At Ambalika Institute of Management and Technology, the best college in Lucknow for Engineering and Management, we look at personality and soft skills development as a crucial part of a student’s academic journey. An essential aspect of this is Interview preparation. Here’s a look at the first part of a series of Interview Tips and Techniques.
What are the key things hiring managers look for when they are hiring freshers? According to the latest research, the 7/38/55 rule seems to work very well for freshers in interviews. The numbers 7, 38 and 55 stand for the percentage importance of Content, Voice and Body language in interviews respectively.
This may come as a surprise to most students, who believe that the content of their responses is what determines their chances of being hired by a company. In truth, the way a candidate appears and interacts non-verbally is way more important than mere responses, as is tone of voice and its cadence. In layman’s terms, the way a candidate enters, shakes hands with the interviewer(s), sits and places their hands and postures their body are all very significant non-verbal cues for the interviewer(s); a testimony to the candidate’s confidence, agreeableness and even team skills. The tone and cadence of voice is almost equally important, also alluding to the candidate’s confidence in the interview. Candidates must speak audibly and clearly, and pay attention to both inflection and intonation.
Here, it is important to note that every candidate is anxious to some or the other degree before an interview, but knowledge of how one appears and interacts can help overcome and deal with the anxiety.
As far as the content part of the interview goes, it is advised that the candidate research trending questions pertinent to the industry in which employment is sought. As to general questions that are frequently asked in interviews across all industries, there are 30 top questions which the candidates can practice and hone. Some of these are:
- Tell us about yourself
- What motivates you?
- Where do you see yourself five years from now?
- What made you apply for this job?
- What salary do you expect from us?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Tell us about a situation in which you were required to take a decision contrary to trends and how you were able to persuade others as to its merits (tests critical thinking skills of the candidate)
In answering all questions, it is important to note that as far as possible, the answers should be tailored to the company and job profile being applied for and that the candidate must come across as passionate and motivated. For example, in the question about what motivates the candidate, the candidate should try and express some kind of interest and passion relating to the job profile, such as stating that they have always been ecologically oriented when applying to a company which is involved in recycling.
Similarly, co-curriculars which sync with the job profile must be highlighted, such as if the candidate has participated in an ecology project in school or college, this would further the candidate’s chances of securing the employment in the recycling company.
An important point is regarding weaknesses. This question is not asked for you to disclose personal shortcomings and the candidate must be very careful to present weaknesses which can easily be overcome with experience and the candidate must also express their desire to do so. An example of an acceptable weakness put forward in an interview is lack of leadership skills, because a fresher is not expected to possess leadership skills without any work experience. The candidate can also add that they hope to gain these skills through job experience at the company.
Watch this space for further tips on acing interviews!
