Category: Interviews

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Cracking the “Non-Verbal” Code of an Interview

Cracking the “Non-Verbal” Code of an Interview

Giving interviews is a tricky business. You are judged not only on the basis of your verbal skills, but on your non-verbal acumen as well. It is not just about the explicit meaning of words but about the implicit transfer of messages. Non-verbal behaviour involves interpersonal communication of a different level. It is but an un-intentional method of communication, playing at a very subconscious level.

Cracking the code of effective non-verbal communication is bewildering for the best of us. Its components can have you reeling in every dimension. From facial expressions and tone of voice, to body language and physical proximity, non-verbal signals give additional information and meaning over and above verbal communication.

dealing with criticise

1.      Kinesics

Kinesics refers to body language or body movements. This includes posture, gestures, hand movements, or body movements on the whole. The key attributes of this non-verbal component are:

  • Reinforces what a person is saying.
  • Gives additional information about the attitudes and emotions of a candidate.
  • Can conflict with what a person is saying. Hence, a skilled hiring manager can detect this discrepancy and catch you where you are weak.
  • Expressions of happiness, sadness, anxiety, etc. are globally recognized and can be sensed easily.

Examples of kinesics are socially and culturally diverse. Understanding the detailed nuances of body language is very important for effective job acquisition. For example, an Indian looking for an overseas job with a multi-national company must know how to acknowledge an employer of different nationality. Folding hands in Namaste may not be understood by the said individual, which could lead to an embarrassing start. Some other common examples are:

  • Glancing at your watch during the interview.
  • Tapping your feet – shows impatience and anxiety.
  • Fidgeting in your chair.
  • Coughing too much or clearing your throat every 2 seconds.
  • Moving your hands too much when enunciating.

2.      Oculesics

Bharatanatyam is all about eye movement, and so is an interview. The intensity of your glance, pupil dilation, frequency of glances, and blink rate can publicise hidden intent. A smile on your face can never mask the look of utter terror in your eyes when sitting in front of a panel. You can keep eye movements in check by focussing at a point close to the interviewers face; without staring at him directly. Oculesics matter in an interview because:

  • Eye contact is essential for giving and receiving feedback.
  • It lets the other person know that it’s their time to talk without having to say the words.
  • It is the bridge between listening and speaking.
  • It can be employed to convey silence, ignorance, and anger. For example: You look away when you want to avoid answering a question, you look down when you are unsure of what to say, and you look up when you are trying to remember a point.

3.      Paralinguistics

Para-language pertains to the tone and pitch of your voice. Girls are generally shrill and get squeakier in an interview. Boys on the other hand have a deeper baritone which all but disappears when it comes to answering questions. Being aware of how you talk, the speed and volume of your message delivery, and the pauses and hesitations between words is highly important. During an interview, if you put emphasis on certain words, they are sure to be picked up by the hiring manager.

4.      Proxemics

Different cultures display different levels of closeness that is appropriate for building corporate relationships. Violating this “appropriate” distance can leave individuals feeling defensive or uncomfortable. “Space” issues can open portals to misinterpretation. The main categories of proxemics include:

  • Intimate distance – upto 45cm.
  • Personal distance – 45cm to 1.2m.
  • Social distance – 1.2m to 3.6m.
  • Public distance – 3.7m to 4.5m.

Understanding distances will allow you to approach others in an appropriate and non-menacing manner. Interviewers will understand how you feel about the situation and, if required, will change their behaviour accordingly.

5.      Chronemics

Understanding the language of time is exceptionally important in an interview. It not only makes for good interview ethics but bodes well for your personality in case you get hired. People perceive time differently across cultures. It pertains to punctuality, interactions, and willingness to wait. Your time-usage acumen can define whether you are suitable for a particular job profile or not. Chronemics can define status as well.

