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Sunday, January 8, 2012

Interview Tips

A famous saying goes ‘Luck is what happens when preparations meet opportunity.’ Interview is your opportunity!

Interview, the latest buzzword prevalent across all sectors in the present times, be it education, industry or any other. An interview is a conversation between two people (the interviewer and the interviewee) where an interaction takes place in the form of questions, discussion, tasks, and other techniques, primarily with the motive of achieving a pre-defined objective of any such interaction, say employment, enrollment for an educational course or like. In today’s competitive world, based on an organization's requirements, the organizations are conducting different types and multilevels of interviews to filter the flood of candidates applying for any given role and performance. Interview section on Examcds.com aims as a guide for a better and winning interview interaction, go ahead and take a step forward - from Entrance to Success!

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Gear yourself with success tips, know the winning tricks, be aware of Do’s and Don’ts of a perfect, winning art of interaction. Don’t wait anymore for a winning interaction to happen, make it happen!
Preparation and confidence are the very first important tips for any interview. Both go hand-in-hand. Preparations inspire confidence, and confidence makes up for the preparations you have done, or any lack of it.

Each interview needs its own share and a little customized and specialized preparation, though confidence pervades all. So, before preparing for any type of interview, it is important to be aware and know about the types of interviews. Well, read on and discover –

Types of interviews –

Traditional, one-on-one interview –
The traditional one-on-one interview is, by far, one of the most common types of interview followed across the globe. In a traditional interview, you are interviewed by one representative of the company, most likely the manager of the position you are applying for. As you will be working with the person taking your interview directly if you get the job, the person may want to get a feel of who you are and if your skills match those of the job requirements.

Such interviews are largely informational, wherein the primary objective it to get the information about you, from you. You may be asked questions about the experience on your resume, what you can offer to the company or position. Many times the interviewer will ask you questions such as "Why would you be good for this job?" or "Tell me about yourself."

A traditional interview gives both, the interview and the interviewee, a chance to know each other and get along with each other before a decision to formally associate is taken. These interviews are a great opportunity for you to show your worth and display what you are and what you can do!

Panel Interview
In a panel interview, you will be interviewed by a panel of, usually 2 –3, interviewers. The panel may consist of different representatives of the company such as human resources, management, and employees. The reason why some companies conduct panel interviews is to save time as compared to conducting various interviews to assess a candidate in different spectrum, like behaviorally, technically and others; or to get the collective opinion of panel regarding the candidate. Each member of the panel may be responsible for asking you questions that represent relevancy from their position.

In panel interviews, you should be prepared to face questions related to various aspects at random and should be poised enough to handle and answer them accordingly, to the best of your capability. Such kind of interviews is another most common types of interview held to assess the overall suitability and compatibility for a given responsibility and with the prospective organization.

Behavioral Interview
In a behavioral interview, the interviewer will ask you questions based on common situations of the job you are applying for. The logic behind the behavioral interview is that your future performance will be based on a past performance in a similar situation. You should expect questions that inquire about what you did when you were in a given situation and how did you dealt with it. In a behavioral interview, the interviewer wants to see how you deal with certain problems and what you do to solve them. The idea is that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance in similar situations. By asking questions about how job applicants have handled situations in the past that are similar to those they will face on the job, employers can gauge how they might perform in future situations.

Behavioral Interview Question Examples:
Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.
Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone's opinion.
Give me an example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.

Group Interview
Many times companies will conduct a group interview to quickly prescreen candidates for the job opening as well as give the candidates the chance to quickly learn about the company to see if they want to work there. Many times, a group interview will begin with a short presentation about the company. After that, they may speak to each candidate individually and ask them a few questions.

One of the most important things the employer is observing during a group interview is how you interact with the other candidates. Are you emerging as a leader or are you more likely to complete tasks that are asked of you? Neither is necessarily better than the other, it just depends on what type of personality works best for the position that needs to be filled.

It involves a group of candidates working together to solve a problem or agree a decision, simulating a working environment; or involves candidates to discuss or express ideas/opinions on a specific topic.
It is a valuable source of information on how group members behave in meeting/discussion and when working in a team.

