Interview Overview - Preparation, preparation, preparation
Interviews are still the best way of selecting the best candidate. There is no paper to hide behind and no time for the candidate to prepare for many of the questions that are asked on the spot. A personal face to face encounter occurs where the interviewer can find out what you are really like. They will try to find out what makes you tick, what your opinions are and what your general personality and attributes are like. Many people dont understand that the interview is your time to shine. You will be invited to present your thoughts and ideas and you should really aim to shed an enthusiastic and positive light on your attitudes and thought processes. You must sell yourself and in order to do this, you must know yourself inside out. This is very difficult to do and takes time, but is possible. A large number of unsuccessful interviews are a result of one of two common mistakes made by interviewees. One is being under prepared to answer a specific question; the other is being over prepared. Under preparation, which is by far the more common, results from the misconception that because it is not possible to predict with accuracy the specific questions that will be asked, it is impossible and/or inefficient to practice answers. The telltale signs of this mistake are meandering, disorganized replies to open-ended questions, contradictions, and pauses with your answers. The candidate comes across as being without opinions and confused. They lack confidence and panic when asked questions that they have not previously thought about.
The second pitfall is that of being over prepared which results when good intention is combined with poor strategy. People who make this mistake are easily stumped by unusual questions and may give over rehearsed answers to more common questions. They might appear to be stiff and nervous, and can even come across as bad listeners, since their answers (though well organized and pointed) do not consistently address the question that was asked. Also, their ability to adapt easily to different interviewers and interview styles is inhibited, making it difficult for them to establish rapport. It is less common to be over prepared. Proper concise preparation will help you avoid both these pitfalls.
When preparing an answer for any question arm yourself with at least three points you would like to communicate about yourself and think of one or two specific details to support each. This will allow you to create a targeted, comprehensive set of answers to most of the questions you will be asked. With practice, you will be able to actively use the interviewer's questions (whatever they may be) to communicate the points you wish to make. This puts the control back into your hands, which should also help ease pre-interview jitters.
