How to pass a promotion interview. Interview for the position of a manager: what should an applicant be ready for? Video examples of how to successfully pass an interview

Each hut has its own rattles. Each company has its own technology and personnel selection procedure. It can include a different number of stages. The stages may differ in duration, content and methods of implementation. Today we will talk about an interview, the main characters in which will be new employee and CEO. Our review will be useful both for candidates who have to communicate with the first person of the company, and for the top managers themselves conducting interviews. So how do you get a successful executive interview? Jobseekers will receive information about what to expect from managers, and interviewers will be able to get some new ideas on how to test the competencies and motivation of their future employees.

When is the CEO interview

The recruitment process in companies is usually regulated and fixed for each position. Depending on the level of the position, it can contain a different number of stages. We tried to collect the most complete picture, a kind of reference book of the selection stages. If it does not coincide with the order accepted in your company, feel free to cross out the excess.

	A comment
Resume selection	Accumulation of a database of candidates who meet the requirements. Conducted by an internal recruiter or external contractor.
Telephone interview	Checking the interest of the candidate, his adequacy. Making a decision on the invitation to a face-to-face meeting. Conducted by an internal recruiter or external contractor.
Interview with a recruiting agency or with an HR freelancer	It is carried out in case of transfer of the application for selection to an external contractor. Initial assessment of candidates, checking for compliance with customer requirements.
Interview with the HR manager of the company	The desire and ability of the candidate to fulfill job duties, advantages and disadvantages in comparison with other candidates, motivation, compliance with corporate culture are highlighted.
Checking professional and personal competencies	Professional and psychological tests, business games, test tasks, solving cases or real production problems. Collection and analysis of recommendations from previous jobs.
Interview with a line manager	The professional knowledge, skills and abilities of the candidate, the ability to work together with the team and the leader himself are assessed.
Interview with the head of the HR department	It is conducted for candidates for key business vacancies, or if the internal recruiter has doubts or difficulties with the choice.
CEO interview	It is conducted for top managers of the first line of reporting, candidates for important business positions, personal assistants and secretaries. In principle, the CEO can be willing to talk to any candidate.
Security interview	Most often it concerns top management and financially responsible employees or a wider range of employees, if required by the company's security policy.

As we can see, the interview with the CEO is almost the final, the penultimate stage in the selection of future employees of the company.

Who is interviewing the CEO

Different companies have adopted different practices for inviting applicants for interviews. high level... At the first interview in a recruiting agency or directly in the company, the candidate receives information about how the selection process will go and finds out if the usual practice for his position includes a conversation with a top manager.

Most often, an interview with the first person of the company is invited:

• heads of departments and divisions that are directly subordinate to him;
• consultants, experts, analysts who work directly with the manager;
• employees of priority areas for the company;
• ordinary employees of small and medium-sized companies;
• employees invited to develop new directions for the company;
• line employees as advised by their immediate supervisor;
• personal assistants and personal secretaries.

Leaders of companies, like no one else, are capable of unexpected and non-standard solutions... Therefore, they can be interested in any applicant. So you have to be ready. Moreover, the preparation process is not fraught with anything supernatural. In fact, it is no different from the actions that any self-respecting candidate will take to prepare for any interview.

How to prepare for your CEO interview

1. Refresh your company information... Go to the corporate website, pay special attention to the mission and strategy, development history, highlight the key points. See what the media said or wrote about them. Remember and systematize everything that employees told you in the previous stages of selection. The company is the brainchild of the head, the object of his pride. The freer the candidate will be guided in questions about her, the more favorable the attitude towards him will be.
2. Research market information. Explore industry reports, key trends, leaderboards, forecasts.
3. Gather information about the leader... Use the available sources:

• publications in the press,
• social media profiles,
• author's articles of the head,
• recordings of speeches at conferences,
• information from company employees - a recruiter and a line manager (if any) during an interview, a subject expert for testing, other employees on the sidelines,
• use industry word of mouth.

You will be interested in business information that reveals his area of ​​interest, leadership style, approach to business, value system, method of negotiation.

1. Rehearse a short story about yourself. Highlight your most important accomplishments, distinctive qualities, outstanding results. Redefine your experience with everything you've learned about the company and its leader. Get ready to speak in the corporate culture coordinate system. Consider all the comments if they were in the previous steps. Think about the answers to personal questions.
2. Prepare a list of questions... Competent, well-thought-out questions will help you not only to obtain the necessary information, but also to show your interest in work, motivation, initiative and a high level of competence.
3. Make a list of referrers... Call them and ask for permission to provide phone numbers and other contact information to the future employer. Make sure that the positive opinion you are counting on has not changed.
4. Take care of your appearance. The days when a business suit was the only option for a meeting with a big boss are gone. Be guided by the dress code adopted by the company. It is quite logical to ask a recruiter about him at initial stage interviews.
5. Get directions to the meeting point. Consider several options for how you can get there. This will allow you to avoid unnecessary nerves and confusion, as well as not be late for such an important meeting.
6. Collect everything you need: several copies of a resume, a notebook, a pen, notes, a test task (if you have completed it), an electronic medium with examples of work, a portfolio of projects, a list and contacts of people who can give you recommendations, etc. Even if you don’t need all of this in your interview, you will feel more confident in having all the information you need at your fingertips.
7. Take it easy... The excitement of a job interview is understandable and predictable. And your manager will not miss the opportunity to check how you deal with this condition. A fainting assistant or a stained deputy are not exactly the kind of people the CEO wants to lean on. Remember, he is also human, and usually does not bite in the workplace. If the jitters do get overwhelmed, use the old speaker trick. Imagine that you are going to have a conversation with a cucumber. Natural, green, in pimples. It does help, though.

If the future leader is an expat, there are a few more things you should pay attention to.

• "Knead your tongue" - as soon as the interview will take place on foreign language(most likely in English), brush up on your skills, visit a conversation club, chat with friends online, or just find a companion on specialized sites for the exchange of language experiences and talk in any voice chat;
• find information about the traditions and peculiarities of business etiquette of the country of which he is a representative - foreigners especially value respect and interest in such things when they are abroad;
• take into account the peculiarities of the national character and mentality when building a dialogue.

