Whether you are searching for jobs, looking for career avenues or climbing the corporate ladder, you can't escape team interviews these days. The problem is that such interviews don't have a pattern to them. They come in different forms. You could be facing your prospective team members. Or you could be up against the top brass—HR vice-president, the section head, the operations chief. Or you could also be sent to a recruitment assessment centre for multi-parametric evaluation (psychological tests for pressure-handling abilities, team-player skills and so on).
Try these ten tips for surviving, and scoring, in a team interview. GIVE VARIETY TO YOUR ANSWERS
Remember you might be interviewed by different panels. Don't give a stock answer to all of them. They'll be comparing notes.
Repackage your skills so that they sound different. If you're showcasing project X as your major achievement in your present job before one team, talk about project B before another interview panel.
A technical team will tune in to techie talk; an HR team would rather hear about your interpersonal skills. FINE-TUNE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Pull out the stops on your group management and group presentation skills.Interviewers are people after all. Look for the personality type underscoring each interviewer.Then try and connect with each one of them without getting personal. Usually the best way to make contact is to project values that you feel you can share with your interviewers. DON'T QUAKE IN YOUR BOOTS - Interviewers are not ogres. They are looking for excuses to hire you, not spill your guts.
- Don't be obsequious. That conveys low self-esteem.
- If you face your interviewers with fear in your eyes, they won't like what they see. They are NOT sadists.
PREPARE FOR STRESS - You'll be up against a time crunch in a team interview.
- In one-on-ones, the interviewer might be taking notes, allowing you little breathers. No such luck with four people firing questions at you. Use stress control techniques to soothe your nerves. You might even use the extra adrenaline to sharpen your responses.
SHOWCASE THE IMPORTANT THINGS - List seven important things that fit the job description of the advertised post. Prepare to present skills that fit such traits.
- It helps to talk to friends familiar with the job description. You can even ask them to prepare tests that you can take from them.
REHEARSE WELL - Put together three family members or friends with diverse personality traits.
- Recreate the formality of a team interview situation and ask them to fire nonstop questions at you. That will serve as a useful practice session.
- Ask for serious feedback, especially about weak areas in your answers. Questions about qualifications and work experience are usually generic, so what your mock team asks you is bound to be pretty close to the real stuff.
CREATE A MENTAL PICTURE OF YOURSELF Boost your self-confidence by seeing yourself as star performer who's a cut above. See yourself answering with elan the questions you expect. Then replay your answers and ask yourself these questions: - How interesting were your observations?
- Did most of your responses begin the same way?
- Did you use 'we' often, suggesting team-player attributes?
- Are there traces of humour in your responses?
ASK GOOD QUESTIONS - Research is integral to a good interview performance. Find out as much about you can about the company concerned. Browse the Net, check company reports, put together news clips.
- Armed with your background brief, ask relevant questions about the company.
- If you think you have a bright idea about any ongoing activity, try this: "Did the company consider this option ..."
LOOK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS - Your interview team has some core queries about you. It's these they want you to address. Try and look beyond the upfront questions to decipher their exact intent. Then respond to fill in what the team is really looking for.
- Flesh out your answers to focus on the team's concerns. If they ask you about your perception of the company's ESOP policy, they want you to present your expectation from a stock option plan.
- Answer in sync with the general tenor of the interview. If your work involves individual research besides team work, don't go overboard about team-player abilities. Balance your answer. Mention how sometimes individual work is more productive though team work is needed to put into action ideas generated by individual researc......................
Campus Interview Tips Seven Commandments for Success in Campus Interviews :
| Campus Interview … Hmm… is what one looks forward to with enthusiasm, fear and excitement towards the beginning of the final year . For some it's a make or break, atleast that's the way it's looked at and for some it's a matter of pride. The constant thought in one's mind is - what shall make this click! What is it that the interviewer is looking in me!
Here's what we look for when we visit the various campuses. This by no means is an exhaustive list but is a good indication of the expectations and the mean s to meet these. Freshersworld.com present you the 7-Commandments. 1. Know Thyself Not everyone is good in each and every field. Each one of us has our fortes and weaknesses too. But that's not a stumbling block! What we look for are people who know their area of specialization and are an expert in it. Therefore, it pays to be a master in some fields if not the jack of all.
