Interview Questions

Interviews are held to help the employer assess the candidates on a face-to face basis and decide which among them fits the specific job. Thus, it is important for you to be prepared and leave a good impression upon your first meeting with the employer.


Below is a list of interview preparation guidelines that you may follow to assist you in your preparation.

Research

Do a comprehensive research on the prospective employer beforehand. Showing the employer during the interview that you have gathered information about them means you are interested in joining their company. Familiarize yourself with the mission statements, previous performance, future goals, as well as current analyst ratings.

Most companies now have websites with broad information about them. You must be aware that if your prospective employer has a company website, you may possibly compromise your chances if the employer notices in your interview that you have not taken time to do a research about them.

If the company has no website, try other alternatives to gather information about them. You can browse through the archives of the online sites of some national newspapers and professional magazines. You can also try to research about them on the internet through web search engines. If you know of someone who has worked on that company, try to ask information from them. If all else fails, try to call the company and ask for general information.

Interview tips

1. Greet your interviewer properly by standing up and giving a firm handshake and a smile. Good body language is very fundamental in interviews. Make yourself comfortable all throughout the interview by maintaining good body composure, speaking clearly with confidence and keeping a relaxed eye to eye contact during the interview.
2. Generally, an interview starts with an introductory talk, proceeding to questions relevant to your application and experience. General information about the company and role applied for may follow, concluding with an opportunity for you to ask your own questions.
3. Prior to the interview, do a comprehensive check on your CV. Be familiar with it and be prepared to answer questions from it. Accordingly, make certain you have read any job description carefully and, during the interview, think of ways on how your experiences will benefit your prospective employer.
4. Be attentive on the questions asked from you. Consider carefully your answers on the difficult ones and refrain from giving extraneous answers. Explain concisely and avoid one word answers. It is best that you prepare beforehand by practicing on answering common interview questions.
5. Before the interview, prepare some questions that you may ask the employer during the interview. This gives the impression that you are sincere in your application and have done some research on the organization. Make certain though that the questions are open to encourage the interviewer to further give you more details.
6. Always have the air of positivity; if you have some reluctance, do not show it. These can be discussed at a later stage with your employer.