How to perform effectively in an interview - 3
To begin with, you will, in all likelihood be asked to give your introduction or you may be asked to say something about yourself. You have already submitted your resume. Therefore, you will say the same that is before them (the interview members) in the file. What they want to see is not so much what you will, but how you’ll say it. Here it needs to be reiterated, even at the expense of repetition that, whatever you say, is indeed significant and yet, how you say the same, is no less important. Therefore, say it impressively i.e. articulately, correctly, neither hurriedly nor too slowly, courteously and respectfully. You have called for interview to judge your manners, confidence, communication, poise and self-assurance. Display all these in ample measure. While answering hold yourself straight, do not slouch.. Mention your achievements/medals/prizes both in academic field and in extra-curricular or social arena. However, nothing should be said with arrogant pride or aggressive assertion. Unless you are specifically asked to give details of your family, there is no need to mention your parents, siblings, their profession etc.
All questions related to your subject should be answered accurately and briefly. Be pertinent but don’t be curt.
Other questions which can come up are about your hobby. Make it certain that you name your hobby on which you can take questions. For instance, if you say reading is your hobby, you may be asked who is your favorite author and what is it from him that you have read. Inability to answer or a diffident response exposes the lie.
Now the trickiest question: your strengths and weaknesses. Here one has to be cautious. You may name any of your strengths but you shall confess to your shortcomings. In fact, you don’t have weakness. But if you confess things like, I am emotional, I lose temper, I have less tolerance etc. – You have prepared ground for being ticked off. But, if you say you have no shortcomings, it is likely that the interviewer may say “I have so many and you have none”. That puts us in a tight spot. So, the strategy should be to project a virtue as though you carry the same to excess. Thus if you say, “I avoid all bickering/fight as I feel they are self-destructive”. Now, an instant question will come “What is wrong in that. How do you count that as your weakness? To this the answer will be that you avoid fights even at a price.
Other examples of weaknesses:
1). I cannot leave a job half done even if I have to get past mid-night to complete that.
2). I am a little too punctual. The consequence is that on reaching a place dot on time, I find myself alone and singled out.
3). I am temperamentally tolerant to a large degree. People take it as a sign of weakness.
In short, the list can go on and you have got to exercise imagination to come up with your “weakness”. But never confess to shortcomings which are considered to be negative traits.
In the sphere of strengths emphasize your:
1). Devotion
2). Loyalty
3). Commitment
4). Dedication
5). Honesty and Sincerity.
6). Sense of Duty.
7). Spirit of Cooperation.
And in the end, it is apt to repeat that it doesn’t matter so much what you say but how you say it.
