Almost everyone who gets a job goes through this test - a preliminary conversation with HR, HR or their immediate superior. Someone is asked a couple of questions: “Do you have any experience?”, “Are the conditions okay?” - and immediately offer to sign an employment contract. Others are asked in detail about the slightest nuances: how many C grades are in their diploma, what kind of relationships they had with colleagues in their previous position, and whether they have accounts on social networks. Still others may be sent into a state of shock by being asked to wash the floors in the office or sell someone in the office a roll of toilet paper.
Despite the format of the meeting, the nature of the questions and the personality of the “examiner” himself, you need to know how to behave during an interview in any setting - both formal and extraordinary. Knowing some of the nuances will allow you to get your dream job and prove yourself well in a new place from the very first meeting.
Preparing for an interview
Before you go for an interview, you need to prepare for it. Many people think this is complete nonsense, but it is not. This is a very important step and should not be skipped. To do this you need:
- Go to the company's website and see what it is about.
- Study how many employees are on staff and work hours. View internal photos and videos of the company, if they are available on the website.
- See who is the head of the company.
- Study the professional qualities required for the proposed vacancy.
Next, you need to study the responsibilities that you will have when applying for a job. If you know the position, then look on the Internet what its responsibilities are. Also think about what you can do for the company that will benefit the company. Then you need to collect all the documents that may be useful at the interview. Such documents include: certificate, diploma, various certificates, resume, etc. Everything needs to be put in a folder and taken out only if the employee who receives you has asked for it.
Contemplate to calm down
An interview is a nerve-wracking experience. You can forget your name, not to mention demonstrating your business skills.
To calm down, look around. Inspect the office, equipment, employees. The details will tell you a lot about the company where you are going to work, and their analysis will help normalize your nervous system.
Looking critically at the firm and future colleagues can increase your sense of self-importance. Remember: the company needs a good employee as much as you need a good job.
How to be Zen in an interview
'5 minutes before...': psychological technique
Many psychologists recommend the “5 minutes before” technique before an interview.
It may seem funny, but you shouldn't neglect it. 5 minutes before the start of the meeting with the employer, go into an empty room (a toilet, for example) and stand in a hero’s pose. Straighten your back, push your shoulders back, lift your head and chin, and place your arms at your side. Just try it. This should give you energy. Before the interview itself, you will have a telephone conversation. This is also an important stage. Here you have to communicate with a company representative, usually a recruiting manager, who then passes on the necessary information to the manager. When speaking, show yourself to be a polite person. Be sure to specify the place and time where you need to go. It would be a good idea to write down your phone number just in case.
Don't #8: Doubt your expertise
A candidate who shows lack of confidence in his abilities from the very first words will not be able to convince his interlocutor of his own uniqueness. Even if your experience seems ideal, the last thing an employer wants is to remove a potential employee's psychological barriers. The whole experience fades against the background of slumped shoulders, a fading voice, hesitations and glances running along the wall.
What to do? Positive thinking and knowing your strengths are the key to acing any interview. The goal of a job interview is to come across as someone who can handle the tasks at hand. When preparing for an interview, imagine yourself in the interviewer’s place and determine what competencies, knowledge and biographical facts you would pay attention to when recruiting personnel for your team or company.
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How to behave at a job interview?
The first thing to remember is that you should never be late. It's better to come early and wait a little. This will show your punctuality, which is important in any job. It is very important to be able to listen and not interrupt the employee. Answer questions clearly and to the point.
So, when you come to the interview, adhere to the basic rules:
- Don't forget to smile.
She will create the very first impression. There is no need to force it out of you, it must be sincere. If there is a lot of tension and you don’t want to smile at all, then try to remember some funny incident from your life and a smile will “draw” itself on your face. - Try not to suppress your voice.
Voice suppression occurs due to tension and stress. If there is tension, warm up your voice before coming to the office. Remember - a clear and confident voice. - Gesticulation and posing.
You need to sit calmly in front of your employer and not touch anything with your hands near you. If the stress does not go away, then try placing your hands on the table. You should also not cross your legs. Swagger is also not inherent. Eye contact must be constant. If you can’t look directly into the eyes, then you can find some point on the employer’s face and concentrate on it. Maintain a moderate and calm look. You should also not wave your arms, behave calmly. - Pauses.
Learn to take pauses. If you finish answering a question and the employer does not move on to the next one, then don’t worry, wait. This could just be a test.
