Interview Preparation
An invitation for an interview shows that, on paper, you are the right person required by the organisation for the vacant position. In fact, it is estimated that 80% of candidates are rejected at the application stage so you are really more than three quarters of the way towards getting the job!
Larger organisations will have interviewers who are often personnel professionals, or who are trained and experienced interviewers, so expect the interview to be very structured to obtain the maximum from you. In smaller firms you are more likely to be interviewed by a partner who may not be a trained interviewer. If you are confronted by a 'bad' interviewer you will have to work hard to use the questions as a means of conveying the points you wish to make. It can be a good idea to try to steer the conversation towards the topics you have particular strengths in, highlighting your good points.
There are several different types of interview/questioning techniques: -
# The straightforward chronological interview, where you are asked questions around your CV / Application form
# Criterion referenced interviews, where you will be asked to give examples of how you meet their criteria e.g., examples of teamwork, negotiating, leadership
# The off-the-wall questions where you might be asked some bizarre questions. This is to see if you can think on the spot and how creative/logical you are.
# The pressurised interview where your views will be challenged (or even ridiculed) and you might feel like you are being goaded into an argument. If this happens to you do not lose your cool, it is to test how you react under extreme pressure and to see if you can hold your own without starting a fight or being reduced to tears.
Read full article for Timesjobs.com