What can a CEO interview be like

CEO magazine surveyed senior executives who interview frequently about their favorite interviewing techniques. If we summarize their answers, we get approximately the following set.

1. Formal meeting. It takes about 10 minutes. It is motivational and educational in nature. Conducted with a line officer as advised by the immediate supervisor.
2. Structured interview... The majority of survey participants recognized this technique as the most commonly used. The interviewer sticks to the plan. Questions are formulated and verified in advance. It takes on average from half an hour to several hours.
3. Stressful interview. It is carried out at a fast pace. Answers to questions are required at lightning speed. Questions are asked without a visible plan. There may be questions of a personal nature. The duration is usually up to half an hour.
4. Situational interview. Several cases are offered to the candidate. He needs to describe his actions in each of them. Aimed at identifying and assessing professional and personal competencies.
5. Projective interview... Questions are not asked directly to the applicant. He is asked to describe himself in terms of the previous manager and former colleagues, to talk about the actions of hypothetical employees in certain situations.

Examples of CEO Interview Questions

	Summary of a good answer
Tell us about yourself.	A short, well-structured story. The candidate knows what he is good at and says it in terms of the vacancy and the corporate culture of the company.
Why did you choose this job? How did she attract you?	A specific answer based on the knowledge of the company, the market situation. Emphasis on the merits of the company, new experience, favorite business, coincidence of company requirements and personal goals.
Why should we choose you, why you are better than other applicants?	Refusal to evaluate others. Analysis of experience and achievements in previous jobs, its application to the tasks of the vacancy and the goals of the company. Emphasis on the added value that the applicant can bring to the company.
Tell us about your weaknesses.	Recognition of shortcomings, the ability to use them for peaceful purposes and compensate, as well as to consider them as a point of growth.
Why did you leave (or are leaving) your previous job? What doesn't suit you?	Positiveness and gratitude towards previous companies. The desire for change, the need to move on, get new experience.
Do you have any other job offers?	If there are such offers, emphasize your interest in this particular vacancy. State the reasons or refer to the answer to question 2.
What do you want to achieve in your new location?	You need to be especially careful when answering this question. If a candidate is applying for the position of deputy general director, there is no need to talk about career growth. Oddly enough, but this should not be done in the case of a manager's assistant. It is better to go into the area of ​​competence improvement.
Who can recommend you?	A quick clear answer with specific people and their contact details.
What salary are you looking for? or Are you satisfied with the level of income offered by the company?	A good specialist knows his own worth. You can quite safely call the amount that you received in your last job as the minimum bar or the average value for the market, which can be viewed on work sites.
How do you spend your free time? What are your hobbies and interests?	What is important here is not what the candidate says, it is important how he does it. On the one hand, life outside of work should be and inspire enthusiasm and inspiration. On the other hand, if a candidate talks about the job with much less zeal, it may suggest that the job is not inspiring.
How do you see the ideal leader?	Appeal to professionalism in all its forms and to what it says corporate culture companies. Don't flatter.

We have given the most common questions that a job seeker will surely meet in an interview with a manager. But it's important to remember that top managers are often experienced negotiators. They will watch your behavioral responses, baffle with non-standard tasks, provoke. Be yourself, don't lie, don't lose your presence of mind and sense of humor. Get together, react vividly, ask questions. At the end of the day, you have a common goal: you want a job, and the CEO wants to hire an employee.

An article on how to successfully pass interviews and answer questions from a potential employer.

1. Obtaining relevant knowledge and education
2. Search possible options work
3. Interview
4. Acceptance for the desired position

If there are usually no problems with the first two points, then at the interview you should recommend yourself to the maximum. Sometimes, having a good education, a person can sit without work for months, because he simply does not know how to communicate and present himself correctly.

As a result, at the interview he is directly pointed to the door or the attendant is told: "We will call you back." This situation can arise with any unprepared person. To avoid it, you need to prepare in advance.

What do they ask at the interview? Questions when applying for a job

An employer is primarily interested in your professional qualities, your education and work experience. Few people are interested in your personal life, household chores and your dog's breed, even if it is the rarest. Speak clearly and to the point, avoiding unnecessary "water" in the text. In this case, it is very important to behave correctly:

• Be extremely polite and correct
• Don't argue again. Do not sort things out. Your job is to get this job
• Maintain eye contact and posture
• The correct "evasion" from the question is also the answer.
• Sometimes you can ask the employer a question. But this right is not given to everyone, but only to people who understand human psychology well and are able to "catch" the right moment.

You may hear questions about your previous job, relationships with future colleagues, and your desired salary. Also, you may be asked what you know about the employing company.

Here important point: Before going anywhere to get a job, try to learn as much as possible about the company. Even if the information is negative, come up with something that could pass for the truth.

How to answer awkward interview questions?

Inconvenient questions are a favorite part of all potential employers. It is by her that they determine the hidden aspects of a potential employee, which he did not mention in his resume.

• One of the most inconvenient is the question asking to tell about yourself. People start to get nervous and most often talk about their hobbies, views on the world order and relatives. To avoid embarrassment, say 3-4 sentences in general terms about your qualities and a few words about your hobby
• Often women are asked about their personal life, whether it will interfere with work. After all, there is a certain danger that a woman can go on maternity leave or sick leave. Answer firmly, which does not hurt
• The next question is the question of achievements. Don't talk about first place in the in-school long jump competition. This is unlikely to apply to your current job. Talk about how you grew up professionally. Discreetly, naturally
• It may sound strange, but some employers are genuinely interested in your zodiac sign. And if they don't like it, you will be shown the door. It's stupid, but it happens. Do not lie when answering this question... If you were refused, thank you and silently leave the office. A serious firm will never be interested in such things.

How to successfully pass a senior executive interview?

Job interview.

