Andhra Pradesh   

Be ready to tackle tricky questions

After group discussions and meetings with HR executives, the final interview is the most important part of your job search and strangely, the most unscientific. With competition heating up, you need some preparation and panache to stay at the head of the queue. Candidates often ruin their chances by making blunders that cost them their appointment letters. They will check and double-check their CVs, they will write and re-write their covering letters, but they never rehearse for their interview. They don't plan to fail, they fail to plan.

A look at a career consultant's five golden rules for acing the interview: The first golden rule for acing the interview is, know your employer Find out all you can about the organisation you have pitched on. An interviewer wants to gauge your enthusiasm and motivation in wanting a job there. If you know the company culture, show how easy it will be for you to fit in. The best ploy? I remember a candidate who when asked to say something about my company, said that he had a ready Powerpoint presentation. I hired him on the spot.

Why? Because he showed initiative, diligence and spontaneity. He researched our website and used Google to find out the press coverage (both positive and negative) about our company and had also spoken with an ex-employee.

The questions themselves may range from the straightforward, `What do you see in our company?' to the slightly tricky, `Why do you want to join us?' The crowning glory is `Give us three reasons why we are the right employer for you.' The interviewer may ask you to give an example of your planning abilities and you could mention the research you did as part of planning for the interview.

To be continued in the next issue

TMIFirst.com

tmi.first@tminetwork.com

T. Muralidharan

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