For example: a boss can take a break from work any time of the day, but you will have to take permission for a 5 minute stroll in the park. Time across cultures in divided into:

  • Monochronic time: Everything is scheduled, organized, and pre-planned. Events are conducted at one particular point in time. Germany, Switzerland, and Canada employ a monochronic culture.
  • Polychronic time: Multiple events are conducted at once, and scheduling time is more flexible. Africa, Latin America, and Asia exhibit a polychronic culture.

Conclusion

Non-verbal communication forms an integral part of any candidate’s profile. Most job seekers are unaware of their non-verbal behaviour; hence, making mistakes is quite a common affair. With practise and repeated interviews, you will not only understand how to conduct yourself, but will garner sufficient experience to read the interviewers expressions as well. An in-depth knowledge of the aforementioned components can lead to greater shared understanding, which is the true purpose of interaction and communication.

Author Bio:

Tina Jindal is a professional content writer who works on a variety of topics like employment, real estate, and education. She has been involved with renowned publications and has tried her hand at editing works on Cookery, Gardening, Pregnancy, and Healthcare. She loves to travel and is crazy about dogs. You can contact her @Gmail | LinkedIn

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Managing Interview Stress

Often people become stressed in new situations; anything from a first date to attending a social event. Stress can increase when all eyes are on you which is why public speaking and job interviews are one of most common stress inducers.

Stress can increase when the importance of the activity is high. This is why job interviews are highly stressful. The job interview situation is rare, which increase stress, for many the job interview has high importance as many people require a salary to pay bills and mortgages) and in the job interview you are the focus of attention which can multiply your stress levels.

Stress is part of your fight or flight response. Your mind perceives a future situation as stressful and creates an associated negative image – a job interview going badly with you stuttering, forgetting what to say and looking embarrassed. Your mind then releases chemicals in your body so you feel stressed and this feeling of stress reinforces the negative image – creating a stress loop

Breaking The Loop

As with any stressful “eyes on you” situation, practice makes perfect. If you practice your interview with an interview coach, predicting the interview questions, preparing answers, learning how to sell yourself and how to reinforce your unique selling point, as well as reflecting on interview answers and tweaking each answer until they are embedded in your mind you will come across not only as confident but as the ideal candidate.

The lack of practice is the number one reason why applicants are nervous in job interviews with 90% of interviewees only preparing for a job interview for 15 minutes! As any confident public speaker will tell the key to speaking (and communication is the number tool for passing job interviews) well is rehearsing and rehearsing and rehearsing. It is this repetition of practice that makes the confident orator look as if they are talking of the cuff about a subject or question they are asked, where in reality they have practised their delivery style, tone change, pitch, body langue and gestures, eye contact and how to get their point across.

This practice decreases stress while boosting confidence, self-esteem and your interview expertise.

Creating Positive Visualisations

Your mind’s eye creates negative images of job interviews that increase your stress levels. These thoughts and dreams can create so much worry and anxiety that some people will decide against attending the job interview.

If your perceived perception of your interview is damaging your chance of a job offer then this next technique, which only takes around 3 minutes to complete will give you back your confidence.

Step 1 – Think about your next job interview (this will be an anxious/nervous movie) image with most people seeing the image as an associated movie – seeing it from their own eyes.

Step 2 – Pause the interview movie and push the image away from you so you can see the edges of the image

Step 3 – Drain out the colour, turning the picture black and white and put a frame around the picture

Step 4 – Move the image future and future away from you until it becomes a dot  – at this stage your negative emotions will have vanished

Step 5 – Imagine yourself confident at an interview; make this image big and bright and bring it closure and closure to you until you start to feel these confident feelings.

If you repeat this exercise every day for 2 weeks your mind will change the associated emotions (from nervousness to confidence) attached to the thought of a job interview. When you next think of an upcoming interview your mind will focus on the new confident interview image you have created rather than the old nervous negative movie you use to play.

Being able to control how you feel during a job interview by using the visualising technique as well as rehearsing your interview answers and selling points, you will have a powerful combination that will help come across natural and confident during the job interview and this can only lead to more job offers.

