JOB INTERVIEW

Job Interview

Job Interview

Introduction

Think of the interview not as an interrogation, but as a two-way conversation during which you and the employer determine whether you meet each other's needs. There are a number of steps that you need to go through in order to maximize the success of this conversation. Learn as much about the company and position you are applying for before you go to the interview. Visit the company's web site or read company literature. Analyze the job description and try to match your experiences, interests, and abilities to their requirements for the position.

Day of interview

No two interviews are the same. Some may last 30-45 minutes, while others may involve a two-day itinerary. Be proactive and ask for the agenda in advance if it is not provided. Interviews may be scheduled in one-on-one or group settings (with multiple interviewers and/or multiple interviewees) (Mumford 2000, pp. 69-70). Some companies set up a full day of half-hour interviews with people from human resources, supervisors in the department(s) where openings exist, middle-level managers, younger employees, etc. Other companies limit the number of interviews to five or six individuals who are directly related to the particular opening (Coltrinari 2008, pp. 78-80). Be prepared for varied interviewing styles. Keep in mind that the three most crucial interviewers you will see are the manager of recruiting, your future managers, and your manager's boss (Allen 2007, pp. 10-12)

Unlike your human resources people, you interview applicants only occasionally. You don't catch that duty often enough to hone your skills. The candidates themselves are likely to be more adroit than you. Often they have received careful instructions from the recruiting firms that sent them your way. Recent experience on the job trail may have taught them all the right things to ask and say (Willihngantz 2008, pp. 25-23). Then there are the personal attributes that you bring to the interview. The aggressive characteristics that helped put you in an executive position also put obstacles in your way to becoming an expert interviewer -learning how to ask, to watch, and to listen (Curzon 2005, pp. 15-18). The take-charge attitude of many top executives makes it hard for them to keep their ears open and mouths shut-two critical characteristics of the expert interviewer. On the other hand, you know the job and the qualities you're looking for (Ash & Grosz 2008, pp. 35). Furthermore, your concern over having a good fit between individual and organization is your greatest advantage: with the proper preparation, it will give you an edge in the interview (Spencer 2007, pp. 24-28).

The client applicant needs to develop reasonable expectations about the interviewing process. The format, content, and length of interviews; the role and style of the interviewer; the role of the interviewee; the way in which decisions are made; and the likelihood of receiving a favourable decision (Shelby 2008, pp. 14-18). Job applicants need to be aware of the two kinds of interviews, structured and unstructured. In the former, the applicant is asked a ...