The most common mistakes many make is to profess knowing a field of which they know little about. Remember that huge and bulky resumes are as tough to read as they are to make. So, identify your skill set, and keep your resumes simple and straight. Know your limits and polish on your strengths. 2. Testing What You Know and NOT What You Don't. Many interviewers may ask the student the subjects that she/he wishes to be interviewed upon. Eureka !! Here's a golden opportunity. Answer this wisely! Never end up choosing a difficult subject that you know only little about, rather choose the one you are most confident of. 3. Rack Your Brain - Analyze The interview is not just limited to testing your knowledge base, but we are also interested in knowing your ability to apply it. Often questions that need to be solved then and there are asked. Now keep in mind - the right answer is not the only thing being looked at. The focus area is also the way in which you attack the problem i.e. approach to problem solving is equally important.
So, remember to put your thinking caps on! 4. Ask for Help! Murphy chooses to strike at the appropriate time! In spite of the fact that you may know something very well, it might just slip your mind. After all, heavy preparation does takes its toll. Who better to ask for help than the poser of the question (of course, don't try this too often!)!
Remember the interviewer is not there to grill the confidence out of you, but to bring forth the best in. Just in case you are stuck, ask for a hint. Things might just click. Also, stay alert for clues. 5. What are your biggest accomplishments You may like to begin your reply with: "Although I feel my biggest achievements are still ahead of me, I am proud of my involvement with……I made my contribution as part of that team and learnt a lot in the process".
It will be a good idea to close your answer with also specifying what attributes and circumstances made you succeed. 6. Be Calm, have Clear Verbal and Sound Non-Verbal Communication Calmness shows emotional maturity. True, being calm in a job interview is a difficult proposition, but then that is where it is required! Calmness does not imply being unenthusiastic or apathetic during the interview, but knowing that you are nervous and not letting it come in the way. A clear verbal communication implies clarity of the thought process.
One should also watch out for the impressions made in non-verbal communication. Body language and facial expressions can assist you in establishing a good rapport with the interviewer. Pauses, silences and gestures may all indicate what you mean, understand, or would like to emphasize. 7. Two-Way Exchange Process The interview process is a two-way exchange of information. Make sure you also understand about the company, its activities, job requirements. The company is in need for good candidates and you need a good company to launch your career.
Interview is an opportunity to present yourself and your skills to your best advantage. Make sure you make the most out of it. And YOU are the best one to do it!!.......................................
Group Discussion A GD is a methodology used by an organization to gauge whether the candidate has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its members. In this methodology, the group of candidates is given a topic or a situation, given a few minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss the it among themselves for 15-20 minutes. Freshersworld.com brings you an elaborate section for GD as you had ever seen anywhere else. Some of the personality traits the GD is trying to gauge may include :-
- Ability to work in a team
- Communication skills
- Reasoning ability
- Leadership skills
- Initiative
- Assertiveness
- Flexibility
- Creativity
- Ability to think on ones feet
| | Why GDs:-
The reason why institutes put you through a Group discussion and an interview, after testing your technical and conceptual skills in an exam, is to get to know you as a person and gauge how well you will fit in their institute. The Group discussion tests how you function as a part of a team. As a manager, you will always be working in teams, as a member or as a leader. Therefore how you interact in a team becomes an important criterion for your selection. Managers have to work in a team and get best results out of teamwork. That is the reason why management institutes include GD as a component of the selection procedure.
Company's Perspective:-
Companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people. The GD is to check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much importance do you give to the group objective as well as your own, how well do you listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own. The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behavior, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects........................ |
Tech Interview Move through Question Papers | Facing the technical interview of a company is an uphill task. It all depends on the mood of the interviewer and to an extent on your appearance. If he is in a bad mood, the interview can be really tough. Otherwise you might have a slight consideration. Be prepared for any questions from every section of your skill set. If the interviewer goes to a part of your skill, which you are not comfortable with, try to divert his attention to some other part in which you are an expert. Try to explain things in a simple way and be precise in your answers. If you don't know an answer admit it. DO NOT try to make up and answer. That might lessen your chances of getting through............
you: Be Prepared For preparing the phone interview, there are several things you can do. To prepare for the phone interview you can consider the following points: - You can keep all of your employer research materials within easy reach of the phone.
