How to pass an interview: how not to miss and take into account even the smallest detail

An interview is an extremely important event, not only for a potential employee, but also for the head of the company. The first wants to get a job, the second wants to get a highly qualified employee. Read on in our article about how to pass an interview for a managerial position (what to look for and what questions the recruiter will ask you). We will also tell you what answers should be given to the questions posed to you and what should not be done under any circumstances.

First, let's say a few words about the preparation stage on the eve of the interview - what can you do for yourself in advance (while still in your home)?

Preparatory stage before the interview

Of course, before going to an interview, any person strives to be as prepared as possible for it. This is the right decision, because only in this way can you impress a potential boss and demonstrate to him your best qualities, which the company so needs. Therefore, you should start preparing for this event in advance - and not “feverishly” and vaguely figure out what to say, already in the employer’s office. In fact, this is the most common mistake among applicants - not taking a particular interview very seriously.

If an institution conducts interviews for a management position, the selection is carried out according to the most stringent criteria. Only the most outstanding of all possible candidates will be selected. Working in any position requires the availability of appropriate knowledge and skills. But someone who wants to become a leader must have other virtues - just having knowledge is not enough. A potential manager must show his personal qualities, solid work experience and achievements in this field. He should be different (for the better) from an applicant applying for an ordinary position (for example, a consultant).

What is the recruiter interested in?

When conducting such an interview, the recruiter will try to carefully study the candidate from every available angle. The applicant will have to answer a huge number of questions from a variety of areas. Most of all in such cases, the candidate’s qualities are studied such as:

intellectual level;
qualities inherent in a leader (does this applicant have them);
innovative thinking (will he be able to offer some new ideas that will contribute to the development of the company);
the ability to influence others;
views and ideas;
commercial savvy;
strategic vision;
attracting resources from outside;
effectiveness;
ability to negotiate with third parties;
ability to attract attention and lead in relationships;
solid work experience.

Anyone who wants to become a leader is required to conduct preliminary training. He must prepare answers to all likely questions in advance. There is no need to speak in a theoretical aspect - it is very important to show the presence of practice, to share your own experience.

Preparation is the best help for a candidate

Having information gives you strength and confidence. These qualities are needed by a job applicant like no other. His task is a successful interview; advice in preparation is provided to him as a generalized experience of applicants like him.

Aware is armed, so you need to:

find out as much as possible about the place of work, position, requirements;
formulate life goals for yourself and ways to achieve them;
study frequently asked interview questions and rehearse answers with a sparring partner or in front of a mirror;
think about the size of the desired salary and what you can be interested in, from a personal point of view (hobbies, hobbies, travel): suddenly the employer will be inclined to normal communication, and not to “interrogation with bias”;
think through the details of the image in advance so as not to fly to the office “in a hurry”;
use auto-training, yoga, hitting a punching bag to overcome anxiety and try to hide the desperate financial situation: if the employer sees this negative, he will offer not the most favorable terms of cooperation, knowing that the person will agree to them;
understand whether the desire to get this job is strong enough to move to another city for it;
decide on the goal (this is the name of the position for which a person is applying): you cannot become a hotel manager and a bartender at the same time. The attitude of “at least they’ll take me somewhere” is unproductive.

Now the candidate has a rough idea of how to prepare for a job interview. It is difficult to take into account all the nuances, but what a person owns, what he can do, and what he is proud of will always be with him. Down with doubts - and forward to the interview! But it’s better not to open the boss’s office door with your feet...

Questions from the candidate

Often the interview is carried out according to the following scheme: first, the potential boss talks about the position itself, lists the responsibilities, probable prospects and career growth. Further clarification of details and details follows. Only after this the candidate himself has the right to ask the recruiter his questions during the interview.

A small but important clarification: the applicant not only has the right, he is obliged to ask such questions! If he has nothing to ask his potential boss, then he has no interest in the future job and position. There is no need to prepare a huge list of these questions - you can limit yourself to two or three.

Do not forget that the main goal of the interview is to identify as many details as possible about each candidate. In other words, we are talking about “probing” them, testing their abilities and skills. You can ask about all other issues that concern you only when you have already been offered to enter into an employment agreement.

Sometimes, at the very beginning of the interview, the employer asks the candidate to tell him what his life position, goals and plans for the future are. In other words, what would he like to achieve in his career. It is necessary to provide clear and comprehensive answers to such questions, so it is better to prepare for them in advance - while still at home.

