How To Understand The Basic Characteristics of your Interviewer
Every individual has a specific situation bothering him/her in every individual life and your
interviewers cannot be left out of this experience.
However, If you can sense
an interviewer's style and build rapport with them, you’ll have confidence in
providing specific information that will give you an edge over your interviewers.
Listed below are the characteristics you should take
note of in your interviewers:
1. Inattentive:
There is a time that the interviewer isn’t mentally present, maybe he/she is
thinking of something more important or something happened before your
interview that really bothered his/her mind. It’s impossible to impress this
kind of interviewer that is distracted by something. Such an individual can
equally purposely try to distract your attention to make you fail miserably.
It’s very important for you to keep a good impression of yourself by smiling
and don’t panic. At times a scenario of an impending crisis may be created to test
your attitude or how you’re going tackle such a situation in your place of
work. You may equally give your best approach and offer him/her to reschedule.
But make sure to give a good account of yourself address to send him/her the right
message and be prepared to attend the interview if rescheduled.
2. Friendly:
This is the type of interviewer that gives jokes, smiles, and tells you to take it
easy on yourself. But he/she aims for you to put in a relaxed mind in such a
way that you will then unconsciously expose too much information (ones that can
be detrimental to your career) about yourself. You should be kind, and friendly but
at the same always remember that you shouldn’t also get carried away doing this.
Stick with your goal. Remember you’re not part of them yet. You should be wary
of putting yourself in a tight corner where you wouldn’t be able to scale
through the interview stage while pursuing your career.
3. Interrogator:
This is a typical type of interviewer that seems not to show any emotion and
inflicts tension on the applicants. The best thing you can do is stay calm,
focus, and show respect and confidence. This kind of interviewer observes how you
can deal with this kind of scenario. And remember that most interrogator types of
interviewers often became your best advocate throughout your interview process
or even into the job. These types of interviewers are always hell-bent on making
sure that the company employs the best candidates for the vacant position,
though they may prove too strict and rigid once you put in your best, and believe that you can make it through.
4. Laser
Beam: This type of interviewer only focuses on one topic. Like discussing quotas, this style is for line managers. When you find yourself in this
type of interview, you should make it a point of duty to fulfill his/her
expectations of you. Satisfy his/her judgment and move on. Don’t derail or
fidgety while responding to any question(s) being asked, because those
questions are not meant to make sure that you fail it is just a clear indication
that they are employing the best candidates for the job. See it in that
direction and stay focused.
5. Shotgun:
This is the type that wants to discuss anything. The questions are all over the
place, you even don’t have a vacant time because he/she is full of questions.
This is where your anxious presentation really pays off because you can
involve your strengths in many distinct exposures to the job. Your experience
can give you an edge in this type of
interview, but yet you must be very careful in answering not to derail while
responding to questions asked.
6. Silver Bullet: Believes there's one magic question to ask -- and one magic response
that determines whether you're right for the job. The Silver Bullet asks a few
hasty questions about your skills. Then ask “off-the-wall” questions, which are
questions you didn’t even expect. Even though these questions don’t have a
wrong answer he/she decides if it’s yes or no. Simply answer every question and
don’t worry about your answers too much.
While
preparing for an interview, you must try as much as possible to alter your approach
to different situations you may find yourself in life and in which you may
equally experience with your Interviewers: You should prepare yourself to step
into a situation of power when you identify the interviewer's style and adjust
your approach accordingly. As you prepare for the interview, ask yourself,
"How might my answers be different for different interview styles?"
With a
Laser Beam, for example, you might offer him a choice when you begin answering
a question ("Would you like to talk about this aspect of the job or that
one?"). An achievement story for a friendly Interviewer might focus more
on your teamwork skills, and the same story for an Interrogator Interviewer,
because you might begin by stating the results of your individual work. The
more you show your emotional knowledge by understanding the interviewer's
objective for that interview, the more likely he'll be able to listen to you.
