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Personality. Self-development. Success and luck. Own business

You are accepted! Tips from top managers and psychologists on how to behave in a job interview. How to dress for an interview. What they ask in an interview and how to answer such questions

Job interview is always stressful, even if you have impressive experience. If you are just starting your career, this stress will be even greater for you. However, if you qualify for the job, getting an interview is not nearly as difficult as it sounds. The main thing is self-confidence and well-structured answers. From the article you can learn more about how to behave in a job interview.

Now almost impossible to find job without interview. The personal qualities of a candidate matter even when applying for the simplest job, so most employers try to get to know the applicant better before hiring.

Going to an interview, it is important to understand that an interview is not an exam, but a dialogue between two parties. Think of hiring as a win-win deal. Often, the company emphasizes that a competition is held among many candidates for this vacancy. Often this is emphasized only so that you are ready to make concessions when discussing salary, schedule, or other important issues.

In fact, finding a worthy employee is also not such an easy task for an employer. Therefore, do not worry and agree to unfavorable conditions, especially if you are in demand in your field. If you behave calmly and, within reason, put forward your own conditions, this will only be a plus for you at the interview. Job interview dialogue is very important, so good communication and initiative on your part will help improve interview results.

Typically, hiring follows a fairly standard pattern:

  • The vast majority of jobs now require a resume. You need to draw it up competently and honestly, because it is on the basis of it that you will be asked questions at the interview. In addition, passing the initial selection so that you are invited for an interview is also important. Often resumes may not be accepted simply because of a stupid spelling mistake or because of an attempt to embellish your biography: with the advent of the Internet, it has become very easy to check any information.
  • After your resume has been approved, you may be sent an invitation to an interview to your email address or call to set up a meeting.
  • Sometimes in large companies, the first interview is conducted over the phone. You can set a time in advance, and then you will have the opportunity to prepare. However, sometimes at the first call you may be asked a few spontaneous questions, the answers to which will also influence the decision of the employer. Often spontaneous questions can be provocative to test your resilience. Also, questions can repeat information that you yourself gave in the resume, to check how honestly it was compiled.

  • An interview in person at the company's office is sometimes the last stage of selection, and sometimes it is just the beginning. For serious positions, sometimes they conduct a whole series of interviews.
  • The structure of a classic interview is quite simple. First, you will be asked to describe your education and past work experience in general terms. Then there will be questions related directly to the position for which you are applying to check how you fit it. Informal face-to-face communication is also becoming fashionable in large companies, so be prepared to briefly talk about your hobbies or family. The final stage of the interview includes a discussion of the schedule, salary and other nuances. At this time, you can also ask the recruiter your questions.

Preparing for a job interview

Even if you are a good specialist, and you are sure that the vacancy suits you, you still need to prepare for the interview. First of all, you should check your resume. Perhaps, based on the specifics of the work of this company, you will understand that they may be interested in facts about your biography that are not listed. For example, even if you get a job as an accountant in an art gallery, a love of art can be an added bonus. Some facts of the biography, perhaps, on the contrary, should not be mentioned if they are not needed for this vacancy.

Consider the main stages of preparing for an interview after your resume has been confirmed and you have been invited to the office.

Gather Information

All the information you need can often be found on the corporate website. If it is not on the site, you can call the office. Before a job interview, make sure you learn as much as you can about the company and how your interview will go:

  • Find out who you will communicate with. Sometimes a department head, a recruiter or an ordinary employee can negotiate with you. You will need to build your communication style depending on who is interviewing you.
  • The interview can be individual or group. It is also desirable to find out in advance.
  • Learn about the interview format. The conversation usually takes place in a question-and-answer format. This format is easier for the candidate, especially if you have little experience or feel insecure for any reason. However, sometimes the interview takes place in the format of self-presentation, when you yourself have to tell about yourself and demonstrate your competence in the desired area. It's especially difficult to go through interview without work experience. This format is beneficial for experienced professionals who will have the opportunity to tell more about themselves, not limited to the interview format.

  • Find out your preferred dress code. If he is strict enough, it is unacceptable to come in casual clothes to an interview. However, formal business style in clothes will not always be a plus. If the company does not have a dress code, you simply will not fit into their team, and this may be one of the reasons to doubt your candidacy.
  • Think over your route in advance so as not to be late. Better to come 15 minutes early and wait.
  • Before the interview, try to find out more about what exactly the company does, to find out its history. This will give you the opportunity to demonstrate that you are interested in this particular job.

Think about answers to common questions

Job interview questions can be very different and unexpected. However, approximately you already know the content of the conversation. If the recruiter asks standard questions, your job interview answers must be thoughtful and confident. Therefore, before the interview, it is worth practicing.

  • Think of a story about your education and previous job. This topic will definitely be discussed in the interview. You need to show that you are really interested in the industry you have chosen. It is also worth telling more about your work experience - what tasks you have already had to cope with. When talking about the reasons for dismissal, never speak negatively about the firms in which you worked - even if you broke up badly.
  • Mentally make a list of your strengths and weaknesses - this is also often asked in a job interview. Try to answer honestly, because in the process, shortcomings such as irritability or communication difficulties will still appear. Depending on your merits, an experienced recruiter will be able to offer you a place where you will work more efficiently and comfortably.

  • Make sure you remember all the information related to your professional area. Even a good specialist can make a mistake in an interview because of excitement. Therefore, it is important to rethink the answers to questions from your area. Sometimes they can be job interview tests relating to your professional knowledge and skills. For example, if you go to an international company, maybe job interview in english language.
  • Think about your place in the company. Determine which working conditions are comfortable for you and what interests you most. Try to convince the employer that this particular company suits you best - of course, only if this is really true. As a specialist, think over your suggestions and recommendations for the company's work.

  • Try rehearsing the conversation in front of a mirror, or ask a friend or relative to chat with you. Such rehearsals will give you confidence.
  • Even when you have prepared for a conversation on standard topics, be prepared for the fact that the interview questions will be unexpected. You don't have to answer them with memorized text. If you are asked a provocative or unexpected question, try to remain calm and answer reasonably.

Identify topics that should not be discussed

If you're wondering how to successfully pass a job interview, you need to understand what you should definitely not do. From excitement at the interview, many begin to mention those facts that are completely uninteresting to the employer or even characterize the applicant from a negative side. To avoid this common mistake, determine in advance the topics that should not be covered in the upcoming interview.

  • First of all, in an interview, you should not retell your resume. In good companies, recruiters prepare for interviews in advance, so they have already read your resume, and maybe even hold it in their hands during the dialogue. At the interview, you must tell more than what is written on your resume. The employer will be interested in the details and specifics of your work in previous positions, what you liked or didn’t like, what worked or didn’t work. Unlike the dry facts listed in the interview, the story at the interview should be made a little more emotional - a little personal information, light humor and openness will be big pluses.

  • At the same time, don't overdo it. The recruiter is absolutely not interested in knowing the names of your pets and what dishes you know how to cook, unless you were asked about it. The same applies to skills and abilities that are not related to the chosen position. For example, if you are applying for a managerial position, it is not at all necessary to say that you are an excellent dancer and poker player.
  • There is no need to discuss the reputation of the companies where you worked before or the company you came to interview.
  • Try not to focus on your weaknesses and failures. If you are asked about this, of course, you need to answer honestly, but try to avoid details. Most importantly, if you describe previous failures, show your competence in assessing the situation from the outside. This will help the employer to understand that you have realized the mistakes, and the experience has benefited you.

