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The Interview: How to Behave and What to Avoid

The interview

The Interview: How to Behave and What to Avoid

Congratulations! You are one step closer to your dream job. The recruiter or even the head of the company liked your resume. What's next? The most important and responsible stage, which determines whether you get the job you want, awaits you. This is the interview.

The interview is a conversation between the employer and the applicant for a certain position. The form of the interview varies and can take place online or offline, individually or in a group format, over the phone or through a video call app. Usually, regardless of the type, the interview lasts between 30 and 60 minutes.

The interview is conducted to ascertain the potential employee's competencies to perform the required tasks. During the interview, the applicant and the company agree on cooperation. Therefore, it's important for the candidate to show their knowledge, skills, and abilities at this stage.

Interview by Phone or Video

This type of interview can be a full-fledged interview, as well as a preparatory selection before a face-to-face meeting in the office. Before the online interview, it's worth clarifying in advance the resource where it will be conducted, as well as the exact time and date. This is necessary to download the program, check the sound and camera, and choose a quiet place.

At the stage of such an interview the candidate and the employer communicate, ask each other questions and find out important details. At the end of the conversation, the potential employee or employer can see if they are comfortable with each other. If the telephone interview was a preliminary step and you have been selected, the next step is an in-person meeting.

Individual Interview

Before the face-to-face meeting, it's worth clarifying:

  • The time, date and exact address of the meeting.
  • The contact phone number of the recruiter or other interviewer.
  • The format of the interview.

The stages of the personal interview may vary depending on the particular company, but usually these are:

  • Greeting.
  • Filling out a questionnaire by the candidate.
  • Telling the candidate about the company, the vacancy and its responsibilities.
  • Interviewing the prospective candidate, that is, the interview itself.
  • Questions from the applicant and answers from the employer.
  • A test task, to evaluate the candidate's response to a certain situation.
  • Feedback after the interview.

The job seeker of course wants to make a good impression, to show all their professionalism to a possible employer. The candidate is usually also evaluated by appearance, speech, demeanor and energy. Therefore, it's important to prepare well for the interview. A prepared candidate feels much more confident, knows how to behave and what to talk about.

Preparing for a Job Interview

Preparing for an important interview starts beforehand. You have to know what to talk about and be mentally prepared for the interview and look fresh. Preparation is an important part of the interview. You have to create a strategy as versatile as the one experts in online betting Uganda use, meaning to study information about the company, prepare a list of questions for the employer, and prepare a story about yourself and your skills in a short and clear way.

What do you need to do before the interview?

  • Be in a good mood and set yourself up for success from the beginning.
  • Get enough sleep and get up early.
  • Think about your appearance (clothes, shoes, light makeup and hair).
  • Prepare a package of documents (diploma, certificates and certificates of merit, workbook, passport).
  • Think in advance about the route and save more time for travel, so that in case of force majeure you won't be late.
  • Turn off your cell phone or put it on silent mode.

During the interview, you will be asked questions about your desired salary, background, previous jobs, personal life, hobbies, career and future development. How to answer each of these questions?

Salary

Don't underestimate your desired salary, as it may indicate insecurity and that you do not value yourself.

Biography

You need to have your curriculum vitae written and memorized beforehand. It's necessary to tell the story, not to speak with dryly learned phrases.

Past Work Experience

You should use general phrases about the duties, but in no case talk about negative experiences, if any.

Personal Life

Personal life shouldn't be described in detail, and it's better to limit the general phrases. Some employers may ask rather provocative questions, such as: Is the woman going on maternity leave? The best answer is that you are not going to have maternity leave, but want to build a career.

Further Development and Career

The most popular questions are: "Why did you choose our company?", "What do you see yourself doing at our company in 2, 3 or 5 years?" The best thing to say is that you see development in the direction of the work of this company, and want to be part of the team and achieve excellent results. You can be specific about which ones. The employer should see your interest in the job.

How to Act at a Job Interview and What to Avoid

Excitement is one of the factors that hinders a successful job interview. It directly affects your confidence and affects your speech, demeanour, and non-verbal signs. A confident demeanour is an important component that employers pay attention to.

A few simple tips for a successful job interview:

  • Make sure to say hello and preferably smile kindly.
  • You can shake hands, but be aware of etiquette so you should do it only in response.
  • Wait to be told which chair to sit in or be invited to sit down. Then for the interview sit upright, so you look attentive. Once seated don't slouch or fidget either with your legs or hands as this will distract the interviewer and make you look nervous
  • A running or sliding gaze, staring at the floor or the ceiling are not the best options for the interview. It's best to look at the interviewer's forehead, slightly above the bridge of your nose.
  • When communicating, address the interviewer as "you" and do not use rude, colloquial or slang words. You should not use words like "probably," "maybe," "I don't know," etc. they indicate your insecurity.
  • Listen carefully to the end of what you are being asked. If you can't hear, it's worth asking again, so that you don't miss any important information.
  • It's unnecessary to speak a lot and quickly. It's better to answer briefly, clearly and to the point.

When the conversation with the supervisor or recruiter has come to an end, it's worth inquiring about the time frame in which feedback will be given. Thank them for their time and say goodbye.

Remember, it's not just the employer who chooses you, but you choose the employer as well. Careful preparation for the interview is an important factor in your success. Be confident and you will succeed!

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