• Prepare in advance for a manager interview. You must leave behind the impression of a knowledgeable and confident person in yourself and in your actions. Choose the right suit, be sure to make sure that the tie is in harmony with the boots
• Although now this is no longer relevant in everyday life, but Business Etiquette dictates its own rules. If you are a woman, do not dress vulgar or very brightly. Choose discreet colors in clothes, makeup, nails
• You should look confident, calm. Show emotion in situations where it is appropriate. Gesture, but not too much. This speaks of excessive emotionality. Let's always finish the phrase, don't interrupt
• It is important for you, like no one else, to show yourself with better side... Try to show as many qualities as possible that a leader should have. Your potential employer should understand from interviewing you that you are a reliable person. Employers do not tolerate criticism at the interview stage. This also needs to be taken into account

Executive interview questions

These are the questions employers like to ask future leaders:

1. "Tell us about ways to improve the performance of the department you were in charge of in your previous position." - Even if you are a leader so-so, do not rush to declare it. Think of situations in which you have successfully and profitably taken the initiative. Tell about them
2. "What methods of motivating employees do you actively use?" - This question should be answered very deliberately. Do not rush to talk about wage increases. There are still other equally effective ways
3. “Tell us about your biggest mistake at work. What lesson have you learned from it? " - Do not deny the existence of this error. Then the employer will immediately decide that you are lying and you will not see the desired position. If you have had a huge disaster in your career, don't mention it. Tell us about a serious problem and how you cleverly overcame it.
4. A question about finances and your desired salary. Do not call specific figure... Indicate that you are ready to work for the pay offered by you by the company
5. To the question of improving professional skills, the answer is given above in the article

Sales Head Interview Questions

For a basic list of possible interview questions, see the article above. However, the chances are that the employer will want to actually verify your sales skills. He may ask the following questions:

1. "Try to sell me this pen right now." - Quite a trivial question, but it is he who fully reveals the sales skills of the candidate. Include your creative thinking in this matter
2. "You got a very disgruntled and scandalous client, calm him down and sell something." - This task is much more difficult. Even one in four cannot cope with it. As a rule, the employer himself plays the role of a capricious client, so a candidate for the position of a sales manager will have to act very carefully and smoothly. The client must be immediately reassured, talked to him as politely as possible. Listening to your polite calm tone, the buyer will switch to it.
3. “You are very overworked. There are a lot of orders, the employees do not have time. Everybody wants to go home, nobody wants to stay late at work. How do you motivate your subordinates to work? " - Say what, according to the experience of previous years, worked effectively

Sales interview questions

The sales manager is ranked lower than the head of the sales department. Requirements for it are lower than for the latter. Most likely, the employer will not ask you to simulate the situation, but will ask the following questions, in addition to the main ones:

1. "Rate your sales knowledge on a scale of 1 to 10." - Speak as it is, but sometimes you are allowed to raise the bar a little. But only if your sales skill level is not very high
2. "What are the main qualities that a sales manager should have?" “Your logic is needed here. It is better to prepare for such a question in advance. Think back to your best qualities and qualities that you lack to become a successful salesperson. Name them
3. "Why should I (the employer) hire you?" - One of the most provocative questions. Talk about sales, about your success in this area. Prove yourself

   Administrator interview questions

The administrator must be able to talk with people and resolve emerging controversial situations. His main qualities: sociability and the ability to quickly find the right solution.

The employer has the right to ask you about communication skills. He is not interested in any sales, because the main thing for you is consultation in matters of service and control over the activities of employees.

Employer interview questions

Oddly enough, but it is possible and even necessary to ask a potential employer questions. The main thing is to understand at what point you need to do this. Above in the article there are several options for similar questions

Do not ask the employer about his personal life, do not invade his personal space. Nobody will like this. On your part, questions about career growth, work schedule, vacation, weekends are possible. A question about bonuses and a direct question about a salary would be wrong.

Job Interview Test

Employers conduct hiring tests quite often. Especially in cases where the company is interested in hiring the most suitable employee, and not the person on the street.

There are two types of tests:

• To test professional knowledge
• General knowledge test

Tests to test your professional knowledge contain questions directly about your profession and related fields. To prepare for such a test, think about what you do poorly at work or not at all. Read books or articles on the Internet about it. A seminar or detailed video well.

The general knowledge test is very similar to the regular school test. Knowledge of school subjects and a broad outlook are required of you. Of course, the employer will not ask you to solve the most difficult problems from the exam, but your level of knowledge should be appropriate for the position you want to get.

To successfully complete interviews, meet the following requirements:

• Be a little low-key, but not stiff.
• Never cross your legs or cross your arms over your chest
• Talk to your employer as equals
• Tell us about your best qualities as a specialist
• If the employer's question seems too personal to you, if possible, translate the topic or ask a counter question.
• Monitor your speech. Pronunciation must be correct
• Your clothing sets the tone for the conversation and creates a certain impression of you. Take your clothing choice seriously

Reviews:

Marina, 31 years old, Ufa

I was interviewed by a reputable company for the position of an accountant. It was difficult, I was constantly bombarded with tricky questions. Only the innate sense of the interlocutor and the suit helped, oddly enough. I wore a strict pencil skirt that day white, the jacket was more or less strictly cut, also white. Blouse blue... Natural makeup. Throughout the interview, my future employer carefully assessed me, my image. Judging by the fact that I was hired right after the interview, she liked everything.

Irina, 24 years old, Moscow

It was difficult for me to find a job in Moscow, but I used to fight to the end. My self-confidence helped me get the position of office manager with a large company. I boldly answered questions, did not pour water. " Since childhood I have been shy, but at that moment I paralyzed my fear so much that I stopped being afraid at all. But then, after the interview, she poured cold sweat. She showed herself confident and had to correspond to this opinion about herself in a new place. Now not a trace of shyness remained.

How to successfully pass interviews: video

Executive interview

A successful interview for the position of a manager has its own specifics and characteristics. The task of such an interview is not only to assess the professional skills and knowledge of the candidate, but also the experience leadership work, achievements and competence of the candidate as a manager.
We have already covered the topics of interview questions in the article What questions are asked during an interview. We will consider additional questions in the executive interview that can help you prepare for the most difficult and responsible interview. If you are not sure that you can prepare for the interview yourself, we are ready to help you! For many years, our specialists have been consulting on preparing for an interview, both in person and remotely, via Skype. During the consultation, you can get prepared for any, even the most difficult interview.

Executive interview questions

2. Questions about leadership qualities ... A leader is a leader, at the interview you, of course, may be asked about how you see a successful and effective leader and what professional skills and personal qualities do you have as a leader?

