Interview Techniques

1. Before the Interview

You must prepare for a successful interview. The candidates who had a successful interview, generally had researched in advance potential employers’ business processes and tasks that they committed to achieve and adopted their experience with this.

You should visit web site of your potential employers. Have information as much as possible for the company and the position. If you have friends or ex-colleagues in this company, don’t hesitate to ask for information.

To deliver a positive impression to the interviewer, have more information about the company other than just name and address. Search the services and products of the company. If these products and services are for consumers; it is better to experience it before the interview and mentioning this experience during the interview will have a positive impression.

2. Cover Letter

Generally, the cover letter should not be longer than one page. You can briefly express why you want to work in this company, why you are a candidate for that position in line with your career objectives. You should write what kind of value you can add to the potential employer. You can refer your CV in the cover letter. The aim of cover letter is to encourage to read the CV. The aim of CV is to get an invitation for the interview.

3. CV

Keep your CV short and concise.

The CV should neither be too long nor too short. A fresh graduated candidate’s CV may be a single page. But if a candidate has 10-15 years of experience with a single page CV, then your potential employer may not have opportunities to know you enough. On the other hand, having a CV more than 5 pages, may have risks due to limited time of evaluating person.

Content of CV

It is vital that you express your competencies effectively and convey the right messages to potential employers through your CV. Your CV, which explains your education, previous experience, and suitability of your characteristics to the company's needs, is your most important document. It's important to tailor your CV to the job you're looking for, but you should be honest about your education, experience and qualifications. Everything written in your CV must be true.

A professionally presented CV containing short, concise and necessary information about your technical skills and experience plays an important role in your being invited to an interview and having a positive interview. Although it is impossible to describe a perfect CV, we recommend that you consider the following points when preparing your CV.

Let it be read easily.

Draft your CV as understandable. The easier it is to read, the more likely it is to attract attention. Never use company-specific abbreviations in your CV that only people at previous companies can understand. Even if you use it, express its meaning in parentheses where it is first mentioned in your CV. Use fonts that are neither too large nor too small. The font size that will not tire the reader's eyes is 10-12 points. Use the most common basic font characters.

Separate your CV into headings for easy reading. For example, Personal Information, Education, Work Experiences.

Pay attention to time flow.

When describing your experiences, pay attention to chronological order. When talking about your experiences, always start from the end. The experience that will count most is usually your recent experience. Candidates with many years of work experience may write about their recent experiences in more detail, while they may describe positions at the beginning of their career in less detail.

If you have worked in different positions by being promoted or appointed at the same workplace, be sure to mention this in your CV.

Mention your projects and success stories.

You can mention the awards you received at work, your successful projects, and your high-performance scores in your CV.

Write your CV in the third person and in accordance with the spelling rules. If you are proficient in a foreign language, you can also write your CV in the foreign language. Never write your CV in a foreign language in which you are not proficient; Do not try to create the impression that you know the foreign language well by having someone else prepare your CV. This situation will definitely come up in interviews and evaluations and will put you in a difficult situation.

Occupational Training and Certificates

You can include vocational training and certificate information in your CV that you think will give you an advantage in the recruitment process.

4. Interview

Find out the exact address of the interview location. Research transportation options in advance. If you are coming to the interview from another city, share your travel plan in advance, even if the company in question does not pay your transportation expenses. In this way, you can express your excuse more clearly for delays caused by force majeure.

If you are going to drive your own vehicle, plan where you will park. Arrive at least 15 minutes before the meeting place. Consider the time you will spend at security, elevators, and reception, especially in plazas.

If you are asked to fill out a job application form, be sure to fill out the form correctly, neatly, and completely.

Don't forget to bring your CV with you. If requested, bring a professionally taken passport photo.

Clothes

You only have one chance to make a good first impression. Your appearance is important for a good first impression. Be careful to dress appropriately for the industry and dress code of the company you are applying for. Keep your clothes clean and ironed. Do not use excessive perfume. Let your hair and makeup look professional. For male candidates, shaving their beard will leave a positive impression.

First meeting

Even if you are kept waiting, treat the receptionists and secretaries who are trying to help you positively. Avoid unnecessary tension that will demoralize you before the important interview you will have soon.

Shake the hand of the person you will be interviewing in a friendly manner, in a way that does not hurt the other person, but energetically.

Demonstrate a sympathetic attitude. Do not reject treat offers, but limit them to tea/coffee and/or water.

The Interview

Learn the interviewer's exact name and role in the company. If there is more than one person in the interview, try to understand their titles in detail to understand who the real decision maker is. Try to establish eye contact with the whole group.

Let the interviewer guide the interview. Even if the other person is less experienced than you, trying to manage the interview will not do you any good. Listen carefully to the questions asked and only answer the questions. Do not distract the topic by talking about irrelevant topics. The interviewer will also give you the opportunity to express yourself after the questions are finished. If he/she does not respond, ask for a word on what you have to say further.

During the interview, if necessary, ask the interviewer for relevant feedback on whether you answered their questions fully.

Before the interview, think about cliché questions such as your strengths and what you need to improve and be prepared. Prepare sample cases for competency-based interviews. Prepare for the situation, task, action and result stages for the cases you experienced in your previous work experiences.

A job interview is not just a quiz where the employer asks questions. You can ask questions about the company you are a candidate to work for, and you can even turn this situation to your advantage if you choose the questions, you ask carefully. That's why you should do good research about the company before the interview. Doing research on the company beforehand allows you to focus on the questions you can ask during the interview. Be careful not to ask too many questions or interrupt the other party. Don't ask questions about this without waiting for the interviewer to address financial matters. Additionally, the interviewer will ask you "Do you have any questions?" Not asking anything will give the impression that you are uninterested and uncreative.