- You can tape your resume to a wall near the phone. It will help a lot during the call and will be a constant reminder for your job search.
- Have a notepad handy to take notes.
If the phone interview will occur at a set time, Following are some additional points you have to consider: - Turn off call waiting on your phone.
- Place a "Do Not Disturb" note on your door.
- Warm up your voice while waiting for the call.
- Have a glass of water handy, so that you will not have a chance to take a break during the call.
- Turn off your stereo, TV, and any other potential distraction.
| Do not be afraid to pick up the phone The first step in the hiring process is the telephone interview. It may happen that when you pick up the phone, the call may be from any company. Then that time ask the recruiter to repeat his or her name. Verify the spelling and write it down. Use the recruiter's name in your response.
If there is really any problem for you to talk, then ask for a telephone number and a convenient time to call back. You are now ready to make a good impression during your first five minutes.
The phone interview tips will help you master the phone interview and get you to the next step - the face to face interview. So do not afraid to pick the phone. Be a good listener
During telephonic interview, you must keep in mind that you must be a good listener.
Avoid interrupting and let the recruiter complete his thought or question before you respond. Ask for clarification. Use open-ended questions.
The more information you can gather, the better you can respond. We must know the fact that good listener is the best quality.
| 1. During phone interview
Here are the some points for successful phone interviewing. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting.
Here are some do's for phone Interviews: - Smile always helps you in every situation. Smiling will project a positive image to the listener and will change the tone of your voice.
- Do keep a glass of water handy, in case you need to wet your mouth.
- Do know what job you are interviewing for.
- Speak slowly and enunciate clearly.
- Take your time, it is perfectly acceptable to take a moment to collect your thoughts.
- Remember your goal is to set up a face to face interview. After you thank the interviewer ask if it would be possible to meet in person.
- Do give accurate and detailed contact information in your cover letter so your interviewers can easily connect with you.
- Household members must understand the importance of phone messages in your job search.
- Use the person's title (Mr. or Ms. and their last name.) Only use a first name if they ask you to.
- When being interviewed by phone, do make sure you are in a place where you can read notes, take notes, and concentrate.
- If you cannot devote enough time to a phone interview, do suggest a specific alternate time to the recruiter.
- Give short answers.
- Do ensure that you can hear and are being clearly heard.
- Do create a strong finish to your phone interview with thoughtful questions.
Following are some Don'ts for phone Interviews: - Do not smoke, chew gum, eat, or drink.
- Do not interrupt the interviewer.
- Do not cough. If you cannot avoid these behaviors, say, "excuse me."
- Do not feel you have to fill in the silences. If you have completed a response, but the interviewer has not asked his or her next question, do not start anything new; ask a question of your own related to your last response.
| 2. The Open and Available Technique You have a major advantage in a phone interview which does not exist in a face-to-face interview. You cannot be seen. Use this to your advantage. Have all of your materials on yourself and the employer open and available on your desk as you are speaking on the phone. This includes not only your resume, but also a "cheat sheet" of compelling story subjects, which you would like to introduce. It can also include a "cheat sheet" about the employer, including specific critical points describing the employer and their products. As anyone may be interviewer is speaking with you on the other end of the phone, he/she has no idea that you are actually being prompted from a document as you are speaking. All that person can hear is a well-informed, well-prepared interviewee. Keep in mind that this preparation is not "cheating" at all. It is preparation, pure and simple. So have your materials open and available when you are preparing for a phone interview. They are there to support you and enhance your value to the employer, who will greatly respect your ability to answer questions with focus and meaningful content. | 3. Focus on what you offer and can do The phone interview is surprise for us, so we must prepared for the telephonic interview. The recruiter's mission is to screen candidates and recommend those who will best meet the employer's needs.