How to behave in an interview?

How to behave in a job interview? Even if you are an excellent specialist and carefully prepared for the upcoming interview, unfortunately, this does not guarantee your success. To give the impression of a responsible and self-confident employee, as well as a pleasant and open person, you need to monitor your behavior and speech during the interview.

Pay attention to non-verbal communication:

  • If you have a choice of which chair to sit in, try not to sit directly in front of the recruiter. It is better to take a position in which you will be turned to him by three quarters. Psychologists believe that when you sit opposite each other, this is subconsciously regarded as aggressive behavior.
  • Try to take an open position - do not cross your legs, do not clasp your hands, try to get comfortable in a chair. This can give the impression of a confident and open person.
  • During the interview, watch your hands - no need to nervously tap your fingers on the table or constantly rearrange folders. Try to calm down.
  • To calm down, try looking around the office. Pay attention to the details, think about what conclusions can be drawn about the company by looking at the decor of the room. This will both help you calm down and allow you to understand a lot about the company in order to make a choice.

Before you go to the interview, gather as much information as possible about the company and how the interview will be conducted. Think about answers to frequently asked questions, but always be prepared for surprises and provocations, to which you need to respond intelligently in order to demonstrate your professionalism. In any case, try to be calm, friendly and take initiative within reasonable limits - then you are doomed to success.

    • Type #1. multistage
    • Type #2. Monostage
    • 1st stage. Talking on the phone
    • 2nd stage. Preparing for the meeting
    • 3rd stage. Interview
    • 4th stage. Results
    • Council number 1. Don't be late
    • Council number 2. Keeping the look
    • Council number 3. Respect for the employer
    • Council number 4. We act confident
    • Council number 5. Telling about ourselves
    • Council number 6. We behave naturally
  • 5. Selling a pen at an interview - 7 recommendations + an example
  • 8. Conclusion

A new job is an important chance in the life of every person. it is essentially an opportunity to change your current state of affairs. For some, it is important to increase the level of wages, someone strives for self-development and improvement, while others need a comfortable atmosphere in the team and normal working conditions. In any case, we are always looking for such prospects when changing places of our work. And, in order to get the coveted position, you need to properly set yourself up and conduct the very first interview with the manager, to behave with dignity and confidence. How to do it, etc. read on.

The procedure itself does not seem complicated, it is important here to gain a level of trust and convey your abilities as a specialist in the field you are applying for. But, in fact, there are even some parameters that allow, even at the first meeting, to assess not only your personal qualities, but also professional ones. How to successfully pass an interview will be discussed later in our article.

From the article you will learn:

  • How to pass a job interview?
  • How to behave in an interview?
  • Popular job interview questions and answers
  • What rules should be followed?
  • How to lead and what to say to your potential leader?
  • Let's analyze a popular case - "How to sell a pen at an interview"

So, let's try to figure everything out in order.

Before you have an interview, you need to competently compose your resume and send it to the employer, so we recommend that you read our article: "", where you can download ready-made resume samples and templates, recommendations and errors for compiling, etc. are considered.

1. What is a job interview?

In fact, an interview is a certain process that involves the acquaintance of the employer and the applicant. During the conversation, each of the two parties draws conclusions for themselves and makes a decision. On the part of the manager offering you a position, your characteristics, business qualities and the level of your compliance with the standards adopted in the company are considered.

And, on the part of the applicant, by and large, the ratio of the level of remuneration to its conditions, the prospects for personal growth and even the schedule of their own workload are determined.

Currently, recruitment systems, that is, the very first interview, can be of several types:

  • Individual . This is a method in which only the leader and the applicant participate in the meeting. -For the most part, you are offered to fill out a questionnaire and, based on the specified data, the conversation itself is built.
  • group. This is a form in which several applicants gather in a spacious room at once, and a specialist designed to purposefully engage in the selection of personnel works with the whole audience. This method is most common when hiring specialists for the position of "sales manager" or "sales representative".

According to the level of its complexity and the stages of passing the procedure itself, 2 main types can be distinguished:

Type #1. multistage

Such a system is used in large organizations, where any of the vacancies is the main one and special requirements are imposed on the candidate applying for it. Moreover, you need to go through several stages in order to get a positive decision.

  • Phone conversation. To begin with, you will be asked to answer a few basic questions over the phone. This allows you to identify your overall level of compliance and schedule a meeting time and date.
  • Interview at the preliminary stage. When you come to the meeting, most likely, you will be sent directly to the personnel department, where you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire and submit it for consideration. It will need to indicate information relating to personal data, describe educational institutions that have been graduated and places of previous work. You may have to list the set of qualities that you possess and explain why you are applying for this particular position.
  • Testing. At this stage, most likely, there will be a need to complete several tasks or answer specially designed questions to the human resources manager. For example, they can give a trial text that will need to be translated if the vacancy involves the use of a foreign language, or demonstrate literacy in a computer program if such skills are basic in the position.
  • Main interview. It is carried out immediately and immediately. A specialist can find out from you why the dismissal from your last job took place, whether the schedules offered for this position are comfortable for you, whether it is possible to go on business trips, especially if they are long. The HR manager may ask a number of questions related directly to the work technology itself and its specification.
  • Meeting with the immediate supervisor. It is assigned according to the results of the passed stages. At the same time, a line-level specialist evaluates the applicant using his own methods, close to his department directly, and makes the final decision.
  • Interview with senior management. This is the final stage, which is necessary mainly for acquaintance and judgment about your candidacy will take place on the basis of the data presented at the previous stage by the head of the linear level.

Type #2. Monostage

This interview option is used in an organization that has a small staff and limited capacity. For example, an enterprise employing 20-30 people requires an accountant or secretary. The vacancy is open and you are assigned a meeting time, which, most likely, will be held in a dialogue mode and a decision will already be formed based on its results.

Recently, these two types of interviews have also been called single-level and multi-level.


2. How to pass a job interview - 4 main steps

For example, on special sites on the Internet or when processing information in newspapers, we managed to find several ads that have information that suits your requirements.

1st stage. Talking on the phone

When dialing the indicated number, you need to understand that such a conversation will be the very first idea about you and the further possibility of successfully passing the interview depends on how it develops.

Even if, in a small organization, such a conversation will be conducted by the secretary, then on your part, the conversation should be correct, friendly and positive. After all, in any case, when arranging a meeting with you, he will definitely pass on information about what the first conversation was to the manager.

In order for a telephone conversation to be effective, and first of all for you, you need to do the following:

  • First of all, it is very important to clarify which of the vacancies you are invited to, discuss its parameters and general requirements. If during the conversation it has already become clear that for some reason this vacancy is not suitable for you or you, you should politely refuse the appointed time and try to correctly explain the reason for your refusal. By and large, the time wasted will be a huge disadvantage for you and the entire search process.
  • Secondly, in your own notebook you need to write down the contact details of the organization, the time and date of the proposed meeting, the name of the company, the vacancy that you talked about and the name of the person with whom the conversation took place. Subsequently, this information will be very significant. For example, unforeseen circumstances may arise or it will be difficult to find the location of the enterprise.
  • Thirdly, if there is such an opportunity, you need to find out the name and patronymic of the person to whom you are sent for an interview. This will have an effect when, at the time of the first meeting, it will be possible to address a person not just as “YOU”, but with respect, applying the information received.

