What the Interviewer Is Really Assessing

The following criteria will usually be touched upon in the interviewer's written report:

1. Physical appearance: Grooming, bearing, and self-confident manner.

2. Personality: Friendliness, ability to establish rapport and charm, sense of humor.

3. Communication skills: Ability to express ideas clearly, fluently, and intelligently.

4. Motivation: Soundness of career choice, conviction of interests.

5. Maturity: Ability to undertake responsibility that the career entails.

6. Interests: What educational, social, and cultural interests do you have?

7. Level of concern: Do you have a genuine interest in people, their problems, and helping them solve them?

8. Emotional stability: Composure while under pressure.

9. Intellectual potential: Have you truly demonstrated superior intellectual abilities?

10. Overall subjective reaction of the interviewer to the applicant.

Evaluate yourself in terms of items 1 to 9 as honestly as possible and work to improve your weaknesses. By subjecting yourself to mock interviews by your peers, you can determine where your weaknesses are, and how well you are doing to overcome them. Allow your mock interviewers to be honest and candid (even if it hurts your feelings.)