Of course, any applicant is concerned with the following question: how to successfully pass an interview for a leadership position?

Questions from the candidate

What does a manager ask most often?

What questions should someone who wants to get a leadership position answer?

The interview includes not just standard questions for each case (a story about yourself, the company, about your strengths and weaknesses, and so on). It also asks questions directly related to future responsibilities. They sound like this:

What leadership qualities do you have?
Tell me, what professional mistakes have you made in the past? What conclusions were drawn?
Can you influence employees?

The recruiter also often asks the candidate to come up with a specific case and asks how the applicant will solve the current situation.

Since the main purpose of the interview is to find a leader, they may also ask the following question: “What (in your opinion) qualities are inherent in an excellent leader?” You will have to list them.

It is worth remembering the following important point: competent management of working personnel requires the presence of the following qualities in the manager:

He must give the impression of a person confident in himself and his abilities.
Must be brave.
Have a worldview.
Possess communication skills.
Must be able to conduct self-analysis.
Must be able to easily create a cohesive team (who will listen to him without unnecessary objections).
Must be able to provide support to any of his subordinates.

All of the above qualities of an excellent leader are highlighted when answering the question posed by the manager. Of course, when answering questions from a manager or employer, there is no need to fall into demagoguery. That is, you should not start lengthy explanations and clarifications - this will definitely not lead to anything good for you - the interlocutor will simply get tired of you and consider you a talker (and will try to “get rid of” you as quickly as possible under any euphonious pretext).

At the same time, the “dry” circumstances of your experience will also not make the best impression, since competent and beautiful speech is extremely important for a leader - while observing the “golden” mean.

If you are talking about your own experience, be sure to explain how you resolved the problem that arose, what problems you dealt with in your time, and what you were able to achieve. Here you need to remember this important point: make sure that your story is consistent (step-by-step). At the same time, you should not regularly insert the word “I”. The manager may consider that you are an upstart, an egoist, which will not increase your chances of getting the desired position.

Questions for a candidate during an interview

How should you behave at an interview?

Half of your success will depend on how you present yourself. Psychologists have found that no matter how long the conversation lasts, a positive or negative opinion about the candidate is formed within three to four minutes. After this time, the interviewer asks questions either “to fill in” if a good opinion has not been formed about the candidate, or asks questions that help the candidate reveal all his best sides. This fact highlights the importance of first impressions.

Most of the information given to the interviewer is not your words, but your pronunciation, your gestures, your mannerisms. By your behavior, it is very easy for a specialist to determine how you live, what kind of person you are, how you are adapted to life.

According to psychologist Eleri Sampson, you can check your own body language by answering the questions below:

How do you use your smile?
Do you sit up straight or slouch?
Do you have eye contact with the interlocutor?
Do you use your hands in conversation?
How do you enter the room?
Do you have a strong and businesslike handshake?
How far or close are you to the people you are talking to?
Do you touch the person you are talking to?

Did you answer? Now check out the list of positive and negative signals that affect the impression of you.

Negative signals

Fidgeting in your chair
Look not at the speaker, but at the floor, at the ceiling, or anywhere, just not at the person you are talking to.
You turn away from your interlocutor and avoid making eye contact.
All kinds of closed poses, crossed arms, hands locked, legs crossed.
You use closed threatening gestures, you can wave your finger, defending your opinion.
Sit with an indifferent look, grumble or grin sarcastically.

Positive signals

Sit straight, leaning slightly forward, listen with participation and interest.
During a conversation, look calmly and confidently at the speaker.
Make notes on paper while talking.
When listening, your body is in an open position, your hands are on the table, your palms are extended forward.
Hands are in an open position. Your hands are raised up, as if you are explaining a thought to your colleagues.
Smile and joke.

Questions and answers: how to give competent answers

So, you are facing an interview because you have a desire to find a job in a management position. You enter the office and see the manager (or direct employer) who previously invited you for an interview. Now everything depends solely on you - how you prove yourself and build your future career. How to build a competent dialogue? How to answer manager's questions?

What should you pay attention to? For the following features.

Feature one: listen to your interlocutor’s questions carefully and with concentration. There is no need to be distracted by anything or think about something extraneous. This is completely unnecessary. Did you listen to the question to the end? Great, now quickly conduct a mental analysis: what answer would the employer like to receive from you? If something is not entirely clear to you (the question asked to you is not fully understood), it is better to apologize and ask to ask it again. This is much better than a vague or incorrect answer to the question posed.

