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Types
of Interviews
by ResumeEdge.com
The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service.
All
job interviews have the same objective, but employers reach that
objective in a variety of ways. You might enter the room
expecting to tell stories about your professional successes and
instead find yourself selling the interviewer a bridge or
editing code at a computer. One strategy for performing your
best during an interview is to know the rules of the particular
game you are playing when you walk through the door.
Screening
| Informational
| Directive
| Meandering
Stress
| Behavioral
| Audition
| Group
Tag-Team
| Mealtime
| Follow-up
The
Screening Interview
Companies use screening tools to
ensure that candidates meet minimum qualification requirements.
Computer programs are among the tools used to weed out
unqualified candidates. (This is why you need a digital resume
that is screening-friendly. See our resume center for help.)
Sometimes human professionals are the gatekeepers. Screening
interviewers often have honed skills to determine whether there
is anything that might disqualify you for the position.
Remember-they do not need to know whether you are the best fit
for the position, only whether you are not a match. For this
reason, screeners tend to dig for dirt. Screeners will hone in
on gaps in your employment history or pieces of information that
look inconsistent. They also will want to know from the outset
whether you will be too expensive for the company.
Some tips for maintaining
confidence during screening interviews:
- Highlight your accomplishments
and qualifications.
- Get into the straightforward
groove. Personality is not as important to the screener as
verifying your qualifications. Answer questions directly and
succinctly. Save your winning personality for the person
making hiring decisions!
- Be tactful about addressing
income requirements. Give a range, and try to avoid giving
specifics by replying, "I would be willing to consider
your best offer."
- If the interview is conducted
by phone, it is helpful to have note cards with your vital
information sitting next to the phone. That way, whether the
interviewer catches you sleeping or vacuuming the floor, you
will be able to switch gears quickly.
The
Informational Interview
On the opposite end of the stress
spectrum from screening interviews is the informational
interview. A meeting that you initiate, the informational
interview is underutilized by job-seekers who might otherwise
consider themselves savvy to the merits of networking. Job
seekers ostensibly secure informational meetings in order to
seek the advice of someone in their current or desired field as
well as to gain further references to people who can lend
insight. Employers that like to stay apprised of available
talent even when they do not have current job openings, are
often open to informational interviews, especially if they like
to share their knowledge, feel flattered by your interest, or
esteem the mutual friend that connected you to them. During an
informational interview, the jobseeker and employer exchange
information and get to know one another better without reference
to a specific job opening.
This takes off some of the performance pressure, but be
intentional nonetheless:
- Come prepared with thoughtful
questions about the field and the company.
- Gain references to other
people and make sure that the interviewer would be
comfortable if you contact other people and use his or her
name.
- Give the interviewer your
card, contact information and resume.
- Write a thank you note to the
interviewer.
The
Directive Style
In this style of interview, the
interviewer has a clear agenda that he or she follows
unflinchingly. Sometimes companies use this rigid format to
ensure parity between interviews; when interviewers ask each
candidate the same series of questions, they can more readily
compare the results. Directive interviewers rely upon their own
questions and methods to tease from you what they wish to know.
You might feel like you are being steam-rolled, or you might
find the conversation develops naturally. Their style does not
necessarily mean that they have dominance issues, although you
should keep an eye open for these if the interviewer would be
your supervisor.
Either way, remember:
- Flex with the interviewer,
following his or her lead.
- Do not relinquish complete
control of the interview. If the interviewer does not ask
you for information that you think is important to proving
your superiority as a candidate, politely interject it.
The
Meandering Style
This interview type, usually used
by inexperienced interviewers, relies on you to lead the
discussion. It might begin with a statement like "tell me
about yourself," which you can use to your advantage. The
interviewer might ask you another broad, open-ended question
before falling into silence. This interview style allows you
tactfully to guide the discussion in a way that best serves you.
The following strategies, which are helpful for any interview,
are particularly important when interviewers use a non-directive
approach:
- Come to the interview prepared
with highlights and anecdotes of your skills, qualities and
experiences. Do not rely on the interviewer to spark your
memory-jot down some notes that you can reference throughout
the interview.
- Remain alert to the
interviewer. Even if you feel like you can take the driver's
seat and go in any direction you wish, remain respectful of
the interviewer's role. If he or she becomes more directive
during the interview, adjust.
