Job interviews are extremely crucial for job seekers. Individuals who fail to tackle the questions posed to them in job interviews with courage often fail to get shortlisted in the crucial rounds. There are many factors that are considered while shortlisting a candidate. Some of the vital factors include appearance, dressing, hygiene, body language, communication skills and manners. These are the aspects that define a candidate as soon as the candidate enters the interview hall. When the interviews are short and last only a few hours, it is easy to maintain your looks, body language and other attributes. But if you have to appear a all day interview, things can be really tough. Here are some simple tips that will help you tackle day long interviews with ease. We will discuss about what questions you can expect and how you can prepare yourself to answer at the all day job interview.
How to Prepare for All Day Interview?
1. Stay Fresh All Day:
One big problem when you have to appear for day long interviews is that you need to stay fresh all day long. We tend to head for the interview completely fresh but if the interview involves several challenging rounds, by the second half of the day, all the freshness drains off. So you need to think of ways to stay fresh all day long. Here are some easy ways to stay fresh.
Wash Your Face at Regular Intervals:
If the weather is humid, you are bound to sweat during the daytime. It is a great idea to wash your face at regular intervals. It will help your face look fresh. If your skin is oily, pick a face-wash that gets rid of the oiliness. Washing your face at regular intervals also helps to cleanse the dirt from the face.
Carry a Comb, Handkerchief and a Deodorant:
The most stylish hairdo gets spoilt after a time interval. It is thus a good idea to carry a comb so that you can set your hair in the proper style at regular intervals. Carry a handkerchief as it is another vital accessory. It will help you wipe the sweat and stay hygienic. Individuals who sweat a lot should also carry deodorants along with them so that they can easily get rid of body odour.
Carry Hand Sanitiser:
Your hand can get dirty when you travel or when you handle food. A hand sanitiser helps you cleanse your hand on the go with much ease. It is thus advisable to carry a hand sanitiser when you are travelling for an interview.
2. Carry A Book:
Just like your body, even your mind needs refreshment. If you are completely worked up, you cannot perform well during the interview. If you are an avid reader, the best way to distract your mind is by reading a book. You may carry a novel or a fiction that can entertain you while waiting in the interview hall. The books help you get hold of new ideas and inspiring quotes that you may use to impress the interviewer.
3. Don’t Let Fatigue To Take Over:
One big problem with daylong interview is that you tend to get fatigued by the second or third round of the interview. So one should be ready for second and third round of interview and should not let fatigue take over. Once fatigue takes over you, it shows on your face. You tend to appear more stressed. This can appear less confident or even uninterested. To avoid this, you need to take special care. Physical fatigue or lack of energy can be tackled by refreshments like coffee and toffee. Emotional fatigue should be dealt with greater care. You can keep your mind fresh by playing brain games on your mobile phone. In case mobile phones are not allowed within the company premises, you may try solving puzzles in the newspaper to keep your mind rejuvenated and free of fatigue.
4. Be Prepared for A Long Wait:
Most candidates head for an interview thinking it would last for just an hour or two. When the interview extends beyond the expected duration, boredom and disinterest and fatigue creep in. These factors affect the composure of the candidate. Long wait often makes the candidate lose his confident attitude. As the preparation wears off, it becomes easy for the interviewers to question you.
If you want the interview to go smoothly, go prepared for long waits and several interview rounds. When there are few unexpected happenings, the interview would be simpler than you expect it to be.
5. Carry Spare Clothes:
While this might sound like a foolish or unnecessary tip to many of the readers. Yet if you have an interview in a remote location and you need to travel a couple of hours to reach the interview venue, this tip will prove extremely useful. Travelling through local transport like buses and trains can mean sweating and perspiring all along. By the time you reach the venue of the interview, you are too tired and worn. Your clothes smell of sweat and wearing the same clothes to the interview is a bad idea. You may pack a fresh pair of clothes to change when you reach the venue of the interview.
Be Mentally Prepared for Many Different Rounds:
When the interview lasts an entire day, there could be separate rounds to evaluate your unique skills. So you must prepare yourself to face many different rounds. Here we have mentioned a few of the common rounds that take place in the interviews that last an entire day.
1. IQ Test:
While in the past decade, interviews were simple with just one or two rounds that gauged the individual based on knowledge and experience, the modern interviews often last an entire day. These days they have tests and rounds that evaluate the intelligence quotient of an individual.
The IQ test may last just about 15 minutes or half an hour. The tests usually include Mensa puzzles, Sudoku, jigsaws and crosswords or other games that evaluate different mental abilities and skills.
There are firms and organizations that do not hire candidates if they fail in the IQ test. You can fare well in the IQ test only if you prepare for the same. It is thus a great idea to practice IQ questions and puzzles to keep your brain sharp.
2. Behavioural Interview:
These are interview rounds that try to gauge the true behaviour of the candidate. The questions asked during behavioural interviews are often tricky. Here are some of the questions asked during behavioural interviews. If you are prepared for the type of questions, you can answer them easily and promptly.
- Give me an example of an occasion in your previous organisation when you set a goal and were able to achieve the same?
- Explain an instance in your job life when you exhibited your leadership skills to get a project completed?
- Can you give an example of when you took an initiative and solved a certain issue related to work?
- Give an example of an instance where you knew your boss was wrong in his decision. Describe how you handled such a situation?
- Tell me an instance when you were compelled to think on your feet. How did you deal with it?
- Were you ever able to motivate a co-worker? Explain how it happened.
- Are you ambitious? Explain why you think you are ambitious?
3. Language Test:
Language proficiency plays a vital role in many different careers. Your communication skills need to be really good if you have to succeed in certain careers. If you are appearing for a job interview, you may have a separate interview round to evaluate your language skills. Here are some aspects they evaluate in the language test or interview.
Accent:
If you are applying for a job position where you have to continually interact with the clients, you need to have a proper accent. If you are able to pick up foreign accents to interact with clients from different regions, it would be an added benefit in certain careers.
Grammar:
You need to have a good grasp on grammar to work for reputed firms. Mistakes in clauses, infinitives, use of conjunctions and similar other errors are not acceptable in most of the reputed firms.
British / American Styles:
You need to be aware of the British and American styles of writing. You need to understand the difference in spellings and usages especially if you are in the writing career. When you apply for the position of the writer, editor or proofreader, you are bound to be asked questions relating to the difference in styles of English.
4. HR Round:
If you have reached the HR round, you can assume that you have cleared all other rounds. The HR round is usually restricted to a reputation check and salary negotiation. Be prepared for salary negotiation. In the HR round, you may be asked questions about reasons to leave the previous jobs. The firms just want to make sure that you can be relied on. If you are honest with your answers, you can be sure to get the job.
While all day long interviews are exhausting and sometimes annoying, if you are prepared for the challenges that would be posed, the interview would just be a cake walk for you.
