When you are interviewing for a new job, preparing for the interview will help determine your probability of success. In the current economic conditions, even college graduates are having a hard time finding a career after a solid education. Just like studying for your last final in Algebra, being prepared will ensure your success in an interview.
Research the company
An employer can easily tell if you know nothing about the organization. When you don’t know about the organization, the employer can assume that you have either blindly been applying for several over positions at other companies or you simply didn’t care enough to do your homework.
In this day in age, it is very easy to find out about an organization. One great resource is www.glassdoor.com. There is extremely valuable information about an organization including history, product/services, employee reviews, etc. Virtually all organizations have a company web site that has information about its culture, vision, mission, and other pertinent information. This information is usually found under the “About Us” section.
social media is another medium that you can find information about a company, You can become a fan on Facebook or a follower on Twitter to learn about the company and see how they handle their customer relations. linkedinis a great professional social media tool and you may find out that a connection actually works . This is a great opportunity to find out firsthand from a current employee what is important to the organization.
Match the job description to your skills
This is really a two-part step. You must read the job description very carefully and pick out key words like “detail oriented”, “result-driver”, and “organized” to pick away what the actual job will entail. This is also where your social connections or job reviews on www.glassdoor.com can come in handy. Using these tools, you can learn about the organization from people who have worked there. This could be invaluable information that you can use to your advantage during your interview.
Prepare your portfolio
Investing in a good quality binder to keep copies of your resume, references, awards, list of questions, and notepad will be worth the money. Although in most cases, an employer will already have a copy for your information, it will show them you are an organized individual when you come prepared to supply it. Ensure that you have each document in filed in an organized manner so you can quickly reference it during your conversation. Otherwise it may cause you to become a bit nervous when you are fumbling through your portfolio to extract the necessary documents.
Dress for success
No matter what the position is that you are applying for or what the company culture is, dressing professionally is necessary. Other than the unlikelihood that the employer specifies otherwise, a business professional outfit is appropriate in almost every situation. Be aware of strong cologne, perfumes, hair spray, and other smells. Any such product should be used sparingly as to not distract the interviewer. Details are important so make sure your shoes are dirt-free and shiny and your clothes are ironed and laundered. Makeup and jewelry should be kept to a minimum.
Practice!!!
There are plenty of sources on the internet that you can find in regard to what kind of questions to expect and examples of answers to give (including our site :)). Its important to study these questions and know how you will answer many of them. Another great tool is to role-play an interview. While many people may feel uncomfortable pretending to be at an interview, this can make the real thing a whole lot easier. Have a family member, friend, or someone you are comfortable with to practice with. Its important to not only practice the question and answer portion, but to include the introduction and ending as well.
Prepare – Your new career depends on it
Get a friend or family member to help you prepare for your interview through role-plays. Practice answering questions that you may be asked. This may feel awkward, but through this practice, you will feel a lot more comfortable during the actual interview.
Make sure you have a clear idea of what the position entails before setting foot in the door to your interview. At this point of the process, you should have had the opportunity to ask some questions to clarify what you will be doing on a day to day basis. By knowing what they are looking for, you can focus on matching your own skills to the position.
You should also research the company itself. Basic facts such as what the company sells, how long they have been in operation, and any recent milestones is all available on the internet. In fact, you may be asked during your interview what you know about the organization. This is a great opportunity to dazzle them with your knowledge or show your way out the door because you didn’t take the time to know your facts.
Most of your own work history will be typed up in a resume that you will bring with you to the interview. Make sure you refresh your memory about where you worked and what you were responsible for. Nothing is worse that forgetting your own experience and not being able to articulate it to the hiring manager.
OK, now you have done everything possible to prepare yourself for your face to face interview. So now you are ready to walk through the door and meet your new boss.
Dos and don’t during your interview
Dos & Dont’s
Do stay calm during your interview. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make it to the interview during the scheduled time. This will ease your mind in the end. To help keep you calm during the actual interview, take deep breaths of air. By doing this, you will feel more relaxed.
