TYPES OF INTERVIEW//PART-4

Meandering Interview:

The meandering interview is often hosted by an inexperienced interviewer, for instance a manager at a small or start-up company who does not often conduct interviews, and hasn’t had any training.

While informality may feel comfortable, the onus is on you to make sure that your skills and abilities are discussed and highlighted. The tone of the interview may change from informal and conversational to formal, with intense questioning. In this situation be attentive to the shift and adapt your performance accordingly.

Sometimes the meandering interview style may be deliberate, as the employer may prefer a more casual approach. The interviewer knows the questions they want to ask, and the qualities they want in a candidate. However instead of following a prescribed format, they allow your responses to direct the order and content of the questions. Some interviewers prefer this style since they can learn much more about you from how you respond to these informal questions than from your responses to more predictable questions.

You might encounter a ‘chatterbox’, an interviewer who dominates the conversation, even when asking questions of you. They end up telling you about their organization, the position, and what they are looking for, but don't give you a chance to tell them anything about yourself. This is frustrating, because at the end of the interview they will not know much about you. In this situation, you will need to politely interject (perhaps when they are taking a breath) with your comments, and quickly mention your top skills and attributes before they jump in again.

Helpful Hints

Employer perspective ~ Why are they conducting this type of interview? Are they unprepared? Relaxed in their style? Or are they being strategic? Your response to the lack of structure could be assessed to determine how you might respond in an unstructured working environment.

Preparation: Determine your interview strategy in advance. Find the opportunity to share your skills and experience. Your preparation can put you ahead of other candidates who might become frustrated by the lack of structure. You can actually prepare for this type of interview by carefully thinking through what kind of person you are, how you react in different circumstances, what qualities you are looking for in a job, and what you think they are looking for in an employee. You could conduct a practice interview to build an interview strategy.

Power of suggestion ~ As this interviewer may not be asking the right questions to prompt you, come prepared with notes to spark conversation, highlight your strengths, or consider creating a summary indicating your skills and career highlights to leave behind.

Balanced Dialogue ~ Open the floor by asking questions of your interviewer. This may allow you to seek out vital information you might otherwise miss out on, and avoid creating the impression that you are taking over the interview, which might be offensive.

Stay on target ~ Be sure to keep both you and the interviewer on track. Consider using your portfolio as a means of guiding the interviewer through your skills. This will also add extra emphasis and dimension to a potentially lackluster interview.

Stand guard ~ Many mistake this interview as a lesser interview, but be forewarned: your actions, comments, dress and personality are being scrutinized, even if the questions are more lighthearted.

Follow up ~ If you haven’t had the opportunity to fully cover all of your skills and attributes in the interview, follow up with your summary and an expression of interest.

TYPES OF INTERVIEW//PART-3

Directive Interview:

In the rigid, directive interview type, the interviewer has a clear agenda that he or she follows unflinchingly. Sometimes companies use this interview type to ensure parity between interviews.

In other words, directive interviewers in the same company might ask the same questions of job candidates, so they may compare the results to pick the candidate who consistently gave the same best answers.

Directive interviewers rely upon their direct questions and methods to get from you what they wish to know. You might feel like you are being steam-rolled! On the other hand, if you like a no-frills style, you might find that the conversation develops naturally.

Although their directive style might seem a bit dry or calculating, it does not necessarily mean that your interviewers have dominance or superiority issues. They are likely just trying to lead you straight to the point, to make the most of the interview in the time allotted.

Alternately or additionally, they might be testing how you react to a no-frills leadership style.

However, it's a good idea to keep an eye open for dominance or superiority issues, if the interviewer will be your coworker, lead, supervisor or manager should you land the job. Keeping an eye open for such might provide clues as to how he or she will treat you on the job.

Listed below are tips to help you successfully navigate a directive interview.

• Flex with the interviewer, following his or her lead.
• But, do not relinquish complete control of the interview. For example, if the interviewer does not ask you for information that you think is important in proving your superiority as a job candidate, politely interject it.

In other words, directive interviewers in the same company might ask the same questions of job candidates, so they may compare the results to pick the candidate who consistently gave the same best answers.

