anita.patt

Everyone will have a dream role like Engineer, Manager and Consultant etc. For any job you will need to go for interview unless you own a company! So now you are going for your dream job’s interview. Whether it’s your dream job in a fortune 500 company or a local job you are going to attend an interview. You need to go through the interview to get through for the job. Lot of people who are really competent fail at interviews. It’s sometimes puzzling when you see a person who you thought will never make it even for the second round comes out in flying colours. But how is that?

Success in a job interview is not difficult if you follow few important and simple steps:
• Prepare a good CV
• Write a good Cover Letter
• Prepare for the Interview
• Interview Handling

Looks simple but why do we fail?


Prepare a good CV: CV is the first thing a HR or Recruiter is likely to see. First impression is the best impression. This is why a good CV is vital. Presentation is very important in the CV. Punctuations, capitalizations, readable and professional font etc need to be taken care of. In short it’s what is going to sell you!


Prepare a good Cover Letter: A good CV should be preceded by a good cover letter. Without an introduction or a Cover Letter the CV may not even be reviewed! The cover letter should address the concerned person if mentioned or the HR with the position you are applying for and a brief about you.


Interview Preparation: Interview preparation involves or consists of few steps:
• Research about the company
• Research the requirements of the job
• Prepare possible answers for common questions like why you are leaving you current job etc
• Go through your CV to relate when needed at the interview!
• SWOT Analysis


Research about the company: A basic research about the company is needed when you know the name of the company. This will help you know more about the company, their business nature and the kind of people they look for. It will help you to answer the questions relevantly.

Research the Job Requirement: Go through the requirements of the job to now if you will be able to handle the job and how. Also check for similar opening in different companies and compare the KPIs.

Prepare the possible answers: There are few set questions or possible questions for any interview. For e.g.: Tell me about yourself, Why you are leaving your current job (if experienced), what are your strengths and weaknesses, etc. These questions though seem monotonous are the crucial ones!

Go through the CV! : Lot of people don’t do this. Few potential candidates get rejected because they contradict the CVs when answering!!

SWOT Analysis: Lot of people do not know about SWOT Analysis. If you think about SWOT Analysis it’s actually helpful in anything that you do. It’s just a simple analysis to bring out the best in you. What is SWOT Analysis? It’s the abbreviation for the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and threats. A self analysis about your Internal (Strengths & Weaknesses) and External (Opportunities & Threats) factors to determine your ability to reach your goal. This helps you and the others to know better about you!


Interview Handling: Interview handling also involves or consists of few steps:
• Dress Code for the Interview
• Body Language
• Communication Skills
• Presentation

Dress Code for the Interview: Dress is a very important factor. Your dress not only gives you confidence but also very important for good personal appearance. If you turn up for the interview poorly dressed you are very likely to invite trouble! Formals wear with not too much blazing colours and finely pressed without any wrinkles.

Body Language: Next important factor: Looks make the first impression. Then greeting the interviewer with a firm hand shake with direct eye contact reflects your confidence! Knowingly or unknowingly your body sends signals of your nature to the recruiter. For e.g.: Sitting at the edge of the chair reflects you are nervous or less-confident. Folding arms show you are defensive. Sitting too relaxed shows you are irresponsible. Sitting erect with arms seated at the arm rest and back against the chair shows you are confident.

Communication Skills: Conveying the message appropriately is very important. Moving the hands in accordance with your speech shows you are in control and confident. Sitting stiff without much movement reflects you are not a person who will communicate with others appropriately!
Presentation: Last but the least presentation is everything!! The way you present your CV or the Cover Letter, to the way you are dressed, to the way you speak and convey, it all revolves around presentation. Doing everything right and conveying it right at the right time is good presentation!


Important points to remember and Don’s for the Interview:
• Never turn up late for the interview
• Neatly groomed appearance is important
• Leaning back relaxed against the chair or handling objects at the interviewers might come across as over-confident.
• MUST ask questions when given a chance
• Polite manners throughout the conversation
• Maintain the same energy level throughout the interview
• Proper manicure and pedicure is important. Too long or unclean nails give a bad impression
• Active Listening!
• Absolutely no chewing gums or nails!
• Spells check the CV several times and have someone else also check it for you!!


I think I have covered most of the important factors here! Go ahead with confidence and grab your dream job .