particular company. By doing this, you will be able to win over the interlocutor in advance.

Sit with your face towards the other person. Move a chair if necessary. Do not fall apart on a chair, do not cross your legs under it, do not tighten them; do not fidget nervously with your hands.

Listen carefully to the questions you are asked, while looking at the face of the interlocutor. Start answering only when you understand what you have been asked. If the question is not entirely clear, then, apologizing, ask to repeat it again. However, do not overdo it – you should never ask almost every question again.

When answering a question, try not to speak for more than 2-3 minutes. This time is quite enough to cover the most important information on the most difficult issue in general. Monosyllabic answers “yes” and “no”, a quiet voice will give the impression of your insecurity, inability to explain your point of view.

If you are asked to describe yourself, you should not engage in lengthy conversations about your autobiography. Moreover, it is unacceptable to answer that everything is already written in the resume. Tell us about your education, highlight your work experience. This will once again demonstrate your professional skills and qualities.

At the interview, you will have the opportunity to ask both the questions that you prepared in advance and those that you had during the conversation.

If you are interested in a career opportunity, it is important to be able to ask this question correctly. Keep in mind that you are invited to the company for a specific position, to solve a certain range of tasks. Not all positions provide for career growth. In addition, it is difficult for employers to discuss this issue without knowing your capabilities and abilities. Nevertheless, it is quite appropriate to find out from the employer whether personnel rotation is practiced in the company, whether there are opportunities for growth from this position in the long term and be sure to ask what is needed for this (additional education, advanced training courses, gaining experience, or something else) . Find out what employee training or development programs exist in the company. Then you will look like a serious and purposeful person. And this is another plus in your favor.

An open smile, a little good and unobtrusive humor, and then small mistakes will be forgiven for sure. A smile does not interfere with a business conversation, on the contrary, the impression remains that you are an experienced, and therefore self-confident person.