Page 55 - You're Hired! Interview Answers
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You’Re hiRed! inteRview anSweRS responsibilities in this regard. Interviews – and interviewers – will vary in terms
of the amount of formality or relaxation that is encouraged, and in the first few
minutes of entering the interview room and meeting the person (or people)
you should be gauging the tone of the interview. Meeting the expectations of
the interviewer – in terms of your behaviour – is an important part of rapport
building because it helps to put them at ease.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
In practice, most interview situations are about two strangers meeting
each other for the first time. The more you can do to make these first
few minutes relaxed, the better. If you look and act tense, it is likely
that the interviewer will also feel a degree of tension. At the same time
– even though they will work hard to put you at ease – they will form an
impression of you that will take some time to shift.
In general, match your behaviour and conversation to that of the interviewer; if
they are brisk and businesslike, then be polite and respond accordingly – don’t
try to have a conversation about the weather or the traffic if they are clearly
not interested. At the same time if they – and they often will – ask you about
your journey, then respond in kind; ask them how their day is going, how far
they have to travel to work and so on. You need to be alert to the fact that the
interviewer will need to get down to business at some point, so be guided by
them.
Think of an interview as a meeting where both
sides share information and come to a mutual
decision about ‘fit’.
Other ways in which you can make a good impression on the interviewer
include:
n Being sensitive to the fact they need to manage time: be guided by their
hints – or indeed instructions – to move the conversation on.
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