Correctly specify the information about the address of the organization and when discussing the time, decide in advance if there are any other circumstances that could prevent this. Moreover, if it so happened that there were several more meetings for that day, the difference between them must be made in 2-3 hours. This will help to be punctual and solve a number of issues. You need to understand that interviews are different, and any of them can be significantly delayed, which will disrupt your plans.

It is worthwhile to carefully study the information in advance on how to behave correctly in an interview, what to talk about and how to make a good impression. We will consider these issues in more detail below.

2nd stage. Preparing for the meeting

At this stage, you need to correctly carry out a series of actions that allow you to properly assemble yourself and set yourself up for the upcoming interview.

  1. "Documentation". First you need to take care of all the documents that may come in handy. You can create a resume and print it in 2 copies, put a passport, diplomas of completed education, possible certificates confirming the levels and degrees of courses that you managed to complete at one time.
  2. "Potential Employer". For the purpose of your own self-development, you should try to find information about the organization you are going to. This can be done online. At least superficially studying the goals and directions of activity, products to be sold, years of foundation, development parameters, stages of its formation, you will be able to convincingly explain all your intentions and their seriousness in a conversation with the manager.
  3. "Route". You need to think over your route, with possible stops, transfers and search for the location of the building.
  4. "Questions and answers". Try to think of possible questions that may be asked and rough answers that will be convincing and as honest as possible. Set yourself up for possible tests and special assignments. It would be nice to make up a number of your own questions that may be relevant in the conversation and in the future will help you draw your own conclusions about the vacancy and the job in general.
  5. "Dress code". When all the preliminary stages are completed, it remains only to decide in what clothes to go to the meeting and how to make the most favorable impression on the leader. Let it be a very strict business suit, well-groomed nails, hair, neat shoes, and this will give the effect of a good attitude towards your candidacy.

3rd stage. Interview

This is exactly what you were trying to do. You should try to come within minutes. 10 before the appointed time, calm down and catch your breath. First, you should inform the secretary that you have arrived, and then, upon invitation, enter the office.

Passing to the chair indicated to you, you need to say hello, smile a little, and, addressing by name and patronymic, thank you for the invitation to an interview in this particular organization. The mobile phone must be either turned off or put on silent mode.

4th stage. Results

Based on the results of the conversation, you will either be asked to wait outside the door, or they will announce the time frame in which the decision will be made. But, it may also happen that, already ending the conversation, the manager will set the date for your internship.

3. How to behave in an interview - 6 practical tips

There are several main nuances and points that you should pay attention to in order for the meeting to be successful, and the impression of you remains only positive. It's not hard to follow them.

As mentioned earlier, you need to come to the meeting at least for 10 minutes early. Of course, you are not familiar with the place, but you definitely need to set yourself up, and being late for at least a minute and a half can negatively affect the beginning of the interview.

Before entering the office, be sure to knock, quickly examine your appearance again, remove chewing gum and all sorts of little things that can ruin it.

Introduce yourself, smile and try to attract the attention of an employee of the organization to yourself. Address him only by his first name and only in rare cases, as he will allow himself to be called.

Try to find the right seat and sit so that your face is turned specifically to the interlocutor. No need to fall apart in a chair or strongly clamp, cross your legs or shift them from one to another.

It has been proven that being clearly in front of his interviewer, a person perceives him as an adversary who has the right to decide your fate. Therefore, it will be more convenient if the chair is placed a little obliquely.

During the conversation, it is important to follow the gestures of your hands. Do not wave them strongly or clench into fists and fiddle with a pen or pencil. You need to try to move them calmly and smoothly. At the same time, your face should be open and sincere. Specialists they advise you to try to mentally draw a circle between you and visually look at its center.

Listen carefully to all questions and try to answer only when asked about it. Moreover, you need to answer in essence and within 2-3 minutes without lengthening or shortening the information. If suddenly the question was not heard, ask to repeat it, but you should not do this very often. By the way, answers like "Yes" and "No", are considered monosyllabic and by saying them in a low voice creates confidence in your indecision and ignorance of the material you are talking about.

In the case when the manager asks you to tell a little about yourself, you do not need to start a story from the moment you were born and delve into great details. Speak clearly and to the point. Tell us about what you graduated from, what positions you held, what was your career growth and a little about the reasons that prompted you to go for an interview in this particular company.

Don't forget to smile, and to lighten things up a little, or to make any of your slips insignificant, use an appropriate joke or a bit of unobtrusive humor. Even in a business conversation, a pleasant smile does not hurt, and perhaps it will tell about your confidence.

At the end of the conversation, you should definitely thank the employee and the company in his person for the opportunity to try to find a job.

4. Job Interview Questions and Answers

Of course, the scheduled interview may take place according to the scenario determined by the employee of the organization inviting you to it. But, in any case, what cannot be ruled out in any way are the questions asked to determine the necessary information. American scientists conducted a number of their own research, developed and confirmed theories, came to the conclusion that in any interviews are asked 20 standard questions, 15 of them are basic, and 5 are additional.

Possible interview questions and answers - 5 questions with answers

Question 1. What can you tell us about yourself?

Answer: you need to try to make the story short, but not dry, while there is no need to shout, use obscene language, use specific phrases related to slang speech. Try to keep within the time period of 3 minutes.

Moreover, during the notification process, disclose information about your education, some successes not only in the professional direction, but also in the personal one.

Mention the success of your own career growth and merits. As a result, tell us why and what you want to change in your own life, and how you would succeed if you got a vacancy in this company. Just don't try to flatter. It's always noticeable.

Question 2. What attracted you to this particular company?

Answer: it can be formed when preparing at home. On Internet resources, having studied a little the history of the company, its direction of activity, you can most correctly build phrases and the whole story. But, do not talk about what will sound corny.

For example, about the organization itself and how you like it, about the fact that you can change it for the better in the future. A response of this nature would be more appropriate.

Knowing that the company is in the baby food industry, tell us that you have a special love for children and concerns about product safety in the formula market. And by means of employment, you will be able to realize how much this process has been worked out in this company and what you could offer in this direction.

Question 3. How did you resolve conflicts within your team at your previous place of work?

Answer: of course, for such a tricky question, you should try to give 2 or 3 effective methods for solving it. But, it’s not worth saying that earlier, your team only did what was in conflict and, as a result, all the necessary functions had to be performed only alone, that the entire amount of work fell on your shoulders because of this.

On the contrary, tell us how you managed to debug the work process, how the responsibilities were clearly distributed, and how such situations themselves arose quite rarely. Convince your interlocutor of your business qualities.

Question 4. What salary would you like to receive?

Answer: in this situation, it's a good idea to look through information on similar vacancies in another organization in advance and decide for yourself a definite amount.

The manager, of course, wants to understand what kind of employee comes to work for him, how much he himself evaluates his work.