Have your CV and job posting text with you during the interview. Also, be sure to have a pen and paper to take notes. But don't let taking notes, making eye contact, and explaining yourself effectively get in the way.

Before leaving the interview, agree on the next step. How will the process continue? Will there be another meeting? Ask your questions. Before you leave, be sure to say that you were pleased to meet them and thank them for the time they spent with you.

Body language in the interview

In business life, body language often goes beyond words. Just with the posture of your hand, you can express things that you cannot express with thousands of words.

You should never sit sprawled in the interview chair. However, you should not sit on the edge of the chair in a tense manner. You can sit by leaning back slightly in an energetic and self-confident manner. You can unbutton your jacket while sitting.

It is necessary to pay close attention to your hand and facial movements during the interview. Sometimes a small gesture can mean something completely different than what is said. For example, a simple touch to the nose can show you that the other person is not being truthful.

The reason we move our heads is because we want approval from others. Therefore, one way to look strong is to minimize head movements.

Finally, our hands emphasize what we are saying. For example, we say "there" by pointing and "see you" by waving. When we join our two hands and make them look like a pyramid, it means power. If someone is sitting in front of you with his hands in the shape of a pyramid pointing at you, know that he is either your boss or will be your boss in the future.

Turning with your whole body, not just your face, means "full confrontation", and not crossing your arms across your chest or crossing your legs reinforces this openness. Because such actions convey that you are hiding your qualifications. Crossing your arms indicates that you are trying to defend yourself.

Turning fully towards the person being spoken to indicates a trustworthy and confident attitude.

When you talk to someone who has their legs crossed, their arms crossed, and is slightly turned to the side, you feel that they are not paying attention to you. When the situation is the opposite, you get the message that he is interested in what you are telling him.

There are common gestures that make everyone uncomfortable, and they appear as the body's reaction to tense situations: such as biting nails, playing with hair, chewing gum and grinding teeth...

Without maintaining eye contact while speaking or listening, it is not possible to show the other person that you are an honest and confident person.

5. After the Interview

Immediately after the interview, while your memory is fresh, make a summary of the conversation: write down the names and titles of the people you interviewed. Write down the aspects of the interview that went well and the aspects that gave you trouble (if they call you, this analysis will help your next interview be much more successful; if they don't call, you'll be better prepared for an interview with someone else). If you went to the interview through a consultant company, call the consultant company and provide information about the interview. Frankly share with your consultant the issues related to the interview that went well and did not go well. The consultant company needs to know how the interview went so that it can provide more effective information about you to your potential employer.

If the people who interviewed you shared their e-mail addresses or business cards, you can write a short e-mail thanking them for their time after the interview.

6.Do's and Don'ts in Interviews

You never get a second chance for your first impression.

Things to Do

• Make sure you get clear, detailed directions to the interview location.
• Go explore the place a day or two before the interview, especially if you don’t know the area.
• Arrive to the company about 15 minutes before the interview.
• Dress appropriately for your job interview.
• Give confidence to the other party.
• Answer questions honestly and without hesitation.
• Be sincere.
• Speak from the employer's perspective and talk about what you can do for the company.
• Before the interview, you can read about the company on the Internet, newspapers, etc. Do your research.
• Be aware of who you will be meeting with (name, title, etc.)
• Master the information in your CV.
• Smile, shake hands firmly and make eye contact.
• Speak clearly and fluently, but do not speak quickly.
• Listen carefully to the other person.
• Present a professional appearance – always!
• Express your interest in the company and ask for the job.

​ Don'ts

• Do not enter a private office with a dripping umbrella.
• Do not carry a large handbag or a heavy briefcase.
• Do not wear dirty, saggy or overly tight clothing.
• Do not sit without being shown a seat.
• Do not smoke and do not use excessive amounts of aftershave/perfume.
• Do not chew gum.
• Do not ask about your salary until you are offered the job.
• Do not hesitate to ask questions on topics you do not understand.
• Do not speak against your former employer or position.
• Do not disclose any confidential information about your former employer.
• Answer all questions patiently. Definitely “this subject is in my CV, why are you asking again?” Do not react inappropriately. Do not forget that employers also evaluate your communication skills and ability to express yourself during the interview.

Questions to Ask About the Company and the Position

The questions you ask can be just as important as the questions you answer. By asking questions, you can learn more about the company's philosophy and atmosphere, the position you're interviewing for, and the company's expectations of its employees. Asking questions not only helps you learn more about the company, it also shows that you are seriously interested in the position.

Here are a few sample questions you can ask about the company and the position.

Questions You Can Ask About the Company

• What is your company's mission and vision?
• What are your future plans?
• What are the challenges facing the company?
• What is the company culture like? What are the values?
• How would you describe the atmosphere of this department?
• How many people are employed in your company?
• Do you have any other companies/subsidiaries?
• What is your corporate structure?
• Who are your main competitors?
• How many years have you been operating?

Questions You May Ask About the Position

• Is this position a newly created role or an existing role? If it is new, why was such a position needed?
• Where does this position fit within the company's organizational structure?
• How does a person in this position use their time? What activities will it perform?
• What are the two/three most important things you would expect from this person?
• Who does a person in this position interact with internally and externally?
• Is there room for improvement? What other career opportunities might there be for this position, if any?
• According to what criteria do you evaluate performance?
• What kind of job-related training opportunities do you offer?
• When will you make your decision?