Directive interviewers rely upon their direct questions and methods to get from you what they wish to know. You might feel like you are being steam-rolled! On the other hand, if you like a no-frills style, you might find that the conversation develops naturally.

Although their directive style might seem a bit dry or calculating, it does not necessarily mean that your interviewers have dominance or superiority issues. They are likely just trying to lead you straight to the point, to make the most of the interview in the time allotted.

Alternately or additionally, they might be testing how you react to a no-frills leadership style.

However, it's a good idea to keep an eye open for dominance or superiority issues, if the interviewer will be your coworker, lead, supervisor or manager should you land the job. Keeping an eye open for such might provide clues as to how he or she will treat you on the job.

Listed below are tips to help you successfully navigate a directive interview.

• Flex with the interviewer, following his or her lead.
• But, do not relinquish complete control of the interview. For example, if the interviewer does not ask you for information that you think is important in proving your superiority as a job candidate, politely interject it.
• Send a thank you note to each of your directive interviewers.
  

TYPES OF INTERVIEW//PART-2

Informational Interview:

The purpose of an informational interview is to get information about a field of work from someone who has some firsthand knowledge. When you are on an informational interview you should not ask for a job. This is not to say that an informational interview cannot lead to a job. In addition to helping you learn about a particular career, the informational interview is a way to start building a network.The person who is the subject of your informational interview today, may be the first person in your network many tomorrows from now. Here's another way an informational interview can benefit you. For those of us who are a little skittish about going on a job interview, the informational interview provides an non-threatening forum in which to get some practice. Think of it as a dress rehearsal. Here's how I see it. You need information. Someone has that information. Anyone is fair game as long as that person is knowledgeable about the field in which you are interested. Ask friends, relatives, fellow students, your teachers, and neighbors if they know someone who works in your targeted field. People love to talk about themselves and what they do. Call someone you read about who has your "dream job." Call your alumni association. When I first thought about becoming a librarian, I contacted an employment agency that specialized in that area. I was able to get an interview with one of the agency's founders, herself a librarian. She was able to tell me about the job itself, and because of her unique position as a placement counselor, she was able to tell me about the outlook for the field.

What You Need to Know Before the Informational Interview

Just as you need to prepare for a job interview, preparation for an informational interview is very important. As my friend did, searching for information on the occupation is step one. She felt she needed to know as much about her targeted career in order to ask intelligent questions.
When you go on a job interview it is wise to learn as much about the potential employer and the interviewer as you can. When you go on an informational interview you should do the same type of research. As mentioned above, people love to talk about themselves. People also love to hear about themselves (the good things of course!). If your interviewee was referred to you by someone, ask that person about him or her. Also, see what you can find out by looking in local business journals and industry publications. For example, was the interviewee recently promoted or did he or she receive some special recognition? Research that person's employer as well. You will be prepared for the interview and therefore make a good impression.

Questions to Ask At an Informational Interview

As previously mentioned, you should research your career of interest in order to ask intelligent questions. Was there something mentioned in the occupational information you didn't fully understand? The informational interview is a good forum to get that clarified. Here is a small sampling of questions you should ask:

• Describe a typical day at work.

• How many hours do you normally work in a week?

• What do you see as the potential for growth in this field?

• What can I do now to help me find employment in this field?

The Big Day: Time for Your Informational Interview

You've done your homework and can walk into the informational interview confident that you will make a good impression and get the information that will help you make a wise decision. Don't forget to dress appropriately. Arrive on time, keep the interview to the scheduled length, and remember proper etiquette.

Speaking of proper etiquette, please remember to send a thank you note to show your appreciation. The interviewee has taken time out of what is probably a very busy schedule to help you.

TYPES OF INTERVIEW//PART-1

Screening Interview:

The initial screening interview is used to determine which candidates are most qualified and interested in an available position. This interview is also conducted to screen out applicants who are not a good match for the employer's needs. Qualified candidates who are not prepared for interviews may be screened out.Screening interviews are often structured; i.e., the interviewer has a standard pattern of basic questions that she/he asks nearly everybody. Screening interviews are normally rather brief, lasting from 15 to 30 minutes.The screening interview is most often carried out over the telephone and focuses on clarifying and confirming the information contained in your resume.

