Jobs Interview Guide
Jobs Interview Guide
General Advice
Before you go for your interview you need to find out everything you can about the company. Reread your
application/CV/covering letter, so that you can think about your skills and qualifications, and also questions
that you might be asked.
In order to do well in the interview you need to be able to convince the interviewer that you have the right
skills for the job, this will include your motivation towards the job, how well you will fit into the company,
along with meeting their academic and skills requirements.
You should dress smartly and appropriately and should leave in plenty of time allowing for possible delays,
so that you are not late. Remember first impressions last!
Tips
It's a good idea to ask for a glass of water, as you will be doing a lot of talking, but its also good to take a sip
if you want a few seconds to think about the question asked.
Ensure that you are sitting comfortably in a position where you can address all the interviewers.
Make sure that you remember the names of the interviewers, and take note of their various roles.
First Impressions
Most people make an initial opinion of a stranger within the first five minutes of meeting them. According
to research employers' impressions are made up of the following:
As soon as you enter the building you need to be polite to everyone you meet. You need to remain calm and
confident, give a firm handshake, and remember to make eye contact. You need to put both yourself and the
interviewer at ease by being down-to-earth whilst remaining business-like, it is often quite a good idea to
have a few conversation openers, especially if the interviewer takes you to the interview room, it helps break
the silence
You need to prepare well for the interview, finding out about the history of the company, its structure,
market position and management style, along with details such as: how big the company is, how long have
they been operating, what are their key income revenues and core areas of business, who are their major
competitors, and have they had any major upheavals or successes. The easiest place to start the research is
the website, or calling the marketing department and asking for a company profile or press kit. This will not
only help you show your enthusiasm to the company but also enable you to be more relaxed about the
questions asked. If you are preparing for a specific job interview, you will need to familiarise yourself with
the job description, so matching your attributes to their requested skills.
You will also need to prepare information about yourself by building up a personal profile to enable you to
answer questions both quickly and accurately. The profile will comprise of both personal and business
information. For example:
Personal: 'I am an ambitious, organised and highly-motivated individual who is goal driven and excels at
building long-term customer relationships.'
Business: 'I am an experienced sales professional with five years specific experience in the automotive
industry'... go into further details.
Be positive, if you are negative the employers will not believe in you. You need to remember that you have
been short-listed, and therefore must stand a good chance. It is good to feel a bit nervous before the
interview as it shows that you want the job.
Interview Techniques
The interview is not only a chance for the interviewer to assess if you are the right person for the job, but it
is also an opportunity for you to see if the job and the company are suitable for you.
During the interview you need to look for opportunities to be proactive and ask your own questions or try to
lead the discussion where appropriate. Questions should reflect your keenness to work for the company.
Generally you should limit yourself to just a couple of significant questions such as:
What are the key tasks and responsibilities of the job
What support and guidance is available
What training will be available
Keep your concentration levels up during the interview and make sure you listen to the responses the
interviewer gives you. The worst mistakes happen when people end up asking questions about topics that
have already been covered, or don't hear or understand what the interviewer has said.
Key points:
Make sure you give the interviewer your full attention
Wait for them to finish speaking, before you answer the question
Make sure you ask open questions, to ensure you get full answers
Check you understand everything that has been said
At the end of the interview find out what will happen next:
Questions could include: what your first assignment would be, what type of training is required or given,
requesting to see a job description, and who the company's major competitors are.
Do you consider yourself to be a natural leader? The interviewer will be interested in your ability to lead
when necessary
Tell me about yourself. This is an open question, and is a good opportunity for you to reveal the strengths
that you mentioned in your personal profile. This is also your chance to reveal your personality, so just be
yourself.
What are your biggest accomplishments? This should be job related, and is a chance to show your
competency
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
How do you handle criticism? Try to portray the attitude that all criticism has a benefit, providing an
opportunity for improvement. Also elaborate by giving an example of a poor idea that has been criticised
rather than a substandard piece of work.
