INDIAN AIR FORCE :: Placement Cell

Handling Interview

Interviews in the Corporate World could take you by surprise, as these are the most crucial phase of the selection process.

So, preparing for your interviews is a crucial preparation for a good job.

	Before Your Job Interview
	During Your Job Interview
	After the Interview
	Important Interview Questions
	Questions you may want to ask an interviewer

Before Your Job Interview:

	Learn all you can about the company or organization; learn as much as you can so that your questions are sophisticated and knowledgeable during the interview. Employers expect you to arrive knowing background information about the organization. If you don't, you look like you're not really interested in the job. You have to be able to answer the critical question of why you would like to work for that employer — and not sound like you would take any job. Research helps you formulate intelligent and appropriate questions to ask in your interview.
	Be prepared to answer and ask questions. (see our sample questions)
	Prepare your clothes for your interview, making sure they are business-like, clean, pressed and conservative; make sure your hair and nails trimmed and clean. Your attire should be noticed as being appropriate and well-fitting, but it should not take center stage. When in doubt, always dress more professionally rather than more casually. Dressing nicely and appropriately is a compliment to the person you meet, so if in doubt, err on the side of dressing better than you might need to. A two-piece matched suit is always the best choice for both men and women, in navy, gray or black.
	Prepare papers for your interview, including extra copies of your resume, job reference lists, reference letters, legal pad for taking notes, and any other information that you may wish to have with you.

During Your Job Interview:

	Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. Don't take any chances that you might be even one minute late. If necessary, arrive 30 minutes early and wait in your car.
	Treat all people you encounter with professionalism and kindness. That receptionist or secretary or maintenance man may offer his or her opinion of you to the boss. It will count.
	Don’t let the employer’s casual approach cause you to drop your manners or professionalism. You should maintain a professional image. Don't address the interviewer by his or her first name unless you are invited to.
	Don't chew gum or smell like smoke. Don't take cell phone calls during an interview. If you carry a cell phone, turn it off during the interview to be sure it doesn't ring.
	Don't ever interrupt the interviewer, even if you are anxious and enthusiastic about answering the question.
	Be aware of your non-verbal behaviors - sit straight, smile as often as you can, maintain eye contact but don't stare the interviewer down, lean forward but not invading the interviewer's space. Sit still in your seat; avoid fidgeting and slouching.
	Don't be shy or self-effacing. You want to be enthusiastic, confident and energetic, but not aggressive, pushy or egotistic. That fine line is important. If you find yourself trying to hard to sell yourself, you are probably crossing the line. Instead, pull back, be confident and reassuring and calm.
	Don't make negative comments about previous employers or professors (or others).
	Listen very carefully to each question you are asked and give thoughtful, to-the-point and honest answers. Ask for clarification if you don't understand a question. It is OK to take a few moments of silence to gather your thoughts before answering. Try not to "beat around the bush" or take a long time to give the answer the interviewer is seeking.
	Make sure you understand the employer's next step in the hiring process; know when and from whom you should expect to hear next. Know what action you are expected to take next, if any. Always thank the interviewer for his or her time at the close of the interview and establish a follow-up plan.
	When the interviewer concludes the interview, offer a firm handshake and make eye contact. Depart gracefully.

After the Interview:

	After the interview, make notes right away so you don't forget critical details.
	If you are working with a search firm or recruiter, call that recruiter immediately while the facts of the interview are fresh on your mind. The recruiter will want to know what you thought went well and what you may have concerns about.
	Always send a thank you letter to the interviewer immediately. If there were several people that interviewed you, send them each a thank you note. It is good to keep the letter short but to also reiterate your interest in the position and your confidence in your qualifications.
	Don't call the employer back immediately. If the employer said they would have a decision in a week, it is OK to call them in a week, again to thank them for the interview and reiterate your interest.
	If you receive word that another candidate was chosen, you may also send a follow-up letter to that employer, again thanking him or her for the opportunity to interview for the position. Let them know that should another or similar position open in the future, you would love to have the opportunity to interview again.

Important Interview Questions:

1. Why do you want this job?

Your answer should be precise and must explain the positive aspects that attracted you to apply for this job. However, you must be careful in not mentioning the negative aspects of your present job.

