What is a walk in interview?
Walk-in interviews are kind of interviews where candidates can just simply walk into the interview on a specified date and in a specified venue without any prior appointment. These interviews are organised by companies for initial screening of the candidates applying for a specific job position. It is a kind of open interview conducted by organisations. In walk-in interviews, every candidate interested in applying for the position can attend the interview as this will work as primary screening of candidates. These are on the spot interviews without prior appointments.
How does it work?
Every candidate who is interested in the job interview appears at the venue all at once, which is also an indication that these kinds of interviews invite more competition, as many people appear for the same job position and getting through the screening is a bit difficult. Sometimes organisations hold these walk-in interviews because they have multiple positions to fill and the positions are not limited to one or two slots. So even if there are many people , still there are fair chances of getting hired. Generally airlines and hotels hold these kinds of interviews . These interviews can be in two different forms. It can either be one on one or it can also be held in a meeting room. In some kinds of interviews , tables are set up where recruiters sit and take very brief interviews of the candidates. After that these candidates can interview for another line up interview or they can appear for the followup interview on a given date and venue whenever the interviewer schedules the interview. Some interviews also happen at job fairs. These interviews are also open interviews conducted by companies for hiring purposes. These interviews are taken in job fairs when they have positions open and less time to hire.
Duration of the interview and how to get a slot?
These interviews are generally brief kind of interviews with very basic and limited questions just to get to know the candidate well and know about his qualifications such that it is easier to conduct a primary screening and select candidates for the second interview. These interviews can be meant for seasonal employment or can also be meant for filling many positions all at once. These interviews are generally conducted on a first come and first serve basis. Organisations looking for job candidates often conduct daily or walk-in interviews to fill their position in regular intervals. Make sure to visit the venue on time because there are chances that many people will come flooding the venue. Therefore, go early and secure your slot.
How are walk-in interviews posted ?
Walk in interview leaflets can be distributed or a newspaper advertisement can also be posted. Some colleges are also informed about walk-in interviews. The companies inform the placement cell of the desired department they want students from and thus the students are informed and they appear for the interview with a desire to fill up the position. The formats of the newspaper or online advertisement would be , so and so organisation will be conducting walk-in interviews on a certain date in the following time slots, for example 9am to 11am, 1pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm, at XYZ venue. These advertisements have date, venue and time slots such that the candidates can select the desired time to appear for the interview. The first slot is generally the best time to appear for interviews.
What to wear?
So these interviews are generally conducted by corporate companies and we all know that corporate business suits are most suitable for such organisations and therefore wearing business suits would definitely make an impression there. Do not forget to wear a good pair of formal heels to match with the suit you wear.
What documents to carry in a walk in interview?
These interviews are not pre scheduled. Therefore, you might want to fill up a form to complete the job application at the venue itself. Other kinds of interviews are scheduled only after you fill a form and if they accept it , they send you the date and venue to appear for the interview. In these kinds of interviews you can just walk in and attend an interview. That's where the name comes from. Therefore carry every document you might need or require to fill up the job application. For safety, along with a resume, carry id cards, any other certificate or lor or anything important you have which you think might be useful for the walk-in interviews. These interviews are brief for sure but you never know what they ask from you.
Get ready well with those answers!
These interviews are conducted to know about the person in general, his or her education history, past jobs and experiences, any gap in the resume or they might also ask to reveal why you resigned from your previous organisation, if you did so. Also , have a very solid answer for questions like, where do you see yourself in next 5 years or why do you want to work for this company? Or what makes you feel that you are fit for our organisation? If you can impress the interviewers with a perfect answer to these questions, woah girl! You are all set to go! You will increase your chances of getting called for a second session of interview!
Wait for good sake and follow up in a proper way!
As there would be many applicants at the venue, it's very natural that you have to wait for your turn. Also , there might not be enough time for the recruiters to interview every applicant present there. So be prepared to spend time and might not be able to make it to the chair.
For following up, wait for sometime. It would be difficult for the recruiters or hiring managers to remember each and every face they meet at an interview, unless you do something great to stand out in the interview and not lay behind . The best way to do a followup is to take business cards from the people you meet at the interview from the organisation such that you have a proper email id to connect with. This way you would not spam other random emails and reach the desired inbox easily. Remember to be very formal in the email and provide every detail. Look for any candidate number or any number they might have assigned you at the job application and mention that such that it is easier to recognise you. If you are not selected , do not send an informal mail to them staging your anger. This would save your chance of appearing in any other interview the company would conduct in the future.
Final words
Walk-in interviews can be amazing opportunities for you because they do not screen the job application before scheduling the interview. Here you have the chance to express yourself. So make sure to ace this such that you get a call for the final interview! All the very best!