How to Pass an Interview?

Well, the employer found your CV, got interested in you and invited you to pass the interview.

The interview when entering employment is a kind of climax of the process.

An interview with an employer causes stress even to the professional and experienced candidates.

So, it’s significantly essential to think beforehand how you will behave yourself and answer the questions, which a recruiter will have for you.

Are you willing to discover how to pass an interview?

How should you get ready for it?

You are able to discover all the answers in our article below.

How to get ready and pass and interview?

The first step is a phone negotiation with the employer.

A phone talk is your first private communication with the future boss, and you must produce good impression at this very stage.

Even if the secretary sets up a meeting, he will definitely tell his boss or the one, who holds the interviews, how good the conversation passed.

1. Determine what post you are offered and get the answers to all basic questions involving the open working place.

   If initially the post is not suitable, you’d better tactfully say about it and refuse to pass the interview, supporting the decision with strong arguments.

2. Make notes of the firm’s name, the name and surname of the person you were talking to, and the contact phone number to call if there is an emergency.

3. Uncover who is going to hold the interview, what his name is.

   You’ll definitely produce great impression, if you call him by name, when you meet him.

4. Clarify the precise address where you’ll pass the interview.

   As soon as you discussed the time of the meeting, arrange everything, lest something prevented you from coming.

5. Find some useful information on how to behave yourself during the business meeting.

   Learn how long it lasts, and whether you’ll be required to complete the application form, pass writing tests or do some practical tasks.

The second step is getting ready for the interview.

So, you set the time of the interview and it’s high time you got down to the actual preparation for the meeting.

What should you do?

1. At first, gather all documents, which you might need to pass the interview:
   • CV in 2 copies;
   • identity document;
   • diploma with appendix, proving you have higher education;
   • diplomas from additional training, certificates from special courses, etc. (do not take the documents, which are irrelevant to the post you are willing to take over).

2. We suggest you learning beforehand some data concerning the corporation, where you’ll pass your interview.

   Use all accessible sources: go to the company’s site on the Internet, use Business Listings, newspapers, magazines and other sources.

3. Come up with the route you’ll drive to the interview, count how much time you will need to get there and take into account float time (approximately 30 minutes) in case you have problems with transport.
4. Be prepared for examinations or practical assignments (both psychological and occupational), which the potential boss might offer you to pass.
5. Prepare some inquiries you wish to ask your potential boss.

6. Think over in what clothes you’ll appear at the meeting.

   Produce the most favorable first impression.

   Surely, the clothes have to correspond to the post you are willing to receive.

7 tips on how to pass an interview

1. Gather all information.

   When you paraphrase the world-known aphorism, you’ll say that who owns information, owns the situation at the interview.

   Before going to the office, you must learn:

   • the person you will talk to: the boss, a personnel manager or an average worker;
   • the event’s format (group or individual interview, question-answer or self-presentation);
   • dress code and items you must have with you (documents, gadgets, etc.);
   • how to get there (it’s unacceptable to be late).

   The company’s web-page or a call to the office is likely to help you figure everything out.

2. Make the map of answers to the typical questions in order to pass an interview.
   

   Interviews to receive a job are alike and different simultaneously.

   Most people heard about stressful interviews, when the applicant can suddenly get yelled, so that he was thrown off his stride.

   Moreover, there exist the so-called case-interviews: the job applicant is put in specific conditions (for instance, the negotiation with unsatisfied client) and observed how he will cope with the problem.

   You can’t possibly know all the time what kind of interview you’ll need to pass in this or that company, that’s why you should be prepared for everything.

   Make a table with the responses to the typical questions and inquiries (they are used in 99.9% of cases):

   • your top-5 main accomplishments;
   • what you are good at;
   • strategies and directions of self-improvement;
   • offers to improve the firm’s work;
   • your philosophy of life and work;
   • your short-term and long-term goals;
   • curious tasks you coped with.

   You’d better also note some things you’d like to review with the personnel manager.

3. Interpret the employer’s questions.

   
   “A” not always means “A”, and two times two is not always four.

   Recruiters sometimes have captious questions, in which the simple statement hides a
   cunning plan – to make you reveal more than you should.

   An easy question how much you wish to receive…

   Nevertheless, your answer allows the recruiter see your motivation: money, social guarantees, working schedule and the rest.

   When they ask you, if you had some differences with the company’s management team and how you settled them, the HR-manager probably wishes to learn whether you are apt to taking responsibility or to shifting responsibilities to other shoulders.

   You should master how to see “the false bottom”, because there are plenty of cunning questions (but not over the odds!).

4. In order to pass an interview successfully you should care about your nonverbal behavior.
   

   HR-managers are not robots.

   They are people, who pay attention to the nonverbal signs, such as appearance, mimics, walking, gestures, etc.

   Even experienced professional may be denied with the post only because his behavior was wrong.

   Think about the body language:

   • In case you start shrugging your leg, when you are nervous, you’d better sit with your legs crossed.
   • If you knock on the table, try to occupy your hands with something, for example, with a pen.

   HR-managers know how nervous you are, but being natural in the nonverbal communication is sure to increase your credibility.

5. State taboo on particular topics.

   
   “Tell us about yourself” – your interviewer may ask you. “I was born on the 2^nd of April 1980 (my horoscope sign is Taurean). When I was young, I used to play football and was the captain of the local football team. Then I graduated from the institute…” – if the story sounds alike, the candidate will never find work.

   Do not say about things, which do not characterize you as a professional and are completely uninteresting to the potential boss.

   From the illustration above these are the date of birth (they will read it in your CV), the sign of zodiac and sports accomplishments.

   Some other topics on which you should state taboo in order to pass an interview include:

   • retelling CV;
   • revealing life goals (like buying a house, bringing up the children, etc.);
   • firm’s reputation and its workers;
   • skills and experience, which are irrelevant for the desired post (e.g. being good at cooking, plumbing and other things);
   • misfortunes, which show your incompetence.

   Right after you wrote the things you’ll talk about, write down and remember the issues, which you should ignore.

   So, think how you’ll react, if you are asked about them.

6. You should contemplate to pass an interview, and it will calm you down.

   An interview is a stressful event.

   One can forget what his name is, needless to mention his professional aptitude.Look around to relax and control your emotions.

   Observe the office, equipment, employees.

   These details are sure to tell you much about the place, where you are willing to work, and analysis is going to bring your nervous system to order.

   Critical observation of the enterprise and your future colleagues might increase your feeling of self-importance.

   Keep in mind that the corporation needs good employees as much as you need a good job.

7. Take up the running.

   Usually, during each interview there is a moment, when the interviewer and the applicant switch places and it’s the applicant’s turn to ask questions.

   Do not waste time to ask useless questions, such as whether they’ll call you or you’ll need to do it, or why this post is vacant and so on.

   Show your initiative and wonder:

   • Does the enterprise have some immediate problems? What do you think, how can I help you?
   • Could you describe how you see the perfect candidate for this post?
   • What piece of advice will you give to someone, who starts to work for your firm?

   Besides, there is a number of questions you should never ask:

   • Tell me about working schedule, weekends and holidays.
   • Can I work remotely?
   • How soon is possible my career advancement?

We believe our pieces of advice on how to pass an interview are going to help you.

Nevertheless, remember you must “sell” yourself and show only the best qualities.

Moreover, you should do it not only from the professional point of view, but from the position of human values and rules as well.