2. What do you think you can contribute to the success of the company?

This is a chance for you to form an impression. Explain about your past achievements in your previous job(s) relevant to the new position you are applying for and how you could contribute to the company's success.

3. Why do you want to work with this company?

Your answer must emphasize all the positive aspects of the job you have applied. However, it is better to avoid controversial subjects such as money and working hours.

4. What is the feature that interests you about our product/service?

We recommend prior research on the company before attending the interview. It helps you to answer such questions better.

5. What do you think we can offer that your previous company has not offered?

Answer with utmost care here. Do not mention money aspects as it may create a negative impression. You could stress upon opportunities for personal growth, new challenges, etc. as positive motivators in applying for the job.

6. Why do you think we should employ you?

You may answer this question based on your previous experience and achievements relating to the position and company. As a conclusion, you could mention that you could fit into the position comfortably with a supporting reason. You may also ask the employers opinion about this.

7. How long would it take for you to make a significant contribution to the success of the company or yj project?

You may mention that you can contribute to the company's success from day one. You may also ask the employer about the period provided to demonstrate your capabilities.

8. How competitive are you for this job?

You may sound ambitious depending upon the position you have applied. However, it is incorrect to appear as if you are after the interviewer's position.

9. What do you like and dislike the most about your job?

Likes: Here you can stress things like new challenges, opportunities to bring a new experience to the company.

Dislikes: Mention that you do not dislike anything in particular which is the reason why you like the job.

10. Why did you choose a career in this field?

Your answer must be positive with appropriate reasoning and advantages of this field. If you have changed careers, you must offer logical reasoning on why you did so.

11. What according to you are the similarities and differences between your previous job and your present job?

The interviewer is trying to visualize how well you could fit into the position so try to focus more on the similarities rather than the differences. Coming to the point of differences, it will help you if you can demonstrate that you have done similar task before or you could pick up the new skill quickly. .

12. What is your opinion about the previous company you have worked for?

Mention the positive points your present employer with a few words of praise for the company. You may also mention the training programs you have attended and work experiences gained.

13. Did your previous company live up to your expectations? Why do you want to leave that company?

You may focus your answer on joining or leaving your present employer. However, it is best not to remark any thing negative about your employer. Instead, you may say that, you are looking for new challenges and mention that the company who is interviewing you fits very well into your scheme of things.

14. What is the organization structure in your previous company and how did you fit in it?

Questions of this nature are asked to know whether the old job is at a comparable level to your new one. If the new job is at a higher level than your previous job, you must be able to demonstrate that you can take up more demanding position. You may also convey that you have already been handling most of the responsibilities and possess the required skills.

15. What is the size of the company you would prefer to work with? Small, medium or large?

Before answering this question bear in mind the company size where you are attending the interview. If it is a medium or small sized company you could say that you like to work in a close atmosphere with a good team spirit. If it is a large company you can say that you enjoy the stability of working in a large company and established company.

16. What are your expectations in the new job?

The most appropriate reply would be that you are looking for a job where you can apply your present skills and learn new ones.

17. What would be your ideal job?

You may describe your ideal job keeping in view the job description of the job you have applied. An ideal job can include challenging work environment, team spirit, opportunity to learn new skills or apply existing skills.

18. Are you thinking of considering any other jobs at the moment?

If you are considering other jobs, be careful not provide too many details as it may weaken your negotiation position later. If you are not considering any, you may say you have a few irons in the fire.

19. How would you describe yourself?

Utilize this opportunity to describe about your personal and professional attributes and achievements.

20. Do you think that you are successful?

Your answer should be positive. You could explain about some of your past work-related achievements that will suit the position you desire for.

21. What has been your greatest success? How did you achieve it?

Describe about an achievement, which best suits their needs.

22. What has been your greatest failure?

Speak about a failure, which you have rectified in later stages, or something, which is not very significant.

23. How do you think you can improve?

Be careful in not mentioning any of your negative points as the interviewer is waiting to find a flaw in you. Instead, stress on things like learning new things.