How will you cope with a change in environment? Talk about how you can adapt and learn quickly.
What can you do for us that someone else can't? If you have understood the details of the job then try to
answer this with a combination of your skills/experience which others are unlikely to have.
Describe a difficult problem you've had to deal with. Clearly explain how you have approached a problem,
the result and how the difficult outcome was averted. This will show that you have a positive attitude to all
challenges, and you were not discouraged or intimidated by the situation.
What is your greatest weakness? This is your chance to show that you have identified and are working on
reducing your weaknesses. Turn your weakness into strength.
How do you handle tension/stress? Explain how you avoid stressful situations, and if not how you deal with
it, for example: exercising and going to the gym.
How do you take direction? Show by giving examples of how you can be briefed and finish the task without
unnecessary disagreements/complications
Do you prefer working with others or alone? Explain how you can work well in both situations.
How do you handle rejection? Much of today's business is commercially orientated, therefore a good answer
would tend to be that you move on but take on board what has happened and use it to benefit you in the
future.
Always speak clearly in a controlled range of tones. Do not speak in monotone and always pause before
speaking, this avoids instinctively reacting and saying the wrong thing.
Psychometric Tests
Psychometric means tools for measuring the mind. There are two types of test:
Many employers believe that such tests give a good idea of whether you are able to do the job, and if your
personality is suited to that of the job and the company.
Aptitude Tests: These test your critical reasoning skills under timed conditions. A typical test may have
three sections each testing a different ability, such as verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning. The test would
normally be about 30 minutes long for 30 questions.
Personality Tests: Questions tend to focus on; how you relate to other people, your work style, your ability
to deal with emotions (your own and others); your motivations; determination and general outlook and your
ability to handle stressful situations. There are no right or wrong answers, just be yourself.
Preparation:
You need to do a mini self-assessment of your profile, for example your work experience so far, the
qualifications you have gained, and where you want your career to go. Consider your strengths and
weaknesses, so that you have an idea of what to say in the interview. Some points to consider are:
Leadership
Self-confidence
Commitment and determination
Enthusiasm and Stamina
Competitiveness
Good judgement and decision making
Responsibility
Initiative and creativity
Organisation
Ask yourself:
Which areas could I improve
What are the tasks and situations that I have had the most problems with
In which instances did my colleagues react negatively towards me
Questions:
Why do you want this job? Talk about the positive aspects of the job, not that it's the only one you have had
an interview for.
What qualities do you think will be required for this job? Talk about points that were in the job description
but also other qualities such as: communications, interpersonal skills etc
What can you contribute? Your chance to shine. Tell them about your achievements in previous positions or
at University etc
Why do you want to work for this company? Talk about why you like the company, mission statement,
ethics, international etc
What do you know about this company? Give a run down of their products/services, sales figures,
accomplishments etc
What interest you about our product/service? This can link to the previous question
What has been your greatest success? How did you achieve it? Pick an achievement related to the
companies/jobs needs
What has been your biggest failure? Pick something that you were able to correct or that wasn't that
important
How could you improve yourself? Pick on positive aspects of your personality or a strength/weakness
scenario where you are improving
How do you handle criticism? Say that you take on board criticism and that it is part of your development so
that you can improve certain areas.
Do you work well with others? Give examples of a good working relationship
Are you self motivated? Give an example of where you have been pro-active
Can you act on your own initiative? This can link into the previous question
Questions To Ask
Prior to your interview, it is important that you have read the job description. Go through each aspect and
think about how and why you match the requirements. You should not just stipulate that you have good
communication skills or strong organisation skills, you must give examples of where you have proven such
skills and where they have been of good use. You must also re-read your CV, covering letter and/or
application form, as the interviewers may use these as a form of reference and ask you questions related to
these.
Remember:
Make sure you dress smartly
Next would be a half an hour break. Candidates may freshen themselves up in this time.
