Jobs Interview
Fired Before You’re Hired: Five Ways to Ruin Any Interview PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 28 August 2008 06:00

Arrive on time. Dress well. Write a thank-you note. Don’t lie on the application. You have the job-hunting basics down, but the gods of employment have plagued your people with a drought. Whether you’re interviewing after a layoff, seeking a change of employment or documenting your futile interviewing plight to milk yet another unemployment check, be aware of these five deadly interviewing sins.

1. Don’t get too friendly.
You’re chatting with the interviewer, discussing professional experiences and swapping war stories; however, a relaxed interviewing environment is no excuse to become complacent in your professionalism.

An ex-colleague of mine was looking to migrate back towards substance-abuse counseling, his original area of study and expertise. He was cordial, outgoing and a hard worker. He had plenty of experience and great references, but he met his downfall while making small talk. After the interview, the hiring manager mentioned in passing that he had recently received a DUI. My colleague, attempting to empathize, admitted that he, too, had received a DUI ticket. On three separate occasions. Lesson learned: get job first. Tell war stories later.

2. Don’t forget to train rigorously.
Reading job-seeking books, articles and studying potential interview questions are all great ways to prepare, but these resources don’t exactly put you in the interviewing hot seat. You wouldn’t expect to run a marathon just because you’ve read several books about running, would you? Get a friend or significant other to give you a dry run through a hypothetical interview with suggested questions from these books or articles. Even better, if you know someone who is a hiring manager or works in human resources (for a different company, of course), ask them to administer the mock interview.

By humbling yourself and asking for the help of others, you’ll receive constructive criticism and be able to integrate another perspective into your response. You may even be asked a question that you never considered answering, making great practice for unexpected interview surprises.

3. Don’t forget to shut up.
When you’re done answering the question, shut your mouth. The two deadliest kinds of interviewers we will refer to as the “poker face” and the “yes man.” The poker face will ask you a question and give no signs of life during the answer. In hopes of eliciting a smile, nod or comprehending grunt, you will elaborate. And elaborate. You will continue elaborating until you realize that the poker face is playing a game. By the time you realize you are involved in a game, you have already lost. Take this knowledge and answer the next question completely, concisely and without superfluous commentary.

The yes man is just as deadly, if not more so, than the poker face. He will nod his head and seem to understand and agree with every answer. Feeling encouraged by this enthusiasm, you will elaborate. And elaborate. You will continue elaborating until you realize that you could say your career goals to sleep with the boss, publish trade secrets and burn the building down, and the yes man would still nod his head.

In the yes man’s defense, sometimes he may actually agree with what you are saying at first, but, towards the end, every nod means “Yes, I understand. Just like I understood ten minutes ago. Please stop talking, lest I puncture my own eardrums with this letter opener.”

4. Don’t forget to tone it down.
Everyone knows not to bad-talk a previous employer, but even a comment where you feel you have restrained yourself may ring sour with the interviewer. If you’re jaded and bitter with your current job or the interviewing process, try to keep the disillusion to a minimum. Take yourself to a happy place. Reminisce about the time you unwrapped a vending machine sandwich, locked it in your manager’s file cabinet and allowed their office to smell mysteriously foul for weeks. If your personality is sarcastic or dry, make sure to take this down a notch as well. While your friends and family may understand your charismatic quirks, a complete stranger may not.

5. Don’t forget to bring enough supplies to make a Boy Scout proud. Bring a notepad, pen and three copies of your resume and references. Taking notes shows a proactive attitude and commitment to the interview. Additionally, these notes will be useful later when writing a personalized thank-you note to the interviewer.

If multiple members of management are administering the interview, make sure to provide a resume for each person. Worst-case scenario: you only bring one resume and end up with back-to-back interviews, thus leaving you empty-handed for the second round.

Whether you’re rebounding from a layoff, looking for a different job or seeking excuses to stay unemployed, these tips will help you accomplish your objective. By becoming aware of these deadly interviewing sins, you’ve taken the first step towards meeting your goal!

Gwendolyn Lee is a statistician and analyst of Internet-related metrics of rubber stamps at http://www.rubberstamps.net. She has researched and implemented business models to maximize profitability, efficiency and advertising tracking.
 
How to Act During a Job Interview PDF Print E-mail
Sunday, 24 August 2008 18:00
There are many things that you can do that can take some of the pressure off during an interview. The way that you behave is one of the most important. It’s not all in the words that come out of your mouth, but often has a lot to do with the mannerisms that you use.

Interviewers are not just wondering if you are skilled enough for the job, they are often wondering if you would fit in nicely with you co-workers. Your personality is a big part of your interview and can make all the difference. Here are some of the little things that you should pay particularly close attention to during an interview.