Don’t ramble off topic when asked a question. Keep your answers direct and to the point. The more you ramble, the further you will drive away from answering the actual question. You may not be able to find your way back.
Do share examples when answering a question. This will show the hiring manager that you have dealt with situations in the past that are similar to what the position would experience. In general, people tend to remember stories that they are told much more vividly than when there are no stories told. You will be a much more memorable candidate than the rest.
Don’t ask about job security. With the harder economic times, people are more worried about losing their jobs. Hopefully at this point you have already done the research to know that the position you are applying for is a viable position. If you even hint at questioning the security of the position during the interview, the hiring manager could hit the “reject” button in a heartbeat.
Do focus on the current position you are applying for. Most people are interested in advancing their careers or getting their foot in the door. But if ask too many questions about promotional opportunities or seem more interested in climbing up the ladder, an employer will be immediately turned off. Remember, they are looking for someone to fill a current need in their business. An employer wants to hire someone that will fill the position for an adequate amount of time.
Don’t ask too many generic questions or questions that you should already been told. It just shows the hiring manager that you lack listening skills, didn’t do your research, or both.
Do focus on the interviewer. Most of the interview will be about the company, position, and how you fit in. It pays to find out more about the interviewer. Everyone loves to talk about themselves so learn more about the person sitting across from you. It may help pay off with a job offer in the end.
Don’t bring in your personal life. There is no reason to tell the hiring manager about the horrible traffic you got stuck in on your way to the interview or the hectic scramble to find a babysitter last minute to watch your two kids. The hiring manager is not interested in your hobbies or life story. Keep the conversation as professional as possible.
Do ask when you don’t understand the question. There is nothing wrong with asking for clarification. You don’t want to be in a situation where your answer completely misses what the hiring manager was trying to find out.
Don’t forget to prepare a list of questions for the interviewer. It could hurt you to not ask any questions. The employer may look at your lack of questions as a sign that you are not invested in that position. Try to think of deeper questions about the position to ask and avoid ones that have obviously been answered through your process.
Do follow up with a thank you note to the interviewer. Nowadays, it is acceptable in most cases to also follow up with an e-mail, especially if they are going to be making a decision relatively soon. In the letter, you can once again highlight your skills and match them with the opportunity.
Time to wait for that callback
Wait for Callback
You should be well on your way to an exciting new position. You have the skills and the experience that make you a great fit to the organization. You have used these tips and tricks to make you the front-runner. So congratulations, you can kick up your shoes and end your job hunt…for now!
Stuff To Bring To an Interview
Stuff to bring to an interview!
For somebody who has been in the joblessness cold for a long time, getting an interview is one of the best things. Finally, the interview comes, and all the interviewers want to impress the panel, whatever it takes. Surely, it takes quite some tact and effort to please interviewees these days. How you present yourself is vital, but there are things that
Enough Resume Copies
First of all, never forget to take copies of your resume to the interview. By now, the panel has your resume but do not assume this. By estimation, you might want to have at least 10 copies of the resume to give to those who will be present. As the interviewers ask all those hard questions, you may be required to refer to the resume. Therefore, carry along another copy for your own use. Of course, this does not mean you place it on the table and read it like a novel. There are things you may not know off head for instance the specific dates of employment so the resume copy will help a lot.
Some people might argue that the interview scenario is so charged up that there is no chance of taking notes. However, the tension in the room is one of the main reasons why you need to take a pen and notebook to the interview. It is common for interviewees to be overwhelmed by the stage and lose track of some questions. Writing down will help you respond to each of the questions adequately. Other than that, it shows how organized you are thus adding you some points.
Water
It is also wise to bring in some drink into the room, preferably water. Those who have been in lengthy interviews will tell you how demanding it can be to answer questions for hours. Since you are not sure whether the panel will have some water, carry some bottled water to take care of the throat. Interestingly, drinking water also reduces anxiety, or at least hides some of it.
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