Job interview: how to behave - recommendations from a psychologist

The interview is a key stage of employment. The employer is interested not only in the work experience and professional skills of the applicant, but also in his personal qualities.

A psychological interview helps to understand a future employee. Knowing what to prepare for will improve your chances of getting a job.

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.

A few words about Irina Sidorchuk

Irina Sidorchuk is a specialist with more than 11 years of experience in building HR systems in leading companies, “bodo”, the restaurant chain “Salateira”, “Mister cat”, the corporation “UBG”, the chain of stores “PORTES” and “Maxibud Engineering”. Since 2013, Irina has been a business coach and author of training programs for HR specialists and managers. In 2021, she co-authored the Job bot project and won the HR Brand Capital category.

In addition, Irina Sidorchuk is the author of the book “Eycharnya. 69 and 9 ideas on how to make employees happy,” author of articles in various HR publications and an active participant in HR clubs, professional master classes, events, HR forums and conferences.

'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.

Sources

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• Pelleg AR., Schiller G., Goldhirsch SL., Fernandez HM., Lindenberger EC. Geriatrics and palliative medicine leadership is needed now more than ever: What are the training gaps? // J Am Geriatr Soc - 2021 - Vol69 - N4 - p.1063-1070; PMID:33580716
• Smith M.J., Sherwood K., Ross B., Smith JD., DaWalt ​​L., Bishop L., Humm L., Elkins J., Steacy C. Virtual interview training for autistic transition age youth: A randomized controlled feasibility and effectiveness trial. // Autism - 2021 - Vol - NNULL - p.1362361321989928; PMID:33567883
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• Luo AJ., Xu ZH., Cai PP., He HY., Mao P., Xie WZ. Qualitative Study on the Influencing Factors and Countermeasures Against Job Burnout Among Organ Donation Coordinators. // Front Public Health - 2020 - Vol8 - NNULL - p.571514; PMID:33194972
• Vaingankar JA., Teh WL., Roystonn K., Goh J., Zhang YJ., Satghare P., Shahwan S., Chong SA., Verma S., Tan ZL., Tay B., Maniam Y., Subramaniam M Roles, Facilitators and Challenges of Employment Support Specialists Assisting Young People with Mental Health Conditions. // J Occup Rehabil - 2021 - Vol - NNULL - p.; PMID:33090356
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• Selvam R., Hu R., Musselman R., Raiche I., Moloo H. Video-based interviewing in medicine: protocol for a scoping review. // Syst Rev - 2021 - Vol9 - N1 - p.219; PMID:32977852
• Dekker A.E., Kleiss I., Batra N., Seghers M., Schipper IB., Ring D., Claborn K. Patient and clinician incentives and barriers for opioid use for musculoskeletal disorders a qualitative study on opioid use in musculoskeletal setting. // J Orthop - 2021 - Vol22 - NNULL - p.184-189; PMID:32419762

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

What are your salary expectations?

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Regardless of whether you know the value and cost of the job, asking a question like this increases your chances of hiring the employee at a lower “market value.” So spend some time researching salaries.

How to answer?

Remember: you need to be patient. State that your salary expectations will vary depending on your responsibilities. Or say that you want to learn more about your responsibilities and the problems you will have to deal with.

You will most likely be asked to name a range - this is where your prior research comes into play. Of course, be extremely careful if you really want this job, but at the same time consider your skills and what is required of you, and think about your answer in advance.

see also

At an interview: 30 smart answers to difficult employer questions

Cover: 1Gai.Ru / ogrencikariyeri.com

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.

Why did you leave your previous position?

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What you lacked in your last job is, of course, important to your next employer. The trap lies in how you respond to the topic and how you present your response.

How to answer?

Rule number one: never speak ill of your previous employer! And it doesn’t matter at all what the reason for your dismissal was. “I got bored - I wanted to work on more complex tasks” / “there was no opportunity for advancement at my previous job, and I would like to develop in my career” / “I wasted a lot of time traveling from work to home” / “at the company financial difficulties arose, and my friends and I were laid off” - such answers may be quite appropriate.

One more thing: be honest, even if you didn’t leave of your own free will. After all, you don’t know whether the HR manager checked your resume before you arrived.

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):

1. 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.
2. 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?
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.

