Job interview can be a nerve wracking process to many job seekers that is why getting prepared is important.

Very often, the following questions come to mind; how should I prepare for the interview? Should I research on the company that is hiring and how deep should my research be? What type of questions should I prepare myself for?

Regardless of the level of job you are going for, we suggest you prepare yourself for the interview. There can only be two outcome after every interview; an interviewer is impressed with the candidate due to the amount of preparation of the candidate as well as the suitability of a candidate due to his or her experience and past track records.

On the other hand, if a candidate is not prepared for an interview the interviewer will be left wondering why a candidate turn up for the interview and his or her interest in the job.

We suggest candidates to focus on the following areas when turning up for an interview:

#Tips 1
Be punctual and dress appropriately for the interview. While we are not taking about taking part in a beauty contest, dressing appropriately and being punctual leave a good first impression that set the stage well for the interview.

#Tips 2
Do as much research as possible on the company and the job you are interviewing for. The more you know about the company and the job, it will suggest that you have a keen interest in the company and the job you are being interviewed for.

#Tips 3
Ask intelligent questions about the company and job that you do not know and understand. This shows that you are not just keen on getting the job but you are also concerned about the prospects of the company. Besides being assessed for the job, you are also evaluating whether the company and job is suitable for you as well. The more you know about the job, the less surprised you will be when you join the company.

#Tips 4
It is important you know that the interviewer is trying to establish whether you match the job and the degree of match between the job description and you. With that in mind, we would like to highlight three key areas that an interviewer will look at:

Knowledge. Do you have the relevant knowledge for the job? For example, if it is for care giver job, an interviewer will want to know if the candidate has relevant qualifications and good understanding of theory and practise of aged and patient service provision.
Skills. Do you have the right skills set for the job? For a sales and marketing position, they will look for advocacy, communication and networking skills.

Attributes. For a customer relationship executive, are you client focus and customer service oriented?

#Tips 5
Finally, we would like to stress that the interview and selection process is to identify a candidate that has the highest degree of match between a job and his or her skills and experience. There are other factors that come into play as well, however, at the end of the day we encourage you to do your best in preparing for the interview. If you are not selected, it does not mean you are not good. It is most probably due to the lower degree of match as compared to the selected candidate or there could be a mismatch in skills or attributes. We encourage you to continue to improve and enhance your skills and experience and continue to push yourself to work outside your comfort zone. One will only grow and improve when one work outside there comfort zone to test themselves with new skills or knowledge.

Before concluding, we would like to share with you a report by BBC News on 30 May 2017 on “Just the job? When an interview goes wrong”. All the best for your interviews!

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-39818120

The report talks about some of the weirdest questions that candidates encountered. Some questions are downright wrong and inappropriate! Others are designed to test your answer and infer your personal characteristics.

The take away here is that if you feel a question is not appropriate and have nothing to do with the interview. You should question the suitability of the question.