Phone Interview
Telephone interviews take place if a recruiter wishes to reduce the number of prospective candidates before deciding on a shortlist for face-to-face interviews. They also take place if a job applicant is a significant distance away from the premises of the hiring company, such as abroad or in another state or province. Telephonic interviews are becoming common and are being increasingly used by the companies for their cost, effectiveness and utility to an organization purpose. You may be asked typical questions or behavioral questions.

Most of the time you will be scheduled an appointment for a phone interview. If the interviewer calls unexpectedly, it's ok to ask them politely to schedule an appointment. On a phone interview, make sure your call waiting is turned off, you are in a quiet room, and you are not eating or drinking anything. Make sure to keep a pen and a notepad handy during the process to avoid losing out on taking down any information.

You can use telephone interviews to a greater advantage to yourself. Since during a telephonic interview, you are not facing an interviewer, what you have to say is the only thing that gets noticed and hence you can pay extra attention to what answers you are giving to the interviewer. Also, telephonic conversation helps break the ice between you and the prospective employer and it also acts as a medium to establish your first, positive and favourable impression, upon the prospective employer.

Lunch Interview
Many a times lunch interviews are conducted as a second interview. The company will invite you to lunch with additional members of the team to further get to know you, how you act in an informal environment setting and to see how you fit in. This is a great time to ask any questions you may have about the company or position as well, so make sure you prepare your questions in advance.

Although you are being treated to a meal, the interview is not about the food. Don't order anything that is too expensive or messy to eat. You need to display your best table manners and be as neat as possible at any such incidences of interaction. You don't need to offer to pay; it is never expected for a candidate to pay at a lunch interview.

Chew quietly and in small bites so you don't get caught with a mouthful of food when the recruiter asks you a question.

Stress Interview
Stress interviews are still in common use. Stress interviews involve testing an applicant's behavior in a busy environment. The seeming purpose of a stress interview is to find out how the candidate handles stress. One type of stress interview is where the employer uses a succession of interviewers (one at a time or all together) whose mission is to intimidate the candidate and keep him/her off-balance. Questions about handling work overload, dealing with multiple projects, and handling conflict are typical.

Another type of stress interview may involve only a single interviewer who behaves in an uninterested or hostile manner. For example, the interviewer may not make eye contact, may roll his eyes or sigh at the candidate's answers, interrupt, turn his back, take phone calls during the interview, or ask questions in a demeaning or challenging style. The goal is to assess how the interviewee handles pressure or to purposely evoke emotional responses.

The key to success for the candidate is to de-personalize the process. The interviewer is acting a role, deliberately and calculatedly trying to "rattle the cage" and making you feel seated on a ‘hot seat’. Once the candidate realizes that there is nothing personal behind the interviewer's approach, it is easier to handle the questions with ease. They key in any stress interview is to being sensitive about the interview environment and keeping your cool to answer, and to answer smartly to the off-track questions and situations posed by the interviewer.

Points to remember during interview.
Always remember that communication is two-way
* Avoid sounding as though you assume the job is yours.
* It is fine to ask about the package on offer and accommodation
* It is important to listen to the question asked and answer that question.

Interview Tips for Freshers
Everybody feel, fresher’s stage is the difficult stage t sustain in the present markets.
because where ever we go to take up an opportunity generally we come across a renowned question-
Do you have any experience? But according to me a fresher is a bright and clever, not dull or faded
having the reinvigorated approach to work. Interview tips for freshers are suggestions to the Job seekers
who are going to attend for an interview for the first time or as freshers.
You need to be more confidence when you attend any interview.

DRESS CODE
Higher your rank, the more important it is to adhere to an appropriate dress code. First of all your dress code should be attractive, sober as per the climate.
Good dress helps you to get more confidence. If you have any doubt regarding the colors, then wear the black & white.
Everything about you must be neat and crisp. From head to toe, people will be looking at you.
All shirts must be ironed. No wrinkles allowed. Avoid stains on them as well.
Keep your face clean. However, make sure facial hair suits you first and keep it under control. Dress up smartly and your body language should reflect confidence and not a nervous persona.
Avoid strong fragrance & hunky funky accessories. The kind of watch you wear, or the kind of bag you bring to work everyday, speaks volumes about you.

