Job interviews play a very important role in whether or not someone gets the job they are applying for. They are important because they give the employer or interviewer a chance to see first hand what the person is all about and what they like or dislike about the individual. The interview is a crucial aspect of the hiring process. Much is weighed on this first encounter.
The resume is also important part of the hiring process. The resume may only get you a phone call form the company but the interview is what will determine whether or not the company is going to put its hopes on you and make you the chosen one. The resume will give the company, that is searching for the right individual, a good overview of what you have done in the past and what you have accomplished as far as school and other things. The resume is kind of like a bridge that may or may not lead to the interview. If the resume does lead to an interview, the first meeting between the interviewer and the interviewee is going to be very important. It gives the interviewer and the company a sample of how you may act when dealing with people in the office and how you may act when dealing with the customers or clients as well. The interview is a great guide for them to go by when making their final decision on whether or not you will be hired and made a part of their team. It is really all that they have to go by on judging how you will be as an employee and how you will interact with people in the day to day operations of the company.
In the pages that will follow, I will try to give some important keys that should be carried out before and during a job interview. Things that should be done prior to a job interview and during a job interview are of equal importance in the search for the ideal or almost ideal career. I’m going to give some good solid advice to those that are looking for their next or even first career. The important things to do prior and during a job interview, that will be covered in this paper, are things that can be used even by a teenager who is looking for that perfect summer job. These are tips and keys that should be used by everyone when preparing for a job interview.
When someone is either just finishing college or looking for a career change he or she should be applying for positions that they are interested in. This should help in getting you prepared for an interview. It is important whether still in college or after college that people find what they are interested in and what they are good at. Many people assume that no matter what they pick in college to study that they will get a high paying, secure job right out of college, this is not always the case. The fact that this is not always the case is what inspires 20% of nearly 1.2 million graduates of four-year colleges and universities to go straight into graduate and professional schools each year (Clarke, 1998). If you are one of the individuals that is going to begin that search for a career make sure it is something that you enjoy and/or are interested in. This will hopefully make your preparation for an interview a little easier.
After the external things are taken care of, preparing for the interview questions should be next. A good way to prepare for these questions would be to check out sites on the Internet that cover common questions asked at job interviews. This would give you a head start by showing you questions that are probably going to be asked by the person conducting the interview. This way you would have some time to prepare some solid answers and also make it so you are not caught off guard by anything asked. Nothing needs to be memorized but a little practice wouldn’t hurt. Here are some common questions asked at job interviews and after reading them you will see why a little practice would not hurt, especially to the person going on his or her first interview.
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- Tell me about yourself?
- Why do you want this job?
- What are your strengths?
- Why should we hire you?
These are not questions that you are asked everyday but are very important in an interview situation nevertheless (Dixon, 1996). These are questions that should be definitely thought of when going into an interview.
Another thing that should be thought of when preparing for interview questions is that many interviewers have a good idea that the people about to be interviewed know what is going to be asked. So what has happened in some cases is that the interviewer asks new questions, ones that aren’t going to be expected. This is one reason why you shouldn’t have your answers already memorized. One example of an unexpected question that might be asked is “How do you spend your free time?” which is asked to probe into a candidate’s personal life. A lot about a person can be found out from asking these types of questions, so make sure your flexible and prepared for anything (Half, 1993). Be prepared for questions like these, ones that are more personal.