Feature two: do not forget that the answers to the questions posed to you must first be structured correctly - and only then announced out loud. And under no circumstances should you do the opposite. You need to answer with a beginning, middle and, of course, an ending. First, briefly describe the situation, the problem that occurred. After that, briefly tell us about the tasks that you have identified in order to solve the problem that has arisen. The middle answer might be this: you can share a story about the problems that arose in a particular case. Next, tell us exactly how you got out of the current situation. When completing your answer, summarize: talk about the indicators with which you measured your own achievements.

Try to provide your manager with evidence that the most important thing for you in your work is achieving your goals and results!

Candidate Qualities

What qualities do you need to have to get hired?

What qualities should a potential candidate for a leadership position have? Naturally, any boss prescribes for himself specific criteria according to which applicants will be selected for a vacant job. At the same time, there is a list of those qualities that a candidate must have when passing any interview (regardless of the level of the desired position).

The candidate must:

Don't doubt yourself and your abilities.
Look neat and tidy in appearance.
Have letters of recommendation - for example, from a previous place of work from a satisfied employer.
Behave culturally.
In addition, the applicant must be distinguished by sociability - be moderately sociable and not uptight, otherwise he will never become a leader. This quality is extremely important, since a person working in such a position must be able to find a common language with different people - including his own subordinates.

It is worth noting that all of the above qualities are considered standard for any candidate for a leadership position. But there are also those that should be inherent directly to the leader himself. He must:

Be able to manage and work with a team entrusted to him.
Be able to work with a team.
Offer your initiatives to achieve the desired result.
Be able to solve several things at once, and not just one.
Be not only responsible and serious, but also with a good sense of humor.

In other words, he must be able to laugh where it is appropriate - and concentrate where the serious work is involved.

Look the part

To successfully pass an interview and get the position, you need to dress correctly. Many people believe that this point should not be worked out in detail, because professional competence is much more important for any company. This is true. But, if you have worthy competitors, they will analyze every little detail - including appearance. So take note of some helpful tips.

Distinctive features of the company

First, study the dress code of the company you are going to work for. This can be done from photographs from the Internet or from friends who work there. Choose clothes that are as similar as possible in color and style. If the employees there wear pencil skirts and white blouses, don't wear a three-piece pantsuit.

Thirdly, take a closer look at the company logo. Let your appearance have something in a similar color scheme: a scarf or a tie, for example.

Compliance with the profession

Think about what clothes will suit the position you are seeking. A girl applying for the post of secretary is unlikely to pass an interview if she wears a full-length skirt, sneakers and a tightly closed oversized sweater. A man applying for the post of department head reduces his chances of success if he shows up in a tracksuit or ripped jeans.

Color

Psychologists say: to successfully pass an interview, clothes should be either gray or blue, but with small colored inserts (neck scarf, tie, handbag, man purse). Gray color is associated with professionalism and calmness, blue - with high intelligence and the ability to lead. Therefore, these options are the most advantageous. Black is too gloomy, white is too flawless, green speaks of incompetence, yellow and red are annoying. Purple is acceptable when applying for a creative job, as it distinguishes creative, original people from the crowd.

A few more points about clothing:

No lurex, sequins, shiny fabrics, contrasting patterns or prints.
Clothes should fit perfectly on your figure and be true to size.
You should feel comfortable in it.
Don't wear too expensive accessories: glasses from Lugano Diamonds or a diamond necklace from Neil Lane will make the employer doubt whether you really need this position.
Girls' makeup should not be too bright, and there is no need to put on all their jewelry at once.
Put on everything you have prepared in advance, and ask someone from the outside to evaluate your image impartially. Isn't it too vulgar or, on the contrary, gray and everyday?

And the last piece of advice that crosses out all previous recommendations regarding appearance.

If you have never put on a suit and don’t want to do so, if you are used to freedom in clothing, if your religious or other beliefs do not allow you to follow the above recommendations... You have two options. The first is to dress for an interview in a way that is comfortable and familiar to you, thereby declaring that you are a person with your own vision of the world, who is not ready to squeeze yourself into the framework of prohibitions even for the sake of such a position. Perhaps your courage and originality will win over the employer and help you pass the interview successfully. The second is to look for another job where you will be accepted with open arms for who you are.

But psychologists do not recommend going against yourself in order to pass an interview.