FACING AN INTERVIEW: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Interviews are used both for selecting employees for an organization and students for an educational organization. Whether you apply for a seat on an educational programme or a position in an organization, you need to face the interview board. As you might be aware, an interview call letter is sent to only those candidates who are short-listed. It is clearing the first major hurdle. Short-listing is usually done based on candidates CV and the covering letter in case of a job and the application in the case of a seat on a programme.. If you receive the invitation letter, it means the committee is impressed by your achievements so far and sees in you the potential to be one of their employees/ students. In other words, it means you have crossed all earlier hurdles and the selection committee would like to meet you and carry the process forward. Having come to this final stage you would not like to spoil your chances I am sure. So how do you ensure that you sail through the ordeal with ease and panache? Remember the following guidelines for facing the interview board and follow them when you have to take an interview.

Pre-interview stage
This is the stage where you consider carefully what you must carry, what you must wear and how to reach the interview venue. Materials to be carried: All the testimonials you have been asked to bring along with you should be put in a neat folder which is easy to handle and to open so that your papers dont fall out when you open it. Papers should be so arranged that whatever is asked for can be produced without confusion. Dress code: An interview is a formal affair and hence one should be dressed in formal attire. Men should wear a neat pair of trousers and a shirt with a tie. The shirt should preferably be light coloured without gaudy stripes or checks. Shoes should be polished brightly. Ladies should also wear

simple light coloured dresses and keep jewellery to the barest minimum. A smartly turned out person makes an immediate impact. How to reach the venue: Ascertain beforehand the place where the interview is scheduled and its distance from your residence as also the time it would take to reach the venue. Use a mode of transport that will not leave you huffing and puffing or hot and sweaty when you arrive. It is advisable to arrive ten or fifteen minutes before the scheduled time.. A neat and confident look makes you feel good while exuding an air of confidence. Instruction to artist Picture-1 Please draw a picture of a young man who is hot, sweaty and untidy looking. Picture-2

A picture here of a young man and a young lady looking neat and composed.

Interview stage Enter the interview room when your name is called. You could be confronted with a panel of interviewers ranging from two to four in number. Greet the panel with a smile and a polite Good morning (or afternoon) Sir, as the case may be. If there is a lady on the panel make sure you greet her too. And if you find a bigger panel with many men and women interviewers you may greet them with Good morning ladies and gentlemen

Be seated only after you have been asked to. Sit on the chair and put your hands not on the table but on your lap. If there is another chair next to yours place your folder on it, otherwise put it on the floor beside your chair. At this stage some people have butterflies in their stomach and may probably tremble like a malaria patient if they dont get hold of themselves and this in turn may make them stammer when they open their mouth to speak. In order to avoid such a situation, put into practice the 3 Rs of interviews. 1. Relax: Think of the interviewer not as a lion waiting to attack you, but as a personal friend with whom you are about to have one-to-one conversation. Most interviewers put the interviewee at ease by first asking personal questions about family, hobbies, interests and so on. Then they might move on to academics for which you should have prepared thoroughly. You have nothing to fear if you are confident and have made adequate preparation in your subject. 2. Remain focused: Listening is a skill which requires the listener to decode the language of the speaker. Very often, if we do not listen carefully we miss the key words of the speaker and focus instead on unimportant details. Hence listen carefully and try to assess where the question and your answer will take you and this brings us to the third R of interviews. 3. Reply carefully: Listen to the whole question carefully without interrupting. Take your time to answer it. Think of the way politicians answer the media in measured tones. This is not to say you should be evasive (that would be a negative point for you). Your answers should display your ability to stay in control.

Some other tips: Speaking: When you speak you should be audible to all the members of the panel. Your answers should be brief and to the point. If for instance you are asked whether India can become a superpower, dont launch into a tirade against a particular politician.

