Complete instructions on how to get interviewed

The interview is not just an important and responsible step, but the first opportunity to impress the future employer

Even if you have already been to such meetings dozens of times, there is no escape from excitement. To ensure success, get ready for an interview in advance. In this article, we will talk about different scenarios of hiring dialogue and what mistakes should be avoided..

How to prepare for an interview

Collection of information

As soon as you receive an invitation to a meeting, proceed to information intelligence.

1. Return to the vacancy ad text. Think about what kind of person the employer is looking for and what professional skills and personal qualities he will be interested in..

Make a list of your strengths and character traits. Think of real-life examples of how you showed them in the workplace..

2. Thoroughly study the company. Get to know your future employer as close as possible. You must clearly understand the essence of the project..

Pay attention to the company’s website, to reviews on the Internet. Browse the news articles with her mention. Some knowledge can be displayed at the meeting itself (creation history, corporate values, main areas of work).

3. Find out the details. When and where will the interview be held? Do I need a dress code? Which route is more convenient to get to? In what format will it be and with whom to communicate?

Any trifle that comes to mind should be formulated and voiced. Firstly, it will add confidence. Secondly, you will prove yourself truly as an attentive and interested person in a meeting.

Self-presentation

1. The next step is self-presentation and rehearsal. Accept the fact that you will sell yourself in a meeting. Compose a short story with an emphasis on how you benefit from the company.

2. Include references to specialized education, continuing education courses, work successes, and professional plans. Give up hobby and family stories if you haven’t been asked.

3. Make a response map where you write down personal merits and achievements, requirements and questions for the employer, and a vision of your future in the company. Creating such a cheat sheet will calm and put chaotic thoughts on the shelves.

4. Practice your ability to answer common questions at home in front of a family or mirror.

Take with you what you need

On the eve, check out the list of things to take with you. If you enter the company through a checkpoint, you need documents.

Grab a list of questions for the HR specialist, an answer card and a notebook where you will write down thoughts during the meeting. Consider Carrying Recommendations and Portfolios.

Work on emotions

If you are very worried, do some work on emotions. Tune in a positive way and imagine how life will change thanks to a new position.

Simple relaxation methods will also help you: massage, yoga, a warm bath, your favorite movie. Try to take the interview not as an exam or torture, but as an opportunity to express yourself and get new impressions.

Appearance

Wash and iron clothes. Refuse strong perfume, bright make-up and excess accessories. Choose an outfit in neutral colors. Of course, you have to be sleepy, sober and not come to the future boss with a trail of fume.

How to behave in an interview

1. Do not be late so as not to show neglect of work. Do not bring a support group with you. This will show your psychological immaturity.

2. Remember the rules of good form. Say hello clearly, find out the names, contact the “you”. Give the hand first (for women this is optional) and do not forget about the smile. Ask where you can sit. Do not stick out on your smartphone and do not be distracted by calls. Do not smoke before starting. Chewing gum is also not worth it..

3. Try not to wear the “mask” of an ideal employee for an interview. You can adjust the manners and learn professional terms, but gestures and facial expressions should remain natural.

Do not be afraid of eye contact. Running eyes or glances to the floor give the impression of a secretive and insecure person. The back should be flat, and the pose in the chair – restrained, but not closed. Do not cross arms and legs..

4. Watch the speech. Speak confidently and on business, without being too frank. Interviewing is not a monologue. Replicas of the parties should be 1 to 1 or 1 to 2.

The answer to one question should not last more than 2 minutes. Speak wisely and don’t even think about profanity. Do not interrupt the employer during a conversation.

5. Remember the feedback. Be sure to ask at the end the questions that you prepared the day before. So, you express interest. Check about the social package, if there are any delays in salary, what are the career prospects. If you do not understand something, then ask about it directly. At the end, specify how soon to wait for an answer.

How to answer questions at the interview

Most often, employers themselves are asked to tell you about themselves, so the prepared self-presentation will be most welcome. However, the interview format is also popular. All questions that an HR specialist can ask at the interview can be divided into three parts.

Questions about previous work and professional experience

1. The most unpleasant question on this list is why you left your previous position. Formulate the answer correctly. Do not blame the bosses and do not scold colleagues, but do not belittle yourself.

It is most reasonable to refer to external factors: the need to move, restrictions on career growth, unpaid bonuses, salary delays. About a small salary is better not to mention.

Try to divert the conversation to the side of what you learned in the same place or what has changed from the moment in your life for the better. Be on a positive note. Express moderate regret about breaking up with your previous employer. Do not focus on what you were running from, but what you are going on at the moment..