Follow these simple “dress for success” and you’ll be ahead in the Interviews you attend .

LEADERSHIP SKILLS
A leader is a person who has strong principles, courage and dedication to a clear vision. In business, possessing high-quality leadership skills are a must for any interested individual to succeed on an executive level.
An individual with good leadership skills will recognize and reward the team for the greater cause.

Important Steps for a Good Leader :

1. Getting and Giving Information
2. Understanding Group Needs and Characteristics
3. Knowing and Understanding Group Resources
4. Ability to control the group
5. Counseling of the group
6. He should be a good Example
7. Representing the Group
8. Planning & Evaluation
10. Sharing Leadership
11. Manager of Learning

* The role of a leader is to inspire and create followers who are also self-leaders.
* The responsibility of a corporate leader is to bring about the change in a way that is responsive to the true and long-term needs of all stakeholders.
* The task of a leader is to bring about constructive and necessary change.
* The greatest source of power available to a leader is the trust that derives from faithfully serving followers
.
Leadership style is the pattern of behavior used by a leader in attempting to influence group members and make decisions regarding the mission, strategy, and operations of group activities.

To be a leader you have to be first to get into the mind of the prospect – and then follow the strategies to stay there.

Public Speaking Confidence

Public speaking is one of the important skills and you must get over the Fear of public speaking. Get well prepared for your speech with full confidence. Practice it in front or your family or friends before the real presentation. Before Public Speech take deep breath, this relaxes your mind and body and also makes your blood pressure lower.
Note down your points on a paper. Voice should be clear while speech to get the proper response from the audience.

Some helpful hints:
Introduce yourself clearly and directly. Engage in some "small talk" at the start of the interview,
just as you would in a one-on-one interview.

Have your resume and the job advertisement with you for reference, and a pencil and some paper to make notes.

Some students find that it helps to dress for a telephone interview as you would for a face-to-face interview –
it often helps to psychologically prepare you for this form of business “meeting”.

TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

Stress interviews
Stress interviews are used to see how the jobseeker handle himself.
You may be sarcastic or argumentative, or may keep him waiting.
You may also lapse into silence at some point during the questioning,
this is used as an attempt to unnerve the jobseeker.

Phone interviews
It seem to be growing more common as search committees try to make the difficult decision
of who to invite for a campus interview. When you pass this level you will pass to the interview,
and to campus for in-person interviews, and ultimately offered the position! If you are not interviewed
by phone, these same questions are likely to be asked on site.

Group interview
A group interview is usually designed to uncover the leadership potential of prospective managers and employees who will be dealing with the public. The front-runner candidates are gathered together in an]
informal, discussion-type interview. A subject is introduced and the interviewer will start off the discussion.
The goal of the group interview is to see how the jobseeker interact with others and how use him/her
knowledge and reasoning powers to win others over.

Informational Interview
Typically this is an interview set up at the jobseeker's request with a
Human Resources Manager or a departmental supervisor in the career field he/she is interested in.
The purpose of this interview is to help the jobseeker find out more about a particular career, position
or company. He/she is seeking information from these people in hopes that they might refer him/her to
someone else in their company or to somebody they may know outside their company who could use your skills.

National Burning Topics

Educational News

India's higher education system is the third largest in the world, after China and the United States. the main governing body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission. Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by 12 autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission. The educational structure of India follows a Ten+ Two + Three (10+2+3) pattern. The first ten years provide uniform, general education for all the students. The +2 stage, also known as the higher secondary or senior secondary, provides for differentiation into academic and vocational streams and marks the end of school education. In +3 stage, which involves college education, a student goes for higher studies or specialization in his chosen field of subject.

