Basic Data about What an Job Interview Is
In general, if you are called for a job interview, then you should be prepared to sit in front of one, two or even three interviewers, who will be representing the employer’s interests. There may be a presentation for you to deliver, but otherwise the standard form is for you and them to have a discussion of about 15 minutes in length, during which they will try to establish whether or not you are suitable for the post.
The bulk of the job interview will entail the interviewers asking the candidate questions about his or her job history, personality, work style and other factors relevant to the job. For instance, a common interview question is “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” The candidate will usually be given a chance to ask any questions at the end of the interview. These questions are strongly encouraged since they allow the interviewee to acquire more information about the job and the company, but they can also demonstrate the candidate’s strong interest in them.
Candidates for lower paid and lower skilled positions tend to have much simpler job interviews than do candidates for more prestigious positions. For instance, a lawyer’s job interview will be much more demanding than that of a retail cashier. Most job interviews are formal; the larger the firm, the more formal and structured the interview will tend to be. Candidates generally dress slightly better than they would for work, with a suit (called an interview suit) being appropriate for a white-collar job interview.
You may encounter profession specific interview types. So for some singers or actors, they will be expected to perform well in an audition in order to secure the post. In medical job interviews, you may have to answer clinical questions or deliver a presentation.
Increasingly, companies are moving away from old fashioned interviews and employing assessment day strategies, in which a variety of activities are undertaken to learn about the different qualities of each candidate in a less contrived way.
A great tip is to go the extra mile when ever you can. Smile more, shake more hands learn more than you competitors about the post, company and industry in which it sits. Send a follow up thank you letter to the interview panel and tell them what specifically you found helpful about the day and what you learnt in your job interview.