- Ask well-placed questions.
Although the open format allows you significantly to shape
the interview, running with your own agenda and dominating
the conversation means that you run the risk of missing
important information about the company and its needs.
The
Stress Interview
Astounding as this is, the Greek
hazing system has made its way into professional interviews.
Either employers view the stress interview as a legitimate way
of determining candidates' aptness for a position or someone has
latent maniacal tendencies. You might be held in the waiting
room for an hour before the interviewer greets you. You might
face long silences or cold stares. The interviewer might openly
challenge your believes or judgment. You might be called upon to
perform an impossible task on the fly-like convincing the
interviewer to exchange shoes with you. Insults and
miscommunication are common. All this is designed to see whether
you have the mettle to withstand the company culture, the
clients or other potential stress.
Besides wearing a strong
anti-perspirant, you will do well to:
- Remember that this is a game.
It is not personal. View it as the surreal interaction that
it is.
- Prepare and memorize your main
message before walking through the door. If you are
flustered, you will better maintain clarity of mind if you
do not have to wing your responses.
- Even if the interviewer is
rude, remain calm and tactful.
- Go into the interview relaxed
and rested. If you go into it feeling stressed, you will
have a more difficult time keeping a cool perspective.
The
Behavioral Interview
Many companies increasingly rely
on behavior interviews since they use your previous behavior to
indicate your future performance. In these interviews, employers
use standardized methods to mine information relevant to your
competency in a particular area or position. Depending upon the
responsibilities of the job and the working environment, you
might be asked to describe a time that required problem-solving
skills, adaptability, leadership, conflict resolution,
multi-tasking, initiative or stress management. You will be
asked how you dealt with the situations.
Your responses require not only
reflection, but also organization. To maximize your responses in
the behavioral format:
- Anticipate the transferable
skills and personal qualities that are required for the job.
- Review your resume. Any of the
qualities and skills you have included in your resume are
fair game for an interviewer to press.
- Reflect on your own
professional, volunteer, educational and personal experience
to develop brief stories that highlight these skills and
qualities in you. You should have a story for each of the
competencies on your resume as well as those you anticipate
the job requires.
- Prepare stories by identifying
the context, logically highlighting your actions in the
situation, and identifying the results of your actions. Keep
your responses concise and present them in less than two
minutes.
The
Audition
For some positions, such as
computer programmers or trainers, companies want to see you in
action before they make their decision. For this reason, they
might take you through a simulation or brief exercise in order
to evaluate your skills. An audition can be enormously useful to
you as well, since it allows you to demonstrate your abilities
in interactive ways that are likely familiar to you. The
simulations and exercises should also give you a simplified
sense of what the job would be like. If you sense that other
candidates have an edge on you in terms of experience or other
qualifications, requesting an audition can help level the
playing field.
To maximize on auditions,
remember to:
- Clearly understand the
instructions and expectations for the exercise.
Communication is half the battle in real life, and you
should demonstrate to the prospective employer that you make
the effort to do things right the first time by minimizing
confusion.
- Treat the situation as if you
are a professional with responsibility for the task laid
before you. Take ownership of your work.
- Brush up on your skills before
an interview if you think they might be tested.
The Group
Interview
Interviewing simultaneously with
other candidates can be disconcerting, but it provides the
company with a sense of your leadership potential and style. The
group interview helps the company get a glimpse of how you
interact with peers-are you timid or bossy, are you attentive or
do you seek attention, do others turn to you instinctively, or
do you compete for authority? The interviewer also wants to view
what your tools of persuasion are: do you use argumentation and
careful reasoning to gain support or do you divide and conquer?
The interviewer might call on you to discuss an issue with the
other candidates, solve a problem collectively, or discuss your
peculiar qualifications in front of the other candidates.
This environment might seem overwhelming or hard to control, but
there are a few tips that will help you navigate the group
interview successfully:
- Observe to determine the
dynamics the interviewer establishes and try to discern the
rules of the game. If you are unsure of what is expected
from you, ask for clarification from the interviewer.
- Treat others with respect
while exerting influence over others.
- Avoid overt power conflicts,
which will make you look uncooperative and immature.
