Getting thru an Interview !!!

This is another article from the Oracle recruitment blog which sheds light on getting thru interviews and the essentials of performing well during an interview. Here it goes..

I would like to share some ideas on how you can best approach a job interview. Whether the interview takes place on your campus or at an Oracle site, remember this: be yourself and relax. An interview is a two way process, not only are you interviewed to assess your suitability for the role, but it is also an opportunity for you to understand if the role is right for you.

An aspect to keep in mind as well is that finding people you like is an important element in your job decision. The people with whom you'll work may have great influences on your growth, your future, and your happiness. Some of those that you meet will be the actual people you may be working alongside in just a few months — so be sure to get to know some of your future team members and give them the opportunity to get to know you.

I would also advise you to use the introduction phase of the interview as a moment to build rapport with the interviewer and demonstrate your soft skills. First impressions are important when you are attending an interview. Even though you might be feeling nervous, smile when you are greeted.

Most of the time the second part of the interview will focus on questions regarding your experience. This will cover questions related to your period at the university, jobs you have had or time you spend on extra curricular activities. When you share your experience with the interviewer it is essential is to be specific, detailed and able to give example. Most commonly used is the STAR technique. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Results. Try to think of examples where you have worked as part of a team or when you have worked towards a target. Think of a situation, what was your role, what actions did you take, what was the result. Aim to provide examples on a variety of different situations. Keep in mind that you give examples of actions you took and not your team.

In every interview there may well be some seemingly difficult questions, such as; What are your strengths and weaknesses? How do you deal with criticism? The effective way to answer these is to think of them in a positive way and what you have done to improve it.

Other questions could be: What are your interests? How do you show your creativity? What's the secret behind your drive? What is it that you care about most? Where do you see yourself in 3 years time? What are your career goals? All these questions are aimed at getting to know you better. Do not miss the opportunity to come up with examples that can make sense in a business environment by demonstrating competencies such as ability to work in a team and the ability to think medium and long term.

Overall, I would recommend when talking and listening to the interviewer to maintain eye contact, and if you’re interested in the role make sure the interviewer knows this. If “next steps” have not been discussed ask for confirmation of what they are, and finally confirm that the interviewer has all the information required to make a decision.

I wish you the best of luck with your interview