Welcome to my third article on business etiquette. So far, we have been exploring the general rules of professionalism, your appearance and attitude towards your work, boss and colleagues. But what about the appropriate manners before getting a job? Are you taking correct notes or asking the right questions? Let's find out.
Prepare for various types of interviews
There are various types of interviews that you should be prepared for.
The first one is the most common type of interview called one to one. It is when you and the interviewer are sitting down and he or she is asking you questions about your qualifications and you are discussing the job. The one to one interviews can be stressful and you must demonstrate professionalism throughout.
The second type of interview is a panel interview. This one can be even more stressful and much more intimidating. This is because the panel interview is when you are being interviewed by a panel of individuals from an organisation. It could be at a table or they could be in from of you asking you individual questions.
The third type of interview is a telephone interview. This type is often used as a screening interview prior to the one to one interview. This one can be a little bit more tricky because it is easier to be less professional when you are on the phone and the person is not in front of you.
The last type of interview is the employment test. Employment tests are used to screen your skills prior to other interviews, like the one to one or panel interview. Employment test could be anything from a math skills test to profiling your personality.
On the phone
Let's take a minute to talk about interviewing on the phone. This could be your phone interview, or screening interview or even when you call back after your interview. There are a few points to guide you to ensure that you are being professional on the phone.
1. Firstly, speak clearly and professionally. This means, that you are being aware of how you articulate the words and speaking clearly so that you know the other person can hear you. Take your time to understand how you sound on the phone and ensure that you are choosing words that are professional at all times.
2. Focus to avoid multitasking. You must also ensure, that there are no distractions or background noise. This means you have to find somewhere where it is quiet.
The point is to be present on the phone with the person you are speaking to.
You should also research the company beforehand and find out what they do, what are their goals, missions and values.
3. Take notes. Have a piece of paper prepared to take some notes. If you have to ask them to wait for a moment to grab some paper and pen, do it. That's professional. You should take some notes so that you ensure you follow the conversation well. Additionally, being present through those notes is also very important.
These notes will help you as you go further into the conversation. This is because you can go back and understand the information in front of you or even ask more questions.
4. Ask questions. You should also be able to ask questions during any type of interview. This will ensure and allow you to show the interviewer why you are the right person for the job. So, don't end the call without asking any question you might have.
This could be, for example, asking for a face to face interview.
Be prepared for test interview
How do you prepare for a test interview? Well, if you are contacted and the organisation shares with you that you are going to be tested on an aptitude or some type of information, in the time that you have, prior to the test, prepare yourself. Do your homework. Ensure that you take your time to research about the test you will be taking or even asking questions of the individual who is sending you the information. Understand everything you can about the test you are going to have to take. Take the time to prepare. This may be requiring you to do some studying.
Often the test is through your computer and you are doing them from the comfort of your home. Assure, that you have all the distractions away from you. Ensure that you are in a quiet room and you can be present with the test at hand.
If you have prepared, research the test and studied for it, the test should be a breeze.
It is just to understand whether the job is the right fit for you. If it is a test that is too hard, that is okay. This simply means that the job is not the right fit for you.
If an employment test is hosted at a facility and you have to go somewhere to take it, ensure that you arrive early. Ensure that you know what to bring with you or not to bring with you. Contact them ahead of time ad ask the ground rules on what they expect from you.
The last thing you want to do is to get to the facility and not to have identification or you have brought something that you are not allowed to take in.
Always be honest and ethical about your skills.
If you don't have the skills do not tell your future employer that you do. And if you do have the skill, ensure that you can be honest.
Planning for an interview
There are lots of things to ensure that you are fully prepared for an interview.
First, you want to research the company. Find out as much as you can about the organisation. The beauty of the internet today is that you can go online and find out so much information. You can find out where they are headquartered, how many employees they have, what the revenues are and how they do business. You can even find reviews from former employees and their feedback from working at the place.
Before you go into the interview, review your resume. Ask yourself how the interviewer could interpret your CV or are there any final points that you want to highlight about your resume.
Additionally, you should ask for the job description of the position you are applying for. Check, whether the job description matches your resume, your skills and experience.
This will help you to translate your skills to the job you are being interviewed for.
This is also a great time to get your references together. You should contact your references before the interview and ensure you have up to date contact information. You can also talk to them about the job and the company or the job you are applying for. Prepare them so they can also put you in the correct light.
If you are going to be taking work samples or a portfolio with you, now is the time to do it. you want to have it neatly put together as a demonstration of quality and professionalism of your work. You certainly would not like to pull it together last minute.
If your portfolio is not professional, you should not take it.
Therefore, you should be having a clean manner that shows the quality of your work.
In preparation for an interview, you have an opportunity to prepare your own list of questions. The questions could be connected to the culture and what it is like to work for the organisation. Any question which will help you to make the determination, whether the position is a good fit for you.
Remember, the interview is a two-way street. It is both an opportunity for the organisation to understand whether you have the skills to do the job, but also it is an opportunity for you to find out whether this company is matching your career goals.
Plan for what to wear
Find out what is going to look best on you. Ensure that you wear a nice, clean and crisp outfit. Wear something smart that will allow you to present yourself in a good manner.
Plan ahead of time, how you are going to fit the outfit and groom yourself so there is no last-minute chaos.
In the waiting room
The waiting room is often the cause of stress. You should arrive early. Do not race the clock around your interview. Within 15 minutes window is appropriate. This will allow you to become calm and feel good about what you are going to present. When you arrive, your manners should be at best behaviour. Greet people with s smile. Be polite and whoever came to greet you, shake their hand. Anyone could be the person interviewing you, therefore you must be polite and present your best manners to everyone. Put away your cell phone, don't play games or have phone calls.
What can happen in the waiting room can determine whether you get the job as well!
During the interview
Think of the interview as a dialogue. Be calm. Shine. If you are not sure what they are asking, it is completely okay to ask to repeat the question or elaborate on a question. Be very specific about your answers.
Translate the situations you are describing you have taken in the past, to the behaviours that you have acted upon.
Past behaviour is the predictor of future behaviour and future performance. If you can tie the positive actions and behaviours that you have taken in the past, you will show the interviewer that you are the right person for the job.
Be positive about past jobs
You always want to be positive about past coworkers and past employers. As you are sharing your experience, never put down any employer or coworker. This will show your attitude towards others. The interviewer wants to see that you speak positively about those who you work with. Even those, you have not had the best relationships with.
Be mindful of your body language
Body language speaks volumes. You want to be open. You want to be sitting face to face to your audience. Be engaged and show you want to listen to them. Maintain eye contact. Don't fidget or look around. Don't play with papers, sit straight and remain calm.
After the interview
At the end of your interview, you should ask when you should follow up.
You also want to say thank you. This should be done with a handwritten note that is mailed to the interviewer. It should not be an e-mail.
After that thank you note, you might want to talk to your family. Talk to your family on what have you learned and share some details of the questions that were asked of you. They can look at this from a third perspective and give you feedback. Take the information and use decision making.
If you receive a phone call and find out, that you have not received the position, don't get discouraged. Ask the interviewer for clarification on the reasons and what you could do to win the position. You can then seek additional skills for a similar position or next interview.
If you are offered the position, you must respond to that message immediately. 24-48 hours is the maximum to respond to the offer. Outside of the 48 hours window, the interest may be lost and they might offer it to someone else.
Summary
A job interview is often a stressful experience. But with the correct preparation and confidence, knowing how to act this can turn into a pleasant and new positive experience. Be prepared, know what to do and do not get discouraged. The right job will be the one which will get you up on the carrier ladder.
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