Don't #11: Ask only about money
We all work for money, but given the same financial conditions, people nevertheless choose different positions. It is extremely important for an employer to understand what motivates and inspires you, besides money. We often see candidates who are burned out on a high-paying job seeking a good team, interesting challenges, and the opportunity to be proud of what they do, while expressing a willingness to accept a lower or similar salary. The employer wants to be sure that you will be in the right place. Only after this the company, as a rule, begins a dialogue about your salary expectations.
What to do? Don't be the first to talk about salary. When preparing for an interview, determine what amount you will name and think about the argument - why you are focusing on it. Consider the combination of factors. A good argument would be the level of your current salary, the increase in the number of business trips, areas of responsibility, strategic importance and complexity of the project for the company.
Questions and answers
The most important thing in an interview is the employer's questions and your answers to them.
This is worth dwelling on in more detail. Any interview is not complete without the usual questions that need to be answered correctly. Before answering a question, listen to the end. If a question seems unclear, it is better to ask again than to sit and remain silent. To do this, you can say: “Did I understand you correctly?” This will show your tact. Say only what the employer asks you about. Some details may simply not interest him. If something seems necessary to him, he will definitely ask you again. Eliminate the following phrases from the conversation: “I don’t know,” “maybe,” “probably,” etc.
If the question comes up about wages, then speak openly about how much you need, do not underestimate yourself. You may hear questions that have nothing to do with work. This always happens. This is done in order to understand how much you can react to non-standard situations. These could be questions such as why you left your previous job or why you divorced your husband. Many managers read the form and know that people are preparing for interviews, so they can confuse you. For example, ask this question: how long could you work at your previous job if you removed several people you don’t like from the team? Or what if you were paid three times as much?
In addition to career-related questions, you may be asked about hobbies and interests, food preferences, and so on. This is required in order to find out how adequate you are. When asked about your personal qualities, don't praise yourself. Don't talk about yourself in the first person. You can say that you easily learn new information and love reading books. This will help them understand that you can easily settle into your new job.
Naturally, you will be asked about your disadvantages. There is no need to say that you are too lazy to get up from the couch and leave the house on the weekend. In this case, a white lie. As an example, we can say: I get so involved in my work that sometimes I forget about time. You need to talk about your disadvantages as if you were your advantages.
Often employees ask about children. For example, they may ask how much children interfere with your work.
- I adore children, sir. In fact, I was a child too when I was a child. - Is it true? - Is it true! - Strange... Dance for a chance (Chance Pe Dance). Samir
Once the interviewer has run out of questions, he will give you the opportunity to ask him anything. You may ask the following:
- What is the main task at work?
- How well did the employee who worked before me do this job?
- Is there an opportunity to communicate with the boss? (In case it’s not him sitting in front of you)
- What are the operating hours?
Naturally, these are not all the questions. The question that interests you most concerns wages. But this must be done carefully. But everyone understands that you are going to earn money, and not just sit around. It happens that the employer himself names the salary level. If you are not satisfied with it, then you can ask if there is an opportunity to improve your position. When asked how much you would like to receive, there is no need to remain silent and hesitate. You name the number directly. Naturally, within reasonable limits for this position.
At the end of the interview they will tell you that they will call you after a while. Find out when to expect a call or not at all.
Don't #10: Mishandle commercial information
Most companies sign documents on non-disclosure of commercial information with their employees. By strictly adhering to this policy, you run the risk of not performing well during the interview. On the other hand, if you are convinced that results should be discussed clearly and openly, then in this situation a potential employer can see the risks, because there is a possibility that by hiring you, his company will thereby open a channel for leaking information.
What to do? When presenting your results, you can omit the specific names of the clients you attracted, talk about sales increases and other achievements in relative rather than absolute numbers. Consider before the interview what information you can and cannot share, and set those boundaries during the interview.
Correct answers to common questions
Let's look at some of the most common interview questions and how to answer them correctly. Questions in the form of a dialogue between the interviewing employee (I) and you (you):
- I: - Do you have any shortcomings?
Naturally, every person has disadvantages. By asking this question, the employer wants to find out how open a person you are. You should not talk about all the shortcomings, otherwise it may cause negative consequences. The optimal answer to this question: You: - Of course, everyone has shortcomings and I am no exception, but they will not affect the work in any way. - I: - Tell us about yourself.
The first thing you need to talk about here is your professional skills. You can talk about your studies, hobbies, and so on. You can ask a counter question to the employee. You: — Should I tell you about all my interests or only those related to work? - I: Why did you leave your previous job?
This question is asked by any employer. If you had problems with your boss, then you don’t need to tell the truth about it. Say that you were promised a promotion for a very long time, but it never happened. Or, for example, it was not convenient to get to work, since it was far from home, or the schedule was unsuitable, or the monotony of work, and so on. But this is worth saying only in cases where there are no such problems in the given vacant position. - And: — Desired and undesirable salary level?