Above all, do not over-praise yourself and strike a balance between personal qualities and the skills of an effective leader. Try to avoid hackneyed qualities such as determination, purposefulness, and an analytical mindset.

3. Questions about achievements and results... Choose the most significant and significant achievements in your career. When mentioning specific achievements, be guided by facts, backing up with numbers. When talking about your results, use more often the combinations: "my team managed to achieve", "we worked together", etc. This way you can emphasize your role in the work of the team and the ability to work in a team.

4. Questions about future success in this position. A very frequently asked question during an interview: “What do you think is necessary for successful work in this position? " Be sure to read the text of the vacancy, with the requirements set by the employer for the candidate for this position.
Combining this knowledge with your professional and personal qualities, you will be able to answer this question successfully.

5. Questions about goal setting. Questions aimed at finding out how you are able to set goals for yourself and in front of subordinates and achieve the necessary results. Here the employer often asks the following question: "You need to increase sales in one week (fulfill the plan, deliver the project), what will you do, where will you start?"

Many managers, when they say that they will set a goal for employees, will monitor the completion of tasks and motivate employees, forget to tell that in order to achieve the goal, tools are also needed to achieve this goal. Remember this!

6. Questions about personnel management. There can be a lot of questions on this topic. For example, some of them: "What ways of motivating employees do you know and use?" "How will you keep an employee from firing?" Every leader should know the answer to these questions.

7. Questions assessing the ability to act. I blurted out these questions in the following: Your actions in past jobs show what can be expected of you in the future. Answers to questions about how you acted when certain problem situations or conflicts, think about it in advance ..

8. Questions about the level of professional development. Questions aimed at clarifying the needs of the candidate for professional development. Questions at an interview for a leadership position may be about trainings, seminars that the candidate may have attended. Or reading professional literature or other interesting sources of professional development.

9. Questions about mistakes and failures. The purpose of these questions is to find out if you are ready to admit your mistakes and failures, from which no one is immune. If you are asked about the biggest failure in your professional activity, tell about the biggest failure and the lessons that you have learned from this incident. Never deny, do not say that you have never had failures and mistakes.

10. Questions about the level of income. Avoid answering this question directly. The most the best option in this case it will be: “I am sure that your company offers decent wages. But the main thing for me is not the salary, but the opportunity to contribute to the development of your company ”.

If you, nevertheless, are asked to clarify the level of income for which you are applying, name an acceptable salary range for you, based on your expectations and information about the salaries of similar positions in the labor market.

To paraphrase a well-known aphorism, we can say: who owns the information, he owns the situation at the interview.

Before heading to the office, find out:

• with whom you will talk: with the head, the head of the personnel department or his ordinary employee;
• interview format (group or individual, question-answer or self-presentation);
• dress code and things you need to have with you (documents, gadgets, etc.);
• how to get there (it is unacceptable to be late).

It will help to find out whether the company's website or a call to the office.

Make a map of answers to common questions

Job interviews are of the same type and at the same time they are not similar to each other. Many have heard of stressful job interviews where they may suddenly start yelling at a job seeker to unsettle them. There are also so-called case interviews: the applicant is placed in some circumstances (for example, a conversation with an unhappy client) and observed how he solves the problem.

It is not always possible to find out what type of interview is preferred by a particular company, so you need to be ready for everything.

To do this, make a map with answers to typical questions and requests (they are asked in 99.9% of cases):

• top 5 of your main strengths;
• what are you good at;
• strategic directions of self-development;
• proposals for the work of the company;
• your life and work philosophy;
• your short and long term goals;
• unusual tasks that you had to solve.

You should also prepare in advance a list of topics that you would like to discuss with the HR manager.

Interpret the employer's questions

"A" does not always mean "A", and twice two does not always mean four. Recruiters sometimes ask tricky questions, where the simple wording hides cunning plan- make the applicant say more than he should.

A simple question: "What salary would you like to receive?" But the answer helps the interviewer understand your motivation: money, social guarantees, work schedule, etc. If you are asked whether you had conflicts with management and how you resolved them, then most likely the HR manager wants to know if you are inclined to take responsibility or are used to shifting it onto others.

There are many tricky questions. You need to be able to see the "double bottom" (without fanaticism!).

Consider your non-verbal behavior

HR managers are people, not automata. They, like everyone else, pay attention to non-verbal signs: appearance, facial expressions, gait, gestures, etc. An experienced professional can only be turned down because he has misbehaved.

Think ahead of your body language. If you habitually jerk your leg out of excitement, then sit cross-legged. If you bump your fingers on the table, try keeping your hands busy with something like a ballpoint pen.

HR managers are people, not automata. They understand that you are worried. But being natural in non-verbal communication will increase your credibility.

Establish taboos on certain topics

“Tell us about yourself,” the interviewer asks. “I was born on April 2, 1980 (according to the Taurus horoscope). In his youth he played football, was the captain of the city team. Then he graduated from the institute ... ”- if the story of the applicant is approximately the same, he will not see the position as his own ears.

There are things that are absolutely uninteresting to the employer and which in no way characterize you as a professional. In the given example, this is the year of birth (you can read it in the resume), the sign of the zodiac and sports achievements.

There are topics that need to be tabooed for yourself:

• retelling the summary;
• personal life goals (buy a house, have children, etc.);
• reputation of the company and its employees;
• skills and experience that are not related to future work (I cook well, understand plumbing, and the like);
• failures demonstrating incompetence.

Just as you made a plan for what to talk about, write down and memorize the topics to ignore. Also, think about how to correctly answer if you are still asked about it.

Contemplate to calm down

Interviewing is a nerve-racking affair. You can forget your name, not to mention the demonstration of business qualities.

To calm yourself down, take a look around. Inspect the office, equipment, employees. The details will tell you a lot about the company where you are going to work, and their analysis will help to bring the nervous system back to normal.

A critical look at the firm and future colleagues can heighten self-importance. Remember, the company needs a good employee as much as you need a good job.

Take the initiative

In an interview, as a rule, there comes a moment when the interviewer and the interviewee change places and the applicant has the opportunity to ask questions of interest.

