Md. Islam. 03/14/2018
Thomas Barber
Writing for Engineering
How to Succeed in an Interview
In today’s world, it’s harder to get a job. Getting a well-paid job requires the applicants to fulfill lots of requirements to actually be employed. One of the important steps toward getting a job may include the process of interviewing. The employer mostly interviews the people that stand out from the rest of the applicants[1]. About 118 different individuals apply for the same job on average, but only 20% of the applicants get interviewed [1]. Therefore, you do not want to mess up on the process of interviewing, because being good at an interview can make you one step closer to getting the job of your desire.
The process of a job interview is the process required by many companies when applying for a new job. This process could sometimes be very different depending on the job. But the majority of the jobs will have a similar process of an interview that will be discussed in this technical description. As mentioned in the glass doors for beginner’s website, “The interview process is a multi-stage process for hiring new employees”[2]. This means that the process of job interview involves more than just the physical interview. Some of the pre-processing of the job interview also involve submitting your resume to scheduling the date for the interview.[2]. It is also important to mention that there are different forms of interviews, one commonly known as the face to face interview[3]. Other form of interviews includes: video interview, telephone interview, lunch interview, and group interview[3].
The interviewing process is commonly used by many groups of people, one common being applying for a new job and interviewing for an internship program. This process is also used by students who are applying to a new school that requires an interview. “The purpose of a job interview is to figure out if both parties will benefit from the hire.”[4]. This means that the employer gets the opportunity to learn more about the applicants. Through this process, the employer is checking whether the applicants are fit for the job. On the other hand, this gives the applicants an opportunity to know more about the job and its expectations. [4].
According to the article, “History of Job and Job interview: Who invented the process?”, it mentions that after the 1920s, there were abundance of college graduates and many seeking for employment[5]. This, as a result, made the employer more selective about choosing the right candidate for a job. This process of the interview, however, was first invented by the man named Thomas Edison[5]. Whenever Thomas was hiring to add to his workforce, he would usually take about 100 applicants. This is simply due to his experience with the applicants level of knowledge, every college graduates are not same skilled[5] . To choose a few applicants out of many, he created a test, and whoever passes his test would be hired[5]. Many industries took the idea and adapt the process of the questionnaire to hiring employers. However, over time this process has changed resulting in the interview process that we have today[5].
Step- by- Step instructions:
1. Resume:
The day before you go to an interview, make sure to have the resume printed with any other document if requested. Sometimes the interviewer may ask for your resume on the day of the interview. Also, its always good to have a resume in front of you, this may help you to answer some questions[6].You can print your resume by going to the nearest library for free. Or you may also go to nearest drugstore/ pharmacy which charges about 5 cents per page.
2. Know the company/Organization:
Before going to an interview, you should do some research about the company/ business that you are applying to[7]. This is very important because employers admire applicants who enter the interview with some knowledge of the company. Not being informative of the company shows your lack of interest in the job, which is not a good thing. You can find more information about a company or business by simply doing a google search.[6]If the company is rare/not known, you may go to the nearest library and get help from the research assistant [6]
3. Learn more about yourself:
Many interviewers may ask you questions that we usually don’t think about yourself, for example, “what is your strength and weaknesses?”[7].Therefore knowing once self can be really handy in the interview. Also, in the interview you are trying to sell your skills to them, therefore you have to know what you are trying to offer to them as a worker.[6]
4. Practice, Practice, Practice:
Practice is ultimately the best thing one can do to get better at something. You can ask your family members or siblings to pretend to be the interviewer, and let them ask you questions in a interview style[6].This will be a good practice and may boost your confidence level on the day of the interview. Body language, eye contact and simple smile also matters[6]. You should seat straight, do not slouch and show enthusiasm[7]. You can practice front of the mirror or record on a camera and see where you may need to improve on. If you are unable to answer a question/ stuck, simply say you do not know. The interviewer appreciates the honesty[6].
5. Dress to impress:
Figure 1 [7].
As stated on the website, “12 tips for how to succeed in a job interview”, it mentions, “While your skill and experience should stand on their own, to have a successful job interview, start with your clothing.”[7]. You should have to know how much to dress depending on the job. Getting a job in google may require you to dress differently than getting an internship. If you are confused to how much to dress, you could directly ask them beforehand. Figure 1 demonstrates the proper ways you dress for success for an interview[7]. Little overdressed is always better than underdressed. Your clothes should also be clean and fit, and stay away from bright colors. Grooming properly and body odor is also part of the ‘dress’[6]. Have a clean haircut, while teeth, and smell nice. Do not overdo the perfume, or aftershave,
it may be distracting or not necessarily the taste of the interviewer[6].In addition, you should not be chewing gum, or candy while interview is in progress. [7].
