Job Interviews - Types, Preparation Tips and Guidance

In this article you learn the different stages of the job interview process and the purpose of each. You also learn the "codes of behavior" for different interview settings and situations. Interviews progress through different stages much as dates do, and each has codes of behavior. On a first date, the two parties are less familiar with each other, and each is polite and perhaps particularly reserved. The date might conclude with a peck on the cheek and a promise of a future phone call. The second date might be more relaxed. The couple might enjoy quiet time at home rather than going out on the town, and each person may feel less reserved as familiarity with the other increases. And so it progresses, as each continues to learn about the other and forms opinions about shared values and interests. Job interviews are a slightly different version of the same process. While love and lifelong togetherness aren't being considered, the process still involves two parties assessing each other for a long-term commitment. Each is forming an opinion of the other; values, interests, talents, and personality are being explored. And the interviewprocess progresses through levels of familiarity just like the dating game. The Three Levels of Interviews The interview process generally progresses through three levels interviews: 1. The Screening Interview The first interview is the screening interview. Its purpose is to weed out applicants who do not meet the basic skill requirements for a position. You are especially likely to encounter a screening interview if you respond to an ad in the newspaper. The screening interview may be skipped if there is a mutual connection or some prior interaction between the job applicant and the company doing the hiring. In this case, the company already knows you have the basic qualifications for the job, so it doesn't need to screen your skills base. If you encounter a screening interview, fine-tune your performance by paying attention to these tips: 1. The purpose of the screening interview is to screen you out. Be careful not to reveal any negatives. 2. The screening interview focuses on your basic skill levels, rather than your personality characteristics. Be positive and confident about your ability to do the job. 3. The screening interview often takes place over the telephone. Be prepared! Keep the materials you may need close to the phone. 4. Screen interviews are often conducted by the human resources department. Write down the name of the interviewer. If the interview takes place in person, write a thank-you note. 5. Tell the screener you are interested in the job, if you are. Show your enthusiasm. 6. Don't forget to ask about the next step in the interview process. 2. The Hiring Interview The next interview level takes place after the screening interviews have reduced the number of job candidates. If the hiring company put an employment ad in the paper, these numbers may have been reduced from about 400 respondents to maybe 6 to 8 job candidates (depending upon the number of jobs to be filled and the level of the position). The purpose of the hiring interview is to ensure that the candidate is a right fit for the company and for the position being filled. The focus is no longer on screening you out, but on screening you in. Here are some tips on keeping yourself in the running: 1. The hiring interview is usually conducted by the manager with whom you would be working. Now is the time to let your personality shine! 2. Recognize that if you have made it this far, you are probably one of the chosen few candidates. Tell the interviewer more than just the information on your resume. 3. The focus of the hiring interview is on your unique skills, experience, management style, and so on. The company is already convinced that you have the knowledge to do the job now show how well your personality, motivation, and skills fit with the company's needs. 4. A thank-you note is absolutely vital. Check spelling and grammar. (See Lesson 16 for sample thank-you notes.) 3. The Confirmation Interview The confirmation interview takes place after you have been identified as the leading candidate by the department or manlier for whom you would work. This interview is conducted by the boss's boss. Essentially, the big boss is giving his or her -tamp of approval on a decision that has already been made. Follow these guidelines to survive this level of interview: 1. Unless the big boss starts to ask specific skill-related questions, there is no need to try to prove your qualifications for the job. He or she is not in this to disprove your credibility; he or she simply wants to get a good feeling about you. 2. Spend time building rapport. The big boss is more concerned with your motivated abilities such as atti¬tude and good judgment. If the two of you have similar interests, let the conversation go there. 3. Express enthusiasm and interest in the position. Key in on the needs of the firm and your ideas and strategies regarding those needs. In this article you learned the three progressive levels of the job interview and how to handle each level of interview with finesse.