Do not waste time on useless "Will you call me yourself or should I call you back?", "Why is this position open?" etc. Show yourself as a proactive employee. Ask:

• Does the company have any urgent problem? How do you think I can help you?
• Could you describe how you envision the ideal candidate for this position?
• What advice would you give to someone who starts working for your company?

There are also a number of questions that are not recommended to be asked. Which - will tell you by clicking on the button below.

Following these tips will prepare you for your interview and increase your chances of getting a job.

Are there any additions? Write them in the comments.

How to behave in an interview? What questions are asked during the interview and what are the most correct answers to them? How to prepare competently for hiring?

Hello dear readers! With you, one of the authors of the business magazine HeterBober.ru Alexander Berezhnov and today is our guest Ksenia Borodina - recruiting specialist, psychologist.

Ksenia has already conducted hundreds of interviews and knows all the intricacies of this important event. Our guest will share the tips and secrets of practicing HR specialists and give actionable recommendations job seekers.

In one of the previous articles, we talked in detail about. And now we come to the logical continuation of the topic - the interview.

1. What is an interview and in what form does it take place

Ksenia, I greet you. I propose to start with the most important thing. Please tell us what an interview is, how it goes and what types of interviews exist? This is necessary so that our readers understand where they have to go and what to expect, since for some of them this will be the first experience of getting a job.

Hello Sasha. Let's start with a definition.

Interview- this is dating process a job seeker and a potential employer (his representative), as a result of which the two parties want to receive the necessary information about how they suit each other.

There are several types of it.

For example, the number of participants distinguishes between individual and group interviews.

• Individual interview. It is one-on-one, where the employer or his representative, on the one hand, and the applicant, on the other, take part.
• Group interview. Typically conducted by a professional recruiter (recruiter) from a company in need of staff, with a group of potential job applicants. Group interviews most often they are held for mass vacancies in companies, for example, for the position of "sales manager".

Also, interviews can be divided according to the number of decision-making "instances". According to this principle, they are divided into single-level and multilevel.

As a rule, applicants go through one interviewer for executive positions that do not require a high level of training and great responsibility. Such interviews are called peer-to-peer, that is, they involve a conversation with one person.

If you want to get the position of a sales assistant in a store household appliances, then more often you will pass an interview with the director of the store, where your further employment is expected. This is an example of a one-level interview.

Multilevel interviews involve the applicant's acquaintance with representatives of several management levels.

For example, if you are applying for the position of a marketing specialist in such large company as "Coca-Cola", you will be interviewed with the head of the regional branch, the head of the marketing department of the company's plant and with the director of this plant.

Sometimes multilevel interviews are conducted in person with each "level", and sometimes communication with the candidate is carried out remotely.

Thanks to the development modern means communications, some executives prefer to conduct interviews via Skype (less often by phone).

This is especially true in cases where the applicant is looking for a job with the prospect of moving to another region or even another country.

Often the interview process itself is stressful for the candidate. After all, as a rule, a person sends his resume to several organizations at once and receives an invitation to be interviewed sometimes on the same day with an interval of several hours.

And every such meeting, where you need to competently present yourself, requires both physical and emotional efforts.

2. Stages of the interview

Ksenia, I think that now our readers have got an idea of ​​the interview as a process and its features, and now I propose to talk about the stages through which the applicant goes through the interview process and about the features of each of them.

Indeed, the whole process of passing an interview can be conditionally divided into 4 stages:

1. Phone conversation;
2. Preparing for the meeting;
3. Interview;
4. Summarizing.

Each of them has its own characteristics, which you need to talk about so that you, as an applicant, go through each of the stages as efficiently as possible and get the position for which you are applying.

Stage 1. Telephone conversation

This is the first stage of direct communication with a representative of the company for which you are applying. This is usually a consequence of submitting your resume to this company.

If the company is more or less large, then in most cases the employee in charge of recruiting will call you.

When talking to him, be polite, and also remember his (her) name and, preferably, position. Next, specify exactly where you need to go, (address) and at what time. Also specify the contact phone number for communication.

If you need to take something with you, for example, a passport, educational document or portfolio, then the recruiter will tell you about it during the phone conversation.

Stage 2. Preparing for the meeting

At this stage, I recommend that you imagine your future interview with a potential employer and “live” it. This will be especially true for people who are afraid of the interview itself or they have a fear of failing a meeting with a recruiter.

To tune in to the process and overcome possible fears, I suggest you do the exercise "Meeting with the president"... It is done on the eve of the interview.

Imagine that you have been invited to the Kremlin and are now sitting at a meeting with the President of the country. The video cameras of the leading TV channel are directed at you and a bunch of journalists record everything that you say.

Try to imagine yourself in this situation and get used to this role. Think about what you will ask the president and what you want to tell him. What questions will he ask you and how will you publicly answer them.

To do this exercise, stay alone so that no one distracts you and imagine such a meeting in all details for 7-15 minutes.

Then head over to your interview. After such "visualization" it will be guaranteed to you to pass it easier. After all, you have already experienced the most "terrible" interview in your life.

A few more words about preparation.

Preparing for an interview includes 3 important points:

1. Preparation of self-presentation and its rehearsal;
2. Preparation of a portfolio (awards, articles about you), works and examples confirming your competence for this vacancy;
3. Rest and further entry into the "resource state". This term refers to your working condition, in which you are as collected and productive as possible.

Stage 3. Interview

To understand in detail how to get a job interview, you need to be prepared for different nuances.

For example, very often a specialist who conducts a conversation with you will ask you questions and offer to complete small buildings (cases).

Case- This is modeling (analysis) of a problem or non-standard situation and ways of solving it by the candidate (applicant).

Let's say you are applying for the position of a sales representative or sales manager.

To test your erudition, stress tolerance, creative thinking and professional knowledge, a recruiter will give you case studies.

Case example:

Recruiter : You are on your way to meet an important client. The major negotiations that you have to conduct, if successful, could bring you monthly income levels and promotions. Suddenly, in the middle of the road, your car breaks down. Your actions?

You: I will get out of the car and try to get by taxi or passing transport to the meeting point with the client.

Recruiter : You were driving through a back road far from the city, there is no associated transport.

