You cannot escape an interview before you get a job. The employer goes through your resume and decides to meet you. Why? He wants to speak to you in person and assess your talents, confidence and awareness levels, presentation skills and more. He gets to know more about you in an interview. When you are punctual for an interview, he knows that you are a person who understands the value of time, when your answers are straight and to the point he understands that you are shrewd and knowledgeable, when you look into his eyes and speak out, he understands how confident you are, when you ask relevant questions about the company and the job, he realizes that you are an inquisitive person. All your actions and words count.

Appearance and actions count

• Arrive on time for the interview. It conveys that you know the value of time and that you will be punctual for work if appointed.
• Greet the interviewer and thank him. As soon as you enter the room, greet the interviewer and thank him before you sit on the seat offered by him for the interview.
• Avoid the tired look. Even if you are tired, try not to show it, as it conveys a lack of interest.
• Always keep eye contact with the interviewer. It means confidence.
• Do not move too much in the chair. It will express restlessness.
• Have enough copies of the resume and also pen and paper. It shows how organized you are and you need not look helpless when asked for a resume or when asked to take down a phone number.
• Answer in a moderate tone. Speak out in a moderate tone. Don't sound too excited or too quiet to hear.
• Listen and answer- Do not interrupt the interviewer to answer questions before he finishes with it. He might conclude that you are a person in haste.

How to answer questions? A simple appearance and confidence alone does not create an impression. You should have sharp answers to the questions being asked. Anticipate those questions and be ready with answers for them. Most of the time interviewers have some typical questions. Here are a few most common ones and tips to help you answer those perfectly.

Tell us about yourself This is too open ended a question, but as an interviewee you have to answer this. Do not try to give a full-length autobiography. Give a short and concise answer. Highlight the best in you and summarize your background, skills and experience. Be honest.

What are your strengths and weaknesses? When it comes to strengths, you know how to highlight it all, but what about weaknesses? Be careful. You have to be truthful, but never overly highlight your negatives in all its seriousness to create the impression that you are an honest person. Just mention some negative trait of yours, which will in no way affect your efficiency at work.

What made you interested in our company? This is a question, which no interviewer would forget to ask. They would like to know what makes their company attractive. More important, they would like to know whether you have researched the employer well before you applied for the job. So, gather relevant information about the company before you approach them for a job. Today almost all the companies have their Websites and you can get the information there.

Why should we recruit you over the others? This is again an attempt to assess your goal orientation and confidence. Explain how your skills would be important for the company and how your interest in the company and awareness of the same would help you fit into the organization easily to do a good job. If you have some interesting instances in your previous workplace where you overcame serious situations or met tough targets with your skills, explain that too. That explains why you are the best over the rest.

Why did you leave your previous company? Most of the time it so happens that the candidate starts badmouthing his former boss once this question is shot. Never do that. The employer would conclude that if you do this today, you would do the same to him someday if you decide to leave. That might prompt him to decide against you. So, just say that you are in the pursuit of a job with more responsibilities and growth prospects or something on similar lines.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? You may find it a bit difficult to answer this question. Don't worry. You can tell the interviewer that in this fast changing world, five years seem to be too long a period and tell him where you see yourself in the next one or two years.

What are your salary expectations? Do not just speak out the figure, which you have in mind, at one shot. Ask the employer how much would he be willing to pay a person with your skills and experience for the post (if he is planning to give more than what you are expecting why lose it). If his figure is less than your expectations, speak out. Tell him that you had been getting 'X' amount and you are looking at a certain percentage increase. Justify your claim. If you are the right person for him he will definitely work out a package to suit your demand.

Once you are given a chance to ask Once the interviewer asks you to shoot off questions at him, do not hesitate. It is neither rude nor pushy to ask questions. Ask relevant questions and create the impression in the interviewer's mind that you are confident and can come up with right questions at the right time.

While appearing for an interview, the interviewee should be prepared to ask a few good questions to the interviewer......

Ask the right questions

At the end of an interview almost all the interviewers ask, "Do you have any questions to ask". Do not say "no". Remember, questions can reveal your skills and knowledge as well as your answers can. Your lack of questions might be understood by the interviewer as your lack of interest in the organization and lack of preparedness. So, be prepared with questions so that you will not have to fumble around when asked whether you have questions to ask.

When should you ask?

Should you wait for the interviewer to let you ask questions or can you ask as and when you feel like? You need not wait till the end. You an ask whenever you have clarifications to make, but make sure that you are not interfering too much while the interviewer is making a point or asking you a question. If you can put forward right questions at the right time as the interview progresses, you will be able to ask better questions and impress the interviewer. Most often, the interviewer would also be happy to have an interactive interview.

Frame the questions well

Imagine asking a question and the interviewer answering it with a "yes" or "no". Now you ask the second question and again a "yes" or "no" is uttered and so it goes. It will look like a question answer exercise done for the sake of it.

So you have to ensure that you get detailed answers for your questions, based on which you can ask further questions. The structure of your questions decides whether you will get a detailed answer or just a "yes" or "no". If you ask "Is it acceptable..." the answer can be "yes" or "no". But if it is "Why is it acceptable?" there has to be a detailed answer.

So, let your questions begin with the five "W"s and one "H".(Who, What, Why, When, Where and How). Avoid questions beginning with "Is", "are", "will" etc.

Go from general questions to specific ones

While asking questions at the end of the interview, move from general questions to specific ones. Ask about a new product of the company, it's new division or something similar (if there is anything like that) before you move to questions on job role, your career prospects and so on. Wait till you are offered a job, to ask questions regarding benefits.

Here are a few sample questions

• The company's new product XYZ is a hot product in the market today. Is it being developed fully in India?
• What is the total number of employees in the company?
• Why is this position available now?
• What would be the job role of a person in this position?
• How is your induction program? Will an employee be attending one before his first day in office?
• What is the scope of professional growth in this organization for a person with my skills?
• How will the employee's suggestions for the company's growth be accepted?
• What amount of freedom will a person have to determine his work objectives?
• What is the organization structure of the X Department (the department into which you might have to fit in).
• If I were offered a job, how soon would you expect me to join?