0 Job Interview Follow Up

A job interview follow up is an excellent way to make yourself stand out among the crowd.  Keep in mind, there may have been a large number of candidates interviewing for the same position you are.  An interviewer may talk with twenty or more candidates, and although he or she may have taken good notes, unless you differentiate yourself from the others you will be grouped together with them.  Going the extra mile by following up your interview will ensure you have a fighting chance.

During the interview, be sure to ask about a hiring timeline, and give the interviewer a call back to inquire about the position based on that.  This shows you are interested in the position, and if you happen to be interviewing for a sales job, it shows persistence and timely followup.

After the interview, think back over how things went, and how you could have improved on your performance.  Think of a job interview as a sales presentation, where you are trying to sell yourself to the interviewer.  Think about the questions you were asked, and look to improve on your answers.  This improves your interviewing skills with each interview.

A good job interview follow up technique is to hand write a thank you note to the interviewer expressing thanks for the opportunity to meet and discuss the job with them.  This works much better than an email, and you will probably one of a very few that will do this.  You will want to mail it the day after the interview, in order to have the least amount of time between contacts. This is a good job interview follow up technique that will make you stand out.

If for some reason you do not happen to be chosen for the position, give the interviewer a call, thank them for their time, and ask them to keep your resume on file for future consideration.  There is an axiom in sales that says that if you can’t be the one chosen, make sure you are in second place.  There is always turnover at all companies, and if you can keep your name in front of them, you may have a good shot at getting hired later.

When interviewing for a job, you show take all necessary steps to make sure you appear in the best light.  A good job interview follow up could make the difference between getting that paycheck or simply looking forward to that next try.

0 Interviewing Techniques

A face to face job interview can be a stressful and nerve racking time, but here are some proven interview techniques and tips that you can use to help.

First, always arrive for your interview on time, preferably fifteen minutes early.  Take the time to drive to the interview site the day before so you know where you are going.  Make sure you know where to park, and look for unexpected delays, such as driving through a school zone at 3:00PM.  There is nothing worse than going to a job interview and arriving late.

Next, remember that most interviewers are watching your body language for clues about what type of candidate you are.  When you first meet the interviewer, smile, make eye contact, introduce yourself, and extend your hand for a firm handshake. A weak handshake is a definite turnoff for most people.  Sit up straight but relaxed, and give off an air of relaxed confidence.

Many people tend to talk (or over talk) when they get nervous, so don’t talk too much. When asked a question, answer it entirely but succinctly.  Practice good conversational manners, and always allow the interviewer to finish speaking before you begin.  Don’t volunteer unnecessary information, and keep to the discussion topic.

Never go into an interview with your mobile phone turned on.  There is nothing more distracting to an interviewer than hearing a mobile phone play the latest pop song during your interview.  Put it on silent before you go in, or better yet, leave it in your car before you go inside.  Anyone who wants to call you during that time can leave a voicemail. This is an important time for you, and you want no distractions.

Never talk bad about a former employer.  This is a major turnoff for most interviewers.  Most companies are very cognizant about their public images, and if you talk despairingly about someone you formally worked for, they will feel as though if you leave their employ, you will do the same about them.

Go into an interview with a positive frame of mind.  Think to yourself, “I will be at my best in this interview.  This person will have no choice but to hire me.  I am going to nail this solid!”  This will give you confidence that will show.

Write out a list of questions to ask the interviewer, especially some regarding the goals of the company and how the position you are interviewing for will contribute.  Other good questions would be about how you can expect to be trained and evaluated.

Use these interview techniques and tips to get that job you deserve, and good luck!

0 Interview Dress

Although there is no specific interview dress code for prospective employees, one’s appearance is an important part of the job hunting process.  The expression “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression” really comes into play here.

As a general rule of thumb, your interview dress should reflect what the people at the workplace wear.  A good way to check this is to go to the place of business a day or two before your face to face interview to see how others are dressed.  If you are going to work in a bank branch, for example, walk into the lobby and see what the people who are doing the job you are applying for are wearing.  Companies have dress codes, and in considering proper interview dress, you want to look  like the people who are already working there.