Following are some screening interview tips:

* It is important to make a good impression on any telephone and face-to-face interviews.

* Smile always helps you in every situation. Smiling will project a positive image to the listener and will change the tone of your voice.

* Do keep a glass of water handy, in case you need to wet your mouth.

* If you can't talk freely when you are called, arrange another time for the interviewer to call back - you need to be able to perform to your best.

* Remember that even a "casual" telephone conversation may make the difference between being screened out or continuing in the selection process.

* Have your application and advertisement close to the phone so you can refer to it during the interview.

* Have blank paper and pen handy.

* During the selection process always use correct phone manner when answering the telephone.

* Think carefully about how you respond to each question.

* Communicate your enthusiasm in your tone and words as the interviewer cannot see your non-verbal expressions.

* As with all interviews, practice telephone interviews. Ask someone to call you and practice your technique with him or her.

Job Screening Interview:

The job screening interview may be conducted in person or by telephone. It is almost always a behavioral interview (questions about your past often predict your future action) conducted by just one person. It is very common for recruiters to screen candidates by phone as it is the quickest way to ascertain a candidate’s skill set, qualifications and match to the job opportunity.

Likewise, employers receiving numerous applications also find the telephone to be the best method for screening candidates for the first round.

Tip 1:Treat all interviews formally.

It might seem a bit more informal, but do not be lulled into that feeling because every interview is formal, important and critical to your success in moving onto the next interview level. At every step along the way you are being highly scrutinized. Employers are looking for elements in your resume and from your answers that confirms you might be a match for their position, but they are also interested in screening out those that simply do not match up. The sooner they can assemble a solid candidate pool of three to five top notch candidates to invite in for face-to-face interviews, the better.

Tip 2: Always be prepared.So whether or not you are being screened in person or by telephone, you need to be prepared no matter what for the screening interview as this is only the first in what may be several steps and interviews you will have to go through. However, assume that when you are actively job seeking and have distributed your resume, that a prospective employer is going to call you. Your phone is going to ring and you will be facing the initial screening interview. Are you prepared? Probably not. That is because the interviewer is prepared to begin asking you questions about your background, experience and achievements. You, on the other hand, usually have no idea who is calling you, and thus, may not be prepared at that moment, or even be in the situation, to carry on an interview.

Tip 3: Don’t answer your phone.What can you do? Simple, let the caller go into your voicemail and leave you a call back message and phone number. We all live in a world of voicemail and leaving one message is usually not a problem, as long as the person returns the call in a timely manner. By letting the call go into voicemail you have some time to prepare. That way you can take a moment to compose yourself and be better prepared to call back at a time more suitable to you so you can give the best interview possible. When you list your phone number on your resume, you can be absolutely certain an employer will use that to make an initial contact. Now you know an employer is going to call you; you must anticipate this and be prepared. Thus, it is imperative that the message on your phone is professional,warm and courteous. It should not be cute, humorous, folksy or anything else but above board and professional. This is another “first impression” and you do not want to drop the ball here.When your phone rings and you do not recognize the caller, it is safer to let the call go to voicemail so you can return it at the right time than it is to be caught off guard and give a poorly prepared interview. You could knock yourself out of contention right at the outset, so why take such a risk?

Tip 4: Call back at your choosing.When is the right time to call the interviewer back? As soon as you are relaxed and in a comfortable setting where you will not have annoying background noise, disturbances, interruptions, or anything that implies you are not in a professional setting and mode. You should call back as soon as possible; within minutes is best because the interviewer is eager to talk with you, already has you and your resume on their mind, is somewhat familiar with you and does not want to have to keep chasing you down.

Tip 5: Control the environment.If you are driving and on your cell phone, pull over and get off a loud, busy street. If you are at home, go into a quiet room where no one can disturb you. Likewise, if you are at your office, close the door, use a private conference room, or go outside with your cell phone and find a suitable location (not near a door where people are going past you with greetings or might be tempted to stop and talk). Have your resume and any other important materials neatly organized and at your fingertips so you can refer to them at a moment’s notice. After all, the interviewer has them and is reading from the materials you supplied to them.