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Improving Your Interview Skills

If you find that you aren’t being offered positions then you need to improve your interview skills. This article will give you several ideas on how you can build up your interview skills.

Interview Coach/Mock Interviews

The easiest way to improve your job interview skills and to see where you are potentially going wrong in the job interview is to meet up with an interview coach.

An interview coach will either complete a mock job interview, where you will be asked sector-led interview questions or they will assess your interviews skills by asking a verity of coaching style questions allowing you to explore, reflect and challenge yourself before helping you plan how you can come across as a stronger applicant during the job interview.

The interview coach will also teach you how to break down the interview question so you can first understand what criteria the employer is looking for as part of the answer and how you can structure the interview answer in 3 steps to ensure the answer delivers a big impact.

Some interview coaches are also trained to help you boost your confidence using a variety of techniques.

Confident Interview

A good question to ask yourself is “to pass interviews do I need to increase my confidence or is my confidence strong and I need to learn how to sell myself in the job interview?” This will allow deciding whether or not you need an interview coach or a confidence coach?

A confidence coach will teach you how to anchor confidence to the job interview. This internal resource can be used so you act at your best during the job interview. These techniques are used daily by athletes, sports professionals and even business leaders for multi-dollar meetings.

Toastmasters and Improve Classes

 The reason people become stuck in the job interview is due to being asked out of the blue questions that they didn’t expect or by being asked questions they didn’t prepare for. The interview coach will always reiterate the importance of practice. A great way to learn to think oin your feet by attending a group where you get the chance to think on your feet.

Acting improvement classes are great for learning this skill, as is toastmasters – a public speaking group where they do an exercise called table topics where you have to speak on an unknown topic for 2-3 minutes.

The key here is to practice answering off the cuff questions so you can learn to deliver confident answers. This is a key skill in all job interviews.

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The Interview Motivation Language Model

We are all motivated and influenced differently. But imagine that you could learn how your interviewer was motivated during the interview. In this situation the interviewee could easily frame their interview answer so the language used could have a greater impact, increasing your chances of increased job offers.

Motivational Traits

Today you will learn about motivational traits; how to uncover the interviewer’s traits and how you can use this to influence the job interview outcome.

NLP Mind Tricks

Achieving Goals or Solving Problems

Each of us are either motivated by Achieving Goals or Solving Problems (the glass is half full or half empty) we either see a problem that needs to be solved or we see a goal that needs to be achieved. This perception is key to understanding your interviewer’s mind and their own motivational model.

A goal-setter can easily be de-motivated when a team talk about the problems and issues they face. This is because we are all wired differently and in the interview situation, especially when the job offer comes down to the interviewers gut feeling about someone, understanding the interviewer’s motivational preference can secure you the job.

To detect how your interviewer is motivated you need to listen to the language the interviewer uses; how they phrase their questions and answers.

Interviewers motivated by Achieving Goals will often use terminology that represents this trait; goal, achieve, attain, get, achieve.

Problem Solvers on the other hand use opposite jargon and phrases; avoid, exclude, away from, problem, recognise

Problem Solver – Example Interview Question “if you were given a last-minute deadline, how would you solve the timing problem?”

Goal – Example Interview Question “if you were given a last-minute deadline, what would you do to ensure you achieved the deadline goal?”

To ensure you use language that motivates your interviewer you need to phrase your interview answers in such away that they make a real impact on the interviewer. To achieve this, you need to speak their language. If they talk using goals or problem solving language you need to incorporate this same language in your interview answers.

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Interview Questions Broken Down and Dissected

Why do experienced applicants fail job interviews?

Often it is because they don’t understand what type of answer (or information) the employer requires from their pre-planned interview question.

During a 45-minute job interview, the interviewer will ask around 10 job interview questions. Each question has been chosen to uncover if you meet a specific criteria on the job spec.

The problem here is that most interviewees don’t really ask themselves “why is the employer asking this question?” “what skill or experience is the employer trying to uncover by asking this particular interview question?”