But, it’s not worth bargaining here, it’s also not nice to have long discussions about this. You need to understand that if this is a huge organization that has a large staff and is not only regional, but also world famous, then the level of remuneration for your work can be raised by 30% from the average.

Question 5. Why did you leave your previous job?

Answer: by asking such a question, the future employer really wants to know the true reason for your departure and understand that something like this will not affect the process of today's work. In this case, of course, you can’t lie, you need to try to correctly formulate your idea and correctly convey it at the interview.

A situation may arise in which the data about your previous place of work is already known, and the true reason has not been a secret for a long time. And the question was asked to you, only in order to confirm your data.

For example if you were very busy with incomprehensible work, the deadlines for its execution were limited, and the behavior leading staff is inadequate, you can say the following.

It was difficult for me to cope with the constant flow of work, the deadlines for which were negligible and unrealistic to complete. I am not afraid of large volumes, I like being in the flow of things, but it is necessary to approach the issue of its temporary execution wisely.

Summing up this situation, we can say that in the modern world, very often recruitment functions are transferred to special agencies with long experience and wide specialization.

But, even the fact that at the first stage you will not be able to meet with the leader himself does not mean that you need to relax and not even think about the desire to make a good impression on the interlocutor.

On the contrary, it is worth understanding that you have to go through even 2 interviews. And you need to prepare for them with a vengeance. All outsourcing agencies work exclusively under contracts with organizations and are guided mainly by the parameters set by the managers themselves, selecting employees who are most suitable for a given position.

And, there can be many applicants, and your task is not only to charm the interlocutor, proving your business qualities, but also to surpass the rest of the applicants.


Maybe you just need to think about starting your own business. It's not as difficult as it seems, just read the article - "".

Of course, it is understandable that conducting such a recruitment process is very exciting and the situation becomes stressful. But, there are a number of vacancies in which applicants must initially be resistant to the situation and be able to resolve emerging issues.

In fact, when asking this question at an interview, the manager sets himself the goal of looking at actions in an unplanned situation and identifying the applicant's possession of sales techniques. To do this, of course, you need to understand the motives of the interlocutor and clearly know that the final decision depends on what will happen now, especially if the vacancy involves corrupt actions.

So, what is your model of behavior when asked to sell a pen or other product?

  1. Do not rush, and immediately issue spontaneous solutions. And, if you are even very worried, ask 1 minute to think.
  2. Next, pick up the same product (pen) and try to carefully examine it. Consider it all pros and minuses, make accents for yourself on uniqueness.
  3. Try to stick to the basic stages of sales, and if you are not familiar with them, and there is no experience in this matter, try to study them, at least superficially. For this there is a huge amount of suitable literature and articles on the Internet. Even if such an option looks awkward from the outside, the manager will still appreciate it and notice your perseverance.
  4. Try to understand who you are selling it to and assess the needs of this person, and when asking additional questions, use the technique of active listening. Analyze answers. For example, ask: how often do you write? Do you have a spare pen? Or what do you like about it, or maybe you should change something in it?
  5. Trying to make the fact of the sale, you do not need to lie and actively invent. Don't overprice.
  6. Try to maintain verbal contact throughout the entire time. It would not be bad to give this pen into the hands of a potential buyer, so that in reality he himself could evaluate all the properties.
  7. After you still manage to get consent to the purchase, it would be advisable to also offer a notebook or spare paste, and maybe even another related product.

Starting to sell, confidence gradually comes, but, at the same time, your interlocutor will naturally make his objections. And there is nothing strange in this, the main thing is to respond to them correctly and not to go into a stupor.

For example, to the question: Why do I need her? you can easily and simply answer: “I understand that you already have a pen, so you know what a business approach is, and it would be very disappointing if its ink runs out at the most inopportune moment. Take it in reserve and you will be sure that in any situation, there will be no difficulties.

In fact, to be frank, the situation in personnel policy is very difficult. Managers want to find a really worthwhile specialist and get him into their organization. But, there are only a few of them. Therefore, a smart salesperson who knows how to work and knows how to sell himself in an interview, as well as methods and techniques of sales, applying regularly in practice, will be very necessary. And the interview process helps to understand this.

6. 13 common job interview mistakes

Of course, we try very hard and think through every moment and step, but if we suddenly get a refusal, we cannot understand for a long time what contributed to this.

In fact, there are several typical errors that lead to this result.

  1. being late. The first and worst mistake. In this matter, your punctuality should simply go off scale.
  2. Untidy appearance. It is worth paying special attention to this, especially since you can prepare in advance and thoroughly.
  3. Escort. Such issues are resolved only on their own and no wives, husbands, relatives, girlfriends need to be invited to the offices. A negative opinion is formed immediately.
  4. insecure behavior. Set yourself up for the fact that everything matters, and even if the meeting is unsuccessful, this will give a chance to work in another organization, because there are always alternatives. Calm down and go to the meeting.
  5. Mobile phone conversation. Turn off this connection for a while, it will not be very convenient during the interview to divert your attention and waste other people's time on your personal conversations.
  6. Questions about money. If throughout the meeting the topic of discussing finances and the amount of payments constantly pops up, this will lead to an unequivocal refusal.
  7. Arrogance and self-confidence. This behavior is also unacceptable. It is clear, of course, that you come to offer your knowledge and skills, but this must be done correctly and in accordance with the situation.
  8. Lie. No need to try to lie, because, as you know, sooner or later the truth will be revealed and this will create a negative image for you.
  9. Extra frankness. Often, candidates, when answering questions, try to gain confidence in themselves by voicing unnecessary unnecessary information. And this can be very damaging. No need to discuss your personal life, some kind of dislike for people, or the sins of the past.
  10. Reaction of irritation to asked questions. Many managers may ask the same question multiple times for verification purposes. It is worth keeping an eye on your emotions, although experts allow you to show a little irritability for a question asked three times. In their understanding, such a reaction will tell the interlocutor that you are attentive and follow the conversation. But, do not raise your voice and try to swear.
  11. Criticism of employees or superiors that you have worked with before. In any case, it is not even worth discussing this topic. Often the answers are simply projected onto the existing situation and this is not correct.
  12. Verbosity. This is also one of the main mistakes. This kind of behavior is annoying. The manager wants to hear a clear and meaningful answer to his question. Sometimes there are candidates who start talking about one topic, and in the process manage to discuss several more.
  13. Lack of feedback. After the interview has passed, especially if a promise was made to call you, you should not make quick decisions and independently assume whether your candidacy came up or not. Dial the phone number at the specified time yourself and find out how your conversation ended for the receiving party.

1) How to behave in a job interview - tips and tricks

2) An example of selling a service at an interview

7. How to get a job without an interview

Oddly enough, interviews as a form of testing a future employee for professional suitability are gradually becoming a thing of the past - more and more people these days find work on the Internet and perform duties from home, working in comfort. Usually, vacancies on the Internet do not necessarily require a rigorous interview, the main thing for the customer is the quality of the work performed.

To get a job online, most often you just need to complete a test task that allows you to demonstrate your skills to the customer. In general, working on the Internet has many other advantages, such as a flexible work schedule and a high stable income. We advise you to download our free course on making money online from scratch - it will help you determine the type of work on the Internet that is ideal for you and start earning money online.

