Interviews

The Job Interview: Facing the Tough Questions

You are in your job interview and the prospective employer looks at your resume and sees that you are not working. She then asks, “Why did you leave your job?” Do you have an answer ready for her? How you answer questions like this will determine how the rest of the interview will go.

As part of your preparation for your interview, sit down and write all the questions that you can think up if you were interviewing you. Consider questions you have heard in previous interviews. Ask your friends what their worst interview questions were.

The question used above will almost always be asked if you are not currently employed. Other common questions are: Why are you leaving your current job? What is the hardest thing you have had to do on the job? How do you handle obnoxious employees or co-workers? Have you ever been fired from a job?

Look at each question and honestly create a positive response. It is your job to turn your negatives (and everyone has them) into positives. Show how you made a mistake but you have made this a strength in your career, addressing the issue and making the changes needed to be successful.

Create a statement for each question where you answer truthfully, but craft the response in the most favorable terms. Keep the response short. 30 seconds is all that you should be talking, which allows only 3 to 5 sentences. Longer answers tend to indicate that you are trying to cover up an issue, and may result in actually revealing more than you should.

If you have written down every question that you thought up and have answered them, then when the interviewer asks a question you were not expecting, you will have practice in how to address the questions. Remember, interviewers ask questions and the job seeker who answers the questions the best usually gets the job.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Interview

What Your Body Tells Your Prospective Employer

Congratulations! You are scheduled for a job interview. One of the most important areas of your interview is not what you say but what you do. Your body language will tell your potential employers as much about you as your verbal language.

When they greet you, if they hold out their hand, shake it and return the same pressure they are giving you. A weak handshake portrays you as weak. A hard handshake might be irritating. If they have a bone-crushing handshake, do not get into a handshaking competition. Just give a nice firm shake and pull back.

Sit down when invited, and then sit up. Slouching gives the perception that you don’t really care if you are hired. Keeping your back straight portrays confidence, pride in yourself and that you are a competent person.

Avoid nervous behavior–tapping your pencil or a finger, twirling your hair, playing with a bracelet, pen cap, pen clicker or earring are the types of behavior you should avoid when you want to portray confidence. If you stroke your chair arm, pen, pencil or your own leg or arm, you are showing a need for comfort. Remember the time-worn advice to children: Don’t Fidget!

During the interview, keep your hands away from your mouth as this conveys the sense of hiding something or not answering the questions completely. Crossing your arms will often be perceived as disagreement with the interviewer, blocking information, or protecting yourself.

Maintain eye contact with the interviewer without staring. This portrays confidence, honesty and acceptance. As they are speaking, nod your head in agreement. This conveys the point that you are listening to them and understanding what they are saying. Be sure to actually listen too.

The interview is your opportunity to shine. Give yourself every chance to win by using your body language to sell yourself to the interviewer. You only get one first chance. Make it count with good body language.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Prospective Employer

Searching For Jobs Online

: Image via CrunchBase

Looking for a job online can often seem challenging due to the overwhelming amount of job advertisements and websites available. Selecting the correct job ads to apply to is just as important as an impeccable resume or upstanding experience. By learning how to select the right jobs to apply too the chances of getting a return call are vastly increased, which can lead to an interview and a potential employment opportunity.

Developing a strategy to find a potential job opening in your career field can be challenging. The first thing that you need to consider is what job websites cater to your specific career. While searching general job ads such as on Craigslist can be productive its often much easier to find jobs specifically oriented towards your career on a website such as Career builder. This doesn’t mean you should take any job ad for granted just because of were it was posted. The fact of the matter is that if you specialize in a specific type of job you are more likely to find it on websites which employers feel comfortable posting a job ad on.

Bookmark all of the job ads which you could be a potential candidate for. Remember that you do not need to meet all of the qualifications asked for on a job ad to get the job. Some employers find that they end up with few potential candidates to choose from and will then be forced to pick the most qualified applicant. Remember that even if you don’t meet all of the qualifications it is still possible to impress the employer during an interview.

Expect to receive some phone calls in the near future after applying online. These calls are designed to screen potential applicants for an interview. Act professional during the phone call and explain what qualifies you for the particular position.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: CareerBuilder, Craigslist, job, Job Search

Tips For A Successful Interview

Getting that call to set up an interview can feel astonishing. However it is important to prepare beforehand to ensure that you can leave a great first impression during your interview. By following some simple steps and doing some research its possible to approach the daunting task with confidence and grace.

