Interview Tips

The job interview is a powerful tool for employee selection process in almost all organizations. It is a powerful source of hiring because finding right employee for the success of organization. Through interview you can examine the skills of candidate and can ask standard questions to find out suitability of candidate for your company.

Selection of Candidates

First step before scheduling a job interview is review of resume and resume cover letters of each candidate. These are very important tools for selection of selective candidates out of 200-400 candidates. The resumes and cover letters also help you to prepare interview questions for candidates according to their resumes. You can find out values of potential employees by asking questions that explore the various skills that you need for betterment of your organization. It is important for employer to gauge the employee’s ability to resolve conflicts. You should ask various questions from candidate and note his/her reaction in confrontational situation.

Candidates who take much time for answering any question are probably can not respond well when confront with crises. Through interview you can examine the candidate’s commitment toward their career and over all work ethics. If you are giving add for specific positions then you should explain each and every requirement which you want to see in employees.

Preparation before Interview

• You should prepare a set of common questions for candidates. These questions help in evaluation of candidates as you get different responses of same questions.
• Critically examine resume of each candidate to know her/his over all background. Design special questions for each candidate according to their resumes.

Common Questions

You can ask three types of questions from candidate to determining its viability.

• What was your most rewarding last job position?
• How did you find out us?
• What will be your first step if I hire you?

These questions help in evaluation process and you can find out devotions and ethic of candidate toward his/her new or previous job. These questions provide you clear reflection of candidate’s motivations and strategies. You can get an idea about thinking capacity of candidates. Candidate’s answers reflect his/her vision about company and his/her own future career.

Provide Relax Environment to Candidates

• Make candidate to feel comfortable because however the candidate is confident but he/she feel nervous before interview. To minimize the anxiety of candidate create friendly environment by sharing your names.
• Start general questions first as a warm up session and avoid asking personal questions which candidates feel uncomfortable to reply.
• Make an eye contact with candidates to let him/her know that you are listening to him/her. Through this you can make an idea about non-verbal communication of employee.
• Keep you mind open and avoid from any biasness.

Summarize Interview

At end answer the queries of candidate because it is natural that they want to know right answer if they fail to answer any question. Avoid from making false promises and tell them about next step. Tell them about how and when the decision will made and communicated to them.

Legal professional is legal entity through which human beings derive their legal capacity and status, within their society’s legal order. It is sum total of individual’s legal advantage and disadvantages. A legal person is often called an artificial person. Legal professionals usually work in courts and very often some personalities are hired by different organizations on permanent basis to solve their legal matters.

Conduct Research

Before interview day you should prepare a solid ground for you with the help of research because it is matter of objection for legal employer that an interviewee has no knowledge about firm. Therefore research skill should be one of your strengths. You can gain knowledge about any particular law firm through directories. These directories are available online or in public or local library. This directory is an authentic source to get worldwide in-depth information about attorneys and legal firms or professionals. You can also visit the organization’s website to get preliminary information about culture, job requirements, and office locations. Your professional school’s career center is an excellent source of information.

Prepare Questions & Responses

In legal interviews the interviewer expects questions from you and if you fail to ask any question or don’t ask any question then he/she may interpret it as a sign of disinterest. It is a good practice for you that you prepare a list of open ended questions before interview about job like:

• What qualities are you looking for in candidates?
• What is typical career path in this firm?
• How much time you take in making a hiring decision?
• What are my SOPs for whole day?

The answers of interviewer will provide you guidelines to tailor your own answers in best possible way. You should be prepared to discuss each and every thing in your resume including duties of your college internship. You should also prepare for the questions about your salary expectations. You can conduct market research and also discuss with friends to get an idea about current trends and then state your expectations accordingly.

Dress Appropriately

In this age dressing becomes an important factor due to dress codes. Relaxed dress is infiltrating in many careers but legal industry remains conservative and employers expect from interviewee to wear proper attire. Therefore professional suit with conservative colors like dark colors (black, blue, brown or navy) provide you an eye catching impression.

Market Yourself & Make Interviewer Busy

Design a precise presentation to highlight your strengths, weaknesses, achievements and experiences before employer because skilled interviewers provide chance to candidate for presentation through open ended questions about yourself, skills, achievements , strength and weakness. Practice your presentation until you will be perfect in it. Engage interviewer in conversation instead of simple answering of questions. You can ask similar questions from interviewer such as hobbies and institutions etc.

Be Positive & Effectively Close Interview

Don’t show your negative attitude in response of any questions either it is about your past experience or future employment. Always remain positive during discussion about your background and work history. At the end recall your all skills and backgrounds once again to emphasize that how you are the best choice for position. After Interview send a thank you letter to refresh the memory of interviewer and convince him/her that you are the perfect choice for position.