Watch a video about making money on the Internet without investments from a specialist Andrey Merkulov:

8. Conclusion

Now, after reading the information, a certain scenario of actions and answers to the questions are formed: “How to behave at a job interview?”, “How to sell a product?” etc. becomes clear. Do not be afraid and show excessive nervousness, this will not only harm, but may subsequently affect your health.

Gain confidence that you have experience, knowledge of all the main processes, a long period of practice and a huge number of resolved issues. Gather your strength and tune in to the positive. But, on the night before the interview, be sure to get enough sleep, allowing the body to get a little stronger.

Hello dear readers. Today we’ll talk about how to behave at an interview - you will learn all the necessary information and even more: how to please a recruiter, what to wear for an interview, why some interviews take place over the phone and what to do if the conversation takes place via Skype, as well as: what you are most likely to be asked, what tricky questions HR specialists ask, and much more.

How to please and make a good impression

The impression of a person is created within the first 15 seconds after the meeting. This is both good and bad news at the same time. You must immediately take the bull by the horns, or rather yourself. It is very important to arrive on time, and even better 5-10 minutes before the start of the interview. Appearance is of great importance, but we will talk about this separately.

Now it is important to mention attitude. It depends on him whether the first impression is good or not. Self-confidence is what matters. Not everyone has it, and in a stressful situation it is quite difficult to pull yourself together. Everyone understands this, including the employer, so there is a slight discount here, but still, it is in your interest to create the appearance of maximum peace of mind. How to achieve this?

It’s good if you are fond of yoga and know how to pull yourself together, but if not?

Scroll through your mind that you are just as interested in a good job as an HR manager is in a great employee. Don't try to sell yourself. If you have a responsible approach to work, you have all the necessary qualities, the employee will definitely notice this.

Remember that before finding a suitable vacancy, according to statistics, a person attends about 3-5 interviews. This employer might not be lucky enough to get you!

Even if this is your first interview, you have every chance to please. Almost every job seeker goes to look for a job, having some shortcomings and concerns: is everything in the document in order, and how will they react to the lack of a file or whether they will agree to certain conditions.

For example, one of my friends did not want to work after 18:00, but she was ready to come an hour earlier. At first she was very embarrassed because of this fact, but then she began to boldly declare her demands. In her position, adjustments in the schedule were possible and employers, seeing that the employee was really suitable, were ready to move closer.

Self-confidence is noticeable immediately. You automatically begin to trust a person, you see that he is reliable and responsible. All this happens on a subconscious level. That's why calmness and self-confidence are so important for creating a good impression.


Staying focused in any situation is the best quality of an employee.

If you can't believe in yourself, sign up for a Skype consultation with me. By doing so, you will make a significant contribution to your future.

Self-confidence brings significant benefits both in your career and in your personal life. you stop worrying, getting nervous and, as they like to call it, selling yourself. Sell ​​themselves you know who and you know where. It is important for you to present yourself, come, and then the employer will see everything himself.

In addition to confidence and calmness, a positive attitude is also important. Start the morning before the interview as calmly as possible. Wake up early so you don't rush anywhere. Turn on your favorite music, walk around the house and sing along, try to laugh with your loved ones, drink delicious coffee.

Do you think this is all nonsense? Well, then you can stand in the hero's pose, smile for 20 seconds in front of the mirror and jump on one leg to consolidate the success. Perhaps this method will help someone relieve tension, cheer up and make you smile sincerely in order to make a good impression on the future boss.


Your good mood is in your hands.

Unfortunately, there is no secret technique or universal pose in which some people immediately begin to like others. I’ll tell you more about all the “secrets” from the Internet, personnel officers have long known, and as soon as they see that you are trying to apply them, they immediately draw their conclusions: “Yeah, this person is very interested in work and is trying to manipulate. Interesting".

The main thing at the interview is to behave naturally, confidently, calmly and have a positive attitude. In this case, you have every chance to please. Read also and

How to look for an interview

How to look at the interview is a very serious issue for many. Today, everyone can afford to dress beautifully and look spectacular. It doesn't take hundreds of thousands. If 5 years ago no one paid such serious attention to this moment, now the situation has changed dramatically.

What to go

When creating their image, many people make mistakes and do not get the desired vacancy. Some dress formally where it is not needed and give the impression of an overly interested employee - this is alarming. Others, on the contrary, prefer the Casual style when it is completely inappropriate.


Don't overdo it with seduction, if a recruiter succumbs to temptation, what will you do?

What is the best way to go for an interview? You need to proceed from the place of work and the position for which you are applying. You can go to the address where the company is located in advance and see what the employees of this company are wearing.

If this is a bank, then you must adhere to the dress code already at the interview - a formal formal suit and classic flat shoes, a tie is required.

For women, it is better to wear a plain shirt or a light-colored business blouse, a pencil skirt just below the knee and strict low-heeled shoes. With all your appearance, you should shout about reliability and conscientiousness.

If the work is creative, then the appearance may indicate the creativity of its “carrier”. You will have to work hard to work out your image. It is difficult to give any specific instructions here. The only thing, do not forget about accessories. In your case, they will be welcome - neckerchiefs, bracelets and other little things that complement, emphasize and complete the image.

If you want to look your best, I advise you to watch some modern films or look through magazines where there will be photos of successful people from your field. If the company is very cool, and the position is top class, it might make sense to talk to a stylist.

What not to wear

I would not like to write platitudes, but, apparently, I will have to, since it is difficult to describe images and specific things that you should not wear. Everything depends on the position. Somewhere some things are out of place, but in another position the same outfit will come in handy.

The rule of what not to wear is the same for everyone: dirty and unironed things at the interview are inappropriate.

How to introduce yourself and present yourself

Here I would like to repeat myself, because I think it is very important: do not seek to sell yourself. Once, a very smart person told me: if the product is good, it is enough to know about it, and if it is bad, then no advertising will help.


If you don't want to be a slave, don't sell yourself in an interview.

This is very true. Once you start campaigning, your value is lost. The employer just needs to learn about your strengths. Talk about them calmly and with dignity.

What to tell about yourself

As a rule, at interviews from the threshold they are asked to tell about themselves. What to say to the interviewer, and what is better to keep silent about? There is a mandatory regulation: introduce yourself, tell us about your education, name previous places of work, you can describe some projects you have worked on. In general, the history of your professional life is required here.

It will be nice if you mention your goals, what you want to achieve. You should not run ahead of the locomotive and predict the interlocutor, answering banal questions that will be asked one way or another.

The personnel officer should ask you something, and if you do not leave banal questions, you risk running into a large number of tricky ones.


Remember everything you know about deduction. Play Sherlock.

Pay attention to the table and objects that lie in front of the interviewer. Well, if you are in his office. If there are no extraneous, personal items nearby, and all things are stacked in a strict order, most likely the person takes the matter responsibly and requires the same approach from others.

Some advise using such things to find common interests with a person. For example, you see a photo of a cat and start talking about your Barsik. You know, you have to be very careful with these things. You are not the first in this office, and such methods have long been known to the HR specialist. Draw conclusions, use this information, but I would not advise voicing it.

Leave the humor, irony and everything about professional topics for the time when you have already received a position.