Personality Questions
A list of these questions is given below.
Autobiography
Write an autobiography in 8 minutes. The candidates should try practising that frequently as both time and
space would be limited. Try mentioning your positive aspects.
Behave like a gentleman, avoid aggressive or dominant attitude towards your colleagues.
In Urdu discussions, avoid using English words for which suitable Urdu words can be easily substituted. It
shows your attitude towards you national language as well as your command over it.
In discussions, think before you speak. Gather two most striking and valid points in your mind and then say
them in an effective manner. After consuming 40-50 seconds, give turn to others voluntarily. Show that you
are an interested listener.
Avoid speaking again and again. Don't try to dominate the group. Show some respect to other members.
In command tasks, try to engage all the subordinates when you are performing as a leader.
If proper suggestions are not coming, suggest a few of your suggestions to them.
Do not show dislike to any of suggestions, no matter how absurd they may be.
1.Preparation
2.Some questions
How will you introduce yourself?
Have you researched for the post for which you are going to be interviewed?
Why you consider yourself most suited person for the post?.
Why do you feel you can do the job?
What makes you qualified for the job?
Do you know about job responsibilities?
4. Introduce yourself
This is the most important point in interview, failing which can out you from the list. So give much time to
know about yourself. You must prepare these points.
This part is used to give the interviewer relevant information concerning you personally and about your
educational background. This does not include personal information such as marital status, children, etc. The
education should be either the latest obtained and/or major field if relevant to job objective.
This part is used to share with the interviewer past and present work experiences relevant to the job
objective.
This part is about your life / Career objectives. These objectives should relevant to the job.
You have the knowledge and work experience relevant to the job, that’s why you are here.
6. THINGS TO AVOID
7. CLOSING
Physical Appearance
It is generally believed that one has to look good on the given day but what is forgotten is
that appearances do not change overnight. Regular care has to be taken. Now is the time to
prepare to look good on that day. Regular walks, early morning fresh air, breathing and physical
exercises have to be part of that preparation. This schedule will give you a relaxed, confident and
self assured visage (a person's facial expressions) as a part of your personality. This will also
improve your memory, stamina and concentration. Cosmetic changes on the given day are not
the right approach.
This is the time to get through medical examination done. Serious medical problem can pay
put to all your efforts. Weight and bulkiness has to be shed off to achieve a trim and healthy
look.
Body Language
Most of us do not know how do we look when we sit on a chair, how do we look when we
smile or frown or try to look serious. Even we are not aware of how we sound when we speak or
what impression we create when we walk into a room. It is time that you look at you in a full
length mirror and watch yourself in different actions. There is sufficient time to correct any
absurdities or idiosyncrasies (a mode of behaviour or way of thought peculiar to an individual) you
observe. Your interview guide should correct most of them. He is the one who will groom you and
give you stature and personality.
I strongly suggest that you start reading DAWN newspaper and some other like NEWS or
Pakistan Observer besides magazines like TIMES and NEWSWEEK, HERALD or WORLD TIMES.
Even a lot of current news and commentaries are available on TV channels and Internet. The
more you read and listen the more ideas, arguments and fact you will accumulate. But, is the
accumulation of the material alone is enough. The answer is NO. This is where your interview
guide will help you. He will hold group discussions and mock interviews with you to help you
organize your responses to different questions, improve your speech mannerism and help you
decide on the line of argument to pursue on different topics. He is well versed in national,
international and geo-strategic issues and will augment your knowledge with his insight on issues
and problems.
Command Tasks
Command tasks require practice. It evaluates a person's ability to encourage discussion,
receive suggestion and strategies on how best to formulate a plan to overcome a given situation.
It shows that you have leadership qualities and the acumen (the ability to make good judgments
and quick decisions) to plan and assign duties to be carried out. Practising it under specialist
guidance will prepare you better.