You: I will look at the navigator where I am and call a taxi to this place.

Recruiter : You do not have a navigator and the phone is off.

You: I will try to fix the car breakdown on my own and then continue driving.

And so your recruiter can "drive" you, each time complicating the conditions in which you find yourself.

As I understand it, this is done in order to see if such a force majeure will put you into a stupor and what options you offer to exit (test of ingenuity)?

Sasha, that's right. Also, an HR specialist in this case wants to see how long you will try to find a way out of this situation (testing your perseverance).

One of the most popular cases is called "pen sale". It is used primarily in interviews for hiring salespeople, but sometimes recruits play similar games with candidates for other positions.

Stage 4. Summing up

If at the meeting you were confident and clearly answered all the questions of the HR specialist, then you will have a great chance of getting the desired job.

At the end of the interview, you will be told in what time frame you will be given an answer if you are hired. If you are going through a multi-level interview, then wait for an answer about passing the next stage.

I usually say this:

If I don’t call you back before such and such a time on such and such a day, it means that we have made a decision in favor of another candidate.

You can also ask the recruiter yourself when to wait for the result of the interview and in what form it will be.

Now, if I get a job, I will definitely work through possible cases. Ksenia, I'm sure our readers will be interested in learning how to behave in an interview and what can confuse an HR specialist in the behavior or appearance of a job seeker?

Sasha, indeed, should understand that the higher and more responsible the position for which a potential employee applies, the more requirements are imposed on him.

Let me give you some general key points from their practice that all candidates, without exception, need to take into account when passing a job interview.

1. Neatness and neatness. This applies not only to appearance, but also to your condition in general. Never show up for an interview in alcoholic intoxication, after a "stormy rest" or a sleepless night. In the eyes of a recruiter, you will immediately earn the status of "reveler", and with him the rest of the process of the relevance of the interview will be called into question.
2. Friendliness and good manners. Whatever position you are applying for, good manners and adequate behavior will definitely add points to you. Find out the name of your interlocutor and refer to him by name. Moreover, it is worth contacting exactly the way he introduced himself. For example, if a recruiter said that his name is Ivan, then call him “you”. "Ivan, you said that ..." If he gave his name and patronymic, then this is exactly how you should contact your interlocutor.
3. Proficiency in professional terminology. You will definitely like a recruiter if without overusing terms, use them 3-4 times during your interview, and also explain how you apply (applied) these terms in practice. For example, if you say that at your previous job you were able to increase sales by 30% in a month, thanks to an increase in conversion, by analyzing the number of incoming calls and the size of the average check, then this will be counted as a plus.
4. General level of erudition. Also, a couple of times in the topic, you can mention famous books that you read or seminars in your specialty that you attended during the year. Recruiters pay attention to the craving for knowledge and a person's desire for self-education. This is especially important if you are applying for leadership or “intellectual” positions in a company.

In a word, you need to “sell” yourself and show yourself with advantageous side... Moreover, this must be done both from a professional point of view and from the point of view of general human values ​​and rules. If you want to get a job, it is important to correctly and clearly answer the questions of an HR specialist.

4. Interview questions and answers

I've heard that there are a number of questions that virtually all recruiters ask job seekers. Ksyusha, can you give some examples and good answers to them?

Oh sure.

In addition to the cases that you will be given at the interview, for his successful passage you will need to answer a series of "tricky" questions. They are also not chosen by your recruiter by chance.

After all, the decision to enroll you in a job depends on how you answer them.

Interview questions and the correct answers to them:

1. Tell us about yourself. It would seem a simple task, but at this very moment a stupor begins for many people: “mooing” or “poking”. Here you must present yourself from the best side within the framework of the vacancy for which you are applying. Briefly describe your education, work experience and achievements that set you apart as a professional. Speak clearly without excess water and philosophizing.
2. Why did you leave your previous job? Tell us here about your motivation "k", that is, that you strive for development and new job opportunities that you see at the moment in this position. Do not say in the key of motivation "from", that is, "I ran away from bad conditions, low wages and a decaying team. " Do not in any way scold your previous place of work and your former manager. After all, any person, including your interlocutor, will think that changing jobs in the future, you will also speak negatively about his company.
3. Who do you see yourself in 5-10 years or your plans for the long term? The best answer here is that you associate your professional future with this particular company. This will give you the impression of yourself as a motivated employee willing to devote a large number of time for this work. After all, "turnover" of personnel is not welcomed anywhere.
4. Do you have any weak points (disadvantages)? If so, name 3 of them. By asking this question, the recruiter wants to understand your level of maturity. A person who says that I do not see any shortcomings in myself or takes a long time to think about how to answer this question will lose points in the eyes of a personnel specialist. Do not answer like this: “My shortcomings: often I am late, I conflict with colleagues (management), I am lazy. " It is best to say here that you are a "workaholic", that is, you like to go headlong into work, and this is not always right, a "perfectionist" - strive for excellence in everything and because of this sometimes you lose speed. And your third drawback is the desire to establish with everyone good relationship... And sometimes you are too kind to subordinates, because you do not want to punish them for the inadequate quality of the work performed.
5. What are your strengths? Tell us about your real strengths that are directly applicable to the job you are applying for, and provide examples with facts and figures. For example: “I think one of my strengths is my ability to think in numbers. At my previous place of work, I analyzed the sales funnel, identified patterns and, based on this, developed a new sales model, which brought the company additional 500,000 rubles or 15 % in the first month of implementing my marketing model. "
6. Have you made mistakes in your previous job? Which? Here, honestly tell us exactly what mistakes you had. But the most important thing is that they are not fatal and be sure to supplement the answer to this question with the fact that you yourself corrected them. For example, you wrote out the wrong client mobile phone and he went back to the store to exchange it. And you managed not only to avoid conflict situation but also sell him more additional accessories to the acquired mobile device.
7. What level of compensation (salary) do you expect? Here you must objectively assess your competencies, say how much you want to receive and justify the benefits of the employing company if it makes its choice in favor of you as an employee. Also analyze the level of salaries offered by similar companies for similar vacancies.
8. How did you hear about our company? Usually this question is asked by a representative of the employer in order to find out which candidate search channel works. This question is not tricky, rather it is just informational and aimed at optimizing the search for personnel for this organization. Just answer, as is, for example, found out about the vacancy on the website of your company.

