Human Resource Interview Tips

Human Resource Interview Tips

The interview is an opportunity for both, the interviewer and the candidate to market themselves. The employer is selling the organization to you, and you are marketing your skills, knowledge, and personality to the employer. Remember that interviews are varied and so they cannot therefore be easily categorized.

Following are some human resource interview tips:

1.       Be prepared

Preparation increases confidence. Practice with your friends or relatives. Remember that everyone who is interviewing is not necessarily a good interviewer.

You may prepare by reviewing magazine and newspaper articles. You may check out their web site. Read your resume before your interview. It will keep your answers fresh.

 2.       Location and punctuality

Find out the location of organization. Make sure you have a map or directions as well as information of the nearest railway station.
Arrive 5-10 minutes early. Arriving early will give you the opportunity to read some information on the company in the reception area.

 3.       Be professional

Professional look always helps for good impression. Be careful about your dressing. Be aware of the company culture and ensure you dress to impress. Decide what you are going to wear the night before to avoid making the wrong choices.

4.       Be polite

Don't interrupt to the interviewer. Listen very carefully. Poor listening skills are responsible for the bad impression.
If the interview is being conducted in a restaurant, mind your table manners. If the interviewers are serious and soft-spoken, then you should be same as interviewer. Avoid loud laughter during the interviewer.

 5.       Be positive

Keep in mind that there is only one chance to make a first impression. Every company wants employees who are goal-oriented, career-driven, enthusiastic and motivated. Be the employee as they want. End the interview on a positive note. The hiring official needs to know that you are interested, enthusiastic and excited about the position and the company.

 6.       Be practical

If you are experienced then the interviewer already knows your current salary and benefits package. When the topic of salary comes up state that you know they will make a fair offer.

If you are offered the position during the interviewing process and you want the job then accept it. If the offer is not acceptable for any reason, ask for time to consider the offer.

 7.       Human resource interview tips - Do's

 -Have a firm handshake.

-Be sincere and direct.

-Introduce yourself in a courteous manner.

-Read company materials while you wait.

-You have to prepare for questions and listen carefully to the interviewer.

-Ask about the next step in the process.

-Thank the interviewer.

-Learn about the Human Resources Analyst Program and understand the different facets of human resources.

-You never know what the interviewer will ask you about, so be prepared to talk about anything you have included on your resume. You should be truthful about your experiences and skills.

 8.       Human resource interview tips - Don'ts

 -Don't show depression or discouragement.

-Don't start the topics like salary, benefits or working hours.

-Don't look at your watch.

-Don't take extensive notes.

-Don't be too serious.

 9.       Follow up

Always write a thank you note immediately after the interview. If there are number of interviewers then send a copy of thank you letter to each person. Summarize your qualifications and how they meet the expectations of the position.

 Some common HR Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself?
     I am down-to-earth, sweet, smart, creative, industrious, and thorough.

2. How has your experience prepared you for your career?

Coursework:
Aside from the discipline and engineering foundation learning that I have gained from my courses, I think the design projects, reports, and presentations have prepared me most for my career.

Work Experience:
Through internships, I have gained self-esteem, confidence, and problem-solving skills. I also refined my technical writing and learned to prepare professional documents for clients.
 Student Organizations:
By working on multiple projects for different student organizations while keeping up my grades, I've built time management and efficiency skills. Additionally, I've developed leadership, communication, and teamwork abilities.
 Life Experience:
In general, life has taught me determination and the importance of maintaining my ethical standards.

 3. Describe the ideal job.
Ideally, I would like to work in a fun, warm environment with individuals working independently towards team goals or individual goals. I am not concerned about minor elements, such as dress codes, cubicles, and the level of formality. Most important to me is an atmosphere that fosters attention to quality, honesty, and integrity.

 4. What type of supervisor have you found to be the best?
I have been fortunate enough to work under wonderful supervisors who have provided limited supervision, while answering thoughtful questions and guiding learning. In my experience, the best supervisors give positive feedback and tactful criticism.

 5. What do you plan to be doing in five years' time?
Taking the PE exam and serving in supervisory/leadership roles both at work and in pofessional/community organization(s).

 6. What contributions could you make in this organization that would help you to stand out from other applicants?
In previous internships, my industriousness and ability to teach myself have been valuable assets to the company. My self-teaching abilities will minimize overhead costs, and my industriousness at targeting needs without prompting will set me apart from others. Additionally, one thing that has always set me apart from my scientific/engineering peers are my broad interests and strong writing abilities. I am not your typical "left-brained" engineer, and with my broad talents, I am likely to provide diverse viewpoints.

