In my last article I wrote about how to be successful in telephone interviews, once you have successfully completed your telephone interview, the next stage will be the first round of interviews – face to face.

Most of us wonder what could take place at the next stage. Who will the interviewer be? What type of questions will be asked?…
Corporate companies have changed the way they organize interviews and the process of hiring. Generally if there are a large number of applicants for a job advertised, candidates are short listed by written examinations or a telephone interview.  Once you have cleared the written tests and/or are successful in your telephone interview, you will enter the first round of face to face interviews. It is more than likely that your first round of interviews would be with  HR personnel. Some companies name them the “Talent Management Team” but most call them the “HR Team”.

You may wonder why HR (Human Resources) personnel conduct the first round of interviews instead of the head or a member of the department with the vacancy. Gone are the days, where the personnel of the departments with available positions actually recruit the candidates. Employers have now become more focused on the first and the most important criteria – attitude, followed by your energy level, communication, interpersonal skills, etc. If you are the right person with the right attitude, then it is easy for the employer to mould you to their requirements and culture of the company. As most HR know, the strategy previously was “Recruit Talent and Develop Attitude” but now the trend seems to be “Recruit Attitude and Mould Talent”

Success Guide

Make sure that you look professional, because your appearance creates a first impression, ensure you look your best. Formal clothing, polished shoes and a smiling face all add to your first impression. Do not be too casual, over confident, and rude, be polite and humble.

Do the basic research about the company that has invited you for the interview and demonstrate the interest, knowledge and enthusiasm. You must enter an interview with information about the company, their products, recent news in the market. Be knowledgeable about the position you have applied for and show evidence about your achievements which relate to the job. Think of examples beforehand that you can use to demonstrate your skills.

Body language is important, make eye to eye contact with the interviewer, a confident hand shake and avoid negative body language, such as, crossing your arms, leaning back, hands on your face, etc. Do not fidget.

Most importantly listen to the questions and answer them clearly, precisely and smartly. You must show your interest and link your experience on how you can contribute to the role. Do not show any signs of impatience or jump from one topic to another.

Word of mouth is very important when it comes to hiring, studies reveal that 35% to 50% of hiring comes through referrals and networking. So if you know anyone who is employed in the organization, talk to them and mention the person to the interviewer, this will add value and improve your chance of selection in the interview and lead you to a job offer.

Another year has gone by. For some of you, it was filled with challenges. For others, the year brought some surprises. Wherever you are today, you are here because you said by your actions that you wanted to be here.

Some of you set goals. Some of you wanted to wait to see what happened before you said what you wanted. Others told yourself that setting goals was not worthwhile.

The pathway to achieving goals is straightforward. You say what you want, you develop a plan, and you execute your plan. Is this simple? The answer is yes and no. We mean well when we set a goal, but then our circumstances get in the way. Life throws us a curve ball. Or, we question whether we can reach our goals. We ask ourselves if we deserve our goals? Do we have what it takes to achieve them? We blame ourselves for making promises that we seem to break. Or, we blame what is happening to us.

Will this be your year? It can be if you want it to be. You can still work on your goals whether you know if you will reach them. You can still get ready for what you know in your heart can be yours. You can say what you want and begin in that direction. You can put yourself on the court whether you know if the ball will be thrown to you. The timeframe is not always in your hands, but the actions you take to be successful are.

First step to goal attainment: write down your career goal and why you want to achieve it. 

Tell the truth about why you want to reach your goal. Is it for someone else’s benefit or your own? Did you set your goal to please someone or did you set it for yourself? A goal cannot move from concept to reality unless you create it for the right reasons. 

Once you are in harmony with your goal, picture yourself as already having achieved it. What are you doing differently? Are you in a new job? Do you have a new title? Are you making more money? Are you in a different industry or location? Visualize your success. Can you see it?

As you are doing this exercise, refrain from screening yourself. If fear or the reasons you can’t reach your goal come to the surface, acknowledge them, thank your fear for its opinion, and tell it to go away. You can’t prevent a negative thought, but you can make it disappear.

The key to your success is clearly defining what you want and then visualizing the end result. Who knows what next year has in store for you? As long as you can see the finish line, and you have a good reason for crossing it, you are already on your way.

(This article was posted in manhattanjobs.com)

Telephone interviews have become common these days and most employers short list potential candidates. It not only saves time for employers but also ensures that they get the right candidates for the jobs.

Hiring Process
Candidates, who have impressed employers with their resumes, can often expect an interview over the phone. This is the next stage in assessing candidates’ suitability for the job. Most employers are concerned about costs, in the past many over burdened themselves by interviewing candidates face to face who could have been eliminated earlier in the process. Telephone interviews are now an efficient part of the hiring process to recruit the right candidates.

Common Questions in a Telephone Interview
Tell me about yourself and your aspirations?
How did you hear about the position?
What will you contribute to the position?
Tell me about your weaknesses and strengths.
What do you know about our company?
Why should we employ you?

How to Answer Questions
Speak clearly, be friendly and smile. Even though the other person on the phone may not see you smile, this will keep you in a positive frame of mind and help to relax.

Be confident, you are assessed by the same criteria used in a face to face interview as you are for a phone interview. Interviewers will notice a variety of factors including the sound of your voice, enthusiasm, comfort level, etc. Best interviewers are well planned and organized, practice your answers clearly and concisely to sound natural and confident.

Answer the question directly and to the point. Many technical candidates tend to have long drawn out answers to questions over the phone. It is always advisable to avoid such long conversations as they are unsure whether the other person on the phone is interested or has gone to sleep. Hence, the best answer is to be straight to the point and brief.

The biggest advantage during a telephone interview is that the interviewer cannot see the other person. So prepare and have in front of you an outline of the company, answers to potential interview questions, information about the vacancy, your resume and any other information you think will be useful. Some of you may wish to have your PC in front of you and connected to the internet; beware that you do not come across as distracted on the call.

The interview should be a two way process, the candidate should be given the opportunity to ask questions and you as a candidate should ensure you have prepared a minimum of one question to ask the interviewer.

Conclude the interview on a positive note, always thank the interviewer for their time and do not forget to express your interest in the job. Be brave to ask the next stage of the process, be positive and leave a very good impression.

Best of luck for your next telephone interview!