The Interview – Hints & Tips
The interview – hints & tips logistics make sure you know the time, address and location of your interview, how to get into the building, parking, change for parking if needed, etc. Know who you are meeting, names, title, style (if your consultant knows these things) ***remember! - the objective of going for an interview is to secure a job offer or second interview, not to decide whether or not you want the job. You can decide that after the interview but you only have one chance to give your best first interview. The basics be mindful of personal hygiene; so be showered and clean, use deodorant and arrive well dressed. Always brush your teeth (or chew some gum ahead of time) and take a breath mint with you so you can feel confident when you are talking in the interview. Do not wear strong cologne or scents, as more and more workplaces are scent-free. Go with a positive “can do” attitude and do a review on the company and the job requirements. Be prepared with some questions to ask them as well, and think through the basic questions they are most likely to ask you as well. Don’t forget, questions show enthusiasm and intelligence. The two keys to win the interview: there are only ever two reasons why people get rejected from interviews, these are: they do not think you can do the job. At this stage in your career you cannot do the job or there may be another candidate who can do it better. They think you do not want the job and the interviewer senses or realizes this. Your goal then is to show you can do the job and you want this position. Two pieces of advice to overcome the two reasons you must instill confidence in the interviewer that you are capable of doing the job. You must establish a keen enthusiasm for the job, even if you are not yet sure you would accept an offer. 1. Confidence (can you do the job?) think about all your specific skill sets. Be sure you review your resume in your mind so you can easily respond to the typical initial review of your working history. Give lots of concrete examples of your experiences complete with details, ie. Your title and role, team size, dollar amounts, budget amounts, system names, special projects managed, etc. Prepare yourself for the “tell me about yourself?” - be concise (3 minutes) in your response, practice this response and to make sure you know the dates of your previous employment and qualifications. Note that they are interested in your job skills and technical passions, so focus on these things. Speak with confidence - be conscious of fillers such as “um”, “you know” etc relate your skills back to the given job specification always respond to questions in a positive manner. Never use “yes” or “no” answers, expand on your answers and relate them to your experience think of answers to “what are your strengths?” they should be job skill related and be backed up with concrete examples, ie. I work well under pressure…i met our deadline for a three-month project that required input from 3 different departments, and so on…(expand) think of a couple of positive responses to the “what are your weaknesses?” question. Usually have an example that you could improve through study or experience or given the chance to work with those tools, etc. (“i am weaker on the latest .net version as our last company didn’t use that version yet, but i’m a proven quick learner and look forward to working with your latest tools”) 2. Enthusiasm (do you want the job?) the way you dress is a directly interpreted by employers as your enthusiasm for the role. Better to over dress. For men and women, more business professional is always best (unless otherwise indicated). This means a nice suit, shirt and tie for men, and business attire for the ladies. Arrive near the interview location 20-30 minutes early and to the interview itself 8-10 minutes early. Too early is not good, late is worse. Do not ask about money, benefits or training at this stage as this will reduce your interviewer’s view of your enthusiasm - it can be discussed through your queue systems consultant. Don’t talk negatively about other companies you have worked for – the interviewer will think you could do the same about their company too. Limit your questions to one or two at the end of the interview. Indirectly show the interviewer that you have prepared for the interview e.g. Work your knowledge about the company into the conversation or into the questions you ask. At the end of the interview, be sure to reiterate your interest in the job and your confidence that you can excel at it. Smile, shake hands firmly and leave.
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Originally Posted by Beena