Add +30% to the previous salary level and name the resulting figure. As a minimum, indicate (if asked) the desired salary is +10% more than the previous one. - I: - For what period do you want to work with us?
You can say that you will always work here, but this is not true, because you have not even settled down and did not understand the meaning of the work. You can answer that you want to work for a month first, decide on the position you will occupy, and get to know the team. Very often the atmosphere in the team forces people to leave their jobs. - And: — Do you have any achievements that make you proud?
You can tell me that you had an interesting thesis topic and you defended it perfectly. Boast a little that your friends value you very much and consider you the life of the party. - I: - How do you look at processing?
Please consider this issue carefully. Find out how many hours it lasts, whether work on weekends is paid additionally. Answer with confidence that you are ready for this, but only if it does not harm your personal life. - I: Why did you choose our company and work in it?
This question will allow the employer to find out what attracts you to the job. Maybe you have heard about good wages or additional bonuses. But it’s better to mention this last. Say that the office is located near your home or that you have heard about a good opportunity for professional growth.
By the way, very often an employer checks an applicant’s erudition by asking for non-standard situations. Here is one example of such a situation:
- I: - You are going to important negotiations. Having successfully carried them out, you can get a profitable deal. But on the way to this meeting, your car breaks down. What will you do in this situation?
- You: - I’ll get out of the car, catch a passing vehicle or taxi and get to the appointed meeting point.
- And: — The road passes through a dense forest, where there are no rides or taxis.
- You: - I will determine my location using the navigator and call a taxi.
- And: - You don’t have a navigator and the battery on your phone is dead.
- You: - I’ll try to fix the problems with the car on my own and move on.
Tips for employers
Employers, HR workers and HR managers must also be able to behave correctly during an interview with a job candidate:
- Make the person feel good about you. Offer a cup of coffee. Ask how you got there.
- Don’t ask to introduce yourself; you already know his name from the recording or documents.
- But be sure to introduce yourself.
- Don’t look too closely, don’t scrutinize, but at the same time notice details (how he’s dressed, how he holds himself).
- Provide an opportunity to ask questions and answer them confidently and honestly.
- Maintain subordination, but do not belittle.
Remember: an interview is not a confession or an exam. So there is no need to tell your employer your innermost thoughts, nor is it necessary to worry too much. Try to act as natural and relaxed as possible, and then your dream job will be in your pocket.
What to wear to an interview?
Naturally, it will be better if you come in a business suit, but you should not buy an expensive suit that does not suit your status.
Also, don't wear the newest and most expensive shoes and gold watch. This will not impress the employer. The color of the suit should be black or dark blue. This is about men. The requirements for women are basically the same. Don't wear a skirt that is too short. Optimally - to the middle of the knee or slightly below. You should not wear open shoes. There is no need to dress provocatively and vulgarly, as this will not be appropriate for an interview. If you have tattoos, you shouldn't show them. Also, you don’t need to wear a lot of jewelry, keep everything to a minimum.
It is not at all necessary to buy an expensive classic suit for an interview. You can wear clothes that are familiar to you, choosing them correctly. For men – jeans and a jumper in light colors and black suede boots. For women - do not wear shiny belts, transparent blouses, high-heeled shoes, and so on.
Clothes must be clean and ironed. An expensive suit that is not ironed looks unacceptable. Also, girls should not wear dresses with deep necklines, torn jeans, T-shirts and sweaters with unclear inscriptions. If you have a bright manicure, do not wave your hands in front of your employer. Accuracy and a sense of proportion come first. You shouldn't pour a whole bottle of perfume on yourself, especially with a strong smell. This will definitely not make those around you happy.
Clothing must be appropriate for the vacant position. For example, you are going for an interview for a position as a credit specialist. Naturally, if you wear shorts and a red T-shirt for this, the employer will be at a loss. Specialists should dress casually: jeans, shirts, jumpers. Middle managers should already be in business style: a suit, polished shoes and a briefcase. The designer and photographer should not adhere to a business style at all. There is no need to try to stand out from the group and divert attention to yourself. Be like the people around you.
Remember that when going to an interview, you should pay attention not only to your appearance, but also to what you will say there. Set yourself a clear goal and answer to the question why you are applying for this vacant position. Be sure to practice with a friend before this, especially if you are going to a large company.
Often, instead of a regular interview with a manager, companies conduct interviews in a different way. For example, an interview via Skype. Recently, this form has become quite common. Having learned about this, many candidates relax, thinking that it is much easier than coming to the office and communicating in person. But that's not true. This type of interview has exactly the same requirements as a regular interview with an employer. Questions are also no different from a personal conversation.