How to answer questions

Everyone lies in interviews. It is necessary to know at what point a lie will be useful, and when it is better to tell the truth.

For example, if you left your previous job with a scandal, it is better to talk about it. If you like it, then perhaps your management or colleagues will call and everyone will know. Do not try to blame the employer or the team for all the troubles, find your mistakes, point them out and show how you cope with them.


At my last job, I constantly stole pencils, but I already paid for it with a place and never again!

Information about shortcomings is also not a reason for irony: perfectionism and hypertrophied responsibility is not an original answer to the question. It is important for the employer to know that nothing will interfere with your efficiency. You can answer that your shortcomings are outside the professional sphere and they do not affect the work, but I would not like to talk about them.

Try to think two steps ahead: why are you being asked this question, what are they trying to find out and whether they can verify the information. Do not be afraid to inflate the cost of your work at a previous job, lie about your own merits, advantages and positive qualities.

Not bad if you can illustrate some facts - use a portfolio, some documents, graphics, as if accidentally taken with you.

How to prepare for an interview

If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can make a questionnaire in advance and go through an “interview” with your wife or child. However, this is not necessary, I'm afraid that in some cases it will even be harmful. It is quite possible that in this way you will only aggravate the situation and will worry more, and the main thing in this matter is complete calm and confidence, as you remember.

Better work on your resume and evidence base. Write down how great you are. Do not use ready-made samples. Most likely you have already sent one to your employer. Write something for yourself, in free form. You don't even have to take it with you. As a rule, after that a person begins to believe in himself more.


"I am the most charming and attractive, all employers dream of me."

Collect various documents that can prove your merits and advantages - remember successful projects, you can ask several clients to write reviews. All this is needed not so much for the interviewer as for you. Self-confidence works wonders.

The better the job, the harder it will be to get distracted. Try to come up with a plan in advance of how to take time, so as not to go from corner to corner and not worry. Also, don't overeat. Excessive bliss and drowsiness will not benefit.

Video interview features, online and by phone

As a rule, telephone interviews are conducted in order to weed out those candidates who are clearly not suitable. Such an interview is not so difficult to pass. The conversation will last no more than half an hour.

During this time, you just need to tell a little about yourself, answer a few basic questions and ask your own. They do not talk about the salary over the phone, as well as about the details of the work. For this, at least video is used.

Interviews online, via Skype - a more common and serious event. You have eye contact with the interlocutor and the ability to send some important files and documents.

If you have such an interview, you need to prepare: convert the necessary documents into electronic form, upload them to Yandex or Google drives, save all the necessary links, and also provide yourself with quick access to them so as not to rummage through the folders on the desktop while the interviewer is waiting .


Even if you are interviewing via the Internet, do not forget about your appearance.

Home clothes are unacceptable, pay attention to the background - panties hung on the dryer will not show you as an excellent worker. Treat this interview as if it were taking place in a respectable office where you get a job.

What questions are most often asked in an interview?

Frequently Asked Questions

So, what are the most commonly asked questions in an interview?

  1. your shortcomings.
  2. Tell us about your achievements. (Do not attribute all the credit solely to yourself. Do not forget about the team).
  3. Why do you want to work with us. (Read about the company on the Internet and retell their main advantages)
  4. Why are you leaving your previous job? (No career advancement and far from home are not the worst reasons).
  5. Talk about your failures. (Here the interviewer wants to hear about how you are able to correct the mistakes that you yourself made).
  6. Why should we take you.

tricky questions

Tricky questions are asked in order to understand how you can get out of a difficult situation, whether you can quickly navigate and how stress-resistant you are. Don't be afraid to take a few seconds to think it over, or come up with your own way to buy time ahead of time if you need it.

There are a lot of options for tricky questions, and as soon as information about them appears somewhere on the Internet, good HR specialists from large firms immediately change them. Here are a few examples that remain unchanged and are quite common:

  1. What will you do in the first three months working in our company?
  2. What do you think about overtime work?
  3. What keeps you awake at night?
  4. Would you like to take my position?
  5. If you worked for us for 5 years and didn't get a promotion, would you quit?
  6. Describe your dream job.
  7. Where and where do you see yourself in 10 years?

You have time to practice answering such questions quickly and wisely. I purposely didn't include my options here.

What questions can and should be asked to the employer

Asking questions after the interview is not only possible, but also necessary to consolidate a pleasant impression of yourself. Read information about the company on the Internet and come up with a few questions about their work. Take a notepad with you so you don't forget anything important. You may want to take notes during the interview.

In addition, do not forget to ask if the employer did not tell you about such important points as the schedule, the scope of the contractor's duties, whether additional training is expected, clarify information about the probationary period, when you can expect a promotion and what is the maximum point of success you can achieve in this company.

You can find a lot of information about questions in Ron Fry's book " How to interview for your dream company". The successful author of bestselling personal effectiveness books is convinced that getting any job can be done by learning how to ask the right smart questions.

By asking yourself questions and preparing them for the recruiter, you can easily plan the entire conversation and stop panicking.

What to bring to an interview

So what do you need in an interview?

  • Summary.
  • Recommendations from superiors or feedback from customers.
  • Portfolio.
  • Diplomas, certificates.
  • Notepad and pen.
  • Some employers post questionnaires for job seekers on their website. If there is one, it is better to fill it out at home and bring the finished version with you.

The most common mistakes

The most common interview mistake is self-doubt. It seems to a person that the employer is less interested in him than he is in this company.

For this reason, various protective mechanisms are triggered - extra fuss, strong excitement, slovenliness, lack of assembly, lies, embarrassment. In some cases, aggression, excessive frivolity, talkativeness, inappropriate humor, attempts to manipulate or use some kind of “secret” techniques.

If you are not confident in your own abilities, sign up for a Skype consultation with me before talking to a recruiter from the company of your dreams.

findings

So, now it's time to recap:

  1. The most important thing for an applicant for any position is self-confidence, calmness and a positive attitude. I can offer you a publication about.
  2. When going to an interview, dress as if you already work for this company: clean, tidy, and according to the official or unspoken dress code.
  3. Prepare a short story about your professional life and resume. Don't forget to bring your diplomas, certificates, testimonials from clients or other documents confirming your qualifications. If communication takes place via Skype, prepare links.
  4. And most importantly - do not be afraid and do not worry. An employer is just as interested in a good employee as you are in a great company.

As you know, any, even the greatest and most successful career begins with an ordinary interview with an employer.

In general, no one needs to explain why the first job interview is so important.

There is also no need to explain that with improper preparation for an interview with an employer, a career may not start in this particular company. That is why this article was born, so that you do not make critical mistakes when applying for a job.

The article itself is quite large and therefore is divided into three large parts, how to behave when applying for a job at the beginning of the interview, in the process, and how to behave in any case is impossible.

The menu is active and by clicking on it you can quickly get to the desired section of the article on how to behave at an interview with an employer.

How to behave at the beginning of an interview with an employer

First of all, try at least not to be late for the interview, and even better, come 10-15 minutes earlier.

So you will avoid the risk of being late and you will have time to orient yourself in an unfamiliar environment, which will also help you behave correctly in an interview.

