What Employers Want

An interview, in a very broad sense, is a conversation between two or more people where the interviewer attempts to elicit information from the interviewee. Employers use interviewing as a method of conducting research and understanding the experiences of the candidates, so that they can be recruited according to suitable profiles and job responsibilities.

Can you work efficiently in a team? Can you take split-second decisions? Do you have problem-solving abilities? These are some of the most important skill-sets a company looks for in graduates who apply for jobs with them. The most important of them all − ability to communicate with people inside and outside the organization.

Cracking an Interview

Let’s discuss how to crack an interview by projecting yourself as the right candidate for the profile you have applied for −

• Market yourself with sincerity and confidence, so that the interviewer knows your strengths and areas of expertise as clearly as possible.

• HRs expect candidates to give honest answers under every circumstance, as that proves their integrity and truthfulness.

• Listen and think for some time before giving an answer. It gives the impression of a person who takes time to analyze the information.

• Be prepared to answer some intensive behavioral questions. These questions will test a candidate’s ability of handling responsibility and resources.

• Be informative but try to convert the interview to a conversation. The interviewer should feel like a part of the interaction, so explain your answers to him as often as you can.

• Give specific and exact answers, rather than giving generic answers. Companies prefer candidates who can give precise details, rather than vague estimates.

• Personality is important. Try and build a good rapport with the interviewer. Your interpersonal skills play a major role while working with a company, as you will need to communicate a lot with co-workers.

• If you are asked to solve a problem, talk through your process. This will help the interviewer to understand your logical approach towards problem-solving.

• Focus on what value you can add to the company beyond the job responsibilities. Candidates who manage to convince the interviewer of their contribution to the company beyond the ones mentioned in the job profile are often preferred.

• Graduation degrees and good scores undoubtedly matter, but in addition to that, what employers really look for in a candidate is his decision-making skills, communication, team-player attitude, and the ability to plan and prioritize work.

Types of Interviews

A lot of candidates face difficulty in an interview purely because they don’t understand which type of interview they are appearing in. Depending on the interview you are a part of, your answers, concentration levels, preparation, interpersonal skills, and responses need to vary.

Here are the types of interviews that we are going to cover in this tutorial −

• Structured
• Unstructured
• One –On -One
• Panel Interview
• Group
• Stress Interview
• Informational
• Competency Based
• Assessment Center
• Telephonic Interview

Types of Interview Questions

Interview questions vary depending on the kind of interviews you are appearing in. While there are different sets of questions asked to people getting recruited for different jobs and job responsibilities, some questions are considered to be standard.

We will explain the following types of questions in this tutorial −

• Behavioral Questions
• Traditional Questions
• Case Questions
• Role-play Questions
• Industry-specific Questions
• Brainteasers

Stages of Interview

Interviews can be considered similar to meeting with a friend’s friend for the first time. You tend to be friendly, yet formal in your manner and behavior. The approach should be exactly the same in case of an interview, however the preparation needs to be more extensive. Preparing for an interview could be divided into three stages −

• Stage I: Pre-interview − Preparation you do a day or two before an interview.

• Stage II: Interview − What to do during an interview, till the time you step out.

• Stage III: Post-interview − What to do after an interview.