In addition to the answers to common questions, I have compiled a table to show which basic criteria are important for a candidate and how they are supported.

A visual table of the main criteria for evaluating a candidate for an interview

The first column contains the assessment criterion, and the second - indirect evidence that the candidate has this criterion.

№	Candidate quality	Proof
1	Honesty	Ability to honestly talk about your shortcomings with examples
2	Professional competence level	Examples of measurable accomplishments in previous jobs, awards and portfolios
3	Stress tolerance and will	Show calmness when analyzing cases
4	Tact	Polite tone, gentle gestures, open posture
5	Creativity	Quick and non-standard answers to tricky recruiter questions
6	General literacy rate	Correct speech, use of terms

5. How to pass an interview when applying for a job - 7 main rules

That is, as I understand it, an interview is a rather creative process and there are no clear standards in its conduct, or is everything here individually?

Quite right, Sasha. Each HR professional approaches the interview process differently. There are recruiters who simply technically “run” a candidate through a list of questions, defining him as a prof. suitability.

I do it a little differently. That is, I approach the interview process individually for each applicant. I try not only to classify him according to the principle of “suitable / not suitable” as a specialist, but also to determine his psychological type, peculiarities of motivation and internal potential.

It's great, you can see that you really love what you do. Ksenia, let's now move on to the most important block of our interview and talk about what rules a candidate must follow throughout the interview from start to finish in order to maximize the chances of getting the desired job?

If you are going to be interviewed, then adhere to the following rules and then your interview will certainly open the way for you to career and financial opportunities in a new job.

Rule 1. Find out everything about a potential employer

This is the first and very important stage of preparation.

• At first, this information will help you find out with whom you are going to work with for a long time (possibly several years). Open the Internet, print media and see what exactly sets your potential employer apart from the rest of the company. Perhaps this is the introduction of innovations, working conditions or ways of promotion (marketing).
• Secondly, all the data and facts that you have learned about the potential employer will help you in the interview. During the interview, compliment the company, show off the knowledge of the facts about it. All this will have a positive effect on making the final decision on your candidacy.

What you need to know about the company you are applying for:

1. Creation history and guidance. When it appeared - the year of foundation. Who is the leader now and who was at the helm earlier. What are the features of the style of business management and what is the life philosophy of the senior management team. Also find out what symbolizes form style and the logo of the company and what is its corporate culture. What values ​​are at the heart of the organization.
2. Main directions of activity. What does this organization produce or sell, and perhaps it provides services. What is their feature? Why did she choose this particular market segment?
3. Features of doing business. Does the company have competitors and who are they? What scale does the organization conduct business, in what territory (city, region, country or company of international format). How seasonality and other factors affect the success of the firm. How many employees work in it and what is their organizational structure.
4. Achievements and important corporate events. Perhaps the organization has recently become a laureate of some kind of competition or has opened a new office. This information will also be useful for a comprehensive understanding of the current affairs of the company.
5. Facts and figures. What is the market share of the firm in its segment and its financial indicators: revenue, growth rates, number of clients and open offices.

Having comprehensive information about all the features of a future employer, you will certainly get advantages over other job seekers.

Rule 2. Prepare a self-presentation and rehearse it

When you find yourself in an interview, in most cases you will be asked to tell about yourself. As I said earlier, it is this request that confuses many applicants.

So that this does not come as a surprise to you, you need to prepare in advance.

Self-presentation- this is a short and succinct story about yourself in the context of the vacancy for which you are applying.

I emphasize that exactly in the context of a specific vacancy... That is, the emphasis in the story about yourself should be placed on those qualities, experience and knowledge that will help solve problems within the framework of your future work.

For example, if you are applying for the vacancy of a sales manager, then, as part of your self-presentation, tell us about what recent sales courses you have taken, what experience you have in this area. Maybe you are so passionate about this topic that you have created your own website or a “club of successful sellers” in your city.

If you have an education that will help you in such work, for example, in specialties: marketing, advertising, PR, then focus on this. If you have a construction or medical education, then just say that you have a secondary or higher education, without indicating its profile.

It would be advisable to name the direction of education if you will sell products of a similar industry within the framework of the “sales manager” profession.

For example, if you get a job in a trading company selling building materials, then building education will be an advantage in your situation.

You should not focus on your hobby in self-presentation, unless it has a positive effect on the results of your work.

How to properly prepare a self-presentation for an interview

Divide your entire presentation into several blocks.

For example, your self-presentation can consist of 4 main parts, connected by meaning:

1. Education and professional experience.
2. Your achievements with facts and figures.
3. Benefits of working with you for the employer.
4. Your professional plans for the future.

Once you have an outline of your self-presentation, it's time to rehearse it.

To begin with, say all the theses that you plan to voice to the HR specialist at the interview.

Then sit in front of the mirror and looking at yourself, say everything that you have prepared, based on your plan. Most likely the first time you forget something or start to stutter. Then your task is to bring your story to perfection and imagine that you are now at the upcoming meeting and are telling about yourself to your beloved.

Fact

Many people have a psychological barrier when it comes to presenting themselves in the best possible way.

Rule 3. Observe the appropriate "dress code"

As a rule, certain professions require a particular style of clothing. So, if you are applying for an office vacancy, then your appearance the interview should be appropriate.

• For men a light-colored shirt and dark-colored trousers or jeans will do.
• For girls it can be a blouse, a skirt of sufficient length and shoes with low heels.

If your future work involves active interaction with people in person, then in this case the requirements for your style of clothing will be especially high.

The only exceptions to the rule are “creative” professions. For example, a designer or photographer can afford to come to an interview in an extravagant outfit. In this case, your style of clothing will emphasize a non-standard approach to solving creative problems.

In all other cases, "classic" and business style is your win-win!

Also, in addition to the main style of clothing, the availability of accessories is encouraged.

Accessories may include:

• wrist watch;
• tie;
• decoration;
• stylish notebook;
• a pen;
• bag (purse).