You do not want to be chewing gum or breath mints during your interview. You also don’t want to speak in slang during your interview either. It is unprofessional and rude.

Show Confidence

You cannot enter into an interview with a defeatist attitude. You cannot mope or exude too much placidity in your manner. It is not inviting, and does not give the impression of a person that you want to face every day.
Be sure of your abilities without appearing cocky or narcissistic. You want to let you interviewer know that you are equipped to perform well at your job, without alienating other workers. You should point out your accomplishments in your field while remaining somewhat humble.

List your accomplishments in a matter of fact way without going into too much detail. I know this sounds repetitive, but you can never get this point too strongly. Understand that body language plays a large part in exuding confidence to others. Sit straight. Practice good posture, and keep your head up.

Keep a Positive Attitude

You should always try to smile and keep a positive outlook during your interview. If what you are hearing something that doesn’t sound good to you, don’t frown and look disgruntled, just keep a slight smile on your face until it is time for you to say something. Then approach your interviewer with your questions or concerns when the time is appropriate.

Maintain Eye Contact

Keeping eye contact with your interviewer is very important, especially when one of you is speaking to the other. If you are looking around the room or at the items on the interviewer’s desk, you will appear uninterested. Just imagine what you would be thinking if you were speaking to him and he was looking all over the room. You would probably think that you already lost the interview.

Body Language

We’ve touched on this a little bit but you should mind some of the common errors that many people make when they are speaking to others. I’ve listed some of the common things that you should avoid when sitting through an interview.

• Avoid fidgeting while speaking to your interviewer. It shows a lack of self confidence.

• Avoid speaking while using overly expressive hand gestures. It is distracting.

• Avoid biting your lips in between sentences. It gives the impression that you are making things up.

• Do not sit with your arms crossed because it makes you appear stand-offish.

• Do not shrug your shoulders when asked a question that you are unsure of. Take a second to think of your response. Shrugging your shoulders gives the impression that you don’t know the answer.

• Don’t answer with nods and head shakes. Use your words to answer questions.

• Get plenty of sleep the night before the interview. You don’t want to yawn in front of the interviewer. He will think that you are expressing boredom.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Cal Golden is a volunteer youth councilor, and webmaster of Interview Secrets. For cutting-edge news, tips, and information from top human resource managers on how to come out on top of all the other job candidates, be sure to visit Interview Secrets

 
Interviews: One Forgotten Secret Of How To Get A Job PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 21 August 2008 01:01

Interviews are the moment of truth when you find out if you have got a job, - or not! You’ll know yourself after an interview. No one needs to tell you that answer! However, it’s a nerve racking time waiting.

How do you cope?
Simple, you need to make your interview count. The better your interview, - the better the chance you have of getting the job. There are few tips and interview secrets that you can learn from experience. People like me, who have seen thousands of good interviews and are willing to share their observations, their secrets and the reasons why one person always get the job.

ONE SECRET!
As with most things it’s all down to the preparation. The more preparation you do the more confidence you’ll exude in an interview. The more confidence you have the better chance the interviewer will feel comfortable with your skills and offer you a job. Sometimes within an hour, - or on the spot!

Preparation is one of the main interview secrets. Before you go to an interview, - make sure you are appropriately dressed. You can always dress down…if the interview is an informal one. Don’t be late for the interview. Give yourself time to gather your thoughts, your breath and especially your confidence. Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview location. It always pays to find where you are going well before you need to be there…even the day before go to where the interview will be held.

I can speak from experience; - nerves are the killer when it comes to you and your interview. I’ve been involved in thousands of interview panels, interviewing individuals and selecting candidates for various types of jobs, across all industries and from a variety of cultures.

I’ve observed how people prepare themselves inside waiting rooms. I have even asked this question at interviews. “What preparation have you done for this job”? A common trend seems to shine through. It’s basic. It’s preparation!

Even just prior to an interview focusing on what you are going to do will give you more confidence and focus. It is simple as just revising what you have in your hands, your resume your cover letter, your references. What you have said over the phone and imagine what questions will be asked and your responses. Just a word of warning here! If you’re imagining questions and your answers make sure its positively focused. Think of positive questions and your positive response.

I can tell you a whole heap about interviews and how you should prepare, the dos and dont"s. Give you an idea what the interview questions are going to be.

Thanks

Len Coles www.interview-to-job.com

P.S. If I don’t hear from you, all the best with your next interview.

NOTE: a word of advice on parting…. Be yourself! www.interview-to-job.com

Len Coles has been interviewing people for the past 20 years. This adds up to be thousands of interviews. As a result he has put together an easy to read manual with a FREE bonus support program, http://www.interview-to-job.com Gain from Len"s experience; use his knowledge to achieve interview success. http://www.interview-to-job.com
 
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