Instead most applicants will simply answer a question relating to past success they feel is important.

This is like giving someone who wanted a banana an apple, they are both fruit but its not what they really wanted. To be successful in the job interview you first need to figure out why the employer is asking this question, from this perceptive you can then deliver a powerful answer proving that you exceed the job specification.

Below is a list of common asked interview questions, the reason behind the question and to make things really simple an example answer. Remember the key to winning a job offer during the job interview is preparation.

Tell me about yourself?

One of the most common asked questions in interviews, normally asked at the beginning of an interview, this question gives you the opportunity to deliver a short statement about your experiences and skills relevant to the job position you are applying for.

  • Start with a “selling” line that will highlight your main strength and/or achievement
  • Keep each point brief as you can explain each point again in more detail throughout the interview
  • You want to interest the interviewer and get them to want to know more about you
  • End this answer with a reason why you’re looking for a new job

“I’ve been working in Sales for 8 years. I have a great understanding of selling insurance to the public and businesses. My innovative sale techniques have increased profits by 25% year on year for the past 3 years. I am now ready for a new challenge and with your company having a great reputation, I believe this is the opportunity I have been waiting to apply for”

Why did you leave your last job?

Be positive with this answer and smile – employers like to hear that you left for a good opportunity or reason, a chance to do something special or for a good career move.

  • Start the answer with a look back
  • Explain what you enjoyed about your previous role
  • Give a Positive reason for leaving

“I enjoyed working at Company Name and really enjoyed the interaction of working with a wide range of individuals-I feel I gained a lot of transferrable skills from this experience, which I can use in this role. It was a hard choice to leave but I felt that this great opportunity is the next obvious step for me”

What experience do you have in this field?

For this question you first need to read and understand the job specification, as this will tell you what experience the interviewer is looking for. Your answer should relate your experience and achievements to that of the job role. Often interviewees will talk about experiences that are not relevant to the job role, this will only lead to the employer becoming uninterested in you.  

“I have over 6 years experience as a nursery nurse, in that time I have gain an NVQ Level 2 and 3 in child care. I have worked with children of all ages including groups of children with disabilities. I understand the importance of “health and safety” and “every child matters” and use my creative skills to organise games and activities to teach young children new skills while keeping them entertained. Recently I also won an award for employee of the year”

Do you consider yourself a successful person?

Yes, is the answer you should always give and then follow this up with the reason why. Explain when you have achieved something you felt was “big” or goals you have set, completed or currently moving towards.

“Yes, I would say I am successful. Once I am given a task to do, I always put a hundred percent into achieving it. Soon after giving birth to my baby boy, I attend an AAT night course and had to study while bringing up my son. This was a large amount of work, but as I am good at managing my time, I was able to pass my course with flying colours.”  

How would your colleagues describe you?

Interviewers enjoy hearing quotes, have a couple of quotes prepared from people at your previous job “David always said I was….” and use statements like: “In my last job I was always known for…”

By giving quotes from a named person can be as effective as giving the interviewer a written reference.

“In my last company I was always known as the person who got things done. I remember overhearing my Manager Sharon, saying ‘if you need a job doing quickly and efficiently to get me to do it”

Are you applying for any other jobs?

 Of course you are, every interviewer knows you are looking for work and it’s highly unlikely that you only have one interview lined up. Explain why you are looking for other work and follow this up by telling the interviewer how much you want to work for their company. Employers like to offer jobs to people who will accept them and/or not leave after a couple of weeks for a better job offer. Why? Recruitment can cost companies around 33% of their profits!  

“Yes, I am looking at other jobs in this industry as I know this is the type of work I will excel in. I have researched your company and feel this is the type of company I would really fit into”

Are you willing to put the interest of the organisation ahead of yours?

 This is a test of employment loyalty; the interviewer is looking for someone to put there all into the company, employers may want you to come into work at a drop of a hat. If asked this question, answer using a confident voice.

