Career tip: Get set for interview

By THOMAS HUKAHU
LAST week, I stated that it is important to write a good application letter and discussed the essential bits that should be there.
I also mentioned that your letter must be free of error. It is your first attempt at contacting an organisation or firms and introducing yourself as the best candidate for a job, therefore you must make sure it is well-written.
In this issue’s discussion, I will give you some ideas on how best to get prepared for an interview as well as what you should do during an interview.
Getting ready for an interview
If you are fortunate with your application letter, the firm or organisation you are interested in will ask you to go for an interview.
While waiting for the interview day, these are some things you can do:
Firstly, be sure to read about the organisation or firm you have applied to.
One of the questions you could be asked by an interviewer is what you know about their organisation or company.
When I was interviewed for a contracted teaching job in a neighbouring island nation, I made sure I read about the nation, its population and the kind of people who lived there.
That helped me demonstrate to my two interviewers things I knew about their island nation as well as their young people.
Secondly, have your cell phone on at all times, particularly during the day. That may be the best way they will use to get in touch with you.
The Director of Education of that Pacific nation called me at about 11am (back in 2008) while I was tidying up stuff on my office desk in a school in Port Moresby. It was an overseas call and he informed me, if I was willing to, to attend an interview session at Holiday Inn.
Fortunately for me, I was free after recess and arranged with the head of school to go for the interview and return for the activities in the afternoon.
So, you have to plan to receive your interview call at odd times. And if you do, be ready to make arrangements to be excused from whatever you are engaged in.
Thirdly, get your clothes ready – the clothes that you would be wearing for the interview. If you do not have good clothes and a pair of shoes, borrow them from your relatives or friends.
Fourthly, if it may help, get a friend or relative to go through a mock interview session with you.
That is, have them interview you and have you responding to their questions. That may help prepare you for the real thing.
The day of your interview
When you are asked to go for an interview, take that seriously and be at your best before and during the interview.
It is likely that there may be more than one interviewer, as in the case of having a panel speaking or listening to you. If that is your first time for such an interview, prepare yourself psychologically for that – to calm your nerves.
And, if you believe in God, say your prayers so that you are not too obviously nervous and mess up your chances of winning the job you are interviewed for.
Here are some tips on what you should do before and during an interview:
Firstly, take a good night’s rest before the day of the interview so you look sharp and give the best impression. It will not be in your favour if you look sleepy during the session.
Secondly, make sure you clean up and dress well for the session. “First impressions make lasting impressions”, so they say.
“Clean up” means trimming your untidy hair, shaving your bushy beard, take a good shower or bath and splash on some lotion or rub on deodorant. “Dress well” means shed your streetwear shorts and sneakers and dress like a professional.
Thirdly, turn up on time. If the interview is to be at 9am, ensure that you are near the interview venue at 8am and move into the premises at 8.30am. It is likely that if a candidate for the 8am time slot is not present, they may ask for the next person in the list – and that may be you.
Fourthly, be attentive during the interview and be interested in what is being said. Do not look bored and look out the window, or the wall above the head of an interviewer.
Fifthly, ask questions, when you are given the chance to do so.
Your questions may be related to what they have shared with you – or what you may have learned from other sources, as in your private research about their organisation.
When I was interviewed for a job with The Salvation Army Education Division a decade ago, the panel asked me what I knew about their organisation and they were a bit amazed that I knew quite a bit about their founder William Booth due to me studying Church History by reading books on different Christian denominations.
Sixthly, for some jobs, you may be asked to sit for a test (or tests) before the actual interview, and you must be prepared for that.
When I was called by the human resources manager regarding the application letter I sent for a newspaper reporter’s job years ago, he informed me that I should first turn up for a test. Actually, there were a number of papers we were to write which assessed our writing skills as well as our general knowledge about our nation and the world.
Upon completing the tests, a few applicants were then selected to go for an interview with a senior manager (on another day) and the decision to hire candidates was made after that interview session.
Seventhly, for teaching jobs, some institutions may ask you to do a lesson demonstration before an interview session.
They may want to see you demonstrating your teaching skills. Be prepared for that in writing your lesson plan and sorting your teaching aids – like your charts and worksheets.
After the lesson, the panel would meet and then call you in to give you the result, whether they think you will be become a member of their organisation.
Eighthly, you may be asked to bring along the originals of your certificates and transcripts (for college and university students). These should be kept in a clear folder.
You should have sent them copies of your documents but bring along the originals for them to sight on interview day.
Today, many people use fake documents to secure employment and contracts, therefore firms and organisations have the right to verify your documents.
If you are an artist, the interviewer may want to see a portfolio of your designs. Bring them along for the interview.
Phone interview – another mode
I could have discussed this in the last section but decided to do that separately as this is not the normal type of interview.
You can be asked to do a phone interview session with a recruiter from an organisation, particularly if you are living far from their place of operation – like they are interviewing applicants in Port Moresby and you are in Manus and they cannot fly you over for the session.
In that case, you have to ensure that your phone is charged and ready to be used and you should also be ready for that.
This mode of interview is also convenient if the organisation interested in you is situated in Fiji or the UK and wants to do the interview with you.
Additionally, be aware of their time zones, like 8am in Fiji would be 6am in PNG, so you have to wake up early for the interview. Or, 10am in London is 8pm in PNG.
Police and medical checks
Some organisations or firms will require you to do a police check and a medical check.
Visit your nearest police station and enquire about how you can do the check.
For the medical check, enquire at your local hospital as to when you can get a check done.
For convenience and fast processing (years ago), I visited a private hospital to get the necessary checks done for a medical certificate to verify that I was healthy and fit. (If you are going to get your checks done in a private hospital, ensure that you have money to pay for the service. It is not going to be cheap, but it will be convenient.)

Tips applied for place in a school
The tips given above are useful for a job interview. However, the main ideas can also be applied in the case that you are visiting a school to ask for a place. They can be suitably applied if you are speaking with an officer in charge of scholarships, if you want to apply for those.
Be neat and tidy and presentable in those sessions.
Bring along the originals of your certificates and other documents.
And be patient to wait – often, you may have to wait the whole day for your time, if there are many applicants.

• Next issue: Your first days at work.
  Thomas Hukahu is a freelance writer.