Each institution conducts its admission interviews differently. Interview is a very valuable tool for evaluation. College interview is a best time to create your best impression on interviewer. You should use the interview to show off your personality that is not possible on application. It is not enough to have effective answers for introduction but you should be prepared for full spectrum of questions. Here is list of some question which may be asked from you during interview:

• Tell me about your experiences at your previous school. Have you any special experience which stands you out?
• What kind of changes you want to see in school/college if you had the power to do so?
• What were the opinions of your teacher about your strengths and weaknesses as a student and what are you weak points?
• What kind of steps you want to take in your own self-development?
• What kind of magazines and newspapers do you like to read?
• What sort of activities do you like to do after school?
• What books or articles have you read in the last years and what kind of books have special meaning to you?
• What are your future plans?
• If you have got a time machine then in what time period will you go to and what would you do?
• Tell me about your family?
• Describe yourself in few possible words?
• What is your most important achievement to date?
• How would you describe your ideal activities?
• Why did you choose this career?
• When did you decide on this career?
• What goals and objectives do you have in your career?
• How do you plan your future to achieve these goals?
• What is success in your opinion?
• Tell your any success story?
• What achievements have given you the most satisfaction in your life?
• What one thing would you change if you got any opportunity?
• Would you like to work in team of people or information?
• Are you a team player?
• What are your short term goals or objectives?
• Where do you see yourself after five years from now?
• What do you want to become after five years?
• What kind of people influences you?
• Why did you choose this college?
• What changes will you want to make at our college?
• What were your favorite subjects? Why?
• Do you have any independent research experience?
• What is the name of your favorite professor? Why?
• What is your higher GPA?
• How will you contribute to our campus community?

During Interview  evaluation of non-verbal signals are also done like this:

Many higher schools and colleges require interview for admission. Usually private schools or colleges conduct admission interviews. The interview provides necessary information to admission committee for the evaluation of candidates. If they have bunch of candidates with good SAT scores, excellent academic records then decision becomes very tough for admission and then the further evaluation and final choice takes place with the help of interview.

How can you perform well in interview?

In first step conduct a comprehensive research about college you are interviewing at. If you have more and more knowledge about college then it will make easier for you to answer all questions about college like:

• Why do you want to get admission in our college?
• Why should we admit you as a student in our college?

If you conduct research then you can easily answer all these questions.

Practice Practice and Practice

Try to practice interview with your friend and family members. You can practice some questions that are frequently asked:

• What are your major achievements or accomplishments?
• What do you conceive about yourself?
• Where do you find yourself in ten years?
• What kinds of books you like for study?

Keep Smile on Face

You should keep a permanent smile on your face, due to this you automatically feel more comfortable. Smile will help you to relax yourself and put some of your nerves at ease.

Common Interview Mistakes

Repeating Casual Answers: You should prepare for interview by practicing certain questions repetitively asked during interview. If you are asked these questions then don’t jiggle off canned answer. Try to speak in natural voice; it should not seem like that you are reciting some thing.

Concise and Confusing Answers: Always try to provide elaborate and honest answers and avoid from “Yes or No”. Don’t be aimless and confused so that it may reflect your personality like blunt and careless.

Dressing: Wear neat and professional dress. Don’t show off with heavy make up, jewelry, perfume/cologne and fancy outfits. Behave like a job interview.

Ending: when the interview is over, show your regards toward interviewer and thank him for providing you opportunity of meeting. You can take their addresses and contact numbers or business cards. After getting home send a thank you letter to them. Avoid from too much typical details in letter just send a short letter thanking them for their time.

Sending a thank you letter after meeting is proper business etiquettes but many people take it as a matter of courtesy. A thank you letter can make you stand out among other candidates competing for job in market. It is best that you send a thank you letter before hiring decision has been made so it is best to mail thank you note as soon as possible. It is best chance to tell the employer what you forgot to discuss in the interview that can prove as a strong point of you. You can send a thank you letter by discussing all forgotten matters. Sending a thank you letter to employer draw your positive impression before employer that you have professional attitude. After interview thank you letter is a last chance for good impression.

Situations which required thank you letter

• After employment interview
• When someone provides you assistance in job search
• After company visit or career exploration activity after getting some useful information

Simple Tip for Thank You Letter

• Keep your letter concise and simple usually one page is enough.
• Write your letter in professional style with no typo and grammatical errors, use good quality paper. Mention some points from interview to refresh the memory of employer.
• Send your letter a day after interview and don’t put it off.
• Express you enthusiasm and interest for position.
• Address the recipient in formal way unless you have personal relation with him/her.
• Use printer and take a nice print of thank you letter.
• Thank you letter can be your edge because very few people bother to send it.

First Paragraph

Thank the interviewer by mentioning the proper date and position for which you interviewed. Type the name of employer with correct spellings.

Second Paragraph

Show your interest in position and mention something which you have learned from interview. Again emphasize on your strengths, weaknesses, skills and achievements to refresh employer’s memory so that he/she may consider you perfect for job.

Third Paragraph

Once again say thanks to employer for his/her time. Give him/her suggestions for future action if possible. Provide your phone number with appropriate contact time and mention that you will contact with him/her.