Resumo de At The Job Market

HOW TO HANDLE INTERVIEWS

There are three basic types of interview. The most common is the one where the interviewee is interrogated by just one interviewer- a one-to-one interview. Here, a person can feel better at ease, and both the interviewer and the interviewee can gain a quick rapport than when there are more people involved, such as in the board interview. Normally, the interviewer tries to break the ice with a few general points before trying to assess what the applicant has to offer.

In a board interview, there is a group of interviewers who sit around the table and ask questions usually one at a time (but sometimes interrupting one another). Instead of one person having to get to know the interviewee, there can be anything up to eight or even more. Research has shown that the more people involved in an interview, the more difficult and confused it becomes for a chairman of a selection to handle.

For example, it has been known for interviewers to argue among themselves and leave the applicant almost unquestioned. If you are faced with this sort of situation, it is best to remain diplomatically quiet. Often quite a favourable impression is given of applicants if they are diplomatic, because interviewers remember and rue, the disagreements they had.

Another popular method of interviewing is the group interview. In this situation, the interviewees are placed together in a room and given a problem to solve. The interviewers' role is not so much asking questions, as making notes on the behaviour of the people while they are solving the problem. Until recently, this has not been a very popular method of selecting young people for their first jobs.

What advice can be given to young people facing their first intervew? First of all, they should prepare for every eventuality by being aware of what can happen; it is most important that they should know what form their interview might take.

Secondly, they should be well informed about current events. They should also have read about any available material about the company or organisation that they wish to join. If the applicant can show any interest in the interviewer's organisation, then the interviewer is much likely to be interested in the applicant.

Probably, the most important piece of advice for an applicant is to make sure that he or she goes to the selection interview to assess the organisation the interviewer represents, and not just to be assessed. So often in interviews the interviewers asks candidates; Have you any questios? and the only reply is a wek 'No, not really'.

One last point is worth mentioning: although, it is possible that many interviewers give too much emphasis in the assessment to physical appearance of the aplicant, it often pays to dress reasonably conventionally. It would be foolish to jeopardise one's chances for a job merely for a change of clothes.

In the first place, employers like would-be employees to know their own minds. Employers like applicants to be decisive- to have a clear idea of what they want to do in life, as well as realisdtic notion of what is involved in achieving their goals. Thus, applicants who are career-concsious definitely stand a better chance than those who are indecisive. Clearly, applicants can only show this quality if they have done some 'homework' before the interview, to find out more bout the organisation they are applying to join, and to understand the kind of opportunity that might open up. They should also find out, if possible, about the history, aims, and problems of the organisation; its produces, if any; its training programmes; and the long term job prospects.

However, this does not mean that the applicant should try to appear a know-all at the interview. Far from it! Although, employers expect certain minimum academic achievements in their would-be employees, they are far from interested in whether the applicant is ready, willing and able to learn often from fellow workers, who may, on paper, be far well less qualified.

This last point is crucial. A new employee must have respect for those already employed in the organisation, even if the latter are less qualified. There are plenty of older employees around who, when young, did not have the same educational opportunity as the present generation. There can be no future for new employees who look down on any of their colleagues or senior staff on these grounds.

On the other hand, employers do like their young workers to be reasonably ambitious. Organisation depends a great deal for their growth and prosperity on the willingness of their younger employees to strive to improve themselves, and a spirit of friendly competition is usually highly desirable, provided it is carried out in a reasonable way.

However, ambition is not the same thing as greed. Many young people, when they first get a job, think that the world is at their feet. In their desire to impress their friends and relatives, they often bite off more than they can chew in terms of financial obligations. It is easier to apply for a car or motorcycle loan than to honour the obligations incurred thereon. Employers lay great stress on new employees having a realistic judgment of income, so that they can budget properly in their personal affairs.

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