Measure up to your job interview
Arvind Sharma

It is in the first five minutes that most employers form an impression about a candidate.

THE job you have always wanted could be just one interview away. Before that crucial meeting with the prospective boss, wouldn’t you love the opportunity to look inside his or her mind and discover exactly what kind of a person he she is really looking for? Here’s the inside information on how you can edge out the competition, make a magnificent impression and which a fabulous job offer:

Most employers decide whether or not to hire you within the first five minutes. The initial seconds of the contact are crucial during the face to face meeting. Notes one company manager: "How some one walks into your office is revealing. Does she or he hesitate over which chair to take? or does she or he sit right down, open his or her briefcase and take out a folder with a fresh copy of his or her C.V.? Another thing I consider quite significant is the applicant’s response to the initial questions." When asked: ‘Did you have any trouble getting here’ if the candidate makes the trip sound like an adventure or comments favourably about the company’s location or office, the interviewer feels drawn to him or her immediately.

Many of us, unfortunately, tend either to pad our bio data or include details of very little relevance. Everyone is a high flyer on their C.V., so the first thing that interviewer does is ask a quirky question about the most irrelevant skill, or twist the accomplishment mentioned. One of the most widely used honestly test is, "What has been your greatest success and worst failure? The owner of a furniture — store chain hired one manager because he was impressed by the past failure of the candidate revealed at interview.

Another popular truth test is the question: "How would you describe a typical day at your current job." The more mundane a task you mention the more sincere your answer sounds, says the senior manager of a public relations company.

You may intrigue potential employers by not saying what you think they want to hear. An original or even funny answer can also improve the odds of being remembered — and possibly hired. "One woman I hired really amused me," says an executive director, "by asking what I was looking for, listening carefully to my reply and then saying: ‘I happen to know just the person for the job’.

Another seemingly wrong answer struck a particular chord with an ex-newspaper editor, who found it appealing when an applicant said that she had no hobbies or interests outside work. The editor felt this candidate was someone she could count on to handle emergencies and sacrifice herself in order to get the job done.

Seeming almost to eager for the job may work in your favour, notes another manager. I remember one job candidate who completed the interview and left my office only to run back two minutes later and ask me: ‘Where do I stand. Is there anything you did not ask me that you will be wondering about in an hour’. This convinced me that this candidate was so determined to get the job."

Several interviewers admit they try to tempt applicants to make the wrong move. The offer of a cup of tea is actually a test of character for the manager of sales and marketing in a computer company. According to a director of a company: "When an applicant arrives at my office, I will offer to get him coffee, but I will think poorly of him or her if he or she accepts. Our employees do not want to wait on someone there to deliver a sales pitch."

Maintaining eye contact with the boss is the most important aspect of creating a good impression because it conveys honesty.

Other elements are leaning forward and sitting rightly on the chair to signal enthusiasm smiling and keeping your hands still and relaxed to indicate a level of confidence. And don’t go so decked up that you look all dressed up for a party, says one employer.

"Even though one applicant for a job actually did a worse presentation that two other people, he was hired because he asked such interesting questions during the interview," recalls one senior manager.

If you are applying for a lower-level job, a question that many bosses consider appealing is: "How would I spend a typical working day in this job. Not only does it encourage a would be employer to visualise you in the position, but it shows an interest in the actual work.

"I have a question people really hate," confess the managing director of a company. "I ask them what they think the floor of my office is. It might sound off the wall but I find that confronting people with a practical problem to solve really helps me evaluate their business skills." A quirky favourite of the partner of an advertising agency is: "Do you watch a lot of television." He finds that the response reveals both the applicant’s honesty and suitability for the job. "It is not a tricky question. I am looking for someone who is smart enough to know that watching TV is an asset in our business as TV is the most important advertising media,"he elaborates.

Whether someone makes a follow-up call to the interviewer — and how they handle it — can make a strong impression that lasts. "I really like it when some one is clever enough to work out the best time to call me because it suggests she has the sales sense to detect a window of opportunity and explore it, says a marketing director". The speed of the follow-up call is crucial to an employer. " If I don’t hear from a person within three days of the interview that person stands nowhere, says an employer.