Get That Job: Mastering Job Interviews
I've heard it said?in fact, it might well have been me that said it ? there are few things more excruciating in professional life than the job interview. Job interviews are awful! Throughout my career I have attended many and conducted many more, and the truth is whether you are the candidate or the interviewer, job interviews are challenging and confronting and difficult ? but you can not only survive but learn to be a masterful interviewee by developing an understanding of what it is the interviewer needs to see and learning to conduct yourself with clarity and confidence.
Be prepared. Sounds obvious, right? You'd be surprised how many people don't get this part right. Make a detailed list of all the information you need about your interview, including the:
- Address
- Time
- Name of the person you are meeting
- Correct pronunciation of the interviewer's name
- Approximate length of time the interview is expected to take
- Directions to get to the meeting venue
Know the style of interview. When you make the appointment, ask what form the interview will take; is it a one-on-one interview? A panel interview? Or a group assessment activity? Ask if there will be any testing involved also. Knowing the style will help you to be better prepared and will prevent you from being surprised by an interview format different to what you were anticipating.
Know how to get there. If you plan to travel by public transport allow extra time in case of delays. If you are driving, allow extra time in case of delays. If you are walking, allow extra time in case of delays?you get the picture ? no matter how you plan to get there, allow extra time in case of delays, there's not many worse ways to start an interview than to arrive late and flustered.
Dress appropriately. Different workplaces and different professions have different codes of dress. Understand what is appropriate for the type of position and organisation you are interviewing for and err on the side of more conservative. Don't wear too much make up, jewellery, perfume or aftershave.
Do your homework. Research the company before the interview ? look at their website, pick up a copy of their annual report and ask others what they know about the organisation. It is inexcusable to front up for a job interview not knowing anything about the company and you'll never convince anyone that they should employ you if you don't even have a general understanding of the organisation you'd be working for. Use the information you find to develop some questions to ask at the interview.
Good first impressions. When you meet the person or people who will be interviewing you, look them in the eye, smile and greet them with a firm (not too hard) hand shake. If you aren't used to shaking hands or don't know how to shake hands properly? learn.
Smile. Concentrate on projecting a pleasant, relaxed, confident image. Smile and be personable throughout the interview ? you may feel nervous or even scared?but don't let it show.
Be conscious of your body language. Don't fidget, don't fold your arms, don't wave your arms about, don't lean back on your chair?it's just like your mother always told you!
Name drop. Address your interviewer by name frequently during the interview. People love the sound of their own name.
Listen intently. Give the interviewer your full attention when he or she is speaking. This will help you answer their questions appropriately and show that you are interested in the role and have a good grasp of common courtesy and professional behaviour.
Be a STAR. Formulate your responses using the STAR technique when responding to questions. Most interviewers use a competency-based interview technique. Many believe your past behaviour will predict your future behaviour so they ask questions to help them to understand what your past behaviours have been. STAR means:
- S ? Situation
- T ? Task
- A ? Action
- R ? Result
Always try to respond the following way: "The situation or task was ?, the action I took was ? and the result was..". Don't answer questions with words such as, "I would do this ? in that situation". Interviewers want specific examples of situations you have been involved in not hypothetical answers.
Be positive. Use positive, lively language. Act as though you already have the role ? use phrases such as, "When I am in the role", "When I start the job" and "When I begin working with you".
Take notes. Let the interviewer know that you will be writing down points as you discuss the role. This will help you to remember details after you leave and it gives you something to do that stops your hands from fidgeting and it can help to settle the nerves a little too. But, make sure you use a good pen, don't use a cheap pen for your job interviews. If you can't afford a nice one, borrow one. It is important to give a good impression and these small details can make an impact.
Know the content of your resume well. The interviewer is likely to refer to something you've written in your resume ? make sure you know it intimately and can answer questions about all your past roles, responsibilities and achievements. Also, know the timeline of your employment history well; it'll sound like you're trying to cover something up if you stumble over your own career chronology. Take additional copies of your resume with you ? one for yourself and another for your interviewer should they need it. White paper, black ink, staples in the left-hand corner is an ideal format for most roles ? leave the plastic folders and fussy presentation out.