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Higher Education System in India

After the completion of 10 plus 2 education, students enroll for a full-time, graduation course (or Bachelor’s course) out of wide range of options available across the fields of Arts, Advertising, Media and Mass Communication, Architecture, Commerce, Banking, Finance, Management, Fashion Designing, Science, Engineering, Computer Applications, Medical, Pharmacy and several others courses for their higher education which continues for three to five years depending on the course enrolled for.

There are different types of entrance tests for the admission in engineering, medicine & law programs, both, at the state and national level. These programs require a student to undergo four to five years of formal education & usually a six months internship program.

After successful completion of a graduation course, a student can go for further studies by enrolling for a post-graduate or master’s course in his chosen field of subject. A post-graduate course is generally a two-year program. Beyond completion of a Master’s degree, the options of doctorate education and avenues for the same are widely available in India.

Candidates interested in part-time and distance learning have an option to go for Open Universities and distance education institutes to pursue higher studies. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is the pioneer of distance education in India and co-ordinates distance learning in the country.

Role of Indian Government in Higher Education System
India's Central Government is responsible for major policy formulation and execution relating to higher education in the country. It provides grants to UGC and establishes central universities in the country. With the recommendation of the UGC, the Central Government declares Education Institutions as ‘Deemed to be University’.

State Universities and colleges are established by State Governments and provide plan grants for their development and non-plan grants for their maintenance.

Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) maintains the coordination and cooperation between the Union and the States in the field of education.

Special Constitutional responsibility of the Central Government:
Education is a part of 'Concurrent list' subject to Entry 66 in the Union List of the Constitution; this gives exclusive Legislative Power to the Central Govt. for co-ordination and determination of standards in Institutions of higher education or research and scientific and technical institutions.
To implement the devised policies, central government has set up certain statutory agencies like; Universities Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and Distance Education Council (DEC).
University Grants Commission (UGC) is responsible for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards. UGC also releases all grants to related Educational Institutes. Professional councils are responsible for recognition of courses, promotion of professional institutions and providing grants to
undergraduate programmes and various awards.
There are several other statutory or autonomous education bodies that have significant power and authority to ensure the improvement of the higher education system in India.
Some of these are -

* All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE)
* Medical Council of India (MCI)
* Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR)
* Dental Council of India (DCI)
* National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
* Pharmacy Council of India (PCI)
* Bar Council of India (BCI)
* Indian Nursing Council (INC)
* Central Council of Homeopathy(CCH)
* Council of Architecture
* Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM)
* Distance Education Council
* Rehabilitation Council
* State Councils of Higher Education

Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) also works in the areas of data management and promotion of the unprivileged sections including minority group, women etc.
Education department has introduced some of the aided premier centers /organizations, which have eventually become the center of excellence in their own right. Following are some autonomous institutions through which the department ensures implementation of its policies -

* Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)
* Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
* Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore,
* Central Universities, including IGNOU
* Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)
* Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs)
* National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
* School of Planning and Architecture

Administrative formation of Higher Education in India
The Minister of Human Resource Development chairs the Ministry of Human Resource Development and receives support from the Minister of State, who is responsible to make policies and also guides the entire Ministry.

A Secretary is appointed to head the Department of Higher Education, who receives assistance from Additional Secretary (Higher Education), Financial Advisor, Joint Secretaries or officers of the same designation. The duties and responsibilities of the department are segregated between following six divisions -

-- University & Higher Education, Minorities Education
-- Distance Education & Scholarships
-- Technical Education
-- Integrated Finance Division
-- UNESCO, International Cooperation, Statistics, Policy, Copyrights and Book Promotion
--Administration, Languages, Planning and Coordination

Measures for Development of Higher Education in India
The Indian government has adopted various measures for Development of Higher Education in India like;
-- making development plans for University, Higher Education and Technical Education
-- forming National Education Policy and supervising its implementation
-- providing scholarships to proficient candidates
--emphasizing on the education needs of unprivileged groups, such as SC/ ST
-- OBC and girls, physically challenged and minority groups
-- focusing on the growth of all Indian languages encouraging international relationship in the sphere of education (such as with UNESCO) promoting books and Copyright Act