Personal appearance is one of the most important factors to consider before attending an interview. Depending on the job type it might be preferable to wear a suit or dress, while other job-interviews can be successful in casual dress or normal clothing. Remember to get a haircut beforehand and shave if necessary. While it is important to look professional, overdressing can make you appear desperate for the job. Just dress to impress, but don’t overdo it.

Do some additional research on the position the company is offering as well as the company itself. Walking into an interview knowing some of the company history makes it easier to decide on what to highlight about yourself. An interview can be short making it necessary to show how well qualified you are for the position using as few words as possible. Should you feel nervous about what you will say practice talking about your qualifications with a friend or loved one. Ask them to pretend they are interviewing you and put yourself on the spot. If you can answer all of the interview questions confidently a real interview should go flawless.

Bring all the necessary paperwork and information with you to the interview. You may be asked to fill out paperwork before or after the interview. Remember to have your social security number, previous employer information and drug test results if necessary during the interview. Not having vital information can be embarrassing and show that you were not prepared for the interview.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Interview, Interview Advice, Job interview, Job Search

Writing A Stellar Resume

Writing a great resume is the most important aspect of finding a job that you should consider. Whether your write it yourself or pay someone else to write it remember that a well written resume is the difference between a phone call and a recycle bin.

Before you decide on who is writing your resume gather together all of your previous career information. This could include previous employers, high school and college education and job experience. Also take in mind the type of job you are applying for, as different job types often require unique resume formats. Take note of various accomplishments and awards you have received throughout your career.

Should you decide to write your own resume you will need to categorize your career information into an organized sheet of paper that allows someone reading it to quickly find vital information. Include your name, phone number and email at the top of your resume. Follow this with a professional objective, summary statement, education, accomplishments, skills and experience. The summary statement will outline the most important information which qualifies you for the position while the professional objective relates how the job applies to your specific career goals. Remember to only include the most impressive and specific information that qualifies you for the position on your resume, otherwise you risk boring the person reading the resume.

Many do not have the necessary writing skills to put together an impressive resume. Thankfully many writers specialize in writing resumes and know how to make a person look impressive. Take into consideration how much time you might spend writing your own resume when comparing prices for a written resume.

Although most people like to impress a potential employer with their resume, appearing overqualified can prevent you from getting a job. Being overqualified means that its more likely for you to leave the job in favor of a higher paying job when available and that you would expect higher payment in general.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Career, Employment, Résumé, Resumes and Portfolios

Creative Ways To Look For A Job

After sending your resume out online so many times you may begin to wonder if you are applying to a brick wall. Finding new ways to search for jobs can be a welcome refreshment to the traditional search methods and may very well increase your chances of finding the job you desire. Many people have found jobs using impromptu methods and its a great way to impress a potential employer with a creative approach.

Search the local newspaper for job advertisements. You would be surprised at how many job advertisements are posted in the newspaper but aren’t online. Clip out potential job opportunities with scissors or highlight them with a pen to come back to later. Most simply require you to call a number or send an email, which can lead to a lot more responses than simply sending out a resume.

For those who have the confidence finding a job can be as simple as asking. Call companies which apply to your career field and ask if you could set up an interview for a certain position. Many companies do have open jobs but simply have not posted an advertisement. Make sure to ask to talk to the manager if applicable and not settle for a simple return call. Securing an interview is key to this approach.

If cold-calling isn’t for you then simply ask friends and family if they know of any positions that are open. Using this method you can often gain inside information about the opportunity and you can state you were referred to the position by a current employee. Since friends and family may not always be close this method may require moving but can provide a job during tough times.

Remember that finding jobs in an untraditional manner separates you from the pack and greatly increases your chances of leaving a good impression at the places you apply.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Employment, Job Search, Résumé

Avoiding The Pitfalls of Writing Your Own Resume.

While writing your own resume allows you to pick and choose what potential employers will read about you, it also leaves the possibility open that your resume won’t even be read. Following a specific format, including vital information and writing professionally are all prerequisites to an acceptable resume. Remember that most people will take ten or more hours to write their resume.

Set aside a portion of time daily to write, edit and review your resume in progress. Do not attempt to write the resume all at once or you could end up with a low quality end product. Haste produces waste. Remember to have someone read your resume while or after you are finished writing it. A second opinion can help eliminate unnecessary information and grammatical mistakes and often offers additional insight as to what could make your resume better.

