Interview- Need To Exercise Initiative In Interviews

Interview-Importance of Body language

Body language refers to non-verbal and usually unconscious communication through the use of postures, gestures, facial expressions and the like. It is one of the most important aspects of an interview as first impression is the last impression. The interviewer wants to see a confident candidate who is capable of taking initiatives, of finding solutions to problems and of picking out important details.

A confident and self-assured body language ensures positive vibes from the interviewer. Walk into the interviewers office, standing straight and brimming with confidence. Wish the interviewer good morning/ afternoon / evening in order to initiate and facilitate the conversation. Do not seem to be excited or nervous. Take a seat when offered. Sit straight, but relaxed , arms in a natural position. Clasping your hands together or crossing your arms indicates your anxiousness. Have proper eye contact with the interviewer as this will reflect your confidence. If there are more than one person in the Interview Board, include everyone in your glance.

Maintain a smiling face throughout the interview and ensure not to indulge in fidgeting or finger tapping. Your answers must be clear, crisp and audible. Do not put your hand over your mouth as you speak. Speak slowly with pause, wherever necessary and avoid speaking in monotone. Think hard analyze the question, take time to answer and justify your opinion with a certain degree of assertiveness, but not arrogance. Do not be either too passive or over familiar. Winning tactic in an interview is the ability to recapture interviewer's attention during the course of the interview.

Do not accept a beverage during the interview as this action is out of etiquettes. Be gracious in declining the offer, if made by the interviewer. Pick up your belongings, if any, walk briskly to the door and leave.

Interview-Writing the resume

The last, but not necessarily the least important part of the personality test is the writing of the resume of the interview. At the end of the interview, the board directs the candidate to proceed to an adjoining room and write down within 10 or 15 minutes, a brief resume of the interview. In the room where the candidate is required to write the resume, there is usually an official present and the candidate is provided with necessary papers and writing materials. He is to complete writing the resume and hand it over to the official or drop it in the box provided for the purpose in the same room.

Obviously the object of the resume is to serve as a confirmatory aid. It may carry some marks separately or the board may firm up its total marks after perusing the resume. It will also given an aid to the board as the candidate's ability to remember facts and select the meat will also be put to test. Therefore, it is important for the candidate to pay sufficient attention to these aspects of the test also. In particular, the following points deserve special attention:

Since it is to be completed within 10 to 15 minutes, the candidate would be expected to write between 160 to 200 words. He should not exceed the time-limit provided.

He is not to refer to the greetings and other preliminaries.

He can first jot down the important topics. By recalling to his mind the questions put by each member, he can arrange them in the chronological order.

The resume is to be in the form of a narrative and not in the question and answer form.

The candidate is required to give the gist and repeat verbatim the conversation that look place.

The resume should be factual. If all points cannot be covered, the most important ones only need be recorded. But the resume should not contain anything which did not transpire at the interview.

The candidate should not hazard any opinions or draw conclusions but confine himself to reporting the facts exactly and accurately.

The Chairman and Members of the Board are not to be referred independently with regard to the questions asked or observations made. The candidate should only refer to the Board as a whole.

It is always better to use simple words and confine oneself to short and crisp sentences.

After practice Interview sessions, the candidate should also practice writing resume and again sufficient experience in that art.

Interview-UPSC Board Interview And SSB Interview

In the case of the UPSC, the interviews for selection to IAS and similar appointments are conducted by a Board of experts and officials. Each Board will have a Chairman and certain number of Members. Some of the members could be specialists in various fields. Some other members may be senior officers belonging to IAS and other similar services. The candidate has to face the entire Board. Normally he is given the seating plan in advance which gives the particulars and positions of the Chairman and the Members.

The candidate in the first instance should address his queries or replies to the Chairman. Later when a particular Member asks the questions he can turn towards the Member and answer the questions suitably. But his replies are meant for the benefit of the entire Board. The candidate will be assessed by the Chairman and the Members of the Interview Board individually. Thereafter the average will be worked out an assigned to his credit. The duration of the UPSC Board interview is rather short as compared to the SSB. The Interview officers are specially trained in conducting interviews. They, therefore, take care to establish the required rapport with the candidate.

The interview is normally conducted in an ideal setting. In the case of the UPSC Board, the experts or specialists and senior service members need not necessarily be trained personnel in the art of interview. The candidate appearing for the Board interview should bear this in mind. He must use more tact and poise in presenting his answers. His personal grooming and appearance will have a greater impact in the case of the Board interview.

Finally, in the case of Board, the candidate should also be prepared for questions in the special subjects of his choice. The specialists may like to ask some questions in their particular fields. Apart from these subtle matters, the nature of the interview in both cases could be termed to be the same. The candidate must use fair initiative and project his strong points tactfully and gently during the course of the conversation. First of all he must clearly and carefully understand the question and grasp its meaning. The ability to learn and improve rather than knowledge itself is assessed during the interview. Above all, the candidate should never lose his temper. At the same time one need not be offensive and rude. A balanced behavior and sense of humor are essential. The ability to speak and put across one's view forcefully and convincingly matters a great deal. One must therefore, gain adequate practice in advance.