ANSWERING TECHNIQUES IN INTERVIEW

 ANSWERING TECHNIQUES IN INTERVIEW

Behavioural answering technique:

• Talk about how you have done rather than how you would do.
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• Be prepared to use examples from your work, classes and extracurricular
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• activities.

• Be ready to offer not just any example, but your own example.

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Compelling story technique:

• Expand your answers by developing the specific examples into compelling stories with personality, flair and interest.
• Captivate your interviewer by providing the details and nuances that bring your story to life.
• Do not, however, be tempted into lengthy monologues that will stretch the interviewer's time.

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Personality matching/ mirroring technique:

• Take your cue from the interviewer in terms of tone and approach. For instance,if the interviewers are using minimal gestures or facial expressions, you can also follow the same approach. If they speak in low tones, you can also do so. However, do not be too casual, even if the interviewer seems to be. Watch and learn.

• Bring under control the "too much" area (too loud, too pushy, too confident, too egoistic, too formal or too conventional) in your own personality.

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Parroting technique:

• Do not assume or make a "best guess" of what the interviewer is looking for.
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• it a question is unclear to you, it is absolutely appropriate to parrot dack tne
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• question in your own words to make Sure you have understood the correct
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• meaning.
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• Use it as a temporary stall when you do not have a ready answer. YOu will get
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• some time to think and answer.

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Reframing technique:

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• Always attempt to answer the questions as straightforwardly as possible initially.
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• Reframe the original question to illustrate an area of your background that can
• further enhance your overall image. For example, if you are asked who your
• favourite professor is, you might give a short answer about a particular professor
• and then reframe the question by explaining why that professor is your
• favourite in fact it was his inspiration that encouraged me to participate in
• a two-week internship over the winter break, where I combined my classroom
• knowledge with practical experience in the field of Thus, you can use this
• technique to your advantage in the interview.

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Answering "Problem" Questions

you are asked an awkward question, you should try to turn this into an advantage.

Do not evade the question or lie. Answering in a straightforward manner, dealing briefly

with the negative aspects and move on, giving more time to detailing the positive aspects
of the situation. Compare these two situations:

A Interviewer: You seem to have worked for just six months at Compulsory. Why?

Parveen: They were going through a financial crunch and was laid-off.

Interviewer: Why?
Parveen:just told you. They were.

Interviewer: No, no, I meant why did they lay you off and not someone else?

B Interviewer: Abida, you seem to have worked for just six months at CompuSoft before leaving. Why?
Abida:
They were going through a financial crunch and laid me off. That gave me time to do a course on web design which came in most helpful in my next assignment.
Interviewer: Was that at Worldcom?

Abida: Yes.

Interviewer: Tell me more about that.

As you can see Parveen has painted herself in a bad light, whereas Abida has turned
a negative point into a positive one oy emphasising the new skill she has acquired.

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Some More Interview Tips

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• Ask permission it you wish to take notes.
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• Remain calm you sense prejudice or any preconceived notion on the part of the
• interviewer. Keeping yourself cool will keep the situation from getting out of hand.
• Turn off your cell phone. If it goes off accidentally, apologise and turn it off.
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• Respond to both verbal and non-verbal cues of the interviewer.
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• Ask relevant questions. Avoid becoming familiar or indulging in unnecessary chit-chat or gossip.

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Abraham Lincoln Technique

Abraham Lincoln, while arguing in the court, would usually argue both sides of the
case to the jury. He would first take the opponent's side of the issue and then his clients side.

• Point to your strengths instead of making excuses tor shortcomings.
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• First speak well of others when the interviewer asks why you are lacking in
• particular area (be it grades, work experience, extracurricular activities etc.) or how you are better than others for a particular job.
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• Then establish your own strength in the specific area.

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Overcoming nervousness

The interview is your opportunity to be at your best. If you allow your nervousness to
control your presentation, that may be the dominant impression you have on the
interviewer, blocking out any other positive aspects you may present.

Why do we get nervous? Because of fear of the unknown. In most cases, the fear of non getting approval makes us nervous, which in turn makes it more difficult to gain that approval. Uncontrolled nervousness can destroy Our ability to perform effectively in the interview.

In the box given below, a simple technique is shown that you can apply to Overcome
nervousness in any interviewing situation. This is known as Rowboat technique and will help you overcome your fears and successfully meet within and speak to people you have never met before in the interviewing situation.
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The Rowboat Technique

The Rowboat technique is a simple contraction of the abdomen in combination with
rhythmic breathing that will allow you to fully overcome your nervousness in any situation. The steps are as follows:

• Sit forward in a chair, with your arms outstretched as if you are grabbing oars in a rowboat.
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• Take a deep breath.
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• Slowly pull back your arms and contract the abdomen muscles just below the rib Cage.
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• AS you continue to let out air, roll the contraction of the muscle downward, just above your pelvic region, centring on your naval.
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• Keep your muscles tight until all the air has been expelled.
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• Count to three (do not breathe in yet) and then inhale deeply.
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• Repeat this two/three times.

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