“Yes, I want to put my all into this job and organisation”

Describe yourself as a person?

This is a great question to be asked, as it is open for you to really sell your skills and qualities. When answering this question, talk about the skills, qualities and experiences the company require (taken from the job specification) and answer the question by telling the interviewer how you have these required skills. Use real-life stories and examples to highlight your strengths.  

“I am a keen and driven person; once I start a task I always put a hundred percent into completing it. I have often been told I am approachable and a good listener who completes goals quickly and efficiently”    

Do you have a work philosophy?

Don’t be tempted to give a deep long answer here, keep it short, sweet and positive;

“I would say my work philosophy is; getting the job done to a good standard”

 Aren’t you over qualified for this role?

Employers are always worried that an employee who is over qualified for a position, will take the job once offered and leave when offered a better paid position relevant to their qualifications.

Answer by stating how much you enjoy this type of work and how this is career move, not just a job. It is also good to highlight that you would pick this job over one relevant with your qualifications. Never say you’re looking for work with less responsibility or stress – keep the answer positive.

“For me, this is a career move not just a job. I am really interested in this industry and would choose this role over one with higher pay, relevant to my passed qualifications”

What are your strengths?

This is one of the most common questions you will be asked. Give an answer relevant to the skills and qualities relevant to the position you are applying to. The interviewer is trying to find if your strengths match the job.

For example, if you are applying for a job where accuracy is an important issue, one of your strengths could be that you have an eye for detail.  It may useful to find different words to describe similar attributes and qualities in order to avoid repetition.

“I have often been told that I have an eye for detail and that I am very accurate and precise. This was very important during my last role where I worked on large business accounts”

What are your weaknesses?

Again, another commonly asked question.  A frequent mistake to make when answering this question is to say something negative like “I can sometimes let things get on top of me”. Be positive and sell yourself with every interview question, turn a negative into a positive. For example,

“In the past I felt I needed to improve my typing skills, because I aspire to be the best I can, I have recently enrolled on a typing course”.

This will show that you can identify your weaknesses but at the same time, you are willing to improve. Most importantly: do not mention a weakness that is any way related to the job you are being interviewed for! This might sound obvious but it is a common mistake!

Do you have a dream job?

Rather than mention a job, talk about duties and skills you like, to impress the interviewer theses have to be relevant to the job they are offering. Also state how your dream job would be somewhere where the team all got on, where you love the work, where you can contribute to the work.

“I have always wanted to work within an organisation with a reputation for excellence, like this one. My dream job has always been a role where I can solve business problems and make a difference with other organisations. What is really important to me, is to work within a good team in a company that is moving forward”

Have you ever had to fire anyone?

 Don’t worry this is only asked for management positions; Firing someone is always serious, when ask this question you need to answer seriously.

The employer here is looking if you quickly fire people or support and develop your staff/team.

If you have never fired an employee you should answer this question in a future presence.

  • The key here is to say how you new your member of staff did not have capability to complete the role
  • Explain what steps you took to try and improve the employees skills/job duties
  • And how finally after giving the employee every opportunity to progress you had to let them go

“In my last management role, one of my team wasn’t meeting her targets. Through appraisals we found her strengths and areas of development and from this wrote out an action plan for us both to follow, including putting the member of staff through some needed training.

Over several months we monitored her work and any improvements and continue to have regular meetings with the staff member.  

After several months we didn’t notice any significant improvements and from this started the grievance procedures, while continuing to monitor the staff member’s performance and following the action plans. In the end we felt we had done all we could to support the member of staff and in the end had to let her go. The member of staff actually agreed this was the best choice and thank us for all the support over the last several months”

 Have you ever been asked to leave a position?

 Be truthful, employers will find out when they ask for a reference. If you have give a brief answer and stay away from giving any negatives about the company you worked for.  If the answer is no, Say “No, never”

“Once, several years ago, once I had left university I had a part-time job, the role didn’t suit me as I enjoy being kept busy. I think the manager knew I was going to be moving on”

Why Should We Hire You?

