Job Interviews category includes tips and advice on job interviewing and how to approach the job interview<
The job interview is one of the most difficult parts of the job search process. Most people get nervous and feel like their mistakes can cost them the job. Preparation is the key and the articles below include a wealth of resources that are helpful for preparing you for job interviews. The blogs discuss job interview tips, interview mistakes, mental preparation as well as common interview questions and answers.
4 Interview Must-Dos for Job Seekers
Are you interview savvy? If you haven’t interviewed in some time, or if you keep getting passed over for hire, you may need to brush up on a few key strategies in order to successfully compete.
Interview Screw Ups You Might Be Making
In an attempt to obtain specific information about career accomplishments, I ask my clients very targeted questions. What I get from most of them is a reasonable answer that I then turn into appropriate résumé content. MOST of the time.
Explain Your Resume with 3 Simple Interview Techniques
A good resume is intended to get your foot in the door, but – once you get that foot in – the last thing you want to do is wind up sticking it in your mouth.
Questions to Ask During The Interview
It comes up all the time, people are at the interview and things are going along smoothly. You think you have done a good job of expressing yourself, your achievements, and how you can add value; and then – the question from the interviewer: “So, do you have any questions for me?” Silence. You didn’t think about this; you don’t really know what to ask.
Preparing for a Successful Job Interview
Preparing for a job interview is something akin to auditioning. Of course you want to put your best foot forward and ensure you are knowledgeable about the company and your own background to make a strong impression. The interview is an opportunity for you to ‘market yourself’ to a potential hiring manager and demonstrate the skills and competencies you possess that make you a unique and compelling candidate for the role. Below are some recommendations to help you get your ‘game face on’.
Getting Your Game Face On
We all know how draining the interview process can be. If you really want to kick butt and take names you better get your game face on. What does this mean? It doesn’t mean you should be a “face painter.”
Practice Interviews Make Perfect Interviews
Maybe you have a job that you like and are just testing the waters; maybe you got a bad review and think it’s time to move on; maybe you are hearing rumors of yet another round of layoffs (YAROL); or maybe you are out of work, but not desperate enough and can still afford to be picky.
Smart Answers to Stupid Interview Questions
I got a lot of good feedback on my previous postings on bad interview questions so I decided to add another one. So, for your reading and interview pleasure here are some more that you could possibly encounter:
Job Interviews are a Two Way Street – Here are Must Ask Questions
Going on that all-important interview? Is this the place that you really, really want to work? If it is, you cannot afford to leave the interview unfinished; that is, you must ask some questions before departing. How could you go on an interview and have absolutely no questions? You want to learn about the company, hear first hand from the people that work there what it’s really like.
What to do Once You Get an Interview
You have been searching online, networking with friends and family, utilizing your alma mater’s alumni association, and plain old working like a dog to generate an interview. Well, it’s finally happened; you got the call. They want to see you; and you are scheduled for the following week. You’ve got some time on your side. Here’s what you should do to ensure that you are prepared, polished, and ready to roll:
Preparing for the Phone Interview
It has become commonplace for companies to conduct phone interviews before bringing candidates in for a full screen. This has become a good way to identify unsuitable candidates and avoid wasting time. Many of my clients have asked me to help them prep for a phone interview.
Why They Should Hire You
Part of what lands you the job is your preparedness during the interview. Of course you wouldn’t be there in the first place if your resume didn’t demonstrate that you have the qualifications to fit the role. Once in front of the hiring manager you have an opportunity – an opportunity to sell yourself. The marketing process begins when you send off a well-written resume. To secure the job you need to give them reasons – yes, plural – reasons that you are the right one. You want to grab the interviewer’s attention – demonstrate that you are their ‘Neo,’ i.e. the ONE – the one that will be able to deliver what they need. Here are some tips to help you present your qualifications, skills, and abilities to get the offer:
Do You Like Me and the Advantage During the Career Search
How advantageous is it to look good when it comes to job search? If you really have the ‘goods’ from a qualifications perspective, does it matter all that much that you might be in the running against someone who is much more attractive than you are or “shows” better than you do? According to research, people unknowingly characterize good-looking people with positive traits, including intelligence, honesty, and kindness. This reaction is automatic – people don’t even realize that they are doing it. According to Robert Cialdini, author of Influence, “good-looking equals good.” While this concept scares him, he points to similar instances of attractive people obtaining positions in government, the judicial system, and yes, hiring.
