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Preparing for HR Interviews The Crux of Success
By Team MSWT
In the last issue we discussed: “How to prepare for Group Discussions”. Equally important is also the HR interview which is the last hurdle for the candidate and the last opportunity for the employer to know more about the candidate before giving the job offer. The HR interviews are conducted for all kinds of jobs in almost all industries. What is important is knowing what to do and what not. We present here some of the crucial points which can make a difference in the HR interview and of course your job.
Points to keep in mind while attending an Interview
1. Take more than one copy of your resume to the interview.
2. Get dressed well. Preferably a white shirt with dark coloured pants, neatly polished shoes and a tie.
3. Always carry a pen and paper while attending an interview.
4. Knock on the door and ask for permission; “May I come in Sir / Madam…”
5. Don’t sit until you are told to do so.
6. Have a smile on your face; do not be scared.
7. Have a medium tone while speaking, neither scream nor whisper.
8. Always have eye contact with the interviewer. If the panel contains more than one interviewer, then always look at the person who has asked you the question.
9. If you don’t know the precise answer to any question, just say “I may not be able to give you a precise answer but I can give you the idea behind it……..”. Whereas if you don’t know the answer at all then, don’t make any strange expressions on your face, tell the interviewer “ I studied this concept long time back, I am not able to recall it immediately….”
10. If you are not confident about any answer don’t answer it, because the next question may be linked to this question and you may put yourself into trouble.
11. Don’t backtrack; if you have made a blunder and you realised it, don’t say “I am sorry I made a mistake………” try to give a neutral answer.
12. For technical interviews, always be prepared and be crisp in your basics.
13. Before going to an interview make sure about you favourite subjects and be prepared for any question.
14. Most of the time, the HR interviews are a formality. But don’t get over confident, it can cost you the job.
15. Don’t be very friendly with the interviewer. You might be knowing him personally, but don’t be very casual with him. This will affect your language and the way you talk.
16. Always try to answer taking an example and explain it through a diagram.
17. If the interviewer asks whether you are nervous,
Don’t say “No not at all……”.
Say “Yes I am, a little bit……”.
“Tell me something about yourself”
This is the most common question asked during almost any interview. Here are some do’s
1. Start with “I was born and brought up in………….,I did my schooling at ………………, Then I did my 12th / PU college at…………, After that I took up Engineering in the field of………………”
2. Then speak about your strong points. Say at least 2-3 strong points giving relevant examples.
3. Then speak about your weak points, Say at least 1-2 weak points, then also say what efforts are you making to over come them.Then say about your technical strong areas. Usually this will cover your areas of interest and your favourite subjects.
4. Then speak about your extra achievements, like about winning any competitions, getting scholarships, participating in any State level or country level athletics meet and so on.
5. Then speak about your hobbies. Keep yourselves updated with the latest developments in the areas of your hobbies, you can expect a couple of questions in that area.
The don’ts
1. Don’t start with “Basically……” or “As you can see in my resume MY NAME is ……..”; it shows that you have poor communication skills.
2. Don’t say “I don’t think I have any weak points………” ; everybody will definitely have some weak points, you should realise them and try to overcome them.
3. If your interests are apart from your field of expertise, then don’t show the interviewer that you are not very much interested in your field. This attitude shows that you are incompetent and inconsistent.
Team MSWT – Abdul Jabbar : Lucent Technologies (jabbar@lucent.com ), Ibrahim Khaleelullah Khan : Oracle India technologies (ibrahim.kk @gmail.com ), Rahmath Shariff : Tejas networks (rahamath_81 @yahoo.co.in ).
Momin Students Welfare Trust, No: 214, United School Building, Ilyasnagar, Bangalore – 560078. www.mswt.org
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