ALKHOBAR, 30 September 2006 — Winning the hearts of interviewers may be a topic, which would be debated with much interest during the final years of college life due to students being desperate to find a good job. But many candidates do not seem to impress their interviewers in the final stages of their interviews.
In the present world, job seekers are very competitive in their respective field of studies and therefore multinational companies have made various levels of tests and interviews to finalize the selection of a candidate.
It is generally found that candidates clear the technical tests but fail to clear the interview round of the selection procedure. I would like to brief a few do’s and don’ts when attending interviews.
Self-confidence is the first and foremost factor in winning the heart of any interviewer be it me or anyone else for that case.
Once a well-prepared candidate enters an interview hall, you should give the interviewer a feeling that you are mentally prepared to take up the job and not just the interview.
Self-confidence will be assessed from the way you walk, the way you greet the interviewer, the way you take your seat, your looks and your answers.
The candidate should keep in mind that the interviewer will be considering you as a potential candidate for his job and so he expects the candidate to answer him in that way. Don’t be in a hurry to reply to his questions but think properly before answering him.
That doesn’t mean that the candidate can sit back and think for a long time but one must be prepared to answer suitably in the best possible time frame.
Eye-to-eye contact is very important to win the hearts of the interviewer. An interviewer can easily figure out the level of confidence you have in yourself by the way you look at him during an interview.
Look at the interviewer and talk unreservedly, something which makes the interviewer feel comfortable with you and which perhaps makes him or her feel that the candidate would get along easily with the job and colleagues.
Of course your personality counts when you go for an interview. Dress up smartly and be fresh before entering the interview hall.
Gloomy and dreary faces make the interview even gloomier and that can make you lose the heart of the interviewer.
It is also important to keep in mind that the interviewer may have lost his frame of mind due to some appalling interviews that have taken place before yours but you could be the best of choice for him if you can enlighten him by the way you approach that situation.
It is very important that you support all your responses with credentials particularly of your academic and work related achievements.
Never forget to take all the credentials with you while stepping out for an interview and make sure that you have it arranged in a way so that you can present it to the interviewer promptly as and when necessary. Credentials are what attract the attention of an interviewer.
The crux of winning the heart of an interviewer is by being smart, self-confident, ready to answer promptly and rightly, a sense of confidence that involves eye contact, being well dressed and not being dull and gloomy.
—(Jerry D. Thomas is manager (A), HAK Group of Companies)