Be in the best frame of mind to face the interview: Dr. P. Eliah

Sakshi Education

For promotions and recruitments a candidate’s performance at the interview is the deciding factor. An interview is not only an academic test, but also a psychological test. One must prepare well and be in the best frame of mind to face the interview successfully. Many a candidate with excellent academic and scholastic record fails to make the mark on account of their inability to face the interview successfully. The reason seems to be that they appear before the selection committee untrained and unprepared on the right lines. In this regard the following guides may help the candidtates to train themselves and be able to offer an effective account of their talents and accomplishments. For the sake of convenience the article has been divided into many parts as detailed below.

Personal Information
The candidate must post himself with all the information relating to his family background, his own scholastic and academic achievements, the nature of his present employment, if any, present emoluments, his extra-curricular activities and other interests in the professional, research, and other fields. Whatever enquiry is made of these things, the candidate must readily offer the answer to them.
Preparing a Career Statement
The members of the selection committee may pose a number of questions on the candidate’s career interests, such as,
i. Why do you want to join this particular organization?
ii. What is that you have in your mind once you join this organization/
iii. What scope does your discipline or faculty have in this organization?
iv. How do you plot your career graph in this organization?
v. How do you plot your career graph in this organization?
These are rather searching questions and the candidate may not have imagined them. He is literally caught unawares. Now he has no time to ponder over these questions and come up with his own responses. Of course, he will mumble some answers and these answers may not be able to withstand a cross-examination. Therefore the wisest thing is to prepare a list of questions of this type and work out coherent and convincing answers to them. The following rough answers may help you think of your own answers.
- I want to join this organization since it is a growing concern established and managed by reputed industrialists who care for the welfare of their staff.
- Well, this is certainly a delicate question. But the fact is that as a hard working by nature, I would like to contribute my best to the organization, and in turn, expect some encouragement from the management either in the form of increments or in the form of promotion as and when it is due.
- Sir, I’m graduate engineer with a first class and distinction. As aptly observed by Mrs. Indira Gandhi, an engineer is one who learns by doing and does by learning. I believe in learning and doing. In this huge electronics organization with considerable knowledge of electronics and communication engineering, I have no doubt, whatsoever, that my discipline, namely, electrical and electronics engineering, will have its own vast role to play so as to help the organization grow further and further.
- Well, I’m twenty-four years old now. My sincere ambition is that I must get a promotion once in five years, so that by the time I retire, that is, when I am about sixty, I must be Director General. I don’t think it is a misplaced or undeserved ambition. Well, I will work strenuously for the growth of the organization in all respects and expect something in return.
Dress Code
The candidates must be trim and tidy, and neatly dressed. However, for men candidate’s dark and light combination with a suitable tie and polished shoes, seems impressive. In the case of women candidates’ saree, blouse and sandals seem to be a dignified dress. They must avoid gaudy colours and fancy type dresses. High heeled shoe may be avoided, because they produce distracting tapping sounds, and the candidates look extraordinarily tall.
Detection of the Self, Likes, and Dislikes
- What kind of man are you? What is your nature? Are you an optimist, a pessimist, an agnostic, a pragmatist, a realist, a humanist, a god-fearing man, a work cultured man, a sensitive man, a sociable man, an honest man, an extrovert, an introvert? Examine yourself objectively and know yourself.
- What are your hobbies, your personal likes and dislikes? Do you like loneliness? Do you love to mingle with friends and be faithful to them?
- Are you consistent in your words or stand? Do you change sides? Do you have a strong mind to take firm decisions and stick to them at any cost?
- Do you have the tact and flexibility to interact with all levels of your staff? Do you have reservations? Can you politely request or instruct your staff to perform a few duties? Can you get on with problem staff? Can you be gentle to them and gradually win them over to your side? Do you have confidence in your tact and approach? Can you treat your lady staff with courtesy and help them in their tasks?
- Can you withstand physical and mental stress? Can you work for long hours at your personal inconvenience if necessity arises? Do you buckle under pressure? Do you have an equable temper? Do you accept without pressure onerous tasks to perform?
- Can you transact any major business of the organization independently? Can you take initiative at times and accomplish a job work or a programme or project successfully within the framework of the philosophy of the organization? Do you have this drive?
- Do you have the ability to adjust with staff or different mentalities, attitudes, and ambitions in your organization? Can you tolerate different, sometimes negative ideologies? Can you efficiently manage men and matters? Do you have that adaptability? Do you know that if the different staff function at cross purpose the organizations reputation and even existence will be jeopardized? Can you allow certain concessions and make certain sacrifices for the overriding good of the organization?
- Have you studied the aims, objectives and ideals of this organization? Have consulted any of the staff for a briefing, a printed profile or pamphlet fo the organization? Do you know the important names of the management and their functions? Do you know the working pattern of the organization?
- Have you tried to know how a similar organization is functioning elsewhere? How do you compare both of them? What is the relevance of this type of organization for the industrial development of the state and the country? Have the services rendered by this type of organization any viable marketability? How do you plan to play a role in the services of this type of organization?
An examination of these questions will greatly increase the confidence and capabilities of the candidates.
Practicing
The candidate should go all out to grab a career opportunity. As the date of the interview is fast approaching, they must sit before the mirror and in their entire seriousness try to answer the questions raised earlier. Or, they may practice before a trusted friend or colleague and take the benefit of the feedback. They may also tape-record their answers and listen to them with a view to improve their expressions or answers.
Familiarity with the Self
As the interview time is fast approaching, the candidates are in the grip of tension, and it may so happen that they forget the information they have so assiduously gathered. Therefore they must prepare a checklist of the following for ready reference:
- Their achievements: scholastic, academic, and extra-curricular.
- Their skills: computer skills, linguistic skills, skills relating to fine arts, and so on.
- Their strengths: physical stamina, leadership qualities, team spirit, ability to work for long hours, and so on.
- Their weaknesses: punctuality and staying in the seat even after the day’s work is over. Even weaknesses seem to be virtues.
During the Interview
- As they enter the committee room, they must greet the interviewers pleasantly with a smile and introduce themselves.
- The candidates must take their seat when offered, without dragging the chair producing a screeching sound.
- They must talk clearly and loudly enough but not shout or sound rudely.
- They must be precise and brief in their answers.
- They must mind their manners. They should not thump on the table, throw paper at a member, laugh loudly, argue disrespectfully, or play with the paper weight, the clip of the pen, or a shirt button.
- They should not get fidgety, bite nails or look at the watch.
- They must listen to the question properly and avoid asking for repetition.
- They should answer to the point and not probe into time consuming details.
- They must look at each member while speaking.
- They must look at each member while speaking.
- They must show logical thinking.
- They should be patient and not buckle under pressure. This is a plus point.
- They must present their documents only when demanded.
- They must sit with their right foot a little forward. The left foot or left hand should not be projected.
- They should not demand a particular amount of salary or enquire how much the organization would pay them when asked to mention the salary expected. The best answer is: at least not less than what the post normally carries.
After the interview, before leaving, the candidates must say, “Thank you, Sirs” and without pushing the chair back, walk out politely.
These guides may help any candidate for a job or a promotion in any organization.