24. Did you have any chance for growth in your previous jobs?

If you had successful growth opportunities, you can mention them. However, if you have not had any, you will have to be extremely careful in your choice of words.

25. Are you a leader?

Explain about your previous experiences where you have successfully demonstrated your leadership qualities.

26. Are you a loner or do you get along well with others?.

Some jobs mean that you have to work in a team and for some jobs you need to be on your own. You can say that you are comfortable in both the situations.

27. Are you self motivated or you need someone to motivate you?

You should answer that you are self-motivated and narrate events to substantiate your claim.

28. Will you be able to work on your own initiative?

You should answer positively asking how much responsibility will you be required to handle.

29. What are the motivational factors for you?

You can say good career growth, opportunities to learn new skills, a congenial work environment etc. as motivational growth factors.

31. What are your career goals?

Mention the goals, which are in common interest of the company's requirements.

32. Are you prepared to relocate?

If you are, say so. If you do not want to move, then you do not have to accept the job - try and come across as someone who is positive.

33. Are you willing to travel?

Again if you are, say so. You want to sound positive, so find out how much traveling is involved before you turn down the job.

34. How often are you off sick?

This can be a difficult question to answer if you are frequently off sick or you have just recovered from a prolonged period of illness. If you have generally enjoyed good health and this period of illness is not typical then you should say so.

35. What did you earn in your last job?

You have to be very careful when answering this question because once an interviewer knows your current salary they will try and fix your next remuneration based on this figure. This may be satisfactory if you only wanted a modest rise in salary and your current salary is in line with their salary range, but, what if your current salary is substantially lower than the rate for the job, or if you want a substantial salary rise? In these cases you would be best advised to say that you do not really want to prejudice yourself by being too high or too low. Ask if you can discuss this later after the responsibilities for the job have been discussed; you may also want to ask them what the range for the job is (if you do not already know).

36. What level of salary are you looking for now?

Be very careful when you answer this question - you would not want to appear to be greedy. If you are applying for a specific vacancy, you could ask the interviewer the salary range. Once this is answered you could say "I think my experience would place me at the top end of your range, don't you?" If they ask you this question fairly early on in the interview you could delay answering by saying "It is hard to discuss salary without first knowing a little bit more about the job and the responsibilities."

37. What will your referees say about you?

You could offer your references and what they would say about you. However make sure that the references are aware that you have applied for the particular job.

38. Difficult questions

You might reply with "That's an interesting question" and answer the question if you do know the answer fairly well. If you have no clue about the question, you might as well say "I am sorry! I do not know" instead of hazarding a guess.

39. Fantasy questions

These types of questions are often very tricky to answer. Questions such as "What would you do if you won the National Lottery?" or If you were given an opportunity to see an event in the future, which event would you see." Your answer has to be positive and must be something which offers the best chance of getting the job.

Questions you may want to ask an interviewer

The interview is a two-way process. The company interviewing you will want to find out whether you are suitable for the position, and you will want to find out if the company and position are right for you. You should therefore ensure that you have enough information to make up your mind whether you want the job. For example:

	What will be my responsibilities?
	Where will I fit into the overall organizational structure?
	Who will I report to?
	Where does he/she fit in the structure?
	Who will report to me? How experienced are they?
	What do you expect me to do in the first 6 months?
	What level of performance do you expect from me?
	Who are your customers?
	Where is the company going? Upwards? Expansion plans?
	What are the chances of advancement/promotion in this position? When?
	What will be my salary, benefits and bonuses? [Do not bring this up too early in the interview - wait until they are sold on you.]
	Will traveling be required in this position?
	Will relocation be required now or in the future?
	What training do you provide?
	When will you decide on the appointment?

Select functional area :

Post	Location	Salary
SENIOR EXECUTIVE HR	DELHI	1 lac
Technicians	KARNATAKA	15000/- For Suitable applicants there is no bar
Engineers	KARNATAKA	Negotiable
Sales Executive (SE).	DELHI	14000/-
Deputy Director	KARNATAKA	As Per GOVT Norms
CLERK	DELHI	10000/-
Technical Writer	MAHARASHTRA	20-30000/-pm
DY GEN MANAGER	UTTAR PRADESH	Rs.36600-62000/-

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