Interview dress for men would include wearing a coat and tie.  A good rule of thumb concerning colors is to stay with the basic gray, blue, or black with a matching tie.  Go easy on the cologne, and stay away from any jewelry that would be too flashy.  You should wear a conservative hair style, freshly cut.

For women, your interview dress should include an outfit that is understated and conservative.  Solid colors are best, with an appropriate amount of jewelry. Avoid wearing too much makeup or perfume, and have your nails done before an interview.  Shoes should also be conservative to match your outfit, and be clean and polished.

Keep in mind that when deciding upon your interview attire, it doesn’t matter if you are there while the office is observing “casual Friday.” You don’t work there yet and it is important to set the proper tone for your meeting.

Remember that observing a proper interview dress code is an important step to landing that big job.  Don’t make the mistake of putting in all the hard work in preparing for an interview only to have your appearance work against you.

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0 Preparation For A Job Interview

Once you’ve passed the screening tests and telephone interview, the preparation for a job interview is now the next step.  Don’t make the same mistake most people will do and skip this part. Proper research and rehearsal will help to make you stand out among the many candidates that will apply for that one coveted position.

The first thing you need to do to get ready for a job interview is research information about the company with which you will be interviewing, as well as the industry it is associated with. Visit their website, look at their annual reports and current financial information, and be familiar with them.

Look at the “About Us” page for clues as to the culture of the organization. For example, if they stress teamwork, think about situations you have been in that will demonstrate how you have worked in similar environments.

Once that part of the preparation for a job interview is out of the way, you need to start working on a short personal statement. This is a brief description of why you feel like you are qualified for the position. Talk about why you want the job, how you can provide value to the company, why you think you would fit well in the company.  Describe your qualifications and how they enable you to benefit the company.  Take a look at what product or service they sell, and add that to the personal statement.

An important part of preparation for a job interview is to write out a list of questions that most employers will ask interviewees along with some good answers.  You can’t anticipate all of them, but there are several that most employers ask, such as:

Tell me a little about yourself.
What are your greatest strengths?
What are some of your weaknesses?

Having good answers to these questions will enable you to feel more comfortable and at ease during the job interview, as well as impress the interviewer with your answers.

Lastly, once you have prepared your personal statement and answers to likely questions, invite a friend or spouse to role play your job interview with you.  All professionals in most lines of work practice before the real event, and you should also.  Go through a mock job interview two or three times, and as you do, you will feel more confident with your answers.

Preparation for a job interview is an important part of increasing your chances of landing a job.  It shows professionalism and a commitment to excellence.

Take the time to put in the work up front, and you will increase your chances on getting that new position.

0 Telephone Interview Questions

Job searching candidates can expect a company to initially ask telephone interview questions as part of the interviewing process.  The telephonic interview is done over the phone for several reasons; it saves them time, it saves money, and it is more efficient for initially screening candidates.  Use these telephone interview questions and tips to help you pull this part off effectively.

A job interview conducted over the phone will usually be scheduled with you after you apply for a position and pass an initial online screening test.  You will receive an email asking for a convenient time in which an interviewer can call you.  Although most interviewers will tell you approximately how much time it takes, schedule at least one full hour to ensure you have no interruptions.

It’s easy to get distracted and lose concentration if there is background noise, especially if you have kids or dogs. During the telephonic interview, make arrangements for child care and keep the television and radio off. Plan on using the quietest room in the house, and have a notepad handy.

An important phone interview tip: use a landline phone if possible for the telephonic interview.  This will eliminate bad connections and static, but if you’re using a cell phone make sure it’s fully charged and you’re in the part of the house with the best reception.

Another good telephonic interview tip to keep in mind is when the interviewer introduces themselves to you, write their name down.  People like to hear their name called, and as you are speaking, be sure to use their name when appropriate.  It would be embarrassing to forget and call the interviewer by someone else’s name.

It’s natural to be nervous during an interview, but when some people get nervous they tend to speak fast, sound too excited, or ramble. Be mindful of speaking slowly and clearly, and only answer the question being asked. Listen carefully to the telephone interview questions to avoid misunderstanding what the other person is asking. Remember, you are trying to convince the company that you are a good candidate for the face-to-face part of the job interview.

