A Job Interview

A job interview is an interview consisting of a conversation between a job applicant and a representative of an employer. A job interview is an important part of the process of applying for a job, and it may range in formality from a casual conversation to a series of serious discussions with an assortment of people working within the company [1].

Depending on the size of a company and its organization, an applicant may only have one job interview. This is common with small businesses, in which candidates are often interviewed directly by the employer. In other cases, a representative of the human resources department may interview a candidate first, and then he or she will go through a series of interviews with potential supervisors and other personnel. Larger companies may also have interview panels with multiple members who cooperate to make a decision [2].

A panel of people (the interviewers) interview the candidates (the interviewees). The interview panel typically consists of someone from Human Resources, the line manager, and possibly other departmental managers. For many jobs there will be a first interview to narrow down the number of possible candidates to a shortlist of people who will be called for a second interview.

A job interview is usually preceded by the evaluation of submitted resumes from interested candidates, possibly by examining job applications or reading many resumes. Many people in their early twenties have similar CVs and a similar lack of experience, and a CV plus interview is unlikely to show who is the best person for a job. For older candidates the artificial context of a formal job interview may not show the person’s real qualities. For these reasons many companies use an assessment centre as part of the selection process. This is typically a full day (or two) and includes social or informal events, information sessions, and tests and exercises designed to reveal your potential. The exercises may include a practical test (of manual or computing skills), a psychometric test (problem-solving, decision-making, interpersonal skills), a case study, a presentation or group discussion.

In the interview (and at an assessment centre) the employer is usually looking for three things. First, they want to see evidence of the technical skills and background knowledge required to do that particular job. Second, they are looking for business skills such as the ability to achieve targets, meet deadlines and manage costs. Third, they want evidence of “soft” personal skills such as teamworking, communication, motivation, time-management, decision-making, leadership, listening, creativity, initiative etc. [3, p. 64].

Finally, before selecting the best candidate and making a job offer, the employer may want to do some background checks. At a minimum this involves calling former employers who were listed by candidate as references. After this selection process the final decision will be made and the strongest candidate will be offered the job. There may then be a short period of negotiation over salary, working conditions, and the chosen candidate will either take up or turn down the job offer.

Bibliography

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_interview
2. http://ecs.ihu.edu.gr/co/employment-interviews/what-interview
3. Paul Emmerson, Essential Business Vocabulary Builder. — Macmillan Education, Oxford, 2011. — 176 p.