Ask questions. Ideally an interview is an exchange ? you are getting to know the people and the organisation you might be working with as much as they are getting to know you. Make the interview interactive by asking your own questions in response to theirs and at the end of the interview ask any questions that have not yet been addressed. Always have questions ready to ask, you won't convince anyone that you rally want to work for their organisation if you don't want to know all about it. These are good questions to have on hand:
- When will I be notified I am successful for the job?
- When will I start this new job?
- How many people would I be working with?
- What floor would I be located on?
- What is the dress standard here?
Send a note. Take a few minutes to write a hand written thank you note to your interviewer and send it the same day. This will probably arrive quite unexpectedly and help to seal your interviewer's good impression of you and help you to stand out from the other candidates.
Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy ? and where they focus their attention ? Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://neenjames.com/
 Google News Updated : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:25:07 GMT Jersey beach closed after reports of medical waste find - Allentown Morning Call
Allentown Morning Call - Another beach in southern New Jersey has been closed today after receiving reports of more medical waste found on the beach -- this time in Ocean City. Three Ocean City beaches closed due to medical waste Medical Waste Shuts Down Ocean City Beach Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:33:19 GMT Number of uninsured Americans drops - Bizjournals.com
Bizjournals.com - The number of Americans without health insurance has dropped for the first time in several years, according to new figures released by the US Census Bureau. WellPoint spent $890000 on lobbying in 2Q Number Of Americans Without Health Insurance Drops Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:01:29 GMT Veoh Safe Harbor ruling could help YouTube in Viacom battle - Ars Technica
Ars Technica - By Nate Anderson | Published: August 28, 2008 - 11:25AM CT Do user-generated content (UGC) companies like YouTube and Veoh qualify for "safe harbor" protection under the DMCA, or can they be held financially liable for not cracking down harder on ... Judge grants Veoh DMCA safe harbor in copyright suit Judge: Veoh's Transcoding Is Not Piracy Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:31:30 GMT Russia trifles with genocide - Christian Science Monitor
Christian Science Monitor - Of Russia's many excuses for invading Georgia, its claim of preventing genocide has set back a new idea in human history. In 2005, the UN said the international community must intervene in countries suffering mass atrocities - putting mercy before ... Video: The Georgian crisis Georgia urges OSCE to deal with Georgian-Russian conflict Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:42:07 GMT Quest for a Thriller To Make You Think - Washington Post
Washington Post - By Ellen McCarthy That Steve Martin -- the "Wild and Crazy" guy from "The Jerk" and "Father of the Bride. New Movies Review: 'Traitor' (Don Cheadle) Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:47:20 GMT Safina Rolls Into Third Round - New York Times
New York Times - By Ray Krueger Dinara Safina, the sixth seed and picked by some to win the tournament, defeated Roberta Vinci, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the third round of the US Open today at Ashe Stadium. Silver Safina sails through (Extra) Russia's Dinara Safina Advances to Third Round at US Open Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:21:49 GMT Coen brothers' spy comedy divides Venice critics - Reuters
Reuters - By Mike Collett-White VENICE (Reuters) - The Coen brothers' latest film, the madcap comedy "Burn After Reading," has sharply divided the critics, unlike last year's acclaimed "No Country For Old Men" which won four Oscars including best picture. Video: Clooney, Pitt 'Burn' Down Venice Pitt and Clooney at Venice debut Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:55:11 GMT RSS Software |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... 1. GET THE POINT ? OF LIFE, THAT IS.... Read More One of the fastest growing sectors of the medical industry... Read More Look upon yourself as a company with a product or... Read More It Is Up To YouSo, you want to get promoted.... Read More There are many changes coming in the world of work,... Read More According to the U.S. Department of Labor, March 2004 had... Read More Making Your Future Work Better For YouIt's the commonest concern... Read More Q. I'm about to graduate High School and I don't... Read More The Bachelor is one of the many reality shows that... Read More It's amazing how we fool ourselves... while at the same... Read More Your cover letter is critical to your success. It sets... Read More More and more people are calling it quits to successful... Read More Performance appraisal should be treated as an ongoing developmental process... Read More Your resume is your sales letter. It may not get... Read More As a Certified Personnel Consultant working for Find Great People... Read More In the 1992 USA Presidential election, political strategist James Carville... Read More Many people, under financial or other pressures to find work... Read More Question: How do I market myself online?Answer: With a stellar... Read More To learn a language for career advancement is one of... Read More There is a huge shortage, which effects franchises costs in... Read More Another morning of job hunting lies ahead of you. You... Read More Many people are choosing telecommuting as an option to bring... Read More Whether you're a student job seeker or a polished and... Read More You've taken the police officer selection test or law enforcement... Read More Have you ever wanted to become a computer consultant, but... Read More
Adsense
websites
10 Steps to Escape the Job World and Create the Life You Really Want
Home Healthcare Careers
How to Manage Your Career Like a Business
How To Get Promoted - Take Control Of Your Destiny!