One of the more important telephonic interview tips is addressed with this telephone interview questions: “How can I connect with the person?” The person on the other line cannot see you, but they can tell by the tone of your voice that you are someone they can like.

At the end of the telephonic interview, most questioners will ask if you have any questions.  Prepare two or three questions to ask about the company, the position, or the training.  This shows the interviewer that you are serious about working for the company.

Keep in mind that telephone interview questions are an initial step in the process, and is not the time to discuss salary or benefits.  You want to sell yourself at this point, and the most important goal is to be considered for the face-to-face job interview.

0 10 Typical Interview Questions

Here are 10 job interview questions that are most commonly asked by interviewers:

1. Tell me a little about yourself – This is one question you most likely will be asked, so prepare carefully for it. Talk about your career goals, what you want to accomplish career-wise, and discuss how you enjoy contributing to the success of an organization.

2. Why did you leave your last job? – This is another of the job interview questions that most likely will be asked. Before you interview, take each job and word an answer that will put you in the best light. A work of caution: never speak bad about former employers. This will come off negatively to an interviewer and cast you in a bad light.

3. What job related experience do you have? – Here is a good opportunity to talk about how your past job experiences have prepared you for the position you are interviewing for. If you are applying for a customer service position, talk about any jobs you have had where you have dealt with the public.

4. Explain how you could contribute to this company. – This is an example of one of the job interview questions that will give you an opportunity to talk about how your experience, motivation, or ideas would help the company. Relate your strengths to the job you are interviewing.

5. What would your previous co-workers say about you? – This is an opportunity to talk about your positive traits, such as loyal, hard-working, team player, and so on. Think about how you interact with others on the job, and use that to come up with 3 or 4 adjectives to describe yourself.

6. What do you know about this organization? – This is where proper pre-interview research comes in. Go to the website of the company, look up the history, facts and figures, and the key players in the company. Read the company mission statement, and try to relate what you can bring to the company that forwards the mission.

7. What are your greatest strengths? – This is one of the more common job interview questions, so prepare for this one. You want to highlight your abilities and how they would be valuable to the job position. If you have experience in that job, lean hard on it. If you don’t, talk about how your experiences in other jobs have helped you to develop as a person.

8. Tell me about a time when you resolved a conflict between others. – You will need to have a specific instance in mind here. Describe the incident, what it was about, who was involved, and how you were able to resolve it.

9. Why do you want to work for us? – The best answer here is to talk about career-related goals. Talk about what you want to accomplish in your career, and how the position will enable you to do that.

10. What salary would you expect? – This is an example of one of the job interview questions you do not want to answer directly. Do some online research into what similar positions are paying. give a wide ranging answer, such as “I know that similar positions in the industry pay between $XXXX and $XXXX per year, but I don’t know what your company is offering.”

Use these job interview questions as a guide to help you prepare for that all important face to face job interview.

0 Types of Questions in Interviews

Going through a job interview is a process, and understanding the types of questions in interviews can help you become a better candidate.  Here are some different types of questions in interviews to know.
Types of questions in interviews can be broken down into two basic types: telephone interview questions and face-to-face interview questions.  The telephone interview questions are meant to prescreen a large base of candidates down to the most qualified in an attempt to be more efficient.  Look at it this way,  a typical human resources person may have hundreds of resumes to go through for one position, so using the telephone is the best way to do that.  Here are some questions you might hear in the typical telephone interview:

1.    In your career, what have you done that you are the most proud of?
2.    What specific skill sets can you would bring to this position to help the company?
3.    What do you need from an organization in order for you to perform your best?
5.    If you could change one thing in your last job, what would it be?
6.    If I were to ask your co-workers about you, what would they say?
7.    Why should I consider you for this position?

Put the answers to these questions down on paper to have in front of you when doing the telephone interview.  Rehearse your answers so they sound natural.  Remember, your goal here is to stand out and be invited to continue the process.