A great question for selling yourself, if you have already talked about your skills and qualities, give a brief answer around your relevant experience-keep this general, as an example add up the amount of years experience you have rather than giving individual dates.

This answer should highlight the benefits you will bring to the organisation. Think-what makes me stick out from the other candidates?  

 “I have over 8 years experience in this industry and I have always achieved my target, by hiring me you will get both my experience and my large client base. In my current role, I have achieved year on year profits since starting their 3 years ago”

 

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Wired Job Interview Questions

Why do employers ask weird interview questions?

For competitive high-salary job roles employers want to ensure that the interviewee hasn’t Googled “common interview question answers” Left field interview questions can’t be predicted and these seemingly random interview question have a key purpose.

Weird interview questions are designed to be deliberately testing and are actually relevant to the job role. Questions such as “name 5 usages for a tin opener apart from opening tins” test the creativity of interviewees.

And common weird interview questions such as “how many golf balls can fit inside a school mini bus?” (This question was asked at a Google interview) test your ability to solve problems mathematically.

Before answering any weird job interview question, first ask yourself two key questions – 1. What does the company do or what will be my duties or required skills? 2. What is the aim of this question? What skill will this question uncover or test?

We have record ten previously asked weird job interview questions to help you prepare for the unexpected.

  • How many times a day does a clock’s hands overlap?
  • How would you get an elephant into a refrigerator?
  • How many cows are there in the UK?

  • If you were a Microsoft Office Programme which one would you be?
  • Will this company succeed? Why or why not?
  • On a scale from one to ten, rate me as an interviewer
  • You need to check that your friend, Bob, has your correct phone number but you cannot ask him directly. You must write the question on a card and give it to Eve who will take the card to Bob and return the answer to you. What must you write on the card, besides the question, to ensure Bob can encode the message so that Eve cannot read your phone number?
  • Design an evacuation plan for London
  • Imagine you have a closet full of shirts. It’s very hard to find a shirt. So what can you do to organise your shirts for easy retrieval?
  • If you was an animal what animal would you be?

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Can You Answer the What salary are you looking for Question?

Can You Answer the “What salary are you looking for?” Interview Question?

Interview questions are asked to uncover a particular skill, quality or experience from the interviewee. The reason why many job applicants fail during the job interview is that they don’t understand what it is the interviewer wants to hear.

Explanation of the Question:

In most industries, the company will advertise the salary on the job advert. If they don’t this could be a loaded question.

Answer this question with a question

“Can you tell me what the salary range for this post is?” If the interviewer insists, give a general answer “The salary would depend on the job duties, around £??-£??” Give a wide range

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Interview Fails The 3 Reasons.

Interview Fails The 3 Reasons.

There is nothing more frustrating than being turn down for a job position that you know you will be highly successful at. Often to the employer’s loss, applicants are refused job offers due to their interview alone, not their ability in the workplace and in many cases it is because of 3 simple reasons.

Due to you find that you fail at job interviews? Do you attend numerous job interviews but never make the grade? Is your interview letting you down? If you are failing at the interview stage of the job application you are likely to fall into one or more of these three traps.

God Complex.

Some job applicants know they are good at what they do and create their own god complex in the workplace.

Past experiences have proven time and time again that they are the master of their industry, skilled in their sector and have the knowledge to know that will succeed whether they work.

This god complex creates interview contempt, often leading to half stories, weak answers and a real lack of effort because you know you can do this job…better than anyone else.

Knowledge is Power and in the workplace power creates profits, but the job interview is much more than recruiting the person with particular expertise, as many interviewers want to recruit someone they like, someone who will fit in with the team and an employee who they can trust.

To be successful in the job interview you need to create likability and rapport. You need to build a platform of trust before you highlight your unique selling point.

Without likeability your success will be shot down, answers that highlight your expertise will be un-believed, negatively distorted and discarded. Without likeability, your interview will be likely to go limp.

