What to Say in a Job Interview: Open-ended Questions
Employers want to get the information they need to make a safe,
profitable hiring decision. You, the candidate, want some privacy and
a fair chance to be considered based on your merits. Open-ended
interview questions generally achieve both goals. For instance,
instead of an employer asking "Are you living with anyone?" she may
phrase the question as "Do you foresee any situations that would
prevent you from traveling or relocating?" The employer may want to
know whether you have any limitations regarding work schedule or
whether you have roots in the area that will encourage you to stay.
The less direct question allows you to decide what information about
your private life applies to the job at hand. Of course, if you are
not prepared for such a question, you could provide information that
might damage your chances for getting the job. So, you see,
employers often want to know details of your personal situation for
legitimate reasons. They want to be sure that you can be depended on
to stay on the job and work hard. Your takes in the interview is to
provide information indicating that, yes, you can be counted on to do
the job. If you don't get that idea across, you will probably not be
considered for the job. Once a person has covered the external
factors in getting prepared for a job interview, gone over questions
that will probably be asked during the interview as well as some
unexpected questions that might come up, the next step is to get
yourself prepared on how to act in the interview. Make sure that going
into the interview you don�t overdo the rehearsal of the interview and
your responses. You want to be ready and rehearsed but not overdone on
either count. You want to be confident and relaxed when walking into
an interview and a good way to begin this process is do a little
homework on the company you are going to interview for. Since you'll
be getting some background on what they are all about this will
hopefully make it easier for you to relax. Becoming more familiar with
them should help ease some of your nerves.
Once you are in the interview and have greeted the interviewer or
interviewers with a firm handshake and eye contact, you are now ready
to begin. As the questioning begins remain calm and keep occasional
eye contact going throughout the interview with everybody that is
there. You want to remain somewhat loose because the person or persons
doing the interviewing and/or hiring are going to want to work with
someone they like and enjoy talking to. Too much nervousness can raise
questions about your confidence and ability to lead (Kirrane, 1996).
Another thing besides being too nervous that can kill an interview is
to talk too much about yourself. Instead, try to show them some
positives that you can bring to the company. This is much more
important to them than going on and on about yourself. They want to
know what you can add to their company, not what your favorite cookie
is. In order to be successful in today�s higher powered interviews you
are going to have to show them that you fully understand that
company�s needs as well as demonstrate for them that you possess the
skills to handle the position. Most importantly though, you may have
to convince the company your are interviewing for that you are in sync
with their corporate culture.
After you have gone through the interview and answered their
questions to the best of your ability and hopefully presented yourself
in a positive manner you may be asked about salary. Knowing what
similar jobs and positions are making will aid you in your quest for
equal money. One thing not to do is to play hardball. It would not be
a good idea to start demanding certain dollar amounts in an interview.
If they give a certain dollar amount and you think it is too low for
your qualifications and experience then simply show them some figures
on what is the going rate for someone in this position with your
qualifications. If this doesn't work then negotiate with them; ask
them if maybe raises or bonuses are a part of this position if certain
tasks or goals are met in the first six months to a year. No hardball
is needed, just negotiate with them (Alderman, 1995).
In closing out the interview be sure to offer a handshake and
smile. Keep eye contact going and maybe say something like, "Thank you
for your time, and I look forward to hearing form you." You always
want to keep the eye contact going throughout, from the greeting to
the closing. It shows them that you are truly interested and serious
about what is going on in the interview. You never want to show them
or give them any reason to think that you have drifted elsewhere at
any point in the interview. It will definitely hurt your chances, if
not end your chances of obtaining a job at that company.
So remember when preparing for that interview to be clean and
dressed appropriately. Also, be prepared for some of the questions
that may be coming your way and don't be afraid to repeat some of the
questions in your answers to make your answers seem a little fuller (Kirrane,
1996). Lastly, don�t forget to close in style. |
