Job Interview | BBA & MSc ESADE Career Forum

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Students
How to prepare for a job interview
What is a job interview?
Goals and preparation
Types of interviews
Behavioral interviews
Other sources of information and/or examples
What is a job interview?
The job interview is the most widely used procedure for determining who gets a job offer. Interviews occur both
at the beginning and during the selection process.
The interview is the key phase in the selection process. Complemented with other screening tests, the personal
interview is intended to:
Contrast with the other data that those responsible for selection process have already gathered about you.
Test specific skills that cannot be evaluated by other means.
But beyond all that, the main objective is to know you as a person.
In an interview, the aim is not to find candidates who can correctly answer all questions and know all the
“tricks”, but discover the person who has the personal qualities necessary to fit in the company. So, try to be
yourself, do not make an effort to distort the reality because:
In the end, the interviewer will notice and it will put you at a disadvantage.
Moreover, only you can know if the company is right for you. In the worst case scenario, if you do not
pass a specific interview by just being yourself, then that surely means the position was not the right fit for
you. And that's good news!
Fear of failure is a concept that exists in every beginner‘s head. This is probably because this process feels like a
test. Nothing is further from the truth. This “test” is an opportunity for the interviewer and interviewee to get
to know each other:
Nobody has to prove anything more than who is.
If you apply this motto to your interviews, you will have a calm approach and will be therefore more likely to do
well. Has anyone ever told you of the importance of asking good questions to the interviewer about the
company? Now you know why.
Goals and preparation
In the interview you will meet a person who has two specific goals:
First, to find out if you are the ideal candidate for the position (if you can perform the tasks required, have
the knowledge required and the desire to occupy the position).
Second, is to try to predict your performance in that position.
To resolve both issues, along with your CV, the interviewer will take time and effort to find out what kind of
person you are, what values you have and what your priorities are.
On your part, besides showing that you fit the profile, you must try to understand if the position and the
company to which you are applying fit your future career plan. Do not try to fool the interviewer or fake a paper
for a job because if you do not fit the profile the company is looking for, chances are you will probably not fit in
the job or the team, thereby not achieving your main goal which is to find the place that best fits your attributes.
Before an interview, it is important that you search for information about the company and the job you're
interested in, because sometimes they can ask: “Why do you want to work for this company?”, or “Why do you
want that position and not another?”
Do not try to score points in the interview by answering yes to everything or trying to make the interviewer
believe you always wanted to work in their company or that you know everything already. This will only lessen
the appearance of your enthusiasm and curiosity about the job.

It is also advisable to practice a lot during this phase of the selection process so that you can beat your main
enemies in the interview: the fears and uncertainties that could cause you make mistakes or get confused. In
fact, many candidates first line up interviews with companies that are not in their list of priorities in order to
practice and get the experience necessary for the interviews with their favorite companies.
During the interview, it is essential that you listen carefully to the interviewer, especially when he/she is
talking about the tasks to be carried out in case you join the company. If you do not understand something or
you have any doubts about the job functions, feel free to ask the appropriate questions, preferably at the end of
the interview. Always let the interviewer lead the conversation and do not make the mistake of talking more
than necessary.
In the interview, time is money.
Do not lose it talking about unimportant issues that say little about you. It is better for you to organize yourself
ahead of time in order to squeeze the possibilities of promoting yourself throughout the interview. The
personal interview is the time where you can make the difference with the other candidates: do not limit
yourself, but answer questions briefly.
Take every opportunity to provide the information you want
for them to know about you, but only if it has some
connection to the question that they asked.
The interviewer will direct the session to the areas where he/she is most interested, but you can do the same
with your answers.
It is important that before the interview you review your CV, think about your strengths and weaknesses to
present your only your best for the company. When reviewing your past experiences reflected on your CV,
remember that sometimes understanding why you did something has more significance than the act itself. They
will ask you “why?” to almost everything and you must know to answer and support it with good arguments.
Types of interviews
The phone interview: It usually catches you off guard and many companies use it as another filter before
the interview. Therefore, in the job search process you have to be prepared for any call, have enough
information on the company and know what you want to say.
The personal interview: Here the interviewer tries to create a nice environment that makes communication
easier and allows him/her to know you and assess your suitability for the job. Its aim is to get as much
information as possible about you, therefore, provide all you can, do not remain silent and try be natural!
Remember that each interview is unique and is just about getting to know you.
The technical interview: The purpose of this interview is to evaluate your technical knowledge on a
particular issue, either your school or your possible future job in the company. This interview leaves little
room for improvisation and is shorter than the last.
The stress interview: It tries to see how well you do with more aggressive postures to try to understand
how you would react in similar situations while working at the company. Therefore, the interviewer will play a
role that will put you in a "complicated" situation. To succeed, it is best to show respect but still you must
defend your place and not fall apart. As a curiosity, you could see the Spanish film “The Method” based on
the play “The Gronhölm Method”, and directed by Marcelo Pineyro.
The case method: This test will get you closer to the company's business reality. Through a real case you
would have to engage in a process of analysis and discussion about how to make decisions, which are the
most appropriate and why. It is intended to study the situation, identify problems, reach your own
conclusions and defend your ideas.
Brain teasers: The brain teasers are questions that seek to discover your analytical ability. Actually, it is not
about giving the correct answer, which will often be impossible, but reasoning properly in order to reach
conclusions that are more or less acceptable. There are many different types, from mental arithmetic to logic.
Behavioral interview
Interviews usually focus on behavior, and for this reason they are sometimes referred to as behavioral
interviews. There are two basic approaches to asking behavioral questions:
To ask the interviewee to describe specific instances of past behavior that reflects a competency that the
employer is looking for in applicants. The assumption behind this approach is that past behavior is the best
predictor of future behavior.
To pose hypothetical situations that might arise on the job. The interviewee is then asked to describe what
she/he would do. The assumption behind this approach is that behavior on the job can be predicted by an
applicant’s intentions.
Other sources of information and/or examples
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm

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http://www.best-interview-strategies.com/questions.html