How to prepare yourself before Interview

Learning acquired on the go in the respectively desired field is the best kind of learning. It not just helps you gain practical knowledge, but also teaches you ‘What not to do’. It trains you to adapt to situations and equips you with first hand experiences that will give you a better understanding for decision making.

The market has always been competitive across sectors. But today, even the jobs are competitive. Each job has its own set of set skills that it expects the employee to possess. Right from being able to multitask to being qualified and enthusiastic to sustain the job. Right from being a cultural fit to being actively updated on Social Media.

Suppose out of a hundred applicants, the company short-listed twenty, and you happen to be one of them. What would you do to ensure that you are their first choice?

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What is the current trend in trading? What is the company’s policy? What core values constitute the company’s reputation? In simple words – do your background research thoroughly. Just because you have applied for a position in sales and marketing, shouldn’t mean that you have no clue of how the other departments work. 

Live up to the impression

Companies look beyond the attire. Being well groomed is essential and so is nurturing your communication skills. But when you project yourself and interact with your prospective employers, be yourself. It shouldn’t be that one minute you are talking about being passionate about your job and the very next minute you are given a task, instead of analyzing

how to go about you, you begin to panic.

Experience and training

If you get the opportunity to intern in a company while you are still studying prior to applying for a full-time position, weigh your options. Is the company renowned? Can it add value to your existing knowledge? Will it help you learn the ropes and give you a firm grounding? Will it be beneficial in the future? Learning never goes waste, it is always advisable to attend workshops and interact with professionals from the industry.

They are watching

Much before you are shortlisted for an interview, befalls a screening process that sifts through the virtual media to weigh your potential. Being active on social media and being addicted are two different things. If you have a habit to practically post about every little incident on the media, chances are your prospective employers will consider you to be a threat to abiding by the company’s confidentiality.

Punctuality matters

The process of recruitment has multiple stages. If you walk into an interview five minutes after it has already began, you sub-consciously project a careless attitude. It says that there are higher chances of you walking in late on your first day of work as well.

Gestures, body language and eye contact portray your level of confidence. But if the confidence lasts only until you are questioned about current affairs and what would be your stand in certain situations, then is like owning a latest technology smart phone and not using it.

"WORK CULTURE TRENDS"

Trend setting is no piece of cake. It takes years of practice to set a trend in motion. And it requires an equal amount of perseverance to keep up with it. The first apprehension that any individual harbors while passing out from college is, how to land a good job. The second one that follows is; will I be able to adjust into the work culture?

Work culture – not just a term any more, but an influential implementation that acts as a deciding factor while choosing a job. Just about a decade ago, work was a rigid routine. Wake up in the morning, brush, go to work, work the entire day, no looking left, no talking to your right, just stay focused, finish your work and leave.

Over a period of time, things have improved. From being monotonous, a work life balance slowly seems to look promising. The term employee engagement has always existed, but at a mere level, where it was considered to be a formality. Today, organizations believe that it is the work force that drives the company’s growth and constantly strive to keep them happy.

Remember manually keeping logs and ledgers of accounts and data? Keeping up with the changing trends has always been a priority, talent is nurtured and so is technology. Today, from a bank to a stationery shop, every outlet will have a Personal Computer to keep a detailed and meticulous track of all the happenings. Corporates prefer candidates who can adapt to the fast changing trends and add value to the organization.

Gone are the days when office meant a four by four room surrounded with blank white walls and one single fan squeaking at the center of the room. Changing the décor can make a lot of difference; adding a little bit of creativity, personalizing your work desk, putting up witty anecdotes in certain corners or simply painting it all red – when it pleases the eyes it appeases to the brain.

Most corporates today are doing away with the barrier system - the cabins and cubicles. The layout of the office is such that everybody gets to see everybody. The offices get a much sober look just by doing away with the division; besides it lets the employees interact much freely.  

Not just that, corporates have taken it a notch higher and have begun introducing coffee machines, which in turn encourages the employees to take breaks during the work. It helps them think better and socialize. To further equip the staff to be competent in the industry and hence in their respective jobs, trainings are being made mandatory for every individual, irrespective of his designation.

There are open house brainstorming sessions as opposed to everybody either writing down their ideas into the suggestion box. The managers and authorities take time off their busy schedules to personally interact with the staff one-on-one; it proves to be an inspiration and a feel good factor that keeps the employees motivated to give in their 100%.

IF ONLY OUR OFFICE DESK SPOKE TO US. . !

Impossible! Inanimate objects don’t talk! They are always stationary, right where you left them, waiting for you to manually make changes. In fact, over a period of time, they even begin to get on your nerves. Slowly they tend to dominate your work place and even your work desks, because they are all over the place.

To reach the floor of your office there is either the elevator that gives you a funny feeling in your tummy or the stairs that make you sweat a bit. You reach the office and there is that large door looming over you that makes you feel puny. You walk through the aisles, pass all the cabins and cubicles with all the name tags staring at you and finally settle down on your beloved work desk, where yet another unpleasant sight awaits you.

Stapler, punch, paper clips, board pins, pens, notepads, post its, sheets of unfilled papers and folders, practically most of the office stationary scattered across your desk. Oh, and of course, the stains of the mayonnaise burger that you had the other day.

Whereas, on the other hand; your desk doesn't have a speck of dust or a bit of paper lying out of place. But, you are a workaholic. Alone in the office, when you tend to put in over time, it is your desk that becomes your silent companion. It bears your memories, it tolerates all those cups of coffee that you gulp down to stay awake and it supports you like your best friend.

Have you ever stopped to give it a thought? That may be your work desk is actually trying to communicate something? To indicate that there are ‘to do’ lists that you haven’t yet checked, or bills that you haven’t yet filed, or there is a heap of new information to be included in the PowerPoint presentation for the next week, or its simply time for you to compartmentalize your work priorities and create a work life balance. In short, it tries to tell you that you need to take a break!

The cleaner your desk, the easier it becomes for you to work. Imagine making notes on post-its and sticking it all over the wall of your cubicle. When time comes to actually piece them together you will neither be able to identify the head nor be able to conclude where it ends. It begins to replicate the scenario like that at home; where we are used to making a mess on our beds, throwing the clothes haphazardly instead of putting them neatly on a hanger.

At home it is our mother who keeps a tab, at work it is our boss. There is a very wise saying ‘Seeing is believing’ - Imagine your boss making his weekly rounds to see if everything is under control and he notices that your desk is practically a pigs sty. It will create an impression that you are either not adept for the job or you are too lazy to be organized. Your desk definitely doesn't need a voice to convey that.

The only way to ensure that you feel like working, is to create an environment and a ‘work space’ that allows you a visually appealing as well as convenient space to work. If it has to be a mess, why not personalize it with a few quirky magnets or anecdotes or even paintings. Let your desk too feel honored to belong to you. In return, it will give you a sense of satisfaction to work, even if it means going the extra mile.