What is a job interview?

A job interview is a process in which a potential employee is evaluated by an employer for prospective employment in their company, organization or firm. During this process, the employer hopes to determine whether or not the applicant is suitable for the role

What is the most important step when preparing for an interview?

Doing research.

If your research is thorough, you will be in a great position to ace your job interview and get the job you’ve been dreaming of.

What should you research about, and how does that help you?

The company’s culture, mission, and values, they will help you finish your question list. 

The company’s recent achievements and news, this will help give you a more balanced and realistic view of the company you may work for in the future. 

Insider information, such as the hiring process and the employee functions, often the smaller and lesser-known companies are more inspiring places to work.

How should your research be done?

 By seeking background information, getting a perspective about the company, and developing a question list. 

Doing this will help you answer questions, and stand out from less-prepared candidates.

How can you manage your anxiety? 

By ensuring that you're fully prepared for the interview. You can do that by rehearsing answers for common questions. Rehearsing helps you develop your confidence and overcome your anxiety. 

Interviews are stressful yet necessary, learning how to manage anxiety is a very impactful skill. 

What information are necessary to know before leaving home for the interview?

The directions, the time of the interview and the phone number of the interviewer that you can call if you are going to be late. 

Interviewers can tell whether or not a candidate has prepared for it or not and they will appreciate it if you did.

 Complete the sentence and tell the reason of importance… “It is important to know the interview’s……, …….., ……., and the company’s……. ………..”.

Place, time, address, phone number.

It is important to know that interview’s info so you as a candidate can avoid getting late or lost, and show up there fully prepared. The company’s phone number is important to keep, you will use it to confirm the interview, call for a follow-up, and use it to apologize if you are late. 

What is considered early and too early for an interview?

Allow enough time to get there and anticipate traffic. It’s ok to be up to 10 minutes early, but no more than that. Otherwise, the interviewer may not be ready for you, and you have already shown that you are a prepared candidate.

What should you do next after arriving at the company? 

When you get to the business the first thing you will do is check in with someone, the receptionist or the person behind the cash register. 

You need to let them know that you are there and ready. Just give them your name and say that you are here for an interview with the manager’s name.

How can you avoid pronouncing your interviewer’s name improperly?

If you could not catch the name in the introduction, or find someone to ask about the pronunciation, you could just ask the interviewer politely, by saying: “I want to make sure I get your name right, how do you say it?”.

Don’t take a guess and call them, it might be wrong and you might cause embarrassment to the interviewer.

What are the Dos and Dont’s when waiting for the interview?

 DO sit calmly and quietly, DO ask for the company’s material to read and DO look over your documents. 

DON’T get on your phone, or start listening to music or read unrelated materials. 

You want to make sure you showed a good first impression because first impressions become relevant to the hiring decision between 5% and 10% of the time.

What are some examples of proper attire for both male and female candidates?

  Males: should wear a clean, neat, pressed and comfortable suit, with a pair of dress shoes in a traditional style. Shoes should be well-polished and match the belt.

Females: should wear a simple suit and dark in color with a skirt or pants, Knee-log skirts are suggested, with a conservative blouse. Shoes should be conservative and fairly low-heeled. 

 Before you say a single word to the interviewer, you have already made an impression based on how you’re dressed, give yourself some time to prepare your clothes, your impression is impactful on the outcome. 

what are some good interview grooming tips?

1. Hair should be trimmed nicely

2. Face should be shaved clean

3. Nails should be clean

4. Your suit should be neat

5. Shoes should be properly polished and of a dark color.

The color of the socks should be dark.

What is the interview hygiene checklist? 

 *Proper clothing and accessories

1. Wear an appropriate attire following the dress code

2. Keeps hands free to shake 

3. Refrain from carrying too many bags

4. Avoid wearing revealing clothes

 *Personal Hygiene:

1. Brush and floss your teeth 

2. Comb or style your hair in a professional manner

3. If you are chewing gum, dispose of it prior to your interview.

What are the risks of wearing perfume or cologne to an interview?

Avoid wearing perfume or cologne. Your hiring manager may not like the scent you have chosen, have a previous association with that scent, or be allergic to it.

What kind of jewelry is acceptable for a job interview?

It is okay to wear simple jewelry, Avoid costume jewelry or anything overly flashy, as this could be distracting to the interviewer.

How should you greet and address the interviewer at the beginning of the interview?

Say the last name of the person you are greeting with the appropriate title, people like hearing their own name. But remember: only address the interviewer by his or her first name if they invite you to.

The first impression you make on interviewers will probably influence their final decision.

What type of physical contact should you have with the interviewer?

 Your interviewer with a firm handshake and introduce yourself. Be prepared for a little small talk, but don't overdo it. Follow the interviewer's lead and let them guide the direction of the conversation. 

You can make a good impression by greeting the interviewer this way, as in all cultures, it is important to give the proper greeting.

How do you switch from standing in front of the interviewer to set down in a professional way?

 You should wait for your interviewer to invite you to sit, and then take the seat they gesture to. However, if your interviewer doesn’t indicate a particular chair and you have several choices, you should take a seat directly across from him or her and adjust it if necessary so that you are at eye level.  

This shows confidence and an interest in engaging with the interviewer, two qualities that are important for any job.

How should your posture be at an interview?

 Sit up straight

Stay calm and sit quietly

don’t try to hide your stress so much.

