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Interview
Preparation
One Step Closer to Getting Hired
Now that you've been called in for an interview, it is time to review
some employment interview preparation tips.
The overall purpose of the job interview is for the employer to find
the ideal candidate for a position.
Not all interviews are the same as
you would imagine.
Some are in person, while others may be done over
the phone.
Interview preparation involves an understanding of the different types
of interviews you may encounter. Such as:
Individual
Interview
- This is the most common type of job interview
you will encounter.
- It
involves you (the interviewee) meeting the employer and going through
the interview process.
- The person who is interviewing you may be the
one you will work for
(your supervisor) or someone who is empowered to make hiring decisions.
Panel
Interview
- This type of interview is commonly used in
government agencies and in
organizations hiring a seasoned professional.
- Three or more people (board members) form the
panel and each of them
may ask several questions.
- Each candidate applying for the same
position is asked the same questions.
- Remember to make eye contact with each panel
member as you answer their
specific question.
- It is also common to have members from
different
departments attend the panel job interview, such as human resources,
management, your potential supervisor and subject matter experts.
Phone
Interview
- If the employer is not in
your local area, it might make sense for him/her to interview you over
the phone.
- Also, when employers have many job applicants
to screen, they will
sometimes use the phone interview to quickly sort out those candidates
that are not a match for the position.
- If you do well on the phone interview, it is
possible you will still
need to go to the employer's location for another face-to-face
interview.
Stress
Interview
- If interviews aren't stressful enough already,
there are some that are
designed to be even more stressful.
- Some police organizations may use a
stress interview in order to see how you handle yourself under
pressure.
- If you find yourself in this situation, it will
help you to understand
the purpose of the interview.
- By knowing ahead of time the nature of
the interview you will be better prepared to remain calm and not react
defensively.
Observational
Interview
- This may be one of the less frequently used job
interview types.
- It
involves the employer observing the potential hire (you) doing a mock
drill of the job requirement.
- For instance, if you are interviewing for a
customer support or
receptionist position, the employer might ask you to demonstrate how
you would answer the phone and assist a customer.
- The employer may also
play the part of the customer and judge how you handle certain
questions.
The key to all of this, is interview
preparation. Knowing what to
expect will help you remain calm and to present yourself in a relaxed
and professional manner.
You may also want to visit the job
interview technique, interview
tips,
job
interview questions and marketing
yourself page for additional
advice.
And check out what others have said in the career information section..
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