Your CV was impressive enough to be picked up from a
pile of hundreds for second look. You have the required experience and skills,
so now they would like to meet you and see what lies beyond the carefully
written CV. You get the interview invite and you say to yourself, ‘I deserve
this job. They should go ahead and hand me the offer letter. I am perfect for
the job.’
Wait a moment. The important question is: who are you,
really? How does your CV translate into personality, work ethic, company
culture, and the ability to work effectively with the rest of the team? This is
what interviews are really about, yet many job hunters are bogged down by the
myth that they should go into an interview as rigid professionals – almost robotic
versions of themselves.
My first interview was for a job as a receptionist,
well I was at the interview showing my smiles and my prowess in answering calls
with enthusiasm. In true sense, I didn’t have a clue but I had read about what
the job entailed. The would-be employer then asked: ‘What makes you the best
person for this job?’
I dropped my acting and said: ‘I don’t know much about
administration and from the look of your front-office, I will need a manual to
operate the switch board. But I am eager to learn and I can offer you much more
than front-office support which I believe will be more beneficial to you.’
He was shocked but impressed. He told me that he had
never seen someone display such honesty in an interview and wondered if I would
be interested in being his PA as well to help him manage his workload. I made
tea too as part of the job description but where I come from, making tea is a
joy.
Let your personality shine.
An interview is essentially about two things:
confirming the credentials and the skills that a candidate has stated on his/
her CV, and gauging whether the candidates personality suits the company.
Consider how you will handle the objections that hiring manager might bring up.
For example, if the interviewer is concerned that you do not have enough
experience doing X, reassure him/ her that while that might be the case, in
your last job, you didn’t have much experience in doing Y when you joined but
you learnt very quickly and exceeded the boss’ expectations.
Show enthusiasm for the position and let your
personality shine through. After all, who wants to bring on boar a highly
qualified applicant who is not interested in the job and doesn’t really want to
be there? Remember, it is just as important for to be yourself and strike a
rapport with the interviewer to demonstrate that you are a good cultural fit, as
it is to answer every question to perfection. You never want to come across as
mechanical and overly rehearsed.
Just relax
If you are hired due to a cooked-up personality,
imagine trying to live up to this fantasy, day in, day out. There are two main
ways to be yourself during an interview, they will be evaluated by the
employer. Try to think of the interview as a two way experience. It is just as
important for you to evaluate the job and the company. Once you truly believe
this, it is easier to be yourself because you have nothing to lose.
The second key is so simple, but often overlooked. Just
relax. A deep breathing exercise just
prior to the interview can help. It is hard to be yourself when you are nervous
and tense. Being relaxed also makes it more natural to show your true self via
body language, eye contact and facial expressions.
Companies want to hire people with brains, emotions and
personality. Otherwise, they will cut the interview process all together and
haul in the robots.
This article is by Juliah Karimi of Staff Kenya
