Interview Skills: Purpose of an interview, Do’s and Don’ts of an interview

Interview Skills: The Purpose of the Interview

One of the major forms of oral communication is the purpose of an interview or the objective of the interview. It is possible to conduct interviews for many reasons. These are the purposes of interviews:

Advising: By conducting an interview, the interviewer can provide necessary advice to the interviewee or to a concerned third party. Such advice help the interviewee or those concerned people to improve their present situation.

Increasing understanding: Interviews can enhance the understanding of the parties on a variety of topics. All parties in an interview exchange their views, opinions, and suggestions during the open discussion session. As a result of the openness of the interview, the concerned parties can better understand one another and minimize miscommunication.

Measuring stress: An important purpose of an interview is to gauge employee stress. An interviewee is put through difficulties to test how he reacts to stressful situations as part of a stress interview. It is commonly used when selecting candidates for jobs in which a person must be capable of handling difficult situations without losing their temper.

Finding out the best candidate: During an employment interview, the goal is to select the most suitable candidate out of the potential candidates. To determine the candidate's qualifications, several questions will be asked to him or her during the interview.

Do's and don'ts of an interview

Make an eye contact

Your interviewer should always be looking at you. Keeping eye contact is a powerful way to build trust and credibility. Neither you nor the interviewer should stare; blink normally, glance at the interviewer's hands periodically, but don't let your gaze wander. Whenever you are discussing a topic with more than one interviewer, look each one in the eye, particularly when they ask you a question, and you respond.

Speak clearly

While you are speaking, take your time. Make sure your responses and questions are clear and concise. The best way to regroup if you become agitated or falter is to pause; this is better than mumbling and using "umm" repeatedly. Keep your voice out of the interviewer's way, so he doesn't have to strain to hear you. Try to maintain a positive tone during the interview.

Don't fidget

Allow yourself plenty of time prior to your interview to work on a strategy to control any nervous habits you may have, such as tapping your fingers repeatedly on a table or bouncing your knee. The interviewer will find your habits distracting, and they will focus on your answers rather than you. You may not intend to convey a boring message by fidgeting -- but some fidgety behaviors can convey this. Be mindful when speaking of excessive hand gestures.

Don't slouch

You can tell how interested you are by how you sit or stand. When you are lying on your back, always maintain a straight posture while leaning forward from the back of the chair. If you're standing, try to maintain a good posture by leaning forward slightly. Make sure your performance looks natural by having a friend critique it beforehand and videotaping yourself.

Make a good impression

Prepare for an in-person interview by planning your trip, practicing if it's an unfamiliar location, and arriving early for the interview. It is inexcusable to arrive late for an interview. It is important that you bring your resume and know the specifics of the dates so you can confidently explain your accomplishments and provide examples in your CV.

If your video tool cannot be tested the night before, make sure you have a comfortable and quiet environment during your interview, so you don't have any technical issues the next day. If you cannot make eye contact with your interviewer or offer a firm handshake, your best option is to show interest and engagement by smiling confidently.

When wearing a well-fitting suit, you won't have a problem looking at the part. You put a lot of thought into your presentation, so it shows you're serious about making a good impression.

Listen and respond accordingly

It is common for clients to report that candidates do not respond to questions in a clear and direct manner. Respond with examples from your own experience while listening attentively. Do not run circles around the questions.

Don't speak overly to the interviewer

Both being a good listener and a good speaker is crucial. You are demonstrating your respect and ability to interact with others. It would be best if you considered that there may be a slight lag between the start and finish of a video interview. Therefore, don't hurry to answer a question if your interviewer is still chatting.

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