An interview is a conversation between two or more people (the interviewer and the interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee. Interviews can be divided into two basic types,
(1) Interviews of Assessment
(2) Interviews for Information
Assessment
The most common type of interview for assessment is a job interview between an employer and an applicant. The goal of such an interview is to assess a potential employee to see if he/she has the social skills and intelligence suitable for the workplace. Similar interviews are also used for admissions to schools, allotment of grants, and other areas.
In most developed countries, rules and regulations govern what can be asked in these interviews. Highly personal questions and those unrelated to the job at hand are forbidden, as are questions which invite discrimination. However, some interviewers tend to ask such questions in order to see how the interviewee reacts and if he/she is able to elegantly avert the question then he scores high in the interview.
Information
The second type of interviews is those seeking to gather information about a subject. These types of interviews are central to the practices of journalism and instructional design. Such interviews are also important to any nonfiction writer or researcher. In general, the quotes and information gathered in these interviews are used in a publication or edited for broadcast.
Such interviews occur only because the subjects have some interest in being interviewed. There are four main reasons why subjects agree to be interviewed:
1) Ego: The desire to be on television and to have one’s opinions aired is a strong one-to-many. Many people enjoy talking about themselves and their lives.
2) Publicity: Politicians and celebrities are dependent on publicity for their success and an interview is free advertising. As such many subjects insist upon prominent mentions of their latest book or movie in the interview. Such promotional interviews are frequently required by contracts.
3) Money: The issue of whether reporters should pay for interviews is a controversial one. Pundits and experts are almost always paid, and this is often an important source of income to them. Most media outlets have rules against paying eyewitnesses for interviews, in part because this only encourages the fabrication of fraudulent stories in the hopes of being paid. A major exception to this are some tabloids, especially British tabloids. Other media outlets often wine and dine to sought after subjects and give them other such perks.
4) Helpfulness: Many subjects agree to an interview simply to help the reporter. This is true of most eyewitnesses and helps explain why many famous individuals agree to grant interviews for items such as school papers.
Structured interviews
A structured interview is essentially a questionnaire which is mediated or administered by a researcher. This type of interview is used for a variety of reasons but can often be used to increase response rates and the quality of answers for questionnaire style research. These kinds of interviews can be challenging as they require a personal sensitivity and adaptability as well as the ability to stay within the bounds of the designed protocol.
Semi-structured interviews
Semi Structured Interviews is perhaps the most commonly used interview technique in qualitative social research, the researcher will want to know certain information which can be compared and contrasted with information from other interviews, the researcher may produce an interview schedule which is a list of questions the researcher will want to find out from the interviewee.
Interviews are meant to gauge the potential of the candidate to see if he/she has the skills to be placed in any suitable post. Interview questions are meant to measure the attitude, skill, and adjustability of the candidate, to draw a conclusion on his/her suitability in the firm. The interviewers will ask as many questions they think is necessary before recruiting any candidate as they are concerned with the fact that the quality and skills of the employees will determine the future of the company.
To become successful in the interview process, you need to be well prepared to face the different sets of various interview questions. Interview questions also start with some general questions about the candidate such as his/her family background, education, and interests. The second and third set of interview questions will be meant to know the candidate’s work experience, nature, capacity, ideology, and ability to solve problems. Answering to the first set of interview questions related to your family, qualification, or future planning will be quite easy.
INTERVIEW DO’S
- Arrive early: 30 minutes prior to the start of the interview.
- Make yourself calm & comfortable while you are waiting outside for your interview.
- When you get your call make yourself easy and take your documents file properly in your hand.
- In front of the door take in 3 deep breaths and release them in 6 seconds.
- Softly knock the door(even if the door is open)
- Open the door very softly and take permission of the board for entry like-
- Sir…please may I come in.
- May I come in sir. And say thank you after permission.
- Softly close the door and wish the board with gentle standing posture-
- If there is any Female please wish her first.
- Remember time very carefully-
- Before 12 o’clock – Good Morning
- Between 12-4PM- Good Afternoon
- After 4 PM- Good Evening
- Wait till the board asks/ permits you to sit and say thanks before sitting.
- Sit in straight posture with hands in your lap/ thigh. Avoid fidgeting and slouching.
- Make your eye contact with the board.
- Voice must be Clear/ Audible / Humble and polite.
- Give your answers confidently.
- Always be positive. Be honest & be yourself.
- Take some pause while answering to the board.
- Always say thank you very much sir when the board informs/ corrects you any where.
- When you are unable to answer any question say -
- Sorry, sir, I do not know
- Sir, I have heard about it but I am unable to recall at the movement, sorry Sir.
- Sir, I have read it somewhere but unable to recall, sorry Sir.
- Always pay full respect to the board.
- When Chairman says thanks, your interview is over say-
- You are welcome sir
- OR
- It’s my pleasure sir
- Before leaving the room you have to say-
- Thank you, sir, thank you very much
- &
- Have a nice day ( before 4 PM )
- After 6 PM you can say good night.
INTERVIEW DON’TS
- DO NOT BANG THE DOOR
- Don’t make excuses. Take responsibility for your decisions and your actions.
- Don’t make negative comments about previous employers or professors (or others).
- Don’t falsify application materials or answers to interview questions.
- Don’t treat the interview casually, as if you are just shopping around or doing the interview for practice. This is an insult to the interviewer and to the organization.
- Don’t give the impression that you are only interested in an organization because of its geographic location.
- Don’t give the impression you are only interested in salary; don’t ask about salary and benefit issues until the subject is brought up by your interviewer.
- Don’t act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment.
- Don’t make the interviewer guess what type of work you are interested in; it is not the interviewer’s job to act as a career advisor to you.
- Don’t be unprepared for typical interview questions. You may not be asked all of them in every interview, but being unprepared looks foolish.
- A job search can be hard work and involves frustrations; don’t exhibit frustrations or a negative attitude in an interview.
- Don’t go to extremes with your posture; don’t slouch, and don’t sit rigidly on the edge of your chair.
- Don’t assume that a female interviewer is “Mrs.” or “Miss.” Address her as “Ma’am.” unless told otherwise. Her marital status is irrelevant for the purpose of the interview.
- Don’t chew gum or smell like having smoked.
- Don’t allow your cell phone to ring during the interview. (If it does, apologize quickly and ignore it.) Don’t take a cell phone call.
- Don’t take your parents, your pet, spouse, fiance, friends to an interview. If you are not grown up and independent enough to attend an interview alone, you’re insufficiently grown up and independent for a job. (They can certainly visit your new city, at their own expense, but cannot attend your interview.)
- Avoid hand movement.
- Avoid looking up and down.
- Avoid hiding eyes it shows the lack of confidence.
- Do not forget to wish the board.
- Do not sit until the board asks to do so.
- Never put your file or hand on table
- Don’t show irritation while boarding questions
- Do not try to defend yourself in wrong answers.
- Do not make noise while sitting and leaving the chair
- Never ask questions to the board.
- Do not be nervous
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