- Keep an eye on the interviewer
throughout the process so that you do not miss important
cues.
The
Tag-Team Interview
Expecting to meet with Ms. Glenn,
you might find yourself in a room with four other people: Ms.
Glenn, two of her staff, and the Sales Director. Companies often
want to gain the insights of various people when interviewing
candidates. This method of interviewing is often attractive for
companies that rely heavily on team cooperation. Not only does
the company want to know whether your skills balance that of the
company, but also whether you can get along with the other
workers. In some companies, multiple people will interview you
simultaneously. In other companies, you will proceed through a
series of one-on-one interviews.
Some helpful tips for maximizing on this interview format:
- Treat each person as an
important individual. Gain each person's business card at
the beginning of the meeting, if possible, and refer to each
person by name. If there are several people in the room at
once, you might wish to scribble down their names on a sheet
of paper according to where each is sitting. Make eye
contact with each person and speak directly to the person
asking each question.
- Use the opportunity to gain as
much information about the company as you can. Just as each
interviewer has a different function in the company, they
each have a unique perspective. When asking questions, be
sensitive not to place anyone in a position that invites him
to compromise confidentiality or loyalty.
- Bring at least double the
anecdotes and sound-bites to the interview as you would for
a traditional one-on-one interview. Be ready to illustrate
your main message in a variety of ways to a variety of
people.
- Prepare psychologically to
expend more energy and be more alert than you would in a
one-on-one interview. Stay focused and adjustable.
The
Mealtime Interview
For many, interviewing over a
meal sounds like a professional and digestive catastrophe in the
making. If you have difficulty chewing gum while walking, this
could be a challenge. With some preparation and psychological
readjustment, you can enjoy the process. Meals often have a
cementing social effect-breaking bread together tends to
facilitate deals, marriages, friendships, and religious
communion. Mealtime interviews rely on this logic, and expand
it.
Particularly when your job
requires interpersonal acuity, companies want to know what you
are like in a social setting. Are you relaxed and charming or
awkward and evasive? Companies want to observe not only how you
handle a fork, but also how you treat your host, any other
guests, and the serving staff.
Some basic social tips help ease
the complexity of mixing food with business:
- Take cues from your
interviewer, remembering that you are the guest. Do not sit
down until your host does. Order something slightly less
extravagant than your interviewer. If he badly wants you to
try a particular dish, oblige him. If he recommends an
appetizer to you, he likely intends to order one himself. Do
not begin eating until he does. If he orders coffee and
dessert, do not leave him eating alone.
- If your interviewer wants to
talk business, do so. If she and the other guests discuss
their upcoming travel plans or their families, do not launch
into business.
- Try to set aside dietary
restrictions and preferences. Remember, the interviewer is
your host. It is rude to be finicky unless you absolutely
must. If you must, be as tactful as you can. Avoid phrases
like: "I do not eat mammals," or "Shrimp
makes my eyes swell and water."
- Choose manageable food items,
if possible. Avoid barbeque ribs and spaghetti.
- Find a discrete way to check
your teeth after eating. Excuse yourself from the table for
a moment.
- Practice eating and discussing
something important simultaneously.
- Thank your interviewer for the
meal.
The
Follow-up Interview
Companies bring candidates back
for second and sometimes third or fourth interviews for a number
of reasons. Sometimes they just want to confirm that you are the
amazing worker they first thought you to be. Sometimes they are
having difficulty deciding between a short-list of candidates.
Other times, the interviewer's supervisor or other decision
makers in the company want to gain a sense of you before signing
a hiring decision.
The second interview could go in
a variety of directions, and you must prepare for each of them.
When meeting with the same person again, you do not need to be
as assertive in your communication of your skills. You can focus
on cementing rapport, understanding where the company is going
and how your skills mesh with the company vision and culture.
Still, the interviewer should view you as the answer to their
needs. You might find yourself negotiating a compensation
package. Alternatively, you might find that you are starting
from the beginning with a new person.
Some tips for managing second
interviews:
- Be confident. Accentuate what
you have to offer and your interest in the position.
- Probe tactfully to discover
more information about the internal company dynamics and
culture.
- Walk through the front door
with a plan for negotiating a salary.
- Be prepared for anything: to
relax with an employer or to address the company's qualms
about you.
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