FREE online courses on Interviews - Tackle Your Interview Proactively

 

How to project yourself

 

·         You as an interviewee, have to be careful of how to project yourself. Hard sell seldom succeeds at interviews. It conveys the message that you do not have any other alternatives.

 

·         Unless you are fresh out of college, do not offer to join immediately.

 

·         If you are already working, you should state your notice period and the time you will need to tie up loose ends, after which you will be free to join the new company.

 

·         If there are some aspects on which you are not clear, make a request for another meeting.

 

·         Take your time and be sure about what you want to do and what is expected of you.

 

·         Do not try to bluff your way into an organization. Even if you are recruited, at some point of time your lies will be exposed. So don't exaggerate in an attempt to impress.

 

·         A certain reserve combined with enthusiasm and genuine interest in investigating the suitability of the assignment, which does not project over-eagerness is the best approach.

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Controlling the pace of the interview

As an interviewee you can control the pace of the interview by:

 

 

·         Remaining cool and not losing your balance

 

·         Repeating a question so that it is clear to you

 

·         Rephrasing a question aloud, to arrive at the correct meaning

 

·         Speaking softly and clearly after some thought, irrespective of the speed with which questions are asked

 

·         Maintaining your composure even if there is a period of silence either because you have yet to begin speaking or the interviewer is speaking through the next question.

 

Of course all this comes with practice, but it helps if you are aware of it right from the start. If your interviewer is inexperienced, it becomes more important for you to control the pace otherwise both of you may end up just looking at each other during long pauses.

 

By controlling the pace and sometimes slackening it (when questions are asked in a rapid -fire manner), you must be careful not to lose your interviewer's attention and your control over the interview. Always maintain pleasant eye contact even through an uncomfortable silence.

 

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Say goodbye on a positive note

 

If you as an interviewee have controlled the pace of the interview, you can play a major role in bringing the interview to a close. An ideal close is where both interviewer and interviewee cooperate and jointly come to a finale with would be along these lines:

 

Interviewer: Are there any other questions you would like to ask?

 

Interviewee: No, I think I have asked all I wanted to know. After listening to you, I feel even more interested in this assignment than I did earlier and would be happy to accept it, if my profile matches your requirements.

 

An interaction like this sets the mood for the closing and also conditions the interviewer's attitude.

 

Don't be too eager to know the outcome by asking whether you will receive a reply within a fortnight or should you call up after a week to find out.

 

The best way to say you goodbye is with a smile on your face. Remember to leave the room in a pleasant, unhurried manner, and close the door behind you.

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