Following the Crowd

Are you unique, an individual or do you follow the crowd? Employers are looking for those few employees that will make a real difference in the workplace, those with expert knowledge and a unique selling point. Why recruit you, if you can only do what every other applicant can?

Your expertise, unique selling point, the reason for your success is what will get you the job offer.

Throughout the job interview, you need to give real examples of how you have gone above and beyond, highlight your sector expertise and explain in detail how you will increase profit, boost productivity and how only you alone can turn this business around.

You can give examples of past success but in the main focus of the interview, your answers on future successes.

Discuss how you will implement new procedures and the outcome this will achieve. Give an insight into your expertise by sharing ideas and suggestions. Have a plan of what you will do once recruited and share this with the employer.

Make yourself valuable, become an asset they can’t live without, throughout the interview create an aura of power.

Interview questions and answers

Crippling Confidence

All-powerful people ooze confidence as confidence is seen as power.

Stuttering, head down, hand shaking, murmuring, quite interviewee will be perceived as weak and weak applicants don’t make the mark.

Experiences, successes and skills are weakened when delivered unconfidently.

To be successful you have to be confident; confident in yourself, in your delivery, in your gestures and body language.

Confident in your tone, your answers and confident in your ability to do the job.

Repetition increase confidence as you can unconsciously deliver answers to interview questions without having to think.

Breathing deeply relaxes you and creates positive body language naturally.

Preparation and practice is the key to interview confidence.

There are many ways to be confident in the job interview, but if your nerves get the better of you then you can say goodbye to any decent job offer.

How To Be Successful in the Job Interview.

To win more job offers and to be offered a salary that meets your expectations you first need to be confident about your experience and skills, use breathing and mental imagery techniques to boost your confidence.

Once confident use this confidence to increase likability with the employer. We all like people who are like us, find common ground and listen to what the interviewer has to say.

With the employer eating out of your hand, seal the deal by discussing your unique selling point, talking about future successes and being seen as a rare commodity that will increase profitability.

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Job Interview Questions for TGI Fridays Waiter

Job Interview Questions for TGI Fridays Waiter

Job Interview Questions for TGI Friday – waiter

Often with TGI Fridays, you will be asked to complete a 2-hour work trail to check for your skills and strengths.

Following this, successful applicants will be asked back for a one to one job interview with the branch manager

        • Job Interview Question 1: What is your waitering experience?
    • Job Interview Question 2: Why do you want to work at TGIs?
    • Job Interview Question 3: How to you respond if a customer said they had received the wrong order?

      • Job Interview Question 4: Give me an example of working in a team under pressure?
    • Job Interview Question 5: What experience in customer service do you have?
    • Job Interview Question 6: What type of food do we sell at TGIs?
    • Job Interview Question 7: How would you remember the specials

Interview questions and answers

        • Job Interview Question 8: How would you ensure that customers enjoyed their experience?
    • Job Interview Question 9: How do you upsell?
    • Job Interview Question 10: Do you have any questions to ask me?

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Ace Any Job Interview with Psychology & Body Language Reading

Todays guest post is by Saurabh Tyagi is a career author 

Job interviews are an inescapable part of every educated individual’s life.

One has to face at least a couple of interviews in his or her entire professional tenure.  How you wish you knew mind reading and could just tell what the interviewer is thinking about you. What if this wish of yours comes true?

With a little practice, keen observation and psychological analysis you can almost listen to the thoughts of the interviewer.

More about the same follows.

The 2007 financial crisis has affected the job market in such a way that both the communities, that of jobseekers and recruiters, are having a tough time adjusting with each other.

Savvy recruiters and hiring managers are using a variety of job interview techniques to make sure that they do not end up chasing the wrong candidate. Under such competitive circumstances, a job hunter’s task, which was already tough, has become even trickier than before.

Now, if you need to stand out from others at an interview you are going to need some extra aces up your sleeve.

Almost everyone knows the normal preceding routine to an interview; researching the organization, dressing up well, and arriving on time at the venue. However, the hard part starts now.