Ok thanks .
Madam : what became of the missing persons case ?
What are your views about mr iftikhar chaudhry ? I have high regards for him madam .
Why he had many controversies ?
Then she asked about him 2 to 3 questions?
Should we talk to Taliban ? Yes madam there nothing wrong in talking to anyone .
What are your hopes ? They are low madam .
Then what's the rational of talking ?
Considering the devastation military operations will cause ,even if there is 1% chance of success I
will go for it .
Who should we talk to ? Afghan or pk Taliban ?
Pak Taliban madam , afghan Taliban have no stake in pakistan .
1 or 2 more questions about Taliban peace talks .
Ok thanks then MR Wajid Rana ( he had my file, he was studying it during the 20 minutes the rest
of the panel was asking questions ) . And we expected on day 1 that he's the Najeeb ULLAH malik
of panel this year . And he was .
Rana: As u told mr chairman that you have interest in psychiatry , does the dark colour of your
suit and sweater have any psychiatric meaning ?
Me : smiling , sir it's just a shopping decision , it has no psychiatric basis ( he smiled too ) .
Rana : your fav Book is guns germs and steel ? Yes sir .
So what's the main criticism against Jared diamond and guns germs and steel ?
Me : he's been criticised for portraying a simplistic and neat view of history , and he has ignored
the human part , religion and culture . And overemphasised on geography and impersonal factors
.
Rana : have you heard about Samuel Huntington ?
Yes sir , he's a political scientist famous for his views of clash of civilisations .
Rana : A long statement of Huntington , crux was that a middle class army poses threat to
democratic governments in developing countries. Do you think democracy has something to dread
from army in pak?
Me : The chances of military take over can never be ruled out in pakistan Sir.
Rana : do you support military dictatorships ?
Me: Categorical no , I think that this debate of Comparing military rule with Democracy should be
considered heresy , democracy is the only way forward sir .
Rana : so why democracy should be threatened then?
Me: common man is no Phd or Bureaucrat, people are already losing patience with this democratic
gov and military take over cn never be ruled out .
Rana: so you have psychology , sociology , european history and Int law as your optionals ? Yes
sir .
What is Hegel's dialectical materialism?
I told him the answer .
Is it relevant today ?
Me: it will be relevant untill there are ideas in the world .
Rana: was the creation of universe thesis or anti thesis ?
Me: after thinking for a while , It's Thesis Sir ( he smiled and nodded his head ) , I believe it is
Thesis.
Rana : he defined soverignity and asked about violation of it by Us in pakistan !
Me : Sir , I may quote an interview by general musharaf after his retirement from Presidency ,
Yes Go ahead .
He said that the west And US are not willing to accept our cries of soverignity , as there is no
soverign in tribal areas ESP north waziristan , and ground realities have over riding effect on
international law provisions.
Rana : he started opening another long statement , jus cogens and peremptory norms ?
Me : sorry sir I couldn't remember jus cogens ( I forgot to revise Latin terms ).
Rana: What are the prospects after US withdrawal from Afghanistan ?
Me: I am seeing another civil war Sir .
Rana: it's repercussions for pakistan ?
Me: Refugees , new wave of terror , pakistan wil have to take sides again in afghan politics .
Rana : You said you have some disappointments from iftikhar chaudhry but u still have high
regards for him ?
Me: sir These shortcomings can be mentioned in bracket ( Media judiciary nexus , failure of
structural reforms, ARSLAN iftikhar case etc) but they don't define mr iftikhar chaudhry , he will
be remembered as the champion of judiciary , who reiterated the faith of common man in justice.
Ok thank u .
Thank u gentleman have a nice day , said Mr chairman .
Thank u sir , thank u all , said I .
I couldn't recall some Questions but its almost 90% of the interview.
About 32 to 33 minutes it was, they were smiling and friendly and it was a smooth
pleasurable experience . interview::
BEST OF LUCK