Top 10 Skills for New World of Work
Youre Fired Isnt The Finale
Where Do I Go From Here?
Should You Make A Career Decision Based Upon A Career Quiz?
Why Bachelors Make Bad Decisions: Five Tips to Move from Reality Television to Your Career Change
The Power to Succeed
Do You Need Help Writing A Winning Cover Letter?
I Quit!
How to Prepare for A Performance Appraisal
Writing Powerful Resumes ? 10 Golden Rules
Three Ways to Transition to a New Career
Job Hunting: Its Still The First Impression Stupid!
The Organized Job Search
Telecommuting Cover Letters
Learn a Language for Career Advancement
80,000 Americans Work in the Oil Change Industry
Job Search Advice for Desperate Job Seekers
Using Keywords to Find Legitimate Telecommuting Job Leads
What Can I Do To Improve My Job-Interviewing Skills?
Passing The Police Test Just Became Easier
How To Become A Computer Consultant
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Resume Success Factors--What Exactly Is A Resume Anyway?
You know you're good...real good. The problem, though, is that... Read More
How to Deal With Workplace Inflexibility
You've been a model employee: responsible, industrious, creative and productive.... Read More
Job Interviews -- The Four Worst Objections You?ll Face and How to Deal with Them
Dealing with tough questions and objections is an essential part... Read More
Do Dream Jobs Really Exist?
More than four out of ten thirtysomething professionals want to... Read More
Tips on Finding Employment as a Corporate Flight Attendant
I will not pretend that this is the easiest topic... Read More
Why Your CV/Resume is Not Generating The Interview Offers You Want
If your current CV or resume is not generating the... Read More
9 Secrets to Career Success
Are you miserable at your job (or what you are... Read More
Your Job Search Is A Marketing Campaign (Part 2)
Here's a continuation of my article from a few months... Read More
Work Is A Four-Letter Word
I can hear the jokes already and most of them... Read More
Using Keywords to Find Legitimate Telecommuting Job Leads
Many people are choosing telecommuting as an option to bring... Read More
Change Your Career, Change Your Life!
Lots of times I see and talk to people who... Read More
The Six Figure Job Search
Before we start discussing how to search for a six... Read More
Make Your Career Offshore Proof
There has been a lot of talk recently about American... Read More
How To Receive Payment as a Freelance Translator?
A problem most freelance translators are facing with is how... Read More
Ten Great Careers For Single Parents
The challenges of raising a child by yourself, whether you're... Read More
4 Internet Job Search Mistakes to Avoid
The Internet is the most powerful employment tool on earth.... Read More
The Career Athlete: What It Takes to Manage Your Career
Managing your career, just like managing your life, requires preparation... Read More
So You want to be a Bodyguard?
Then let me start by helping out. The politically correct... Read More
Salary, Raises, & Perks: Negotiate to Get Paid What Youre Worth!
Salary negotiation requires preparation and good timing. It's important to... Read More
Career Strategy When Your Boss is a Bully
Q. Right after I accepted my new position, the manager... Read More
Bullseye Interviewing
An interview is much like a blind date. You have... Read More
Minding Your Own Business
Think you have gone as far as you can in... Read More
The Dog Days of Job Hunting
Does a headline like this scare you? it should because... Read More
Women Who Quit Work Abrubtly After Childbirth - Are You the Type?
According to statistics one out of every five pregnant women... Read More
Start Working Before You Get Hired
What if there were a way to *prove* to any... Read More
Careers, Jobs & Employment |