  • Be sure to knock on the door before entering.
  • When you introduce yourself to the employer before the interview, do it clearly and clearly.
  • Do not try to chew chewing gum, this is just the height of indecency.
  • Smile more.

Very often, it is the first impression that you make when applying for a job that will be the decisive factor that will affect the success of the interview. So, how to behave so that the first impression is favorable?

  1. First, remember that you can only make a first impression once. Everyone knows this, but many do not attach much importance to this, and the first impression immediately puts an end to the success of a job interview, no matter how you behave further.
  2. Secondly, try to immediately win over the interviewer, to do this, smile, clearly introduce yourself, explain why you have come, shake the outstretched hand (attention, wait until you are given a handshake, as the interviewer may not do this, in It's generally not customary to shake hands before a job interview).
  3. Thirdly, you can thank the interlocutor for finding time for you.
  4. Fourthly, either find out in advance the name of your interlocutor, or clearly remember his name and patronymic when he introduces himself to you, and during the interview call him by his first and patronymic, or by his first name, depending on how he is to you. introduced himself.

Everyone understands that it's calm behave in an interview difficult, we are all human and excitement is normal. The interviewer also understands this, he also once had an interview when applying for a job.

So, there will be nothing wrong if you admit to him that you are a little worried (this means that this is really important to you). After such recognition at the interview, you will quickly calm down.

But do not constantly focus on your excitement. Such behavior at any interview when applying for a job with any employer will immediately write you down as a minus. Once they said about their excitement, and that's enough.

If there is a choice of where to sit, then try to sit at the interview not opposite the interviewer, which is a common mistake, since in a job interview people tend to view the interviewer as an opponent who prevents them from getting the job they want.

The ideal option would be if you can take a seat next to the interlocutor, then it will be easier for him to perceive you as a like-minded person.

If you had to sit opposite the interlocutor at the interview, then sit in a neat and collected position, do not cross your legs and arms, demonstrate openness. Openness should be present in the look.

However, you should not behave aggressively at the interview, here the correct look at the interviewer is even more important. So, how to look. Mentally draw a triangle between the eyebrows of the interlocutor and look at its center.

So the interviewer will not have the feeling that you are staring at him, there will be no feeling of aggression, as if you were looking at the interviewer directly in the eyes, and there will be no feeling that you are not focused, as would happen if you wandered around room.

Once you have taken your seat, remember your hands and gestures. In order not to behave too emotionally at a job interview, it is necessary to give up too active gestures (especially since too active gestures are a sign of a lie, it doesn’t matter that you gesture too actively because you are just worried, at an interview when when applying for a job, this can be regarded precisely as a sign of a lie - (prove it later).

To do this, take out a notebook and a pen from your bag, hold them in your hands. This will not only help to avoid too active, and sometimes even aggressive gestures at the interview, but will also calm you down a bit.

How to behave during a job interview

So, you came in, sat down, did everything right and the conversation begins. How to behave further directly in the interview process? Read below.

In order to tune the interlocutor to the same psychological wave as you, there is one trouble-free technique. It's called mirror pose. You just need to behave in a job interview in the same way as the interviewer.

What this means is that you need to unobtrusively copy his gestures and, if possible, pose. However, when using the mirror pose technique at a job interview, remember that this must be done unobtrusively and very carefully.

If you do it inaccurately, then you will definitely fail the interview. Think about whether you can.

  • Try not to use slang in conversation.
  • Also bypass the topic of personal, financial family problems.
  • Also, the topics of sex, politics, and religion clearly indicate that you behave incorrectly in a job interview. Avoid these topics.
  • In no case do not try to suppress the interviewer, even with your knowledge, even if it exceeds the knowledge of the interlocutor. It is the interviewer who should conduct the interview, and not you, he was preparing for this role, and if you start to knock the ground out from under his feet, take away the role of the leader from him, he will simply become aggressive towards you and make an extremely negative impression of your behavior at the interview.

In interviews, tell the truth, the truth, and nothing but the truth. Agree that if you are caught lying right during a job interview, this will mean an almost instantaneous end to a career that has not yet begun. Therefore, try to speak only the truth.

Yes, of course, some comrades who are especially virtuoso in lying, so to speak, masters of this business, may have managed to mislead the employer at a job interview about their achievements (in other words, to lie).

However, remember that any experienced personnel officer, namely those who conduct job interviews for really interesting and “tasty” positions, will recognize a lie with a probability close to one hundred percent.

And in general, very rarely a person is able to maintain an opinion about himself that you are better than you really are, for more than 20-30 minutes (exceptions are employees of special services who are specially trained).

If the interviewer even suspects that you are behaving unnaturally at a job interview or telling a lie, then over and over again he will start to run you over the same facts, but the questions will be posed in different ways, the real facts are all detail by detail. float equally.

The fact that it is necessary to present your weaknesses correctly during the interview process is a separate topic for conversation and it is written about this below.

Very often, one of the "uncomfortable" questions in the interview is the question of the longest period without work. This is where applicants try to lie.

This is not worth doing. If at that time you were privately carrying out one-time projects, attending some courses or trainings, then it is best to say so at a job interview: I did this and that in private, improved my skills.

If courses or trainings are not directly related to the profession, then just say that you were carried away by a new direction for yourself and studied it.

Also, often at an interview, the question of the shortest period of work, why it was so short, often enters into a stupor. It is also desirable to answer honestly, well, or plausibly :)

You can say that the working conditions did not match those that you were offered at the interview in that company. If they worked for only a few months, then we can say that they were fired after the end of the probationary period without explanation.

HR interviewers are aware that many companies do this to save on employee salaries, and this explanation is likely to be understood.

If you made a mistake at your previous place of work and at the interview you understand that it will not be possible to hide it, then honestly tell about it, but focus on the fact that you realized it and now you will never allow it.

Do not be very aggressive and bad about your previous employer at a job interview.

At interviews, they mostly ask common answers, but, despite this, try not to answer with templates. If you are asked about working with clients, try not to say that you enjoy working with people.

This answer is so hackneyed that it has been heard more than once in interviews, moreover, it is quite vague and practically does not carry any semantic load other than that you want to get this job. It is better to tell at the interview how you work with clients.

When talking about yourself at a job interview, try to move away from the template: born, studied, married, etc. Build your story about yourself only on the most important events in your work experience and remember that at the interview you will be listened to no more than 2-3 minutes, so try to keep within this time.

If you notice that during the story the interlocutor begins to behave interested in your story (put down the pen, etc.), then here you can move on to a small number of details.

Also remember that when talking about your achievements, you need to say not “we” or “our company”, but me, me and me again.

Interviews often ask pretty personal questions. If you do not want to answer it, then ask how this question at the interview generally relates to future work.

Also, often in a stupor at the interview, many are driven by a seemingly simple question about the amount of the desired salary. Try to answer honestly and name the real figure of remuneration for this work.

And in general, try not to act like a materialistic person during a job interview and exaggerate the topic of finances unnecessarily. They try not to hire such people, because they often go to work in other companies if they are offered a higher salary.

Try not to fill out the forms at the interview, but take them with you. At home, in a relaxed atmosphere, first practice on drafts, and only then start filling out the forms received at the interview. Remember that according to the forms you filled out, you will be evaluated, and handwriting, mistakes, and blots, in general, absolutely everything will be taken into account.