Brevity, not verbosity is appreciated. Also, slang can never be part of a formal discussion. So it is better to avoid colloquialisms. Then again, a rehearsed answer will sound very stilted and unnatural so be natural. Honesty: If you do not know the answer to a particular question put to you, it would make better sense to honestly admit your ignorance in the matter than to cook up something vague. Interviewers can easily identify untruths. Besides you will not sound convincing if you are dishonest. Whatever you say should be said from the heart. Simplicity: Ones achievements should be talked of or mentioned only when asked. Over confidence can be mistaken for arrogance and could queer the pitch for you. Body Language: Although you have not yet opened your mouth, a lot has probably been said by the language your body speaks. To begin with, if you do not make eye contact with your interviewers but keep looking at your shoes or at the floor beneath you you are sending out a message loud and clear that says I am scared. Your posture also speaks for you. Sitting up straight without a slouch, and without taking the support of the table (holding the edge with your hands) displays confidence and this is the image you should project.

Instruction to artist Please draw a picture of a young man sitting erect on a chair in front of a table. Opposite him on the other side are a lady and a gentleman.

Locking and unlocking ones fingers while talking or making wild gestures with ones hands while conversing display nervousness which will not go down well with the interviewer. Some people have the habit of fiddling with the objects on the table before them even as they talk. This is to be avoided at all costs by the candidate as it is bad manners to do so. One last tip: Interviewers give credit for out of the box thinking and fresh ideas, even if they appear to be a bit wild For example, a candidate was presented with the following problem and asked for a solution. A company that manufactures apparel found that its sales had suddenly plummeted to a new low. It was it its wits end trying to stem the drop. What would you suggest they do? Reduce prices Offer an extra of something else Redesign Put up notices of a sale

These were some of the answers but the answer that impressed the panel and won the day for the candidate was Hike the prices so that they are beyond the reach of the common man His justification? Products that are very high-priced are thought to be exclusive and are valued by the upwardly mobile. Possible, isnt it? Here is a sample interview for you to assess (only the general questions have been included).

The candidates responses are numbered and you are required to tick (R) if you think they are adequate or suitable and (W) if you feel the response is not good, for some reason or the other. Our assessment is given at the end.

INTERVIEW Panel Member : Good morning Dhruva. How are you? (PM) Dhruva : Good morning Sir, Good morning. maam. Im fine thank you. P.M. : Please be seated. 2. D. : Draws chair back, making a scrapping noise and sits down. P.M. : Tell us about yourself. 3. D. : Well sir, I was born in a town called Eluru in West Godavari District. My father worked as a manager in a store and my mother managed her 3 children at home. P.M. : Where did you graduate from? 4. D. : Sir I got a good rank in EAMCET and passed Mechanical Engineering with flying colours from the Visakha Engineering College P.M. : I have noted that you are working for Proctor and Gamble. So why do you want to do an MBA now? 5. D. : Sir, a management degree coupled with an Engineering degree

gives one a special advantage in the employment market. P.M. : Are you very ambitious? (lady) 6. D. : Yes maam, I would like to become the CEO of a company and earn well P.M. : Is money the be- all and end- all of life? 7. D. : No, but money does buy the comforts of life and one can think of service and other goals only after making ones own life comfortable. P.M. : True but havent you heard of people like Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave.. 1. D. : Yes Sir 2. P.M. : You have stated in your CV that playing games is your hobby. What is your favourite game? 9. D. : Chess maam P.M. : What is your philosophy of life? 10.D. : Do all the good you can to all the people you can P.M. : Is that in line with your ambition? 11.D. : Yes Sir it is. P.M. : All right, thank you.

12.D. : Thank

you

Sir,

maam,

Good

day.

Pushes chair back noisily and leaves. Our assessment 1. This is the proper and polite way of greeting the panel 2. (W)Does not say Thank you when asked to be seated. Answer should be to the point. Moreover, he makes an irritating sound as he pulls the chair back. If he wanted to move it he could have gently lifted it. 3. (W)Not much is said about himself- mentioned his parents instead. Remember, the interview board is interested in knowing about you in the present time. They are not interested in your past but in your present knowledge and abilities and how you can help the company/organization. Other things are secondary in nature. 4. This is a brief and direct answer. 5. and (W) Good and bad. Good because it is the truth but bad because it is a limited answer. He does not mention learning of new skills when one does an MBA programme. 6. (W)Again an answer that displays a narrow goal. 7. Home truths. This is a very true and simple answer. But he coud have added that money is important for service activities too. 8. (W)The candidate is unsure where this will lead and leaves the panel with a simple oneword response Displays lack of ideas. 9. (W)Single word responses do not go down well in an interview. One must justify ones answers briefly. He could have said why he likes playing chess. 10. (W)Just a parroted phrase which is not in line with what he has said before. Your answers should not be at odds with your earlier answers. 11. (W) Again, no justification or explanation of how it is in line with the earlier answer. 12. Polite leave taking though scraping of chair could have been avoided.