The second of the types of questions in interviews is what you may be asked in the face-to-face interview.  At this point the company is interested in you, so work hard here to impress them.  Be prepared to discuss your work history and what you can bring to the table.  The human resources person is making a judgement about whether you would be best for the company, and the types of questions here will reflect that.  Some typical questions are:

1.    How did you first became interested in ___________ (whatever field of work you are appling for).
2.    Tell me about some goals you’ve had and how you have worked to achieve them.
3.    What is one of the toughest groups with which you’ve had to work.  What made the group tough?  How did you handle it?
4.    What are the biggest responsibilities you’ve had in the past year on the job?
5.    Give me an example of a time you disagreed with a supervisor and how you handled it.
6.    Tell me about a time in which your work was criticized.  How did you handle it?
7.    What has been your greatest frustration or disappointment in your present job?  Why?
8.    How do you handle people who have very different personalities or work styles than your own?

Being comfortable with the types of questions in interviews can help you be more comfortable in pressure situations.  Use these tips and techniques to help be your best.

0 Interview tips - weakness

One of the more common questions you will be asked is “What are your
greatest strengths and weaknesses?”  This interview tip will discuss
weakness as an interview point.

When a interviewer asks about your greatest weakness, what they are
looking for is whether or not you evaluate your own performance
periodically, and how you make corrections to your perceived
deficiencies.  Everyone has areas of weakness, but the mark of a good
employee is to recognize those areas and work towards making them
stronger.

In answering this question, it is important not to identify a real
weakness you may have, but to emphasize an area that could be
regarded as a weakness but has since been corrected.  Some examples
are:

“In the past, I have noticed that I have the tendency to want to do
things perfectly, which has caused me to have to work extra hard to
complete a task.  I have since realized that although perfection is a
worthy goal, it is more important to do the work right and go to the
next task in order to get more things done.”

“I used to be someone who tried to do everything in order to make
sure the work was completed correctly.  I have learned the value of
delegation, and how people can get more work done quicker by
enlisting help and working with a team approach.”

Another way this question could be answered is to give a minor flaw,
such as “I have a hard time keeping my desk organized,” or “I
sometimes get so busy I forget to eat lunch.”  This answers the
question without giving away a huge problem.

The best answer to give is one that doesn’t sound rehearsed, but
actually is.  This is where a good role play with a spouse or friend
can come in handy.

The face to face interview can be a daunting task.  These interview
tips for answering the question about weakness can help you win that
position you are seeking. 

0 Telephone Interview Questions - How To Handle A Telephone Job Interview

Okay, so you've sent out hundreds of resumes, you've networked with friends and colleagues, and you've scoured every newspaper in the area trying to get in front of an employer looking to fill a needed position, and it finally happened: you got a request for a phone interview.  What happens now, and how do you prepare? 

First, why a phone interview?  Companies conduct telephonic interviews for several reasons: first, it serves as an efficient means for pre-screening prospective candidates.  An employer may receive hundreds of resumes when advertising for a position to fill, and it simply takes too much time to arrange face-to-face interviews with everyone.  The telephonic interview can be done quickly, and when done right, can separate qualified candidates from the unqualified.

Secondly, when filling some positions, sales in particular, it is important that an employee comes across well to customers, and the telephonic interview will show if this is the case.

Lastly, the phone interview gives the candidate a quick chance to make his or her case to the interviewer without the distractions of office interruptions, allowing the employer a better opportunity to evaluate the candidate.  So with all this in mind, how do you put your best foot forward?

Start by conducting the interview over a land line in the quietest part of the home.  This prevents dropped calls and noisy children from spoiling your interview.  Most interviewers will ask for 30 minutes of time, but allow for an hour if all goes well.

Speak in a calm but assertive voice.  Most people tend to speak faster when they are nervous, so calm down and sound confident.  This will come across to the interviewer as someone who can handle pressure as well as be a good voice for the company.

Write down the interviewers name when given.  People like to hear the sound of their name, so write it down so that you don't forget it, and try to use it in conversation naturally.

Rehearse typical questions you might hear, such as "What is your greatest strengths and weaknesses?"  Write down some good answers and be prepared to use them naturally in the telephonic interview.  Good luck!