EXCELLING AT INTERVIEWS
Meet and greet the interviewers Objective: From the very start, treat the interview as a meeting between two parties, not a one-way interrogation. There is usually a short explanation of how the interview will be structured. Commonly, the interviewers will begin with an overview of the company and the role you are being interviewed for. This preamble is the most “non-judgemental” part of the interview, so enjoy it and take the opportunity to ask some smart questions.
10 minutes before
Crunch time
Demonstrate your skills Objective: Use your innate skills and experience and put the know-how gained through this magazine and other sources to good effect. Introductions are usually followed by the most time-consuming part of the interview: Questions to find out whether you can do the job and, just as importantly, whether you would have the motivation to do a good job. Finally, you will get the chance to ask your own questions. You may also be given a short test to complete before or after the interview. This could be to establish the level of your skills pertinent to the job, or a more general evaluation of your preferred working style. Follow any instructions carefully, work out how much time to allot to each part of the test and focus your whole attention on the task. If you are applying to a graduate scheme, the testing process might be more extensive and carried out separately, such as in an assessment centre (either inperson or virtually).
www.smu.edu.sg
THE SMU CAREER GUIDE 2022 | 59