Remember to follow the specific format required for the position you are applying for. Sample resumes can be found online which will display the format of a typical resume for the specific position. Following this format is essential as it allows someone to quickly compare the resumes of the potential applicants. Having an off-format resume will often waste a readers time, resulting in a high chance of your resume being thrown in the garbage. As a generality remember to include your contact information followed by a professional objective, summary statement, education, accomplishments and work experience as well as previous employers.

Only include the most important and impressive information which highlights how well you would perform in the position if you are hired. Including unnecessary information can show that you took little time when applying for the position to tweak your resume, which shows that you are already unprepared off the bat. Always remember to only include essential information so that sorting through the information is simple and fast.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Employment, Résumé, Resumes and Portfolios, Writing

Preparing For A Successful Interview

: Cover via Amazon

A successful interview is an interview that you feel leaving good. It doesn’t always mean that you got the job but at the very least you impressed the employer and left a good impression. Having successful interviews is important since it increases your chances of getting the position and prepares you for future interviews. You also never know when the company might require new employees, which could result in a potential job opportunity later in life.

The first aspect of an interview that you should prepare for is the initial phone call. Make a list of the positions you have applied for at various companies so that you can recognize who is calling you when you receive the call. It would be embarrassing to not know what position you applied for when you get a return call. Make the phone call brief and professional. Remember to not get too excited and to save it for your interview. The person on the other end of the line likely has many other potential candidates to call and does not want to waste time discussing your credentials.

Remember to dress appropriately for the interview and have a professional appearance during the interview. This means getting a good night of sleep beforehand and putting yourself in a relaxed yet confident mood. The last thing an employer wants to see is anxiousness, stress or nervousness. Take a few deep breaths before the interview and remember that the worst thing that can happed is not getting the job.
When at the interview you must show that you have an interest in the position. Ask questions to maintain a conversational flow and try to have an in-depth conversation. If you can’t socially relate to the person during an interview how could they expect to interact with you as an employee?

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Anxiety, Employment, Interview, Job interview, Job Search

Finding Jobs In Unexpected Places

The worst aspect of finding a job for most people is searching through the clutter. The problem with job hunting is that desirable, high-paying jobs will often have the highest amount of applicants while those will little applicants could be low-paying or undesirable. Knowing where to look and how to sort through jobs is the most important aspect of job searching.

Your job search will depend heavily on the type of job you are aiming for. While jobs are advertised for every job category, finding jobs which fit your credentials can be a challenge. At times a simple search online for jobs of a certain type in your area can yield results. The best way to search for jobs online is to search on websites which cater to your specific skill set. For example a writer will generally look for jobs on websites which specifically post writing jobs. Finding these websites is one of the most important things to consider during a job search.

Remember to expand your job search to places that you would not normally think of looking. Try looking in the local newspaper or asking friends and family about any jobs that might be available. One of the best ways to find a job is to impress a potential employer outside of the workplace. Put away any social anxiety that you might have and strike up conversations with people in public that you would not normally talk to. You never know when a new friendship could lead to potential job.

Don’t forget that your skills are not everything when trying to find a job. If you can show an employer that you are dedicated and willing to learn its possible to get hired with minimal skills. Show some confidence and go to a workplace even if they did not schedule an interview. Ask to speak to the manager and if your lucky you might just get the job.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Employment, Job Search

Getting Rid of Interview Anxiety

One of the worst things you can do coming into an interview is to appear anxious or nervous. Putting off hostile emotions during an interview will almost always cost you the job and will cut you off from any potential future positions at the company. Adequately preparing before an interview will prevent these negative emotions from coming forward and allow you to shine to your potential.

The best technique to ward off nervousness for an interview is practice. Practice answering typical interview questions by yourself in front of a mirror by yourself. Try to also come up with questions to ask during the interview while using this technique. Make sure to watch how you talk so you can appear casual yet confident. Remember not to drink any coffee beforehand and always have a nice meal and a good night of sleep as well.
Another technique to try is mock interviews. Set up a mock interview with a close friend or loved one where they will ask you questions related to the job you are trying to get. Make sure that they ask tough questions and to pretend like it is an actual interview. Have them comment on how you did afterwards and possibly offer advice on how to improve.

The best way to prepare for an interview is to practice interviewing. There is simply no way to get around it. Set up multiple interviews if possible,even if you know the chances of getting the job are low. By conversing during the interview you are gaining charisma that you can use in later interviews. If you are turned down for the position during the interview ask why. Maybe it was how you came across or it could have simply been your credentials. This type of advice will be invaluable when preparing for future interviews.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Employment, Interview, Interview Advice, Job Search, Mock interview