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Five Essential Things Interviewers Look For
Here is a behind the scenes view of what the interviewer looks for:
1.
In the
first
impression
stage is the introduction, greeting, some
small talk about traffic conditions, location, the weather, or
maybe a sporting event. The interviewer is evaluating handshake,
eye contact, appearance, wardrobe, and your poise and ease in an
unfamiliar social situation.
2.
The
second
stage is
track record
. At issue is your education, grades,
work experience, and level of responsibility. The interviewer will evaluate
your intellectual abilities, special or general interests, reaction
to authority,
sensibility in terms of resources, time, energy, vitality, enthusiasm, willingness
to follow directions, and ability to motivate yourself and make things
happen. An employer will consider your relationships,
interests,
extracurricular activities and hobbies, positive attitude, and social
awareness. Are you a good person and a good citizen?
3.
The
third
stage in the interviewer’s perception is review of your
career
goals
. The interviewer’s targeted questions will lead you
to disclose your
immediate objectives, long-term objectives and interest in the company. It
will also showcase your attitude about topics like relocation and other
factors that may affect your performance. Here the interviewer seeks a
realistic knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses, how prepared you
are for this particular opportunity and your seriousness of purpose. Do you
have a calling? Are you, in fact, career-oriented rather than just
specific
job-oriented? There’s a big difference. Career-oriented people think long-
term where job-oriented people think specific
job only. Interviewers will
target your knowledge of the company and whether your contributions
are in line with your talents. Are
you a dreamer or achiever? Most
importantly, what are his or her company’s chances to hire you at this
stage?
Section 15 – The Interview Process
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