6. Be punctual:
Never, you should try to be late to an interview, this is already a bad impression. This gives a sense that you may be late to your job as well[7]. Be 10- 15 minutes early to the interview, this gives you the opportunity to settle down to the environment and “take a deep breath [6]” before the real deal. To avoid making mistakes with the directions, visit the site before the day of the interview. Also, if you are using public transportation, or live in a busy area, be informed about traffic and try to leave your house about 30 minutes early.
7. First impression is very important:
Malcolm Galdwell mentions in his book called, ‘Blink’ that, “We are thin-sliced whenever we meet a new person or have to make sense of something quickly”[8]. From this we can assume that the interviewer would be no difference, they are human as well. The moment that you first meet your interviewer, they make assumptions about your appearance, and even the way you are shaking their hand or making eye contact [6]. It is good to be more comfortable with the interview, try to make little chat such as talking about the weather to make the situation more smooth [6].
8. Answer the right way:
Yes, this is probably the most important part. This is your time to shine. The interviewer may give you tricky questions or questions that may require some thinking[6]. Whatever the situation is, answer best ability you can, “It’s better to give a shorter answer with strong points in it than to babble on for five minutes in a disorganized fashion [6]”. Also, if you do get stuck in a question, you may ask the interviewer for some time to think, do not fell the pressure to answer right away [6]. While you are answering the questions, be sure to make eye contact, this ensures that you are actually telling the truth[7]. In addition, it is very important to be yourself at all times, “Trained interviewers spot actors quickly”[6].
9. Prepare questions to ask:
In a typical interview, the interviewer may offer you to ask questions. You must ask questions, this is very important. Not asking a question about the job may show lack of interest[6], it’s better to be safe than sorry. Your questions should be related to the job or the organization/ company. Some example may include: “What are some of the daily responsibilities as a worker?”[9], or another example may include, “ Could you please tell me more about the culture of this company?”[9]. Also, try to stay away from yes/ no questions and questions about salaries and off days[6].
10. Finish it strong:
Before leaving, give the interviewer a handshake and thank them for their time. “Your interview isn’t over when you walk out the door” [6]. It is very important that the instance that you return from interview, you write a short email thanking the interviewer for their valuable time.[6]. It is also to consider that not many people do that, this already puts you in head of the game comparing to other applicants. In addition, if the interviewer have requested for more documentations or any additional requirements, this is the time to do so. Do not wait longer, this shows your punctuality and interest in the job.
Even though these given steps does not guarantee that you’ll get the job. Of course, interview is the only requirements of getting a job. Getting the process of interview can be tricky and through practice you can get better. However, getting the interview part correct will make you one step closer to the job of your desire. Having a good interviewing skills and being comfortable with interviewing is a great skills to have. A average person does about 14 interviews before getting their desired job[10]. There is a chance that you might interview multiple times, as you may want to change your job position or try something else. Therefore, it does not hurt one to have the skill to succeed in a job interview considering the competitiveness of the job market.
Reference List
[1] J. Smith, “7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Job Search,” Forbes, 17-Apr-2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/04/17/7-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-your-job-search/. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2019].
[2] G. Team, “What is the Interview Process | How to Improve the Interview Process,” US | Glassdoor for Employers, 21-Dec-2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/improve-interview-process/. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2019].
[3] “Different Types of Interviews01/05/2017,” Different Types of Interviews. [Online]. Available: https://www.orchard.co.uk/blog/different-types-of-interviews-1536.aspx. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2019].
[4] L. Finn, “Purpose of Job Interviews,” Chron.com, 30-Jun-2018. [Online]. Available: https://work.chron.com/purpose-job-interviews-11989.html. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2019].
[5] O. G. Martins, “History of Job and Job Interview: Who Invented the Process?,” The Spirited Hub, 23-Aug-2018. [Online]. Available: http://thespiritedhub.com/history-of-job-and-job-interview-who-invented-the-process/. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2019].
[6] “10 Steps to Interview Success,” GrooveJob. [Online]. Available: https://www.groovejob.com/resources/interview-tips/secrets-of-success.html. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2019].
[7] “12 Tips for How to Succeed in a Job Interview,” LiveCareer, 01-Oct-2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.livecareer.com/career/advice/interview/interview-success. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2019].
[8] K. Hedges, “How Important Is Your First Impression Really?,” Forbes, 05-Sep-2014. [Online]. Available: https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2014/09/05/how-important-is-your-first-impression-really/#3730698b53de. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2019].
[9] “Top 12 Best Questions to Ask at the End of the Interview,” Big Interview – Job Interview Training, 21-Aug-2018. [Online]. Available: https://biginterview.com/blog/2011/08/best-questions-to-ask-end-interview.html. [Accessed: 13-Mar-2019].
[10] Tony Beshara Blog. [Online]. Available: https://www.tonybeshara.com/blog/?p=687. [Accessed: 14-Mar-2019].
