Break through the job interview – Part 3

We continue with our discussion on what you need to do to break through life transforming career milestones. The last two weeks, we dwelt on the five things that you need to do as you prepare for the interviews: Study the employing organisation, understand the job, understand details of the qualities the employers want in the successful candidate, analyse the other candidates and rehearse ‘Why should they employ me?’ Today, we will turn to the interview itself. What do you need to do on the day of the interview in order to turn your preparation and practice into positive results after the interview?

1. Dress formally and professionally:

A job interview is a very serious matter and deserves corresponding seriousness. One way to express that seriousness is the manner in which you dress. A few years ago, I was sitting on an interviewing panel and although we were selecting an engineer that would install outdoor systems, when I saw one candidate in a sweater, I immediately ruled him out as did the other interviewers. In fact that person’s performance in the interview confirmed his lack of seriousness. Do not gamble on your dressing for the interview. Put on your best formal/business suit – not too shiny or colourful – dark for men if possible and equivalent serious choices for ladies – nothing too fancy. Do not put on evening wear or party outfit. You also need to take care of your hair: for the ladies going to a saloon on the night before the interview is not a bad idea and similarly for men going to see the barber the day before may do you some good on the interview day. Be gloomed and smart. This will also help you to walk and talk confidently because when you are well dressed, you naturally feel confident and positive. You need this kind of energy when you walk into the interview room.

2. Arrive in plenty of time:

Make a solid plan to be ready at the interview place in time – at least 30 or 45 minutes before the interview. This means that days before the interview you need to be sure of where the venue of the interview is. If the interview is in another city – for example you stay in Blantyre and the interview is in Lilongwe or Mzuzu, make sure you are in the City where the interview is to be conducted at least the night before the interview to avoid unnecessary panic, to settle down in time and to enter the interview room with full energy without exhaustion. Arriving in plenty of time enables you to be fully settled as you enter the interview room. Also that initial ‘meet and greet’ meeting with the Secretary or HR representative as you wait for the interview helps to clear away some of the nerves.

3. Carry all your key documents:

Since you will have some 30 minutes before the interview, you might want to just remind yourself quickly on the main key points for the interview. It helps therefore to carry some key documents especially the Job Advert as it appeared in the newspaper. Most importantly, do carry your original and photocopies of all your certificates. It is not uncommon in Malawi that at the end of the interview the panellists want to view your certificates. This is very important. Make sure that all your important and relevant certificates are in the pack and each one of them with copies that you can leave behind with the convener of the interviews. If you have too many certificates, you can separate them into two packs – the first one comprising the big ones and the second pack with the additional/optional certificates. If you just mix the big and small certificates, the small ones may dilute your big qualifications. You need common sense to filter out some unnecessary certificates.

—To be continued next week…