Anatomy of an Interview- Like everything else any Interview
has a beginning and an end. And then there is a story in between that drives
the outcome.
Any Interview can be divided into three main sections with
their broad purpose as outlined below
1)
Introduction
a. This
is where both suitors get to know each other
b. This
is where the person who is making the offer, gets to understand the person on
the other end
2)
General Questions
a. This
is where the person making the offer is trying to assess a cultural match
3)
Specific Questions
a. This
is where the person making the offer is trying to assess a specific match
Apart from this there are a few things that are core to any
Interview.
1)
Context
a. It
is important to understand the context of the interview
b. Context
will help you provide the right flavor for all compartments of the interview
2)
Preparation
a. Wont
it be better if we knew what the interview was for and what the interviewer was
like
b. Preparation
is always better- but this part is taken too casually most of the times
c. Preparation
does not always mean heavy and time consuming preparation- Getting into the
interview with a collected mind is also preparation
3)
Knowing the difference between hearing and
listening
a. Best
way to describe this- you hear the noise- but you listen to words of wisdom
4)
Knowing the difference between Talking and
Speaking
a. You
can talk to someone about weather---but if you are speaking on weather- You are
an expert and are providing deep insights on weather
5)
Time- A golden rule- no single party should
speak more than 3-4 lines at a stretch without a break to confirm if the line
is still active J
6)
Understanding the importance of “Pregnant Pause”
a. Interviews
over telephone make this part extremely critical- any pause that goes beyond 2
seconds- is deafening silence- and silence is certainly not desirable- unless
you are sitting in a yoga room
7)
Self-aware
a. Knowing
what your fillers are?- aaa, hmmm, I mean, you mean, ok- all these are fillers-
use them to your advantag
b. Be
Proud of the work you do
c. Be
confident of who you are