Tip 6:Get prepared for your next interview.Assuming you have passed the initial screening interview, most likely by telephone, now what? Usually the next step is to invite you in for a more in-depth second screening interview – referred to as the qualification interview. The screening interview was to determine if you match up with the job desicription, possess the required job skills and requirements, and have most of the qualifications. The qualification interview will determine your strength and position within the candidate pool.

TYPES OF INTERVIEW

There are various types of interview given below-


1.Screening
2.Informational
3.Directive
4.Meandering
5.Stress
6.Behavioral
7.Audition
8.Group
9.Tag-Team
10.Mealtime
11.Follow-up


Introduction:
Interview means a mutual sight or view; a meeting face to face; usually, a formal or official meeting for consultation; a conference; as, the secretary had an interview with the President.

A conversation,or questioning,for the purpose of eliciting information for publication.

Discuss formally with(somebody) for the purpose of an evaluation; "We interviewed the job candidates".

All job interviews have the same objective, but employers reach that objective in a variety of ways. You might enter the room expecting to tell stories about your professional successes and instead find yourself selling the interviewer a bridge or editing code at a computer. One strategy for performing your best during an interview is to know the rules of the particular game you are playing when you walk through the door.
Go for an interview in the hope of being hired; "The job candidate interviewed everywhere"

Office Etiquette// Part-3

Cell Phone Etiquette:

More cell phone etiquette is needed than for any other type of communication device.

Cell phones, being mobile, are often used in situations where the phone user and the conversation are not welcome. They may be considered rude and even downright offensive.

There is no doubt that cell phones have a permanent and essential role in modern society.

But when cell phones interrupt important proceedings and are used in the wrong place at the wrong time, it is unacceptable and makes us grind our teeth in despair at the users’ rudeness and blatant lack of care and consideration for the people around them.

The following are some of the places and events where cell phones should be switched off or the ring tone muted.

If it is vitally important to be reached in such places then the call should be kept brief and the voice low:

- On public transport in proximity to other commuters
- In hospitals, restaurants and shopping centres
- At checkouts, cinemas and theatres
- Train stations, bus stops and air ports
- Doctors’ surgeries, churches and conventions
- Waiting rooms, libraries and lecture rooms
- At christenings, weddings and funerals
- And at a dozen other places that you can think of without my help
It’s not the use of cell phones that is the problem; it’s the loud and annoying ring tone. It’s the shouting into the cell phone; it’s the airing of one’s private life on the cell phone in the presence of strangers.
It’s the endless verbal diarrhoea and ear bashing that one and all are subjected to without fear or favour that is the problem.

Driving or walking on the street while talking on the mobile phone delays the reflexes and can shorten someone’s life. That life could be yours. So be safe or be sorry.

It is bad cell phone etiquette to make a call whilst in the company of another person. In fact, it is downright rude. If you absolutely must make that call, apologise first, then make the call. Keep it very brief.

Sending text messages in company is even worse. Once again, if you must, excuse yourself first and then be very brief. Share the message with those present as a courtesy to let them know that they are not the subject of the message.
It is unforgiveable to talk on a mobile phone while 'dealing' with another person such as a checkout in a shop or bank-teller or greeting or farewelling someone.
Lastly, camera cell phones. These are so useful and handy. Be aware of privacy laws, the rights of others and charges of voyeurism if used inappropriately in the wrong places.
Practicing good cell phone etiquette will not improve your popularity but it will certainly not make you unpopular. Importantly, you will not be contributing to cell phone rage.

Office Etiquette// PART-3

Telephone Etiquette:

Telephone etiquette means being respectful to the person you are talking with, showing consideration for the other person's limitations, allowing that person time to speak, communicating clearly and much, much more.

Your voice must create a pleasant visual impression over the telephone.
Good phone etiquette is important because we cannot see the facial expressions and body language of the other person and they cannot see us.
We must compensate by choosing our words carefully and using much more tone inflection to convey our message than if we were face to face.

This is becoming standard business practice and a challenge to good phone manners when we are finally able to talk to a person

We get desperate to talk to a real live person and when we do find a human being we are dismayed to find the person lacks the basics of good telephone manners.

Rudeness and a lack of consideration have surreptitiously crept into our telephone practices and in many cases we are unaware of this.