INTERVIEWING SKILLS:-

PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW:
Last minute tensions cost you much while appearing for interview. Here we give you some tips to overcome those tensions. Tensions, is an everyday phenomenon. There are so many instances in your every day life that keep you tensed and worried. But when tension grips you before the interview, you believe that it is the worst of all tensions. You are doing something that decides your future, and so the tension is definitely more. Most often you feel tensed when you have a goal but you have not fully worked towards realizing it and when you are not sure whether you will reach there.

So it is mostly the fear of the consequences that causes the tension. You want the best to happen, but you don’t know whether it will happen. So you are tensed. Once you are tensed, your senses do not work properly. You intend to do something, but end up doing something else. Tension also affects your health badly.

PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW:
Things to be informed about before interview: Be aware of your interests, abilities, experiences, and values as they relate to your occupation. Prepare your self-introduction with the help of the following clues.

I am---------
I like --------
I prefer to forget---------
I’m embarrassed by-----------
My assets are ------------
That which touches me most is -------------
The person whom I admire the most is ----------
Success to me is like--------------------------

• Be sure you can answer any questions about your education and previous work experiences.

• Know names of former employers, addresses, and current telephone numbers.

• Your job title (s), start and end dates of previous employment, and your starting and ending salaries

• Reasons you left your previous employment (or want to leave)

• Elements of your past jobs that you've liked best and liked least, and why

• For large, well-known companies, read all the company literature you can find (if you're using the Web, start with search engines or directories; you'll often find the most up to date information on the Web).

• Names of your direct supervisor (s) and other persons who are able to give information about your work performance

• For smaller, local companies that aren't on the Web, ask your consultant . Find out about the company's products or services, major competitors, philosophy, goals, history, size, number of employees, annual sales, market share, and hiring practices.

• Ask the company's personnel office, or the person who calls to schedule your interview, for a job description of the position you're interviewing for before the interview.

During the Interview:
Here're some helpful "do"s and "don't"s to get you through the interview:

DO's

• Come alone

• Come a little early

• Address the interviewer by title and name

• Shake hands firmly

• Wait until you are asked to be seated

• Maintain eye contact

• Take time to think about your answers to interview questions

• Do not be afraid to ask for clarification if there are questions you don't understand

• Be positive

• Stress your qualifications for the job and your readiness to undertake its duties

DON'ts

• Ask when you may call to learn about the hiring decision

• Smoke or chew anything, even if invited to do so

• Apologize for your lack of experience

• Ask about salary or days off

• Handle anything on the interviewer's desk

• Discuss personal problems, financial problems, other jobs you did not get

• Criticize former employers

• Provide information which is not factual. Beg for the job or hang around after the interview