If during the interview you even made some mistake, then apologize, but do not focus on it. Lengthy apologies and lamentations are not how you should behave in a job interview. Keep your confidence.

Probably, many have heard about this way of conducting a job interview, in which the interviewer suddenly begins to behave aggressively and ask provocative questions.

For example: Have you ever paid a bribe to secure a contract? Sell ​​me this pen and other, to put it mildly, nonsense, which, in general, does not belong at a job interview in a normal company. This type of interview is known as the stress interview.

This is how some employers test your ability to work under pressure, to make quick decisions in difficult situations. It is up to you to answer such questions or not. You can always say that this style of interviewing is unacceptable for you.

On this, most likely, the interview for the possibility of working in this company will end, but why do you need a company whose principles do not suit you? If you are ready, then answer these questions and try to emerge victorious.

Some companies even conduct a lie detector test and analyze the subconscious mind of the applicant. To agree to such a “job interview” and how to behave on it is everyone’s personal choice.

If you are asked a question at an interview that you do not have an answer for, then answer that you need to think about it.

If during the interview it turns out that your level of knowledge is insufficient for work in this company, then express your willingness to learn. Only you need to do this not with a hackneyed phrase that you are trainable.

It is better to tell the interviewer at the job interview about specific examples when you already faced similar tasks and how you solved them. That is, prove that you have already increased your level of knowledge and, moreover, quite successfully.

If you see that the interview as a whole is going well for you, then towards the end of it you can begin to move from “I” to “We”.

After the interview is over, thank the interviewer. You can be a little more aggressive and ask when you will call and what your next steps are.

What to do and say at a job interview is absolutely impossible

Do not try in a job interview to try to put pressure on pity and try to arouse sympathy from the interviewer. Don't hesitate!!! It is not necessary to tell at a job interview about your difficult financial situation, family problems and other troubles.

Even if the interviewer takes pity on you, such an interview will most likely not end successfully anyway. The reason for this is simple, leaders need self-confident professionals who are ready to solve the problems of the company, and not whiners and losers who are not even able to solve their own problems.

Don't talk too much in a job interview. Yes, some people start talking a lot from excitement, but such a person will not be hired. Not a single leader needs you to distract everyone in the workplace with your conversations, and no one will be at the job interview to figure out why it suddenly “broke through” you.

Don't make one very common job interview mistake among professionals. Do not pressure the interviewer with your knowledge, even if he/she is younger than you. This style of interview will lead to the fact that you will simply be considered arrogant and arrogant, which means that you will not be able to get along in a team, etc. In general, nothing good.

Don't scold your ex-boss and your previous company during a job interview. No leader will like this, since he subconsciously understands that he may be next and at the interview for employment in the next company, you will already thoroughly analyze his mistakes.

Don't praise your former boss. The new boss will understand this as an attempt to impose on him the image of the right boss at the interview, and any boss believes that he is the best.

Even if you didn’t get a job this time, don’t despair. Any attempt to get a job is at least the experience gained how to behave in a job interview which means next time will be better. And good luck to you.

To paraphrase a well-known aphorism, we can say: who owns the information, he owns the situation at the interview.

Before heading to the office, find out:

  • with whom you will talk: with the boss, the head of the personnel department or his ordinary employee;
  • interview format (group or individual, question-answer or self-presentation);
  • dress code and things you need to have with you (documents, gadgets, etc.);
  • how to get there (it is unacceptable to be late).

It will help to find out if this is the company's website or a call to the office.

Map answers to common questions

Interviews when applying for a job are of the same type and at the same time they are not similar to each other. Many have heard of stressful interviews where they can suddenly start yelling at the applicant to unsettle him. There are also so-called case-interviews: the applicant is placed in certain circumstances (for example, a conversation with a dissatisfied client) and they watch how he solves the problem.

It is not always possible to find out what type of interview is preferred in a particular company, so you need to be ready for anything.

To do this, make a card with answers to typical questions and requests (they are asked in 99.9% of cases):

  • top 5 of your main strengths;
  • what are you good at;
  • strategic directions of self-development;
  • proposals for the work of the company;
  • your life and work philosophy;
  • your short and long term goals;
  • unusual tasks that you had to solve.

You should also prepare in advance a list of topics that you would like to discuss with the HR manager.

Interpret the employer's questions

"A" doesn't always mean "A", and two times two doesn't always mean four. Recruiters sometimes ask insidious questions, where behind the simple wording lies a cunning plan - to get the applicant to say more than they should.

A simple question: "What salary would you like to receive?". But the answer helps the interviewer understand your motivation: money, social security, work schedule, and so on. If you are asked if you had conflicts with management and how you resolved them, then most likely the HR manager wants to know if you tend to take responsibility or are used to shifting it to others.

Tricky questions are many. You need to be able to see the "double bottom" (without fanaticism!).

Consider your non-verbal behavior

HR managers are people, not machines. They, like everyone else, pay attention to non-verbal signs: appearance, facial expressions, gait, gestures, and so on. An experienced professional can be refused just because he behaved incorrectly.

Consider body language ahead of time. If from excitement you habitually twitch your leg, then sit cross-legged. If you're tapping your fingers on the table, try something to occupy your hands with, like a ballpoint pen.

HR managers are people, not machines. They understand that you are worried. But naturalness in non-verbal communication will increase your credibility.

Set taboo on some topics

“Tell me about yourself,” the interviewer asks. “I was born on April 2, 1980 (according to the horoscope Taurus). In his youth he played football, was the captain of the city team. Then he graduated from the institute ... ”- if the applicant’s story is something like this, he will not see the position as his ears.

There are things that are absolutely uninteresting to the employer and which in no way characterize you as a professional. In the given example, this is the year of birth (this can be read in the resume), the sign of the zodiac and sports achievements.

There are topics on which you need to impose a taboo for yourself:

  • summary summary;
  • personal life goals (buying a house, having children, etc.);
  • reputation of the company and its employees;
  • skills and experience that are not related to future work (I am an excellent cook, I understand plumbing, etc.);
  • failures that demonstrate incompetence.

Just as you have made a plan for what you will talk about, write down and memorize the topics that should be ignored. Also think about how to correctly answer if you are still asked about it.

Contemplate to calm down

Interviews are nerve-wracking. You can forget your name, not to mention the demonstration of business qualities.

Take a look around to calm down. Inspect the office, equipment, employees. The details will tell you a lot about the company where you are going to get a job, and their analysis will help bring the nervous system back to normal.

Taking a critical look at the firm and future colleagues can increase your sense of self-importance. Remember: a company needs a good employee as much as you need a good job.

Take the initiative

In an interview, as a rule, there comes a moment when the interviewer and the interviewee change places and the applicant has the opportunity to ask questions of interest to him.

Do not waste time on useless “Will you call me yourself or should I call you back?”, “Why is this position open?” etc. Show yourself as a proactive employee. Ask:

  • Does the company have any actual problem? How do you think I can help you?
  • Could you describe your ideal candidate for this position?
  • What advice would you give to someone who is starting to work for your company?

There are also a number of questions that should not be asked. Which ones - click on the button below.

Following these tips will prepare you for your interview and increase your chances of getting hired.

Are there additions? Write them in the comments.


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