When describing your background, avoid the negative points. You will only get one chance to make a positive first impression. Stay focused by reviewing and use the key points you wrote down about your strengths. | 4. During phone interview Here are the some points for successful phone interviewing. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting.
Here are some do's for phone Interviews: - Smile always helps you in every situation. Smiling will project a positive image to the listener and will change the tone of your voice.
- Do keep a glass of water handy, in case you need to wet your mouth.
- Do know what job you are interviewing for.
- Speak slowly and enunciate clearly.
- Take your time, it is perfectly acceptable to take a moment to collect your thoughts.
- Remember your goal is to set up a face to face interview. After you thank the interviewer ask if it would be possible to meet in person.
- Do give accurate and detailed contact information in your cover letter so your interviewers can easily connect with you.
- Household members must understand the importance of phone messages in your job search.
- Use the person's title (Mr. or Ms. and their last name.) Only use a first name if they ask you to.
- When being interviewed by phone, do make sure you are in a place where you can read notes, take notes, and concentrate.
- If you cannot devote enough time to a phone interview, do suggest a specific alternate time to the recruiter.
- Give short answers.
- Do ensure that you can hear and are being clearly heard.
- Do create a strong finish to your phone interview with thoughtful questions.
Following are some Don'ts for phone Interviews: - Do not smoke, chew gum, eat, or drink.
- Do not interrupt the interviewer.
- Do not cough. If you cannot avoid these behaviors, say, "excuse me."
- Do not feel you have to fill in the silences. If you have completed a response, but the interviewer has not asked his or her next question, do not start anything new; ask a question of your own related to your last response.
| 5. The Open and Available Technique You have a major advantage in a phone interview which does not exist in a face-to-face interview. You cannot be seen. Use this to your advantage. Have all of your materials on yourself and the employer open and available on your desk as you are speaking on the phone. This includes not only your resume, but also a "cheat sheet" of compelling story subjects, which you would like to introduce. It can also include a "cheat sheet" about the employer, including specific critical points describing the employer and their products. As anyone may be interviewer is speaking with you on the other end of the phone, he/she has no idea that you are actually being prompted from a document as you are speaking. All that person can hear is a well-informed, well-prepared interviewee. Keep in mind that this preparation is not "cheating" at all. It is preparation, pure and simple. So have your materials open and available when you are preparing for a phone interview. They are there to support you and enhance your value to the employer, who will greatly respect your ability to answer questions with focus and meaningful content.
| 6. Focus on what you offer and can do The phone interview is surprise for us, so we must prepared for the telephonic interview. The recruiter's mission is to screen candidates and recommend those who will best meet the employer's needs.
When describing your background, avoid the negative points. You will only get one chance to make a positive first impression. Stay focused by reviewing and use the key points you wrote down about your strengths. | 7. Sound positive, self-confident and focused The recruiter has called you indicates that your resume or a member of your network has given him or her a favorable impression of you. You need to confirm this impression. Put a smile on your face and into your voice.
You need to demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest through your voice and telephone manner. Check your voice by taping your voice.
Listen it very carefully and make the necessary changes. | 8. Write out your responses and practice reading them aloud This will help you to remember the response. By knowing what to say, you will seem more confident and all qualities that recruiters seek in candidates. Most candidates usually are asked about their salary expectations during screening interviews. Recruiters and employers usually have a salary range in mind, and while often unwilling to share it at this stage, they expect you to answer.
Your objective at this point is to win acceptance and be recommended for further consideration. Accordingly, you may want to avoid providing a direct answer to this question. These issues could include non-cash benefits and compensation, scope of responsibilities, work environment, job location, career advancement and others. | 9. Ask about the next step At the end of the interview, tell the recruiter you are interested. Ask about the next step in the interview process as well as the hiring timetable. If you do not receive a positive response and you are sincerely interested, ask the recruiter if he or she has any areas of concern.
If there is a misunderstanding about you or the recruiter does not seem certain that you are suitable, try to clarify the problem, then ask again about the next step and timetable. | 10. After the Interview After the phone interview. Following are some points which we have to consider after the phone interview: - Take notes about how you answered and what you were asked.
- Remember to say "thank you." at the end of conversation..............................................
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