The title says it all. The interview can be likened to a market, a place for conducting a business. The commodity here is ’’yourself’’, the buyer is the employer and their representative is your interviewer. Once this analogy is made, everything else falls in place and you are immediately presented with the challenge of convincing them to ’’invest’’ in you. The interview could be something that is done over a cup of tea or could be a rigorous ordeal that lasts for hours ( a la Microsoft style) , however the basics are still the same. Organize yourself Make sure you have your papers in order, and are able to locate them quickly. A pen, some blank sheets of paper and/or a calculator are invaluable aids. You can also take a bottle of water with you, to quench your thirst. It also serves as a useful break to gather your thoughts or to slow the pace of the interview.
Your Looks
Though superficial, your attire can reveal a lot about your mental makeup. It makes a strong impression. Make sure you ask about the dress code (from the HR contact) before you show up in person. Typically old world institutions like banks, insurance and phone companies prefer the formal attire, so a suit and tie would be appropriate. Modern IT companies are a lot laxer in this regard, so you can opt for the semi-formal look. Unless you are a genius with a towering reputation dont show up in a Hawaiian shirt or party outfit however lenient the organization appears to be.
Your Talk It goes without saying that you must be proficient in the language enough to get the idea across. It is important that you remember the 3 P’s of speech, namely, PITCH (How you modulate your voice), PACE (How slow or fast you talk) and POWER (How loud your voice sounds) Try to keep these 3 attributes in moderate levels so that you are clearly heard . Keep your sentences short (7 words max) and get the point across quickly. It is OK to say I dont know rather than beating around the bush which only increases distrust in the interviewers’ mind.
Your Thinking The interviewers are basically trying to see how skilled you are, and how you will fit in with the existing team. So try to sell your skills as much as possible. If you are good at something then let them know that. Every interviewer has 2 or 3 ’’aha!!’’ questions. These are the questions based on which the they are going to pass/fail you. They are usually asked within the first 10 minutes of your interview. Identify them and answer them properly after taking your time. While most interviewers are fair and focussed, there are some who are just out to give you a tough time no matter how good you are or how hard you try. You have to retain control as long as the interview lasts, without showing signs of panic or nervousness.
General Attributes
a. Do your homework: Know what the company does. Do a little research on their products, recent events about their organization. Know how they are organized, who their CEO is etc.
b. Be Punctual: One cant overemphasize on this.
c. Be Honest: Do not use all the industry catchwords on your resume or when you talk. Your interview will only get tougher. e.g. If you have worked on Oracle and have read about SAP, dont include SAP in your skill set.
d. Be Consistent: Stick to what you have said throughout the interview. e.g. Dont say you have done Perl programming to the HR person and then deny it in the interview. The interview panel will get together and compare notes, and you will have a black mark against you.
e. Be Inquisitive: Curiosity did kill the cat, but this is an exception. Make sure you know your role in the new organization. Get the expectations straight. Also let them know about your working style and see if they match.
Post Interview Some ppl say that its good to write thank you letters, but I dont think thats relevant in today’s industry, unless you are overwhelmed by gratitude or your resume really sucks (just kidding).
I have never done it and I dont think it really makes a difference. I guess thats it for now. Hope this was helpful.