Everything You Need To Know About A Job Interview

Picked this up from Monster.com's Carole Martin. It's a very succinct way of dealing with how to ace an interview. She called it the "Interview Cheat Sheet"

What follows is a very neat checklist of what you need to do and know before, during and after your interview to make sure you make the best first impression


In the Days Before the Interview

• Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On the left side, make a bulleted list (kind of like this) of what the employer is looking for based on the job posting. On the right side, make a bulleted list of the qualities you possess that fit those requirements.
• Research the company, industry and the competition.
• Prepare your 60-second personal statement.
• Write at least five success stories to answer behavioral interview questions ("Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example of a time...").
• List five questions to ask the interviewer about the job, the company and the industry.
• Research salaries to determine your worth.
• Determine your salary needs based on your living expenses.
• Get permission from your references to use their names.
• Prepare Your Interview Answers 

Be ready to answer common interview questions such as these:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why did you leave your last position, or why are you leaving your current position?
• What do you know about this company?
• What are your goals?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want to work here?
• What has been your most significant achievement?
• How would your last boss and colleagues describe you?
• Why should we hire you?
• What are your salary expectations?
• Before You Go to the Interview

Do you look professional? Check yourself in the mirror; part of your confidence will come from looking good.

Carry these items to the interview:

• Several copies of your resume on quality paper.
• A copy of your references.
• A pad of paper on which to take notes, though notes are optional.
• Directions to the interview site.

Upon Arrival

• Arrive early -- enter the building 10 minutes before your appointment.
• Review your prepared stories and answers.
• Go to the restroom and check your appearance one last time.
• Announce yourself to the receptionist in a professional manner.
• Stand and greet your interviewer with a hearty -- not bone-crushing -- handshake.
• Smile and maintain eye contact.

During the Interview

• Try to focus on the points you have prepared without sounding rehearsed or stiff.
• Relax and enjoy the conversation.
• Learn what you can about the company.
• Ask questions and listen; read between the lines.
• At the conclusion, thank the interviewer, and determine the next steps.
• Ask for the interviewer's business card so you can send a follow-up letter.

After the Interview

• As soon as possible, write down what you are thinking and feeling.
• Later in the day, review what you wrote and assess how you did.
• Write an interview thank-you letter, reminding the interviewer of your qualities.

Of Weaknesses, Salaries, Your Previous Job, The Next 5 Years, and Why You Should Be Hired?

Nicole Williams of Monster.com talks about five of the most difficult interview questions and gives us an idea of how to answer them. Hope this helps everybody. Read the original article here

1. What is your biggest weakness?

Questions like these, says Denham, are asked so that interviewees admit a weakness that justifies their being shown the door. He recommends responding with: “I have a tendency to say yes and get overcommitted.” Then follow that with an example of how you are working on prioritizing and setting personal limits. Never draw negative attention to yourself by stating a weakness that would lead an employer to think you are not the best person for the job, Denham says. “The focus of your interview should be on your strengths,” he says.

2. What salary do you think you deserve?

“The person who states the salary is the loser,” says Denham, explaining that if you are the first to throw out a number, the number you give could be less than what the employer was planning to pay. Wait for the employer to give a range, and when it does ask you for a figure you expect to be making, choose a salary that is higher than the median they provide. Use online tools and resources to find out what you can realistically expect. Also, don’t talk salary on the first interview.

3. Why should I hire you?

For this one, Denham says it’s important to prepare before the interview. “Go back to your resume and look through it for the three to five things that make you outstanding,” he says. These qualities should accent your work ability, like “I’m a hard worker” or “I get things done.” You have to demonstrate a track record of results. “The notion is that past performance is always the best predictor of future performance,” Denham says.

4. What didn’t you like about your last job?

The employer who asks this question could be looking for you to answer with something that would indicate a weakness of yours, once again in an attempt to eliminate you. So while it may be tempting to trash your boss or complain about the hours (they expected me to be in at 8 a.m.!), try answering with something like this: “I did not feel my responsibilities were challenging enough.” Then the employer will feel confident that you are ready for whatever they may throw at you.

5. Where do you see yourself in three to five years?

The worst answer you can provide to this one, Denham says, is “I have no idea,” even though that might be the truth. “It’s basically like saying, ‘I have no idea what I’m doing with my life and I have no idea how long I’ll stay with this job,’” Denham says. Try a response like “I’ve done a lot of self-assessment, and what I’ve learned about myself is that I want to make a commitment to this career and I want to build my career here.”

Top Three Interview Questions And How You Should Answer

Wondering what they'll ask you during your interview? Here are the top three interview questions practically all interviewers ask during job interviews. More experienced (and senior) interviewers will go through your resume in detail and will jump start questions from different sections like where you previously worked, what you used to do.

The questions here are more the generic type that most likely an HR person will ask. As you go through the door, take note that the HR personnel is the gate-keeper. You are more often than not, not going to get to the boss if you are rude to the human resources department.



1. Tell me something about yourself

This is a natural question given the interviewer has no clue who you are. This is also a way to test your eloquence at presenting yourself.

The ideal answer here should be relevant to the position your applying for and should be brief but concise. Don't delve into your childhood or how well you play siatong. Be smart - put your best foot forward

2. What are your strengths and weaknesses

The key as always is to be honest. You don't need a job interview to tell you that. Your strengths and weaknesses will be recorded and referenced once you start or they will be cross-referenced when they do your background check

You HAVE to mention a weakness. There isn't a person in the world without a weakness so might as well be straight forward. But of course note how you are improving or the steps you've taken to improve

3. Why should we hire you

Now to be able to answer this accurately, you will need to do some initial research on the company and the position you're applying for. You can't just mouth off on all your skills (which may help sometimes) but instead of shooting in the dark. Your answer should be precise. Note the need of the company via your position. Understand what the company does and show your interviewer that you did look them up - this will definitely impress them.