You can say what you want during a job interview, but if your body language tells a different story, you may seem insecure, unreliable or arrogant. Pay attention to your body language!.

What items are not acceptable to bring to a job interview?

 1. Unrelated reading materials

2. Phone

3. Coffee

4. Pets

5. Shopping bags

6. Rival company’s products 

 Carry as little as possible with you, and make the best impression you can.

How should you appear during an interview and what is important to show when answering questions?

You should appear confident and focused, you should also show honesty and positivity.

How you respond is as important as what you say when you answer.

Is being nervous accepted at an interview? How can you manage your nervous moments during an interview?

If nerves become more significant, they can adversely affect the candidate’s success in the interview. 

Research and preparation are the keys to overcome the nerves.

  When you know a lot about the company and the job and take time to prepare an interview strategy and practice, you have less reason for nerves.

What is the respectful way to manage an interview conversation?

Never interrupt your interviewer, It’s incredibly bad form and can leave a negative impression.

Even if you don’t understand the question being asked, listen through to the end, and if you have questions ask them at the end. If by chance you do blurt something out and interrupt them, apologize and wait to finish.

What is the proper attitude for a job interview? And how important is it?

An open, relaxed and a full of confidence type of attitude is what can make the interview easier and more impactful.  

Exhibiting a positive, confident attitude can be just as important -- and perhaps more important -- than work experience.

How should you respond to a question you don’t want to answer? 

 Take time to respond and divert the question, watch your tone and your body language, respond to parts of the question if you don’t wish to answer the entire question. 

The whole point of answering the interviewer's questions is to satisfy their needs, make sure to politely do that, even if your answer is not whole.

What is the interviewer looking for in your answers to his or her questions?

 Cultural fit:  to determine whether the prospective employee will work successfully in your company. 

 Management: to help them identify the most qualified candidates for further consideration. 

 Motivation: to assess the candidate's motivation and her or his ability to contribute to a work environment in which others will choose to be motivated too.

How do you answer this question: “Why should we hire you”?

You can use this sample to build your own answer, it is a concise sales pitch that explains what you have to offer to the employer:

“I have top-notch administrative skills and I believe I'd be an asset to the office. My skill set seems to be a perfect match for what you're looking for. In addition, I enjoy working with people and would welcome the opportunity to be a part of your team.”

How do you answer this question: “Why were you fired?”

You can use this sample to build your own answer, it is short, straight to the point and politely satisfies the interviewer's needs: 

“The job wasn't working out, so my boss and I agreed that it was time for me to move on to a position that would show a better return for both of us. So here I am, ready to work.” 

How do you answer this question “what is your greatest weakness?”

This is a usable answer for a question like this, it is good to use because it discusses improved skills, and turn a negative into a positive: 

"I used to like to work on one project to its completion before starting on another, but I've learned to work on many projects at the same time, and I think it allows me to be more creative and effective in each one.”

How can you show that you are interested in the job at the end of the job interview?

By confirming interest in the job, the closing of an interview is a great opportunity to express your enthusiasm for the job. And by asking for the job and expressing your hopes to get it. 

 It shows the interviewer that you are a motivated candidate who is happily taking the chance. 

What should you do before exiting an interview to make sure you are seen as a perfect match?

 After confirming your interest in the job, it is good to reiterate why the position fits your skills and qualifications. It is also good to add something at the end, such as a question or a fact about yourself that is relevant and you would like to share it. 

Don’t forget to ask what happens next in the hiring process so you can plan your follow-up communications.  

It is important to know how to say goodbye to the hiring manager and close the business meeting in a way that can have a profound impact on the outcome.

What are some examples of questions that you can ask at the end of a job interview?

What do you like best about working for this company?

Ask about your interviewer’s personal experience for additional insight into the company’s culture.

    What are the next steps in the interview process?

 To show that you are eager to move forward in the process. 

A thank you letter is an important part that follows the interview, who do you send it to? And how does it help?

You send it to the employer who has interviewed you,

1. It creates an opportunity to re-connect with employers.

2.  It keeps your candidacy top of mind.

3. It gives you another chance to sell your strengths.

4. It enables you to address points you neglected to discuss during the interview. 

5. It develops rapport and increases the employer’s comfort level in your candidacy.

What do you write about in a thank you letter?

In a thank you letter, you should reiterate your interest in the position, keep your sparkling self at the forefront of a recruiter’s mind, reinforce your uniqueness as a candidate and express gratitude.  

The whole point of thank you letters is to remind the interviewer about yourself and confirm that you are an ambitious candidate.

 When is a good time to send a thank you letter and why?

 You should send your thank you letter Within 24 hours after your interview, if it was by email but if it is a handwritten thank you letter then you should send a post-interview thank you email within 24 hours, alerting a hiring manager to the fact that you’ve dropped a handwritten note in the mail. 

Now, normal post takes two or three days. And that's far too late.

Explain some of the reasons for not getting hired for a desired job.

*Bad attitude: Employers want to hire upbeat, positive team members.

 *No references: Employers want people to speak well of you and of your work. 

 *No preparation or research done: Employers want to hire candidates who know about their industry and its challenges

 *Many mistakes on the resume and/or the cover letter: Employers don’t want candidates who don’t pay attention to details

 *Unrealistic salary expectations: if you are inflexible with your salary you might make the employer less interested in you working for the company.