2. You will be asked about past responsibilities. Do not diminish your role and list all the tasks that were set before you. Mention the projects where you participated and tell about achievements.

They may ask how much money you brought to the company. Find out the exact figure in advance so as not to invent it.

3. Another dangerous question is “What professional mistakes did you make at work before?”. A detailed story is not required here, but the answer will show your level of maturity..

Give a concrete example with conclusions about what you learned in the end and how you would solve this situation now.

Do not describe perfect mistakes as a fiasco. Sometimes the question can be replaced by another – “Have you had any cases of disagreement with the decisions of the authorities?” When answering, choose those stories where you weren’t silent, but reinforced the position with arguments and ended up being right.

Questions about future work and interest in the company

1. If you are asked, “Why did you choose our company?”, Say that they agree with their goals. You are interested in the activities that the project carries out, and you want to be involved in it.

Be sincere, but do not show indifference and snobbery, pretending to have condescended to the company from hopelessness or accidentally came to them. The same question may sound like “Why do you want to work for us?” Here, pay attention not to your own benefits, but to the benefits that you bring.

2. One of the difficult questions in this category is “What salary do you want?”. Think over the answer in advance, having learned the average rate by profession and increasing it by 10-20%. A small amount will cause the bosses a feeling that you consider yourself a bad employee, and too large will hint at unreasonable ambitions.

3. You may also be asked by whom you see yourself professionally after a while. When answering, be sure to mention the fruitful work with this company and name a higher position in it (but not the post of the boss himself or the one who holds the meeting). No need to talk about promotion where it is not supposed, or to invent non-existent posts.

4. If you were asked at the interview what you know about the company in general, tell us about its main products with emphasis on advantages.

An excellent move is to share your vision, immediately make creative suggestions. Express thoughts about which customers might benefit from the product. If asked to describe the disadvantages of the products, do not be afraid to analyze the situation and dig deeper than the obvious shortcomings.

5. Often the question is, “When are you ready to get started?”. If you really need a job in this company, then show willingness and say that you can leave tomorrow.

If you have a few more interviews planned, and you are in doubt, then say that you are ready to leave in a week. Explain this by the fact that you need to document the termination of the previous company, and get a calculation.

Personal questions

1. Most likely, you will be asked about the strengths of the character. Listing the positive, mention hard work, responsibility, learning ability, adequacy. Forget modesty, but don’t give in to thoughts that are not supported by examples.

2. Be sure to ask about weaknesses. Never say that you have no flaws – this will be considered a manifestation of arrogance. Sound one of those personal problems that you managed to overcome or you are in the process of working on it.

What is the minus that will play into your hands. For example, if you are anxious, focus on the fact that it helps to be more attentive to your tasks. The most beneficial disadvantages are workaholism, perfectionism, kindness.

3. Take the issue of marital status calmly. Answer it truthfully, but without details. Usually this is asked to understand the psychological state of a person. The employer needs to know if your relationship will affect your business..

Stressful interview and tricky questions

For many, it is more important to see your creativity, resistance to stress and the ability to improvise than to hear about it. Non-standard situations and tricky questions are used to monitor a person’s reaction.

1. You may be asked what you think about the future boss, what features a good leader should have, and what an ideal company looks like in your eyes. There is no need to crib, but philosophical reasoning is not suitable. Highlight 2-3 significant factors whose importance you can explain.

2. If they want to check self-criticism at the interview, questions may be raised, what are you better than others and when to expect the first outstanding results from you. Answer that you cannot objectively evaluate the qualities of other candidates, but you are confident in your abilities. Regarding the results, say that you will begin to work on them immediately after they take you.

3. Sometimes recruiters use special behavioral strategies. They may delay the start of the interview to test your emotions (or, if you are applying for a managerial position, find out if you find out the reason for the delay).

During your response, the HR specialist can intentionally switch to the telephone, stationery, get up and go to the window. To pretend that does not pay attention to you. Stay calm, pause the conversation and continue after.

4. Another option is to check for self-mastery, and the ability to perform routine work is to get the questionnaire or text rewritten 3-5 times.

5. Sometimes the interview takes place in a rude manner, but you should not get lost: focus only on questions and do not pay attention to criticism.

6. At a meeting, they can check the boundaries of your psychological and physical comfort, try to find a balance within yourself between negativity and adequacy. Be calm without reacting too painfully. Behavior at such an interview is more important than ideal answers. Stay calm.

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