Rule 4. Making written notes during the meeting

An indicator of the general level of training of a candidate for a recruiter is the presence of a notebook and a pen at the first. If you make notes to yourself during the interview, then first of all it will be very convenient for you. Indeed, at the end, based on your notes, you can ask clarifying questions or ask for clarification of the details of employment and other conditions of future work.

By the end of the meeting, you will have everything in full view. This is especially useful if you are going through several interviews at once in different companies so that you can then compare the working conditions in different organizations and make an informed decision.

It is also necessary to take notes if you are going through a multi-level interview. Writing down the main points on paper will help you remember what was discussed at the meeting and better prepare for the next stages of the interview.

Rule 5. Making a list of questions for the recruiter

Typically, at the end of the meeting, your interviewer will ask if you have any questions for him. To do this, think in advance about what you would like to know in addition.

You can prepare some of the questions for the recruiter at home in advance, and write down some of them right at the meeting in the form of notes. To do this, you must have a notebook and a pen with you.

Make sure your notebook is aesthetically pleasing in advance. This means that if it is a "well-worn" pack of yellowed sheets in which the fish was "wrapped", it will characterize you as a sloppy potential employee.

Everything should be in harmony - this is an important principle of a successful interview.

Rule 6. Behave confidently and naturally in interviews

Do not try to “wear a mask”, be not yourself, or please your interlocutor too much. Unnatural behavior is easily readable by humans. Your facial expressions, gestures and style of conversation will inadvertently bring you out into the open.

It is better to go the other way in order to achieve a positive result. Follow basic rules good taste, be polite and tactful.

Don't interrupt the interviewer, speak calmly, but with some enthusiasm in your head.

You must intuitively understand where and what is appropriate to say. After all, an interview is a process of mutual decision-making on cooperation between two parties: you and the employer.

Rule 7. We ask when and in what form the results will be announced to you

Hope using these simple rules, you can easily pass a job interview. At the end of the meeting, find out when and in what form to expect a response about the results of the interview.

Simply put, how do you know if you've been hired or not?

Usually the recruiter himself will tell you at the end that the answer will be on such and such a day, for example, until 6 pm.

I tell my applicants that if on such and such a day, for example on September 26, I do not call you before 18:00, it means that you have not passed the interview.

Calling and telling everyone in person that their candidacy for this position has been rejected is usually too troublesome.

The rule works here:

“We called - congratulations, you've been hired! They did not call - your candidacy did not pass. "

6.5 common interview mistakes

If you want to successfully pass a job interview and do it without "noise and dust", then you should avoid the mistakes, which I will discuss next.

It is them that most applicants do and, due to a simple ignorance of elementary things, they fail, losing the opportunity to make a long-awaited career.

Mistake 1. Fear of interviews or "schoolboy" syndrome

I repeat once again that an interview is a process of mutual choice and both parties are equal participants in this process.

Some job seekers come to a meeting and their hands are shaking, palms are sweating, their voice is trembling. It is this behavior that is typical for students and schoolchildren when passing the exam. They seem to be in the position of a rabbit that a boa constrictor is looking at.

There is no need to be afraid of the interview.

It is a big mistake to think that now an evil uncle or aunt will torture you. After all, as a rule, a personnel specialist who was entrusted with hiring a person is a benevolent and attentive person whose goal is to find the very “gold bar” in a heap of ore and clay.

If you shine like gold with your talents, competent speech and show real examples of achievements and your competencies at an interview, then do not hesitate, you will be hired for this job!

Mistake 2. Passing an interview without preparation

In almost every previous block of our interview, I talked about the importance of preparation before the interview.

Do not neglect this rule.

Impromptu is good in many situations, but not at the time of the interview. And as many people know, the best impromptu is a prepared impromptu.

Follow all the above rules and the consequences of this error will not affect you.

Mistake 3. Excessive heart-to-heart talk with a recruiter

Sometimes job seekers get so carried away in the interview process that they move away from the main topic and begin to “pour out their souls” to the personnel specialist.

This mistake is often encountered just among inexperienced applicants or candidates for lower technical positions, such as loader, storekeeper, laborer, and so on.

As a rule, this error does not occur among more prepared applicants applying for more responsible positions in the company.

But still remember that you should not deviate from the topic if you want to get a job in good organization and be respected there.

Mistake 4. Feeling unwell and stress as a factor of failure

Anything can happen in life, and if you have an interview tomorrow at 10 in the morning, and you feel bad or something serious happened that completely unsettled you, try to postpone the meeting. In this case, notify the employer's representative in advance by phone.

After all, anything can happen: a child is sick and you need to go to the hospital, a relative got into an accident, or you simply poisoned yourself with stale food.

Don't go to an interview feeling depressed, in a bad mood, or feeling unwell.

Mistake 5. Inactivity, defiant behavior

Some job seekers are "like tanks" and turn the interview into a show, demonstrating not their best qualities. Those who like to argue with the interlocutor will definitely not get the desired job.

If a person behaves tactlessly and disrespectfully towards the partner side, then this immediately characterizes him as a brawler and potentially unsuitable employee.

As the cat Leopold said in the famous cartoon: "Guys, let's live together!"

So, you need to make friends with your interlocutor.

After the meeting, the representative of your employer should get the impression of you both as a good specialist in your field, and as a pleasant and cultured person.

Don't make these 5 common mistakes and you are guaranteed success!

7. Illustrative video examples on how to successfully pass an interview from the TV channel "Success" in the program "Personnel Decide"

Here I want to give you a few real examples interviews with expert comments.

Be sure to watch them, because from the outside it is much easier to analyze the strengths of some applicants and the mistakes they make.

1) Interview for the position of a corporate tour sales manager:

2) Interview for the position of assistant manager:

3) Interview for the position of TOP manager:

You can find other episodes of this program on YouTube. It is possible that among them there will be an analysis of the case of the vacancy for which you are applying.

8. Conclusion

Ksenia, thank you very much for such detailed answers. I hope that now it will be much easier for our readers to pass the interview for a robot.

1. Prepare for your interview ahead of time;
2. Be natural in the meeting and don't worry;
3. Follow the dress code rules;
4. Be optimistic and welcoming with the person you are talking to.

Alexander, thank you for inviting me. I hope we will continue to cooperate.

I wish you all good luck and career growth!