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.

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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.

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• 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:

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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.

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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.

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Here are following steps by considering them you can make your dressing appropriate for interview:

• For college interview put away; hats, flip-flops, sunglasses, graphic T-shirts and jeans because these items are not suitable for college interview at any cost and under any circumstances. These outfits will provide the message to interviewer that you don’t take any care about your impression before him/her.
• Try to buy something new and while buying make sure that clothes are crisp and clean and don’t look worn out. You can choose an appropriate dress for interview from any departmental store.
• Girls should wear simple blouse and skirt and they can also wear a paint suit. Remove all extra and heavy jewelry except those from your ears because reasonable & light jewelry should not interrupt the interviewer during communication. You should leave platforms or very high heel like 8-9 inches instead of it wear 1-2 inch heel.
• Boys use button down shirts and nice paints. All clothes should be well ironed and inspected closely to make sure that they are free of stains. Wear well polished and appropriate shoes. You should wear simple prints and styles with nice colors.
• Avoid from too much cologne and perfume. Ladies should use light make up and decent hair style.
• Be confident and have smile on your face.

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Interviewing is a vital part for being a journalist and conducting the journalistic interview requires skills that can be got from experience and practice. It is the best way to collect information and create content for a story. It doesn’t mean that you can only do successful interviews because good interview technique requires much practice so don’t expect to be master it immediately. There are several techniques you can use to improve your skills in right way.

Interview Techniques

Recording of Interview is a good way as you can make eye contact with interviewee as it seems like a normal conversations and person will often say things she/he might not say if are taking notes. Very few people have good memories so recorded interview is very beneficial as it reduces the chances of accusations of misquotations by playing back the section in questions.

Avoid Mundane Questions for which you can get answer by yourself after little research. Try to ask direct questions that indicates what you want to know and uncover. Most of the journalistic interviews take place in group situation or under time constrains where many reporters are firing off questions, in such situations make your questions and time slot count.   

Tailor Questions before interview according to your subject and keep in mind that questions should be directed for individual to get perfect information that person can provide.

Ask Open-Ended Questions through which you can get detailed information about your subject. Avoid asking such questions which result “yes” or “no” answers. Open-ended questions are often beginning with phrases like “Tell me about” or “What your opinion is about”. If you want to get best quotations to elaborate the topic design your questions according to his/her personality.

Be Persistent because it is a crucial part of conducting successful interview especially in the cases of hostile subjects. You should ask same questions in various different ways to get comprehensive information about whole story. If your interview subject refuses to answer any question then continue line of questioning until you get the answer.

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Key Points for Good Interview

• Try to talk in casual terms by using little professional and technical jargons as possible. Explain your points with anecdotes & examples and keep your answers short.
• Think before you speak. Elaborate 2-3 main points about your subject and collect facts, figures and interesting short stories to sport your points. Always get ready for anticipated questions which the reporter might be asked from you.
• This is especially important for television interview to speak with complete thoughts in mind. Avoid from saying anything which you don’t want to read in paper, hear on radio and see on television or internet.
• Be confident, you are expert.

Prepare Before Interview

• Prepare your key message and predict reporter’s questions especially hard ones. Try to answer difficult questions as short as possible then make connection of your message. Prepare your communication objective with 2-3 secondary points.
• It is best way to provide reporter with written summary of information, statistics or main points, if you can then do so. Reporters always need outlook of incidence like “How many people are affected? When did this incident happen? Is this having effect on national trends?” Don’t hesitate to provide the outlook of issue arisen even if the reporter doesn’t ask.

During Interview

• Provide most important information at first and then provide background of issue. Keep your answer moderate to provide sufficient information to reporter.
• Limit yourself on your main topic and control yourself to get drawn too far off from topic. Avoid from talking too much and repeat main points if it is necessary to get back on track. Mention your main subject by name several times during interview instead of saying “it” or “they”.
• Make eye contact with reporter and avoid from over or under estimation about knowledge of reporter on your subject. You can also offer background information if you feel it necessary and don’t hesitate to set the record straight if reporter’s information is incorrect.
• Explain about every thing either it is fact or your own opinion. If you don’t understand question then you can ask for further clarification. You can also tell the reporter about your source of information if possible. Avoid discussing hypothetical situation.
• Avoid from saying, “No comments” or “Off the record”. If you cannot answer then you can say, “I cannot answer because I haven’t seen your referred papers”. Be honest, your answer must be based on truth and avoid from joke.

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• Before interview prepare all necessary paper work, bring your necessary documentation and resume with you that highlights your clinical experience, key responsibilities and achievements if any.
• If you are a fresh candidate then take all certificates and proof of boards earned through different programs with you. New and experienced nurses should bring their nursing license and immunization documents.
• Before interview try to practice all typical interview questions like employer will want to know how a nurse will manage a difficult situation. You will be asked that how could you deal with problematic patient and his/her family members? What are your methods or ideas for short-staffed shift? This question will usually ask to measure leadership and managing skills in a nurse.
• Make sure that you must arrive 15 minutes early never arrive late always focus on your first impression.
• Make sure that you are dressed appropriately, typically a dress skirt and blouse for female and dress pants with shirt and tie for male. Avoid from cheap jewelry and over make-up. After arriving at interview place stop in restroom and make sure that your hair, cloths and face are clean.
• Be calm and confident meet all people at interview place with smile on your face. Sometime at interview place you encounter with people who greeting you. Give a firm handshake on the way in or out and when you are departing thank greeter for his/her time.
• Prepare for anticipating questions in advance. Since there are always job specification question about your job duties so be prepared. There may be some standard questions like about your strengths and weaknesses, about your unique skills and career objectives.
• Don’t spit out answer immediately; give a pause to think because you are a human being not a machine gun.  
• You can also ask question from employer and can take his/her point of view about you. You should also male a thank you letter to employer and express your feelings about good experience and persuade him/her for further meeting.

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Before going to interview make sure that everything is perfect and fits you correctly.

Men’s Interview Outfits

• Two piece suit (Preferable in navy or dark colors)
• Button down long sleeve shirt (Blue, white or pastel colors that coordinate with suits)
• A tie in simple pattern that matches the color of your suit (Flattering colors)
• Belt
• Polished dress shoes in dark colors with dark socks or Leather shoes
• No earrings if you normally wear one take it out
• Neat & professional hairstyle, take a hair cut because short hairs always fares best
• Neat and trimmed nails
• Portfolio case or light briefcase
• Limit the after shave & light perfume or cologne

Women’s Interview Outfits

• A neutral color suit in navy or in other dark colors with coordinated skirt.
• Skirt should be long so that you can sit down comfortably. Your skirt should little below the knee.
• Blouse should be made from cotton or silk in white or light pastel color.
• Conventional shoes like basic pumps with 1-2 inches heel. Avoid from strappy sandals or platforms
• Simple accessories, no visible body piercing like nose rings or eyebrow rings. (No jewelry is better than cheap jewelry)
• Neutral pantyhose, it should be flawless and conservative in colors
• Professional hairstyle with minimal makeup in conservative tones
• Minimal cologne or perfume
• Neatly manicured clean nails
• Portfolio case or Light briefcase

Avoid bringing to interview

• Chew gum
• Cell phone
• Soda or coffee
• IPod
• Avoid from too much jewelry like rings. Use only earrings it is a good rule (For females only)
• If you have some tattoos on your body like on hand or face cover them properly

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