Overcoming Pre Interview Jitters
Feeling anxious about your upcoming interview? Don’t spend your time contemplating how it might go. Make sure you are prepared. The following information will allow you to put your best foot forward, and ensure you present your skills and abilities in a meaningful way:
What’s Legal and What’s Not During the Interview
Do you ever wonder when leaving the interview if the questions you have been asked are on the up and up? Do you sometimes feel like you might have been asked a question that you shouldn’t have been asked? Well, there are laws for these things. There are federal, state and local laws that govern what can be explored during the interview and those things that are totally off limits.
It’s interesting; you would think that companies would train their management – at least those that are conducting interviews to know the appropriate way to conduct the interview. The questions asked of you must be totally related to the job – whether you can perform the essential functions of the role. When asked an illegal question you can decline to answer (this will probably result in not being called back); answer (and risk of giving the ‘wrong’ answer); or simply respond that you can meet the job requirements as stipulated.
Interviewing the Interviewer
You finally got the interview. From the looks of things, the job seems perfect for you. In addition, you have the right qualifications. Things look promising. So you are planning for the interview. What do you need to do to make sure that you nail it? Aside from being on time, dressing appropriately, knowing your background and being able to clearly explain your achievements – you also need to ask questions! Questions are important. You need to understand things about the company and the role that only direct questions to the interviewer will reveal. Here are some questions that you should definitely ask your interviewer. They will give you insight into the company and provide you with meaningful details about how people feel about the environment they work within:
Top 5 Inappropriate Body Language Cues
What your body conveys can tell far more about your feelings than you suspect. How you stand, your eye contact (or lack thereof), and the position of your hands, among other things send a message. Depending on your body’s language establishes a tone that you subconsciously convey.
Most of the time, you have no idea that you are giving off these signals. They are quite automatic. Oftentimes you have no idea that you are conveying what you are thinking in your body language. You can exhibit some control over negative body language with improved self-awareness and practice.
Top Five Difficult Interview Questions
You finally got the interview. Now you need to prepare. You need to be ready to answer the tough questions – the questions that you know will come, but you are not sure what they are! How are you to prepare for something when you don’t know what it is? Interview questions are a tricky thing. You would think that the person sitting across from you wants to find out the level of your qualifications to fill a position. WRONG. This is only part of what they want to know. They also want to know if you would be a good fit for the organization – if perhaps they had to sit on a plane with you for 9+ hours, that they wouldn’t want to sit close, very close to the exit row and pull the handle at a strategic moment. Here are my top five picks for the most difficult interview questions – Microsoft notwithstanding:
Dressing for the Interview
After sending out all of those letters and networking like crazy, you finally got the interview. You are prepared. You have your resume printed on good paper; and you have studied your background so you don’t have to play the total recall game. You won’t worry about being able to match Charles Nelson Reilly with Gene Rayburn looking on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match_Game . The big day is coming – what do you wear? You know the company is a casual place to work. Do you dress up, down, or somewhere in between?
The Waiting Game
I received a phone call from my friend Joanie after her second interview at a company that she was ‘dying’ to work for. Breathlessly, and in seemingly one long sentence she explained that she thought the interview went ‘amazingly’, and she thinks she will be the one to get the job. They told her they would get back to her with more information (whatever that means) by Friday. This conversation between us took place on a Wednesday. Of course, Thursday passed without incident, and Joanie was not frantic yet because it wasn’t Friday.
This blog's author, Debra Wheatman of Careers Done Write, provides executive career services including resume and cover letter preparation, job search / interviewing strategies and professional branding including how to effectively use LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media in your career.
Visit CareersDoneWrite.com to learn more about how we can put your career in gear with interview catching resumes and professionally written career documents.