Right from the moment you enter the room, till the last word you speak, you will be constantly judged based on your actions, gestures, body language, tone, and last but not the least, your answers.

According to Patti Wood, a body language expert and author of Snap: Making the Most of first Impressions, Body Language, Charisma, “A candidate can give out thousands of non-verbal cues within the first minute of meeting a hiring manager, and those messages make more of an impact than the words that you use during the interview”. 

Now, if you have been to even a couple of interviews, you must be well aware of the fact that hiring decisions are made on more than just skills and experience. It’s a game of Hide and Seek, where multiple psychological factors come into play.

The recruiter will ask certain questions that may appear simple on the surface but are attempts to dig deeper on a psychological level.

He can even play mind tricks on you. But with a little application and experience you can turn the tables and play your own tricks on him to get through the entire process unscathed and emerge as a winner.

Imitation Is the Best Form of Flattery: Use Mirroring

The Mirroring Technique is one of the worst kept secrets of influencing people. It is a great way of establishing instant rapport and initiates a certain level of mutual trust.

If you are able to execute the technique perfectly, the interviewer will deem you trustworthy as he subconsciously finds similarities that connect him with you.

In simplest of terms, mirroring is copying another person’s behavior, way of speaking and mannerisms so as to become a mirror of the other person.  The interviewer nods, you nod, he puts his hands on the table, you repeat after him (after a gap of 20-30 seconds) and stuff like that.

However, proper execution is of utmost importance as the interviewer should never feel that you’re copying him.

Another important rule while mirroring is to adopt only the positive body language and speech from the interviewer. If he gets angry at something, do not even consider pissing him off further by copying his anger. An interviewer with

Do Away With the Fake Smile

Every single positive body language signal that you make in the interview room is a step forward towards clinching the job offers.

Smiling, maintaining eye contacts, sitting in a relaxed posture are all some basics that we are taught to positively influence the interviewer. However, too much of fake smiling should be avoided. False smiles are often easy to spot and too much of it in an interview results in an unfavorable evaluation.

This holds true for other body language gestures as well.

Have A Weakness? Do Not Be Afraid Of Showing It

This is pretty much clichéd.

No one is perfect and our resumes have weak spots. So are you better off hiding them or being upfront and honest about them is a better option?

We all want to be in the good books of the recruiter, and knowing that this interview is perhaps our only chance at making a positive impact; it becomes a real puzzle how to reveal our weaknesses without reducing our likeability.

According to a 1972 Jones and Gordon research, when someone was honest about his/her weaknesses, those listening had a more favorable impression of him or her than if he or she concealed it.

Most of us find honesty as a positive trait, & therefore you have nothing to fear while coming up with your weakness, unless it severely harms your job prospects.

Use the Recruiter’s Name or Title While Having the Conversation

One book that every professional is recommended to read is Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Dale says that using someone’s name is an incredibly important part of any conversation. Rightly said, a name is the most intricate part of our identity that stays with us throughout the entire lifetime and even after our death.

Hearing it makes the person feel positively about the person who said it. To use this fact for influencing an interviewer you can refer to him with his name or a title that goes well with his position.

Leave the Fear Outside The Interview Room

The four-letter F word, i.e Fear is certainly the biggest enemy of all job seekers. Pre-interview anxiety is the biggest hindrance in your performance on the big day.

While interview nerves are common and do not always mean a bad outcome, feeling excessive anxious and nervous often sabotages your chances of making it through. To overcome this fear, just remember three commandments:

  • Preparation
  • Positive thinking
  • Avoiding desperation

The last one is pretty important. No matter how badly you want the job, don’t make it a matter of life and death. Remember, it’s just one opportunity and there are many more to come.

Author bio:

Saurabh Tyagi is a career author who has written articles and blog posts for job seekers. These articles help individual apply to new jobs and make through the interviews with unmatched success. Twitter- https://twitter.com/sa_ty

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