What were your responsibilities?

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In fact, it is a way to evaluate how responsible and proactive you were in your previous job.

How to answer?

You can be honest and detailed about your responsibilities and try to relate them directly to the requirements of the position. This way you won't fall into a trap and can convince the employer of your suitability for the new job.

see also

15 tips to make working from home a little better

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.

What does a person's gaze say?

To understand by looking at whether a person is lying to you, you need to pay attention to the following factors.

• See how open your eyes are. Fully open eyes correspond to the liveliness of character and good receptivity of a person
• Closed eyes are a sign of severe fatigue, inertia, indifference, passivity
• A narrowed gaze means close attention or cunning, insidious plans, evil intent
• A direct gaze shows interest, trust, openness, and a tendency to cooperate.
• A deviating gaze indicates self-doubt, timidity or guilt.

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"

What are your greatest strengths?

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Based on your answer, the HR manager will be able to assess your competence and also learn about your character.

How to answer?

There is no place for excessive modesty, otherwise you will look timid and unsure of yourself. This question is your opportunity to reveal yourself, but don't get too high up. In fact, just match your answer to the requirements listed on the resume.

For example, talk about your ability to manage a team and make sales, your responsibility, resistance to stress and self-organization, time management skills, etc. In other words, say what the person sitting opposite you wants to hear from you.
see also

34 tips to help you get a job without experience

IQ test

Nowadays, it is very common to ask candidates for vacancies to complete tasks that will indicate the degree of development of logical and spatial thinking, the ability to memorize several facts at the same time, and the ability to compare and generalize certain knowledge. The most famous and well-written is the IQ test, which was compiled by Eysenck. The result of completing this type of task will give a more detailed answer about the candidate’s intelligence, in particular compared to a questionnaire where the subject describes himself independently.

Main types of impact

In order to get to know a candidate for a vacancy better, many methods are used. Specially formed departments or centers in organizations deal with issues of competent personnel selection. The main techniques used by personnel workers are various questionnaires, tests offered to applicants, and interviews. It is necessary to consider each of them in detail.

Tests that reveal personality traits

It's not just the level of intelligence of a potential employee that employers want to know. Currently, psychological testing is also used when hiring. Representatives of the personnel service offer applicants to complete certain heterogeneous tasks in which there is no correct answer in the traditional sense. In this case, the subjects act unconsciously, so the percentage of deception is extremely low. Here are some examples of psychological tests when applying for a job.

The first one is determining your favorite color. A potential employee is asked to arrange 8 multi-colored cards in order from the most pleasant shade to the least liked. In order to pass the psychological test when applying for a job correctly and to please the head of the company, you need to know the essence of this experiment. Here the colors represent specific human needs. As a rule, red is activity, a thirst for action. The yellow card symbolizes determination and hope. Green color indicates needs for self-realization. Blue is liked by stable and often attached people. Gray color describes a state of fatigue and a desire for peace. The purple color of the card indicates a desire to escape reality. The color brown symbolizes the desire to feel protected. And finally, choosing a black card indicates that the applicant is in a state of depression. Of course, the first 4 colors are the most favorable, and therefore they are in the beginning.

The second testing example is drawing. On a piece of paper, applicants are asked to draw a house (symbol of the need for security), a person (the degree of fixation on one’s personality) and a tree (characterizes a person’s vital energy). It should be remembered that the elements of the drawing must be proportional. Don’t forget about such elements of the composition as the path to the house (communication skills), the roots of the tree (spiritual connection with people, the team), and the fruits (practicality).

Pros and cons of surveys

Questioning is the most common technique used by employers to get to know their potential employees. Its undoubted advantages are simplicity, the ability to indicate many diverse questions in the questionnaire, speed, ease of use, as well as the completeness of the information reflected in it. However, there are also serious drawbacks to this technique. Thus, when filling out a questionnaire, the easiest way for a candidate to deceive a potential employer is to indicate only positive information about his personality, which the employer wants to see. In addition, compiling a list of questions is a responsible matter. In order to obtain complete information about the applicant and avoid possible double interpretation of candidates’ answers to the questions posed, companies have to involve a wide range of specialists in the preparation of questionnaires - lawyers, psychologists, sociologists.