Chapter No One.(3)

The Job Application process, Interviews and Follow up…

Successful Preparation for the Job Interview…. A)… Prior to the Interview. B)… Chronology of the Interview. C)… Activity During the Interview. D)… Answering or asking Questions During the Interview.

A)… Prior to the Interview. The 20_30 minutes spent with an interviewer may determine the future course of one’s life. It is one of the most important events in the average person’s experience. Strangely, some persons drift into interviews with scant preparation and only with the vaguest Idea of what they are going to say. Too often the oral and nonverbal communication is “well, here I am”.

Two other extremes also are present. On the one hand are those who are seemingly indifferent (uncaring), Casual (informal), nonchalant (relaxed), apathetic (lazy), detached (separate), cool Or some are over prepared, over rehearsed, over nervous (anxious/worried), over stimulated (motivated). These marks of inexperience can destroy a promising interview.

B)… Chronology of the Interview. As with most communication instances (examples), an interview also has an introductory period middle assessment period and concluding period.

Interview Preparation… 1) Know yourself… Review the self assessment document you created based on your skills, accomplishments, interests and personal values. 2) Know your resume… Take at least two copies of your resume with you.

3) Know your Company… Review current CD-ROM database, check either electronic or hard copy issues of the wall street journal, The New York times, The Asian wall street journal, or other periodicals. What do you look for..? Earnings, products, expansions, management changes events even problems.

4) Know the Position… Prepare with your stronger qualifications if the job position is known. If the position is general, come with your personal qualification well rehearsed and known. 5) Known some questions and answers… Prepare some of your questions in advance. Try to anticipate (wait for) some of your interviewer’s questions and your answers.

6) Known that nonverbal appearance communicates loudly… Its suggests that your clothing, your shoes, your jewelry, your color choice, your grooming all say some thing about you. When it doubt, be conservative in dress. 7) Know that your oral delivery also communicates … A mono tunes rarely holds attention. Oral variety in pitch, rate, and volume.

8) Known the meeting place, time, and other details… Know the name of your Interviewer. 9) Know some basic Salary range… Avoid locked-in-stone position on salary, initial interviews are not the place for negotiations sessions. But knowing possible salary ranges is advisables.

Cont… Introduction ( About 2 to 5 minutes). 1)… interviewer seeks to put candidate at ease chitchat, casual talk about personal information on resume. 2)… Candidates try to make positive up-front (frank) impression smile, handshake, sense of enthusiasm (interest).

Company Information ( about 5 to 10 min) 1)… Interviewer may indicate type of position available, some information about the company. 2)… Candidate suggests a high degree of interest in the company, in the position.

Candidate Assessment ( About 10 to 20 minutes ). 1)… Interviewer try to assess (review) the qualification of the candidate. What are his or her strengths and weaknesses…? 2)… Candidate employs data, evidence (proof) via goals, skills accomplishments, interests, and personal values. Relates these data to skills learned in school and the world of work. 3)… Question, in this period a variety of questions, challenges, testing of the candidate occur.

C)…Activity During the Interview. Both oral and nonverbal cues are important in the early part of an interview. Some points in the above chronology apply here. Significantly, the first few moments are critical. Make eye contact immediately, begin courteously, show enthusiasm, give a firm hand shake.

Positive and Negative Behavior During an Interview… Positive Desirable Behavior

1) Show enthusiasm, vitality, interest. You can do so by the alert way you sit and look, by facial expressions, by the questions you ask, and by the answer you give. 2) Be honest. State your data clearly, without exaggeration.

3)… Listen attentively, concentrate. Do not interrupt. Let the interviewer finish. 4)… Keep answers brief. The more answers you provide, the more varied the information you can give about yourself.

5)… Show interest in the company. Here, too, tactfully relate your achievements to your future employer’s needs.

Negative factor to avoid… 1)… Discourtesy. Avoid first names, and disinterest. 2)… Jargon, slang. This is not a time to project an image that you are hip (Fashionable), cool, or tuned into the jargon of youth.

3)… Overaggressive or cynical attitude. Avoid the superiority complex and “know it all” attitude. 4)… Unfavorable comments. Focus on the positive. Omit criticisms of former professors, colleagues, other employers.