7. What sort of criteria are you using to decide the organization you will work for?
Most importantly, I am looking for a company that values quality, ethics, and teamwork. I would like to work for a company that hires overachievers.

8. What made you choose your major?
My academic interests are broad, so I sought civil engineering to achieve a great balance of mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, and writing.

9. Have your university and major met your expectations?
The College of Engineering at MSU has exceeded my expectations by providing group activities, career resources, individual attention, and professors with genuine interest in teaching.

My major has met my expectations by about 90%. I would have enjoyed more choices in environmental courses, and would have preferred more calculus-based learning.

 10. What made you choose this college?

I chose this college for the following reasons: my budget limited me to in-state schools, I was seeking an area with dog-friendly apartments, the MSU web site impressed me, I saw active student groups, and the people were very friendly.

 11. List 2-3 of your greatest achievements since you've been in college and why? Receiving the SWE Outstanding Member Award and College of Engineering Student Service Award.

I got involved with student activities to overcome my debilitating shyness. Receiving these awards signified that I had accomplished a transition from dragging myself to participate to feeling energized by it.

Receiving the SWE Web Site Award.

Without training in web design, I competed against not only the other student sections, but professional sections around the nation. Despite competing with more HTML-experienced people, I brought this award to my section. After getting so much from SWE, I was able to give something back.

Earning the highest grade in an organic chemistry class of ~200 people.

I worked very hard for this grade and loved the subject, so it was a great feeling to see that the hard work paid off.

12. Which subjects have you enjoyed studying the most and why?

I have enjoyed hydrology, fluids, solid & hazardous waste management, water and wastewater treatment, and oceanography because I love water and environmental topics.

Calculus and linear algebra excite me because I love logic.
I enjoyed the writing and analysis in economic history.
Business law thrilled me because I have a strong interest in legal matters.

 13. Which subjects did you dislike and why?
Introductory soil elicited little interest in me, most likely because the professor was inexperienced, the book was ineffective, and I had little spare time that semester to look into other resources.

 14. Do you have plans to continue your education?
Yes, but not immediately. I plan to continue part time with either an MBA or an environmental engineering masters, depending on which will be more beneficial to my work.

 15. How would a professor who knows you well describe you? One who does not know you well?
A professor who knows me well would likely describe my personal qualities: sweet, down-to-earth, smart, hard-working, and conscientious.
As specific examples of those who did not know me well, my soils professor and soils teaching assistant each considered me smart and respectful, and both thought that I must have enjoyed the clss a lot, due to my performance.

16. Given the chance, how would you alter your education?
Knowing now what I like the most, I would have used my electives for extra math and psychology classes, since I tend to be well-rounded enough that a variety of classes are unnecessary; my personal reading is diverse enough. I have found that mathematics and psychology are helpful to all career and life paths.

 17. Which part-time job did you enjoy the most and why?
Working for PM Environmental was most enjoyable to me, since I felt like I was significantly contributing to the company, and I enjoyed learning on my own.

18. Interests:
Some of my interests include dogs, hiking, snow-shoeing, water sports, writing, reading (especially Charles Dickens' novels), skiing, drawing, crafts, and computers.

 19. What are your strengths?
My strongest strength is the ability to teach myself difficult material, regardless of the subject (with the exception of theater and drawing blood from dogs, which I have no talent for). Additionally, I have always excelled verbally and look forward to writing opportunities.

20. What are your weaknesses?
I tend to try to do too many things, leaving little time for myself. I have worked on balancing myself for the last several months. I am also working on improving my public speaking skills.

21. What sort of serious problems have you experienced, and how have you handled them?
My apartment building burned down at the end of January during one of my semesters at MSU. Before the fire got too bad, I was able to rescue my pets and the neighbor's dog, as well as my textbooks and backpack, but I lost most of my mementos and possessions. While the firemen were preparing their hoses, I drove to school (with the animals in the car) to meet my lab partners, who were waiting for me. I explained the situation, emailed my professors, and rushed back to the apartment.
Fortunately, I had renter's insurance. I missed about a week of school to deal with the insurance matters and find a new place to live. In order to salvage my grades and sanity, I dropped a course and honored my existing student group and research commitments. Staying active socially and keeping myself well-rounded were the best healing tools for me. Within a few weeks, I was caught up and had recovered reasonably from the loss of sentimental items.

 22. Do you or have you in the past experimented with illegal drugs?
No. My only addictions are caffeine and sugar.

 23. Would you be willing to take a drug test?
Of course.

 24. Do you drink alcohol socially?
No, but I enjoy Shirley Temples quite a bit.