In-Person Interview

If you survived the initial phone interview, the next step is probably an in-person interview. Some prefer to have "panel-like" interviews, while others prefer one-to-one interviews. Expect to interview with three to four technical people (most likely the people you will end up working with) and maybe a group manager. The entire interviewing process can take anywhere between 2 to 6 hours.

Expect a wide variety of questions that range from common personal questions to very challenging technical questions relevant to the job you are applying for. Remember that the whole point of this exercise is for the interviewers to determine if you have the skills to do the job you are being interviewed for, and if you are someone they would like to work with.

Common type of job interview in the modern workplace is the behavioral interview also called a competency-based interview. This type of interview is based on the notion that a job candidate's previous behaviors are the best indicators of future performance. Typical behavioral interview questions:

· Describe the worst project you worked on.

· Describe a time you had to work with someone you didn't like.

· Tell me about a time when you had to stick by a decision you had made, even though it made you very unpopular.

Stress interviews are still in common use. One type of stress interview is where the employer uses a succession of interviewers (one at a time) whose mission is to intimidate the candidate and keep him/her off-balance. The purpose of this interview is to find out how the candidate handles stress. Questions about handling work overload, dealing with multiple projects, and handling conflict are typical.

Another type of stress interview may involve only a single interviewer who behaves in an uninterested or hostile manner. For example, the interviewer may not make eye contact, may roll his eyes or sigh at the candidate's answers, interrupt, and turn his back, take phone calls during the interview. The goal is to assess how the interviewee handles pressure. Examples of sticky interview questions:

· Putting you on the spot: «How do you feel this interview is going?»

· Popping the balloon: (deep sigh) «Well, if that's the best answer you can give...»

· Oddball question: «What would you change about the design of the hockey stick?».

Candidates may also be asked to deliver a presentation as part of the selection process. The "Platform Test" method involves having the candidate make a presentation to both the selection panel and other candidates for the same job. This is obviously highly stressful and is therefore useful as a predictor of how the candidate will perform under similar circumstances on the job.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-24