Another form is a group interview. It is divided into two types: a group of candidates and a group of interviewers. If the interview is conducted in a group of candidates, then try to notice everything that happens, but do not be distracted from your own tactics. There is no need to try to surpass everyone and jump over your head. All of the above principles also apply to such interviews.
When you come to an interview, it’s worth remembering that you didn’t come to ask. You are a professional and have come to find out whether the proposed conditions are suitable for you or not. In other words, you have been made a business offer and it is up to you to accept it or not.
Don’t #12: Not be interested in the vacancy
Any interview is a dialogue about how well the candidate and the vacancy fit together. If the candidate doesn't ask for details, the dialogue doesn't work. The employer is waiting for your interest, and it can be shown by asking questions about the vacancy. The interviewer will definitely appreciate your thorough preparation for choosing your future place of work, your desire to immerse yourself in new tasks and perspectives, the problems of the department and the corporate culture of the company. This gives you the opportunity to fully “try on” a new role, and tells the company specifically about those things that are important to you.
What to do? Even if everything about the vacancy is clear at first glance, be sure to ask the interviewer a few questions. During the conversation, you may discover that you didn’t know much, and also adequately assess your own strengths and level of preparation for a new job.
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List of common mistakes
To summarize all of the above, we can highlight several common mistakes that candidates for a vacant position make:
- Late.
This is the most serious mistake of all. Not only are some people late, but they also manage to call and reschedule the interview at a time convenient for them. - Lack of culture.
Many people, when they come to an interview, begin to show their rude character and boorish attitude. Not necessarily directly, but through some specific phrases. - Stupid questions and inattention.
Most often these can be funny questions or answers. There was such a case when a girl came to get a job as a stationery seller and during the interview asked to let her go half an hour earlier in order to have time to watch her favorite TV series. Well, is this normal? - Escort.
Many people want to come to talk with mom, dad, friend or someone else. This simply discourages the employer. - Cold-bloodedness and indifference.
This is a less obvious but still common error. This is when the candidate looks calm and confident, and then turns into “snow kings and queens.” For employers, this is boring and unnatural. We are all humans. The employee talking to you has once been in a similar situation and knows that anxiety is quite inherent here. And the fact that you are not involved in the position may simply push him away. - Expressing negativity towards your previous job.
Many people believe that by saying a couple of bad reviews about your former boss, especially if he was a competitor of your current boss, you will make a knight's move. In reality this is not the case. You may seem like a conflicted person and will not be able to establish business relationships in a team. - Initiation into personal problems.
As mentioned above, questions regarding personal life are often asked. There is also some interest here - to evaluate how successful and stable a person you are. There is no need to tell everything in detail. It happens that an employee asks personal questions. There is no need to react hotly to this. Just calmly ask why he needs such information about you. - Inattention towards the interlocutor. It is unlikely that anyone will like a candidate who will constantly clarify something and ask again. During the interview, it is important to focus only on him.
- Refusal of testing.
Employers often offer testing to identify any potential capabilities of a candidate. Testing will only provide objective information about you. You shouldn’t be afraid of him, much less refuse him. - Template answers.
On the Internet you can read a lot of suggestions on how to answer certain questions. There are a huge number of such people. Employers have already heard enough of such answers and are not interested in the same information from different applicants for a vacant position. Try to open up on your own.
Thus, when you come to an interview, you need to behave calmly and confidently.
Be sure to think about your words and behavior. There is no need to hide your excitement; if you are very worried, then say so directly. You don't need to speak too fast or too slow, you need to find a middle ground and stick to it in everything. Gestures should also be used sparingly. When telling about yourself, try to focus only on what will be of interest to the employer and what concerns the vacant position. Try not to lie.
— Are the other points on your resume as close to the truth as this one? - There is as much truth in them as you like. If the summary suits you, it is truthful. Otherwise I'll rewrite it. Julian Barnes. "England, England"
Don’t #7: overestimate your role and devalue the role of others
Of course, you need to praise yourself, since an interview is, essentially, selling your knowledge and skills. That is why it is important to clearly indicate your role in any achievement. But recently, one of the most popular competencies is considered to be “cross-functional collaboration” or the ability to work in a team. The division of areas of responsibility and the complication of organizational structures have led to the fact that the results of employees of different departments have become very dependent on each other.
What to do? Be specific about what you did and how your colleagues helped you. The ability to see your contribution to the common cause, as well as to praise and notice the achievements of others, are excellent qualities that are inherent in successful people.