These are just some of the secrets to getting hired. Stay tuned for more updates

Four Rules To Answer The Toughest Interview Question

In interviews, I've noticed one of the toughest questions to answer is "What is your greatest weakness?" Simply because your answer can work against you and the inability to answer is also by itself considered a general weakness. I looked up Shine.com - a job site, and this is what they had to say on the subject

Read the complete article from Shine.com here:

From blatant... 'greatest weakness'; 'weakest attribute'; 'most significant failure' to soft 'what might your previous employer say? even softer 'you certainly seem to have a lot of strengths, but we understand no one is perfect' The question will come one way or another, everyone knows it, yet still befuddled by it. There have been many Rules of Thumb developed over the years, from making light of the question with an answer like “Pizza!” (Do not pass go; do not expect a job here) to true confessions, putting a cloud over everyone, to developing a response that actually demonstrates a strength: “I tend to be a workaholic” or “perfectionist” (Yuk!)

I find many Rule of Thumb to be off the mark and misleading. What may be good for one may not be for another. That is not to say there are no rules that can be applied; there are. Just choose your medicine carefully.

So the 4 rules when answering this interview question are:

Rule#1: Stay Positive…Always! “What’s your greatest weakness” is your opportunity to shine. One way is to demonstrate that you are a positive person by nature. Everyone likes a person with a positive nature, right? Remember you are in the interview to make yourself desirable for hiring, so you might say, “I rarely sit there and think of myself in those terms, nevertheless, I do want to respond to your question” or something on those lines. Notice by the way I did not say “I rarely sit there and think of my weaknesses”. Okay, I take it back. Here’s a rule of thumb that always applies: Do not use or repeat negative terms, even if the interviewer throws it out there.



Rule#2 No Superlatives! Keep it singular. Superlatives such as “weakest” or “worst” or “biggest” indicate the greatest degree of whatever is it describing. “Worst weakness” is the weakness of the highest degree implying there are other weaknesses of varying degrees but weaknesses nonetheless. That begs the question “what are some others?” Likewise, “need most to improve” implies there are others areas for improvement. In any case, try this as an alternative: “If I had to come up with one…” (No negatives; no multiples).



Rule#3 No Absolutes! The absolute, as in “my weakness is…” states that the weakness exists unconditionally: Utterly fixed and not likely to change. Wow! Wouldn’t it be better to be a little less restrictive, something more conditional like “it could be that I am…” Conditional responses suggest you yourself are not completely convinced of it. This type of response also accomplishes what the bungling technique of using a “strength” to describe a weakness consistently fails to achieve – that your “weakness” may not be a weakness after all.



Rule#4 Keep it real! Your “weakness” should be one (singular) that is subjective – of your person. Humanize it! “If I had to come up with one (singular) it might be (non-absolute) somewhat (qualifier) of a lack of internal patience (human)”. Continuing … “I seem (unconvinced) to have strong tendencies to expect the same from others that I do from myself (human). Not just in terms of results – I’m smart enough to realize that not everyone has the same level of skill, abilities and education (real) … I do however, expect others to give their best effort, and if that’s not there, then yes, that might (conditional) bother me to some degree” (Ah! … “bother me to some degree” … human, non-absolute, qualifier, and conditional … Don’t you love it!) Another tact, similarly keeping it real, could be an incident resultant of some area where improvement was needed (potential weakness) that turned out to be a learning experience and later grew into a personal asset, thus giving you, once more, an opportunity to showcase strength.

4 Ways To Impress Your Interviewer. Typical Interview Questions All Applicants Should Know!

I have played the role of interviewer so many times while I was a recruitment staff for an international company as well as later on when I became a marketing manager for my next company. However I have also experience the flip side where I was the person being interviewed. Here are some of the things I learned on how to impress your interviewer

1. Be on time. There's nothing worse than arriving late for your interview. You create a bad impression for yourself as well as a bad precedence. If you're late for the interview, how will you fare when you get hired? Most likely the interviewer will assume you will also be frequently late. I for one, am not a fan of tardiness. As much as possible be on time for all your appointments. Don't waste other people's time please.
2. Dress to impress. Whatever the position you're applying for, always dress appropriately. Ask around if you don't know what the dress code is for the company you're applying or the position you desire. It's always best to know in advance. I had an interview once and failed in that area, good thing I was on my toes when answering all the questions. This is still not excuse though, I'm not saying you may get the job if you're dressed well but you have nothing in your head, but being dressed well will make a great first impression and the interviewer will note that.
3. Be prepared. Research the company. It's always good to know the basics. Know what the company is about and what job you're getting into. Interviewers are looking for the perfect fit for each position. The more you know about the position and the company, the more leverage you have versus other applicants.
   
4. Be attentive. Listen well to the questions and make sure you answer them concisely and correctly. At the start you will be asked the typical interview:

• Tell me something about yourself
• Why did you choose to apply for this position?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• How do you see yourself 3 years from now?
• How do you take criticism?
• Would you rather work alone or with a team?
• What is your basic experience relating to the position you are applying for?
• Why should we hire you?

In any or all cases, a few of these questions will pop up during the interview probably worded differently but those are the basics. The rest will probably be more position-related and probably technical in nature. So might as well get ready for those too