TYPES OF INTERVIEW//PART-11

Follow-up Interview:

Many people feel that once they make it through an interview they are done with the interview process. This is completely false; you need to follow-up after the interview. By following-up you show the employer that you are well-mannered, focused, enthusiastic, detail-oriented, have the ability to follow through, and that you have good work ethics. Follow-ups will give you a competitive edge and show the employer how interested you are in the position.


It is important to remember that you are not the only qualified applicant. Your actions are being evaluated from the second you contact a company for an appointment/interview. Employers also evaluate a variety of factors during the interview process. You may have done everything perfect, but if your follow-up strategy is not up-to-par you could lose the position. Your follow-up techniques will be scrutinized, therefore you should plan well. The best way to follow-up is with a letter or thank you note.

Thank You Notes & Follow-Up Letters

Any written correspondence needs to be perfect! Your writing skills will be examined to determine your grammar skills, spelling skills, the level of your writing ability and your ability to write convincing copy. The content of the letter will also be analyzed. The employer will look to see if you touch on the subjects that were discussed in the interview. In addition, you need to convince the employer that you have the skills and the qualifications needed for the position you applied for.

Follow-Up Tips for Letters and Thank You Notes

1. Remember and/or write down your interviewer’s name because you will need to use it when writing your follow-up letter or thank you note. Some large companies have a team of interviewers; if this is the case you will need all of their names. They best way to impress is to write a separate letter for each interviewer.
2. Send your letter or Thank You note ASAP! It should be sent the same day if possible. Remember, everything is looked at and the employer will notice the date of your letter (meaning the date stamped on the envelope).
3. You can email a follow-up letter if you have the email address of the interviewer(s)-do not email to a random company email address.
4. Always express your appreciation for the interview and the employer’s time.
5. Clearly explain the level of your interest for the open position.
6. Summarize your skills, qualifications, your educational background, and any other job training that relates to the position.
7. Offer any information you forgot to mention in the interview.
8. Thank them again.
9. Provide complete contact information-Email Address(es), Cell Phone, Home Phone, Fax etc.

TYPES OF INTERVIEW//PART-9

Tag-Team Interview:

Companies often want to gain the insights of various employees when interviewing candidates. Thus, the tag-team interview conducted by two or more interviewers who typically work different jobs.
This interview type is often attractive for companies that rely heavily on team cooperation. Not only does the company want to know whether or not you're a good fit for the company, but also whether or not you get along with other workers as a team player.
In some companies, a tag-team interview means that two or more interviewers will take turns and play off each other to simultaneously interview you in the same room.
In other companies, a tag-team interview means that you will proceed through a series of one-on-one interviews with various interviewers, typically all on the same day.

In either case, your interviewers might consist of department managers, supervisors, project leads, HR personnel, future coworkers or a blend.

Helpful tips for capitalizing on either type of tag-team interview are listed below

• Treat each person as an important individual. Ask for each interviewer's business card at the beginning of the meeting, if possible, and refer to each by name. If there are several interviewers in the room at once, you might wish to scribble down their names on a sheet of paper according to where each is sitting.
• Briefly make eye contact with each interviewer, while speaking directly to the interviewer who asked the question.
• Use the opportunity to gain as much information about the company as you can. Just as each interviewer has a different function in the company, each has a unique perspective. When asking questions, be sensitive not to place anyone in a position that invites him or her to compromise confidentiality or loyalty.
• Be ready to illustrate your main message in a variety of ways to a variety of people.
• Prepare psychologically to expend more energy and be more alert than you would in a one-on-one interview.
• Stay focused, but flexible.
• Send a thank you note to each of your tag-team interviewers.
  

TYPES OF INTERVIEW//PART-8

Group Interview:

Group interviews involve getting together with other job candidates to meet with one or more interviewers. Usually it involves a number of interviewers - potential managers or supervisors, human resources, even future co-workers and a group of candidates all together in one room.

In its most basic form the group interview consists of a presentation to the candidates about the company and position. Generally there will be a question and answer session after the presentation.

These simple interviews serve two purposes. Information is given to all the candidates in an economical and time-saving manner. It also gives the interviewers an opportunity to conduct an initial screening of the candidates as they observe the candidates' behavior and interaction with each other, their communication skills and the impression they make.

Group interviews can be more involved than this. Candidates may be required to participate in wok- stimulation exercises. These can take the form of group problem-solving sessions where each candidate's contributions and participation is noted. Discussion groups take a similar form.

Other exercises include splitting the candidates into teams and each team is given a work-related task to complete. Each team then presents their results to the whole group.

During these team exercises the interviewers closely watch and listen to the candidates. They may also ask questions of individual candidates and take notes.

The skills been observed communication and interpersonal ability, persuasiveness and the ability to influence others, leadership and delegation, organizational and planning skills and the ability to work and contribute as a team-member. Other observable behaviors include the ability to handle stress, to deal with feedback and give feedback and to analyze and problem-solve. Levels of individual knowledge are also noted.

Sometimes the situational exercise is not work related. Candidates are given a controversial hypothetical situation, such as deciding how to choose which people to save from a sinking boat. These type of exercises cause a lot of discussion and argument and interviewers will observe how people interact, influence and reach decisions.

Tips for Group Interviews:

• Before you begin the interview introduce yourself politely to the other candidates.You will be observed from the word go

• It is important to be seen as an active participant rather than merely an observer. Contribute your views and ideas while also listening to the other candidates

• Appear confident but avoid coming across as aggressive

• Avoid dominating the conversation and don't interrupt the othercandidates
• Make sure that you take criticism and give feedback constructively
• Give praise when possible and acknowledge valuable contributions from other candidates
• Avoid obvious power conflicts as these will make you appear uncooperative and unprofessional
• Stay cool under stress

• Be aware of your body language. This is something that will be carefully observed.

• With many candidates all trying to contribute, someone may make your point first. If this happens, think of a statement that adds to this point. This demonstrates that you listen actively and think on your feet

• Prepare meaningful questions to ask. You will be asked at some point if you have any questions and you will stand out from the other candidates if you have a planned list of insightful questions to ask

• Be aware of the interviewers throughout so you can catch any important cues
• Send a thank you letter to each interviewer as soon as possible afterward
  

Use these tips for group interviews and your job interview experience will be a positive one. You will stand out as a mature, confident and competent candidate.

TYPES OF INTERVIEW//PART-7

Audition:

For some positions, interviewers want to see job candidates in action before they make a hiring decision.

Subsequently, interviewers might take you through a simulation or exercise in order to evaluate your skills. That's what the audition interview is all about.

For example, if you're applying for a job as a technical instructor, your interviewer might ask you to prepare for instructing a brief lesson about a given topic or one of your choice.

Your "student" audience might consist of interviewers, other interviewees, seasoned technical instructors, employee volunteers or a mix of all. An audition interview can be enormously useful to you as well. That's because it allows you to demonstrate your abilities in interactive ways that are familiar to you. The simulation or exercise will also give you a simplified sense of what the job and working conditions would be like.

If you're not offered a chance to audition, but you sense that other candidates have an edge on you in terms of experience or other qualifications, requesting an audition interview can help you to level the playing field.

To maximize your success in an audition interview, remember to:

• Brush up on your skills before an interview if you think they might be tested in an audition interview.
• Clearly understand the instructions and expectations for your audition interview. Ask for clarification if you don't, as it will show that you make an effort to do things right the first time.
• Treat the simulation or exercise as if you have responsibility for the task laid before you. Take ownership of your work.
• Send a thank you note to each of your audition interviewers as soon as you can.