Here is the same interview done in a different manner.You judge for yourself which one is better and why. Panel Member(PM): Good Morning Dhruva Dhruva(D): PM D : Good Morning Sir. Good Morning Madam Please be seated Thank you Sir ( draws chair back quietely and sits down.)

PM

So, Dhruva. Tell us about yourself.

D:

Sir, I studied till Xth in Hyderabad Public School and did my+2 from a Junior College.Then I wrote the EAMCET examination and got a good rank

which got me a free seat in JNTU, Hyderabad, from where I did Mechanical Engineering .I have done well throughout my academic career.

PM (lady) D

That is good Dhruva.

Why are you thinking of a management

degree now when you are already an Engineer? Maam an engineering degree now-a-days is as basic as a Graduation degree used to be. A management course will help me to develop people skills which are so important in todays globalized world. Besides, it will boost my employability.

PM D

Where do you see yourself five years from now? In five years from now I hope to become the Vice President of a Company.

PM(lady) D

Are nt you very ambitious? Maam I am of the opinion that it is ambition that is a strong driving force -

contentment leads to stagnation. PM Does that mean you will never be satisfied?

Satisfaction sir is a relative term. I am not speaking of satisfaction as a

personal need alone. After I have acquired a few comforts for myself I will use my learning for the good of society. For me, money brings satisfaction only till a certain point.

PM together?

Do you think Corporates can serve society? Do business and social values go

Why not Sir? In fact corporates are in a better postion to render social service

because they have a lot of money, So a little bit spent on society serves not only to fulfill their social responsibility but also makes business sense as it boosts the companys image PM Well said. What is your hobby?

I like to play chess sir. The planning involved in making a move is akin to statecraft.

It is a challenge to be able to outmanoeuvre ones opponents. A win in this game gives a special thrill. .PM D What about outdoor games? I play tennis whenever I find time sir.

PM D temperament. PM D

Tennis? Who is your favourite player? Roger Federer Sir. I admire his power play, his stamina and above all his cool

What would you say is your shortcoming? I dont know if I can call it a shortcoming Sir, but I am a little impatient and

wish to get things done quickly. I would say it is a weakness that can be converted into a strength. PM What is your motto in life?

Do good, be good Sir.

PM D

I hope you will be able to live upto that.

Alright Dhruva, Thank you.

Thank you Sir, Thank you maam. Have a good day. ( pushes chair back soundlessly

and leaves) Activity You will have mock interviews. You will act both as one of the interviewers and the interviewee. Your teacher will form some interview committees of five members each. This committee will interview some candidates. Then the second interview committee starts interviewing. This process will go on till all the students in the class get a chance to interview others and face the interview board. The members on the interview board can ask some of these questions*: Interview for a seat in an educational organization General questions:

Tell me about yourself. Tell us something about your educational achievements. What is your greatest weakness? What is your greatest strength? How many hours do you normally study? How do you describe a good learner? How do you handle stress and pressure? Why do you want to study here? What is your aim in life? What has been the greatest disappointment in your life? If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently?

Subject related questions:

How do you define ..? What do we mean by ..? What is the difference between .. and ? What are the characteristics of ..? Have you read any books/ journals on .?

Interview for a position in an organization

Tell us something about yourself. What makes you feel that you are suitable for this job? Are you a team player? (Are you comfortable working in a team?) What do you know about this company/organization? Why should we select you? What are your salary expectations? What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make? What do people most often criticize about you? When was the last time you were angry? What happened? What are you passionate about? How do you handle difficulties and stress? Where do you see yourself in five years time?

*Note: the questions are not arranged in a serial order. The questions are indicative and not exhaustive. You can add many more questions to this list. Each interview session can be of five to ten minutes. The interview committee along with the interviewee will participate in this. At the end of each candidates interview, the teacher will initiate a discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of each answer of the candidate.

By the end of this activity (all the interviews followed by discussions), the students will have evolved good answers to all the questions which are frequently asked at the interview.