Purpose of Job Interviews and How to Make it Successful

The generic understanding of an interview is related to Question and Answers. There is a panel of people or individuals who are supposed to ask questions and you are supposed to answer. With this idea of interviews, the information exchange between the candidate and the interviewer is very limited and insufficient for both the candidate and the interviewer.

Two important points here:

1. The panel has a job profile set and is looking for the correct person to fit in the role. The interview panel has very good information about the job profile and the company, which the candidate would not have much.

2. You as a candidate have very good information about yourself, your skills and potential. This information the panel would not have.

The Purpose of Job Interviews:

The purpose of an interview is to facilitate the information exchange between Points 1 and 2, that is between the Panel and the Candidate.

Related Article: Phobias or Fear of Interviews

Effectiveness of Information Exchange:

• For the success of an interview, the information exchange has to be very good. The panel and candidate have to be satisfied with the information they have got from each other.

• As a candidate, you have to make sure to prepare well before on the questions that you need to ask and get clarified. This is very important. The clarifications might be related to the job profile, work culture, timings, working extra hours, benefits etc. Anything that might concern you or important to you has to be clarified. This would help you to make a decision.

• The questions to the panel should not be direct and blunt questions. The questions need to be put in a soft and gentle manner; so that the panel does not get a feel that you are interviewing them. To avoid this, ask your questions about the topic when the relevant topic is being discussed. This would help to avoid questions getting accumulated and the need to ask them in one go at the last.

What should you do to make the interview successful?

You have to be prepared and clear on the following:

•  What are your skills and strengths? You should have good examples to quote and support them. Talk about the good things, appreciation in projects you have worked. If it is a Technical round, make sure to highlight complex technical tasks you have accomplished.

•  What are your constraints? If you are not able to adjust with the constraint, then it is better to discuss this in the interview. This could be something like working in night shifts, working on weekends or travelling etc.

• Be sincere to understand the panel’s question and answer them relevantly. Do not try to hide information or twist information to answer the questions. This would anyway become evident to the panel.

• If a job profile does not suit you, but still you want to give it a try. Then be confident and do not have the following thoughts in mind :

“It is fine, if I do not get through.

Anyway I have time, no harm attending.

Even if I get, I would not join.”

The above are casual thoughts that would reflect in the interview. It will hamper the chances of selection. Please be sincere in the efforts, no matter what the outcome would be.

ALL THE BEST !