In this task, I will be analysing my contribution to the selection process in
a given situation.
Firstly, I will be analysing the comments which I received from the
interviewer for my interview. In terms of strengths comes the fact that I
was calm, confident in myself and also maintained constant eye contact
with the interviewer. This benefitted me as when I was asked questions,
even though it demanded a lot of thoughts, I managed to do so effectively
by stating and backing up my points.
Moreover, from previous research, I had a strong knowledge of the skills
set required of sales personnel and thus I was able to reply to questions
with appropriate answers, demonstrating that I indeed have an interest in
the job position. However, next time, I would like to provide more in-
depth and detailed responses. For instance, instead of simply saying that
I’ve got the required skills and listing them, I could also quote real
examples when I have actually used such skills to strengthen my points
and impress interviewers.
On the other hand, I was also given the areas for development. In this
section, it is stated that I could research about other laws such as the
Consumer Protection Act or Trade Descriptions Act as they are more
directly related to the sales role. As a result, next time, before my
interview, I will go through a more thorough process of research to find
out not only about the job position and company, but also about the skills
required for the role and other legal aspects related to the job. If I have
researched and comprehensively prepared for the interview, I will be more
relaxed on the actual day and I might provide better and more impressive
answers and this will probably give me an advantage over other
candidates, thus increasing my chances of being successful.
In any forthcoming interview, I will also try to dress more appropriately as
interviewers also judge candidates upon their appearance. Although my
clothes were reasonably formal, I only received 4/5 points. Therefore,
next time, I will make an effort to obtain better feedbacks in terms of
appearance.
Overall, I have taken note that next time I need to research more about
the company that I am approaching. I also have to find out about the
skills and laws associated with different job roles as this will help me to
provide more in-depth answers during the interview and thus increase my
chances of being selected. In addition to this, given that the interviewers
judge candidates on how they look, act and sound, I will also work on
improving my tone by speaking louder and clearer. This will show that I
am a confident person, and in certain cases give an insight to interviewers
, about the communication skills which I possess, thereby showing them
that I will be able to communicate effectively with customers too.
As a conclusion to the above, we can denote that my interview has been
quite a pleasant experience, although I have identified some areas which I
have to improve on for my next one, in order to perform better.
Now, I will evaluate my experience of planning and participating in the
recruitment and selection process.
Initially, to plan for the interview, I practiced several possible questions
which the interviewer might ask as I have taken note that it enables me to
feel more confident on the actual day, given that I am well-prepared. I
made all the necessary preparations beforehand to be at ease on the next
day and therefore perform better during the interview. Also, I ensured
that I travel to the location early in order to arrive at the destination
before the allocated time to be at ease during the interview process.
In my opinion, I performed well during the interview. First, I greeted the
interviewer with courtesy and respect and shook hands firmly when I
walked into the room as it presents a good first impression. Moreover, I
was able to maintain my calm and confidence during the process and thus
reply to the questions with quality answers.
There are also some “Don’ts” that I have to take into consideration and
avoid in the future. To begin with, I have noticed that I made use of pause
words quite often when thinking about my answers and therefore I need to
avoid staggering and saying ‘euhm’ during my next interview as it
presents a bad image. Moreover, I also have to avoid sitting in a slouchy
posture as it might give an impression that I lack enthusiasm and as a
result the interviewer might think that am not suitable for the job position.
From my experience, I can denote that preparing for the interview and
practising related questions beforehand all help me maintain my calm and
cope with nervousness. Also, I have taken note that being free about 10
minutes before the interview enables me to settle down and keep better
control of the situation.
Nevertheless, there are still some skills which I have to develop in order to
achieve outstanding results in my next interview. That is, I need to
improve my responses and provide more detailed answers and long
answers to show the interviewer that I am both interested in the job and
the company. Moreover, I have to improve on my tone as sometimes my
voice tend to break and this might forward a bad impression.