VSL-08/08/11

Interview TechniquesVaswani Suraj Lal

VSL-08/08/11

Interview Preparation Checklist

• Do your research…• Learn about the Company (culture, opportunities, etc.).• Speak to Alumni, Friends, Summer Interns,

Professors.• Gather information: Corporate Presentations,

Receptions, Trade Journals, Annual Reports.

VSL-08/08/11

Practice before you start

• Determine exactly what you want to accomplish in the interview.• Assess your own skills & anticipate potential

questions.• Draw from a variety of experiences (school,

community, work).• Refine your answers.

VSL-08/08/11

Interview Checklist….

• Be on time.• Look the part and be positive.• Give details and accentuate the positive.• Build rapport with the interviewer/s by listening

intently and responding clearly, reinforcing the verbal messages through your body language.

• Maintain good eye contact with the interviewer/s.• Have questions to ask the interviewer/s.

VSL-08/08/11

Interview Attire

• Wear a suit.• Hair properly groomed.• Professional watch.• Polished shoes.• Keep a pen and a handkerchief.

VSL-08/08/11

Interview Attire

Attire for ladies:• Closed toe shoes and formal dress.• Minimal jewellery, make up and

earrings balance.• Purse/portfolio.• Conservative length skirts or smart salwar suit.• Groomed hands.

VSL-08/08/11

Post-Interview Checklist

• Evaluate your technique and the entire experience- did you get caught out? • What were you trying to get across? Did you

succeed? • Was this a true dialogue between you and the

interviewer/s? • Were you passively responding to questions?• How can you do better?

VSL-08/08/11

Structure Of Interviews

• The preliminaries - This is a warm up phase intended to set you at ease. Use the

opportunity to relax and engage in small talk.• The critical questioning - A time for the interviewer/s to seek information from you to assess your skills and qualities.• Questions from the floor - Your turn to ask

the questions based on your job/career needs.• Conclusion - What is the next phase? When

can you expect to hear from them? Affirm your interest in the position.

Vaswani Suraj Lal

Types of Interviews

Informal/informational interviews

The intention here is to get to know the individual better; often questions are not standard ones but free flowing, building on leads during the interaction. This style is useful for gathering information about the organization and the industry or on occasion getting a line on a job that may be coming up soon.Examples:*What indicates good performance in this position?*What skills are essential to perform this job well?*How often do you recruit graduates into these roles?

Vaswani Suraj Lal

Types of Interviews (contd.)Behavioural or Situational Interviews

The intention here is to focus on your past behaviors as a predictor of future behavior. You must provide specific examples of any experience to demonstrate your ability to meet the criteria for the job. Many interviews these days follow this format.Examples:*What different approaches do you take in talking with different people?*How do you know when you are actually getting your point across?*What if you were asked to do something that went against your ethical standards?

Vaswani Suraj Lal

Types of Interviews (contd)

Telephone/Teleconference/Video interviews

For geographical or financial reasons an organization may choose to interview candidates in distance mode. The lack of visual contact can be daunting making the clarity of speech, variation of tone of voice, good listening skills and constant monitoring that your message is being understood, vital to this communication process.

Vaswani Suraj Lal

Types of Interviews (contd)

Panel Interviews

The intention here is to obtain a range of evaluations about your qualities for the job, to reduce the influence of subjectivity and to deeply probe your qualities for the job. Your preparation has to be a hundred percent for this type of interview. You should focus your response on the questioner whilestill interacting with the other panel members. Occasionally the panel interview may be by telephone.

Vaswani Suraj Lal

What a company looks for

• CORE VALUES……………..

LEADERSHIP

INTEGRITY

TRUST

PASSION FOR WINNING

OWNERSHIP

PEOPLE

Vaswani Suraj Lal

Company’s “What Counts Factors”

• Leadership• Thinking and Problem Solving• Risk Taking• Innovation• Collaboration• Capacity

Vaswani Suraj Lal

Skills to Succeedin a ‘Brand’

• LeadershipEnvision, Energize, Enroll & Enable

• Intelligence/Thinking Problem SolvingExceptional thinking and analytical skills

• Risk Taking/InitiativeDare to make the right things happen

• InnovationBe entrepreneurial in creating new and imaginative possibilities

Vaswani Suraj Lal

During the interview….

Example Questions…..

Leadership

*Give an example of when you accomplished something significant that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t been there.Thinking/Problem Solving

*Give an example of a time when you had to analyze facts quickly, identify the issues and develop an action plan.

Vaswani Suraj Lal

Structuring your answers…..

• C - ContextWhat is the background/situation in which the action took place.

• A - ActionWhat action did you specifically do? What were your specific contributions?

• R - Result

What result did the action produce in measurable and specific terms

VSL, 08/08/11

Sample Interview Questions (contd.)

• What has been your main contribution to University life?

• Why did you decide to do a degree in ….?

• Could you take me through your academic record?• What do you expect from your initial

graduate position?

VSL, 08/08/11

Sample Interview Questions (contd.)

• Do you have any plans to study further?• Tell me about a time when you were not pleased with your performance. What did you do about it?• Describe a situation when you were placed

under a lot of pressure? What was the situation and how did you handle it?• Which form of communication would you say

works well for you?• Describe a situation when a team you were

working in fell apart. What was your role in the outcome?

VSL. 08/08/11

Sample Interview Questions (contd.)

• How would you organize a major project?• How do you learn new things?• What attracts you most about our company?• What do you think our biggest problem is in

this industry?• Let me describe the team that you could be

joining and tell me how you would fit?• We have a continuing problem in this area……. How would you handle it?

VSL, 08/08/11

Sample Interview Questions (contd.)

• India has an aging population. What policies do you think Government

should formulate to address this issue?• Where other job applications have you

sent?• What rewards are you hoping to gain from a career in ….?

VSL, 08/08/11

Employment Protocol

• Thank you mail.• Follow up phone contact.• Status of process.• Salary Negotiations.• Job Acceptance OR Regret Letter.

VSL. 08/08/11

Good Luck And Thank You!