Cool Interview Tips

Media professionals are required to work round the clock in search of viable information that can be presented to the public. Recruiters, thus aim for candidates who are knowledgeable and can stretch themselves to work at the brink level.

Prior Preparations :

Resumes proved to be a master key to judge the candidates in first hand. Look through their previous performance and see if they have had relevant experience. Thus, initially it becomes important that the recruiters minutely scrutinize the resumes at hand and invite only those candidates who can offer a promising performance.

Secondly, in general, applicants are given a subject to work on, well before the interview. This subject can be presented as a short project, a documentary or as a Power Point Presentation as required by the media house. Some employers allow the candidates to choose and present the topics according to their own preference; whereas others may just offer a choice between three of four pre decided topics.

During the Interview :

Media interview is generally a long and detailed procedure that is full of discussions and debates. These interviews are not strictly restricted to question answer rounds. They are more conversational in nature, with a lot of exchange of information and facts. Thus, look beyond the usual questioning and try to figure out the intricate nuances of what the candidate can offer.

Conduct a detailed session to review the candidate's presentation. You can discuss with the candidate about the source of information, verification of facts, various causes, effects and its implications. The interviewer may also ask the reasons that prompted the candidate to choose the subject.

However, make sure the presentation, or the work submitted by the applicant is a genuine reflection of facts. A reporter's duty is to present un-tampered, authentic facts. Thus, ensure that the work submitted is not biased. On the contrary, the candidate may be asked to voice his/ her opinion about it and then be asked to render explanations.

A media professional has to handle a highly stressful job; thus, you will have to evaluate the candidates on that ground too. Prepare questions that need thinking on the feet. Develop a set of questions that test the candidates' spirit.

A good reporter has to maintain his composure even at a high degree of stress. Thus, stress testing questions must essentially form a part of the interview. One way of testing stress is to challenge the opinions or the facts that have been presented by the candidate. You can evaluate if the candidate can successfully manage to walk around the situation than give in to panic and stress.

Additionally, examine if the candidates are up-to-date with the current happenings. Discussions about the ongoing global activities will hint their interest and depth of knowledge. Encourage descriptive narration, so that you can also test their style of presenting data. Appreciate every opinion and suggestion that they may have to offer.

Closing the Interview :

Bring the interview to a formidable close, in spite of the gruesome interview procedure. Close the interview with end greetings and, give an estimate of the time limit to notify the outcome.