GUIDE FOR JOB INTERVIEWS BY DOROTHY ABEYWICKREMA

Iwas indeed intrigued by the title of the book and was curious to find out for myself what these particular skills were, which could be learnt or perhaps, even mastered by the reader, enabling him to face a sharp and searching single Interviewer or even a formidable interview board, with assured confidence and aplomb.

With the author’s impressive career background as a researcher at Levers initially, with a long spell at Ceylon Tobacco thereafter, as a key human resource person, she had equipped herself admirably to set herself up as a much sought after consultant in the field of Human Resources Management, following her retirement.

Bradman Weerakoon, who had been a contemporary of the author at the university, has in an arresting preface bemoaned, not having had the benefit of reading Dorothy’s book prior to presenting himself before interview boards as a young job aspirant in the distant past. In fact, this very same thought crossed my own mind while reading Dorothy’s book, which is replete with the intensely practical guidelines given to both the interviewee as well as to the interviewer. I could not help thinking ruefully, how advantageous it would have been to me, if I had had access to a book like Dorothy’s before facing the intimidating PSC interview boards in Room 104 in the Old Secretariat! Further, this book would also have been immensely beneficial to me later on in my career when I had to serve as a member / chairman of the numerous interview boards where recruits were interviewed and selected to posts at different levels in the Public Service.

Part 1 of the book, comprising six chap- ters, focuses on the interviewee who may be having his /her O’Levels or A’Levels or a university degree as the case may be. With empathic understanding, the author takes the young job aspirant through all the conceivable stages of the entire interviewing process, commencing with the filling up of the application for the job, the preparation for the interview etc. The pre-interview preparation is dealt with by the author in meticulous detail by creating awareness in a person most suited to be slotted into the vacancy with the confident expectation that the new recruit would live up well to the expectations of the company.

The author has further devoted two chapters in Part III of her book to ‘Interviews in other Employment Settings which dwell on Interviews in different employment settings viz. Performance Appraisal and Review Interviews Disciplinary Interviews, Orientation Interviews, Exit Interviews and Removal Interviews. The skills required to equip oneself with, before facing such interviews are enumerated succinctly by the author in these two chapters.

What strikes the reader most in the book

What strikes the reader most in the book is the simplicity of expression of all the instructions and guidelines laid down, which are coherently integrated into an easily comprehensible whole

is the simplicity of expression of all the instructions and guidelines laid down, which are coherently integrated into an easily comprehensible whole. One marvels at the skill of the author in virtually riveting the detailed instructions along with the explanatory charts, to form an organic whole, giving the entire instructional discourse, purpose and self -consistency. There is no overstatement here, no hollow rhetoric, no vaunting panache, attempting to lend a mystical arcana into the whole exercise. If anything, one sees in these comprehensive preparatory guidelines, a deep and sincere commitment of the author to introduce in readily comprehensible terms, certain vital communication skills to the interviewee and additionally to enhance and develop interviewing skills in the interviewer .One sees in the carefully delineated exposition, a sustained enthusiasm, a quiet unobtru- sive exultation, combined with a sense of professional detachment, in reaching towards excellence. The wide experience of the author in the specialised field of Human Resources Management has ensured this reassuring professional touch that imbues the job applicant, with the confidence stemming from the special aptitude he has acquired by equipping himself with the guidelines laid down in the book, to go before an interview board without any nagging sense of inadequacy or apprehension.

I would consider this an indispensable book of guidelines both to the job aspirant (the interviewee) as well as to the interviewer who dutifully sets himself the daunting task of selecting the candidate best suited to fill the job vacancy in his company.