Bullseye Interviewing
|
An interview is much like a blind date. You have sweaty palms, heart palpitations, shaky nerves and a preconceived notion of what could happen. The perfect scenario unfolds in your mind, where you are calm, cool and collected, dressed smartly, totally in control, enthusiastically meeting the other person's gaze and brimming with confidence. However, that idea has begun to unravel, because as of right now, you are LATE, because you got lost, forgot your resume, wore a shirt that is making you sweat and have pulled a muscle breaking in new shoes. As you are being led to the boardroom, you're informed that your possible Superiors will be sitting in. Panic sets in with the realization that this blind date is over before it even begun.
What is needed therefore, is a realistic and proactive approach. If you're a mere mortal like the rest of us, then you do get nervous about a job interview. If we could accurately predict the outcome of this situation, life would definitely be easier to plan. While we can't accurately control the results, we can bank our odds if we keep the pointers below in mind.
Basic Combat:
Wardrobe:
Do your homework. Find out what the corporate culture is. Check out the company's website on the net. Go to the media area and find out what type of functions they attend or sponsor. Is the work environment business casual or corporate? Wear what is considered acceptable attire and meet that standard. Make sure your wardrobe is clean, odor free and neatly pressed.
Research:
While this may not be the only job you've applied for, read information on the company involved. Understand what the position entails in detail. Keep a copy of the posting for yourself. Know your own resume inside out and be able to explain examples of your work and how it fits into their job description. Take down the name of the person you'll be seeing, how to spell and pronounce their name and note (or ask) if it's a Mr., Mrs. Ms. (Yes, this is important). Although you can't rehearse the exact answers when you don't know the questions you'll face, it's possible to find out what the latest interview trends are on Career sites or in your local bookstore.
Body Language
Greet your potential employers with a firm handshake and smile. Look the interviewer(s) in the eyes, but don't make them uncomfortable by staring. Try to relax by taking a deep breath. Tapping your foot and fingers or chewing gum is considered a faux pas. It's best to match the body language of the interviewer(s), but not in a mechanical fashion.
The Actual Interview
Think positively and keep it all in perspective. Based on your abilities, education and work history, THEY called you. This is your unique moment to market YOU. You need to believe that you are by far, the best candidate for them. Make sure you look neat and orderly and pop in a breath mint for good measure. Slang or acronyms are not appropriate in your speech. Remember not to confuse confidence with arrogance and don't interrupt or hijack the interview. When asked a question, pause and reflect on the answer and try to listen to be clear and concise. When they ask, "Do you have any questions?", ask the ones you have prepared mentally based on your research and relevance to this interview and position. If this job still interests you, let them know and thank them for their time.
Remember, an interview is really just the beginning of the process, but first impressions not unlike a blind date can either make for a great story or fodder for the fire. Make this your opportunity to distinguish yourself from the pack and get that second "date".
About The Author
Tamara Jong is the Marketing Professional for www.canjobs.com, a leading Canadian owned and operated on-line recruitment site.
|
|
|
Start Working Before You Get Hired
What if there were a way to *prove* to any sane employer that you alone were the one to hire?Would learning how to do that interest you? I thought so.I call this the "start-working-before-you-get-hired" job-hunting method. You can learn to d...(related: Employment)
What Is Workers Compensation Fraud
What is FraudFraud occurs when a person knowingly or intentionally conceals, misrepresents, and makes a false statement to either deny or obtain workers' compensation benefits or insurance coverage, or otherwise profit from the deceit. The key to conviction is proving in court that the misrepresentation or concealment occurred knowingly or intentionally.Premium fraud and benefit fraud are the most common types of workers compensation fraud.Premium fraud is usually committed by an employer who misrepresents the amount of payroll or classification of employees, or who attempts to avoid a higher insurance risk modifier by transferring employees to a new business ...(related: Employment)
How People Really Explore New Careers: What Does A Real Career Search Look Like?
The traditional model of career choice suggests a linear pattern. Get to know yourself. Learn your kills and talents. Explore careers that seem to best utilize your talents and skills. Today, both research and experience suggest that real career change doesn't happen this way.What's real? Serendipity and zig-zag patternsContemporary researchers find that nearly every career path involves an element of serendipity. John Krumboltz of Stanford University publishe...(related: Employment)
Ten Great Careers For Computer ?geeks
The universal acceptance of computers into our daily lives, both at work and at home, has decreased the image of computer use...(related: Employment)
Career Killers To Avoid
Many professionals and managers are so involved in day-to-day crises and fighting fires that they forget about a key leadership characteristic: self-management. Effective leaders are first of all effective in managing themselves ? their time, their focus, their emotions and their careers. It's too late to figure out what's next for you once your company has merged, had lay offs, changed strat...(related: Employment)
Find A Job In A Fast Growing Field Using Labor Market Information For Your State
The question confronting most people who want to find a job is "what's a good paying job with growth potential?"At one time, the Conestoga wagon building trade boomed as people joined the wagon trains heading west.Today, the boom is long gone and those wanting to find a job with a future will most likely wish to stay away from such a field.So how can you find a job that will reasonably be expected to thrive in the future either in your home state or the state in which you choose to reside?...(related: Employment)
Networking Mistakes And How You Can Avoid Them
'Fear of rejection' is the major reason why individuals looking for a career change hesitate to use networking as the most powerful weapon in their job search armoury. This is even the case with senior people who you would have thought anybody would be delighted to receive a call from. In 99.9% of cases this fear is unfounded - most professional people are pleased to receive calls from like-minded people and are a pleasure and delight to talk to.
(In all my years of networking and listening to people who are conducting networking campaigns, I hav...(related: Employment)
Great Salary Negotiation Tips
11 Commandments For Smart Negotiating1 - BE PREPARED. The more information you have about your market value and theprospective employer, the greater your likelihood of success. This is the first commandment because it's the most important. There's awealth of information available on the Internet, at the public libraryand through professional associations and networking grou...(related: Employment)
Resurrecting The Perfect Resume, Part Two
Are you in denial about the lifelessness of your resume? If you are reasonably qualified for the type of work you seek, yet your resume is consistently failing...(related: Employment)
Im Just Me - An Overview Of An Web Er.. Designer, Developer, Consultant And Friend
I am going to give you a breakdown of my ... er ... work ... playtime .... income ....I'm a UK based Web Designer, Web Developer, Internet Consultant. I build websites, content management systems and internet solutions for anybody who can afford me. I am a prostitute!! Yes! A prostitute - I use my ...(related: Employment)
Thankk-you Notes: An Integral Part Of Your Career
There is one little practice that is vital to generating the interest of potential employers. It is critical, but very few job seekers actually do it.What is it? The THANK YOU NOTE!Interview experts agree that EVERY job hunter MUST send thank-you notes after EVERY interview. They also point out that most people completely ignore this bit of wisdom.In order to have a huge advantage over the other candidates...(related: Employment)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Employment