Interview Tips

How To Interview Well

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Agenda •Purpose of an Interview •Preparations •Conduct at Interview •Post-Interview •Q & A © rosli lompoh

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An Interview is… • a two way conversation • For an interviewer to find out more on interviewee’s capabilities and suitability • For an interviewee to find out more on the organization or institution Hence, both party needs each other’s cooperation; the interviewer has as much to gain as does the interviewee © rosli lompoh

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Prepare well and well in advance… •Physical presentation and ‘look’ •Mental preparations

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Present yourself as a smart and pleasant personality… Be Neat and Smart-looking  No long hair  No ear rings for boys  No fancy hair-style or hair-do  No “boyish” or “girlish” fashion  Dress Appropriately  Don’t over-dress  Avoid cloth that are too bright, too gaudy or too colorful  Don’t dress too ‘sexy’  No tight-fitting cloth or transparent dress © rosli lompoh

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 Wear white or light coloured shirt/dress with dark trousers/gown matched with dark/brown shoes  Baju kurung/kebaya is best for Malay/Muslim  Carry yourself with confidence while remaining respectful

When you come in elegantly and smartly dressed, this will project a positive first impression that will instill a sense of confidence

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Come to the interview well - organised…  All documents neatly arranged in a folder  Have your records of working experiences nicely arranged in a chronological order  Have your CV neatly in hand  Have ready copies of documents, CV, testimonials etc  Bring along a copy of your application and other correspondences if any When you appear well-organised, this will have positive points with interviews © rosli lompoh

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Prepare yourself mentally…  Do your homework on the organisation -This will demonstrate your serious interest -This will help you ask questions about the organisation  Anticipate questions that may be asked of you; prepare and rehearse your answers -This will be key to your performance at the interview -Eliminating as much surprises as possible will reduce your nervousness and increase your sense of confidence © rosli lompoh

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Prepare your own set of questions -This will help you to be organised at the interview -This will also allow you to help control the flow of the interview -Above all, this will demonstrate your serious interest in the organisation Rehearse your proposed ‘act’ until it becomes & appears natural

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Coming to the interview… If door is closed, knocked first before entering Greet your interviewers as appropriate Walk in elegantly Project a sense of self confidence but remain respectful Wait to be seated If not asked, volunteer to introduce yourself If possible, find out from the administrator the names and designation of the interviewers so that you can address them by name straight away The whole idea is to project the most positive first impression possible © rosli lompoh

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During the interview, your communication skill is the key… Speak clearly, slow down if you need to make a complicated point Use short sentences to make understanding easy Use examples and illustrations to make clear a complicated point Answer the question in the language it was asked Be frank upfront which language you prefer to be interviewed in ( your request may be turned down though) Above all, talk in a co-herent and organised fashion so that your answers can be well understood The trick is to ensure that you deliver your answers and ideas as clearly as possible to your interviewers © rosli lompoh

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During the interview, your manners score points… Be truthful and honest

 If you lie or pretend to know the answer, sooner or later it will show, at the same time you are cheating both yourself and the interviewers Be frank and open  if you prefer not to talk on some issue, tell your interviewers why Be civil and polite at all times, even when the interviewers may appear rough on you  they may be testing your patience © rosli lompoh

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Be humble on all issues and points  arrogance and over confidence open you to making careless mistakes in your answers Don’t be afraid to ask for a repeat of the question or seek further clarifications on the question.

Remember, sincerity and humility are virtues that are valuable at work

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During the interview, your ideas and how you think are more important than the right answers… Express your ideas and your point of views freely  Often there are no right or wrong answers It is your ideas and views and your reasons for them that the interviewers are after since this will give them the clues as to how you will solve problems in real life Don’t just simply say you don’t know but offer your thoughts and your reasons for them (never mind if it is wrong) In real life, not all solutions are right first time © rosli lompoh

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Don’t be dogmatic, remain open to new ideas and different point of view -At work, an open mind is needed for creativity Don’t argue with the interviewers unnecessarily, rather accept differences in opinion while remaining firm in your own thinking -in real life we face differences all the time and must learn to live with them Only bad interviewers ask straight questions on academic achievements, these have been tested at school and documented in your certificates © rosli lompoh

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Help the interviewers to make the interview productive and organised Clarify and paraphrase questions that are not asked well, then offer your answers freely Not all interviewers are good or well trained at their job of interviewing people; some only does it part time Look for or volunteer opportunities to ask the interviewers your questions Make sure the question has been fully addressed before moving on to a new issue © rosli lompoh

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Don’t succumb to leading questions; paraphrase and offer your own opinions Jot down notes or make mental notes to keep track of the progress of the interview

The general idea is to be partly in control of the interview process; this way you have the optimum chance of being heard and understood

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At the end of the interview… Don’t forget to thank the interviewers for their time devoted to you Don’t forget to ask when you will hear from them of their decision Make sure you leave your active contact, more than one will be better

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Decisions are normally made on the basis of… Your thinking process; not on right or wrong answers How you think through solving a problem-this will determine if you will succeed in your working life How well and freely you generate ideas-this will determine if you will be creative in your work How well you communicate-this will determine if you can work in a team and lead others How motivated and disciplined are you in delivering resultsthis will determine your productivity How open are you to ideas different from your own-this will determine if you can cope with change © rosli lompoh

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What if you failed the interview… Don’t despair; treat this failure as your motivation for the next try Think back as to what might have caused you to fail and learn from these mistakes Do not think badly of the organisation; a better person was chosen, while you were second best © rosli lompoh

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Q & A Session

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Q1: What if I am a stammer?

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Q2: What if this job/position is not my first choice and I already have a better offer

Q3: What if I really am not interested in the job/position? © rosli lompoh

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Q4: What if I know well one of the interviewer?

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Q5: What do I do if I am very nervous?

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Q5: What if I really feel that I have no chances of succeeding?

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Q5: What if I am only attending this interview because my parents persuaded me to just try? I actually want to do something else.

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