Archive for the ‘Graduate Interviews Tips’ Category
College Interview Questions
Before students graduate college they need to have an extraordinary resume. Most colleges offer some type of resume writing seminar and students should be able to write a good resume most of the time. With that being said, the first step of getting a job interview includes having a great cover letter and an extraordinary resume.
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Preparation is the key for answering hard interview questions once a job interview has been scheduled. A good amount of people do keep this in mind and prepare for answering hard interview questions. A lot of people prepare by practicing responding to interview questions so that they can sound confidence while answering them. Because the job market is very competitive with the current economic climate, employers have developed a way to separate applicants to find the brightest stars. Companies will ask interview questions that are tricky, which will make job applicants nervous and be hard to answer.
Hard Interview Questions You Can Expect
We will take a closer look at some hard interview questions you could be asked and what your response should be:
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• What is your biggest weakness? – Of course nobody wants to answer this question. Why answer a question that reflects negatively on you? Be clear and confident in communicating to the potential employer what you feel your biggest weakness is. Use this simple strategy: Turn a negative into a positive. Explain how you made your biggest weakness into a goal to overcome and how you did it.
• Have you ever had time that you didn’t agree with a supervisor or college professor? – How did you resolve the conflict? When you answer this question, make sure you don’t reveal to the interviewer that you hold a grudge against your former supervisor or professor. You want to keep everything positive as can be with an interview. Never say anything bad about your former employer or teachers. To answer this question accurately, you need to display that you are able to see the other person’s view in the disagreement, consider all options and then act logically. That is what the potential employer is looking for. The potential employer really wants to know how you handled yourself and the situation.
• How would friends, employers, and professors describe you? – This is a good time to incorporate some of your key strengths and skills into your answer. i.e. Passionate, Driven. Inform the job interviewer that you have references for their review to support your comments. By the way, LinkedIn.com is a great tool for references.
• What motivates you to be successful? This question is normally asked to see how driven you are to be successful for the position that you are interviewing for. There no correct or incorrect answers. Obviously, in order to answer this question, you need to first write down what motivates you professionally and think of some examples that display these attributes.
• You have no experience. Why should I hire you? – You need to be persuasive. Mention your ability to overcome various challenges. Also, mention how you increased your knowledge through education, internships and your past employers. Explain how your core competencies would have a positive impact on the organization’s bottom line.
College Interview Questions
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Job Interviews – The Six Most Frequently Asked Questions And Ways To Answer Them
Many people think that one cannot prepare for job interview questions. Thus, they often relied purely on fate for the outcome of their interview. This is definitely not the way that it should be.
If you have attended several job interviews at one go, you would realize that there are certain common questions that job interviewers always kept asking. And if you have prepared for these questions earlier, wouldn’t you have improved your chance of success in interviews?
Here are the 6 most commonly asked interview questions I’ve surveyed and gathered. Take note of the sample answers below each questions and try to modify and remember them so that you would be much better prepared the next time you enter the interview room.
Question 1: Why Don’t You Tell Me About Yourself?
The interviewer does not want to know your life history! Instead, he or she wants you to explain how your background relates to doing the job. Following is how one person might respond:
“I grew up in the Southwest and my parents and one sister still live there. I always did well in school, and by the time I graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to work in a business setting. I had taken computer and other business classes and had done well in them. The jobs I’ve had while going to school have taught me how many small businesses are run. In one of these jobs, I was given complete responsibility for the night operations of a wholesale grocery business that grossed over $2 million a year. I learned there how to supervise others and solve problems under pressure.”
This answer gives a brief personal history and then gets right into the job seeker’s skills and experiences. A different job would require you to stress different skills. Your personal history is unique, but you can still use the three steps to answer the question for yourself.
Question 2: Why Should I Hire You?
This is the most important question of all! If you don’t have a good reason why someone should hire you, why will anyone? This question is not often asked so clearly, but it is “the” question behind many other interview questions.
The best answer shows how you can solve a problem for the employer, help the business make more money, or provide something else of value that the company needs. Think about the most valuable thing you can do for an organization. You should probably include that information in your answer. Here is a sample response from a person with recent training but little work experience:
“I have over two years of training in this field and know about all the latest equipment and methods. That means I can get right to work and be productive almost right away. I am also willing to work hard to learn new things. During the entire time I went to school, I held a full-time job to help earn the tuition and support myself I learned to work hard and concentrate on what was important. I expect to do the same thing here. Since I won’t be going to school now, I plan on putting in extra time after regular work hours to learn anything this job needs.”
Question 3: What Are Your Major Strengths?
This is a direct question with a little hidden meaning. These are the skills employers are most concerned about. Here is one answer from a person who had little prior work experience:
“I think one of my strengths is that you can depend on me. I work very hard to meet deadlines and don’t need a lot of supervision in doing so. If I don’t know what to do, I don’t mind asking. In high school, I got a solid B-plus average even though I was very involved in sports. I always got my assignments in on time and somehow found the time to do extra credit work, too.”
Question 4: What Are Your Major Weaknesses?
This is a trick question. Most job seekers don’t handle this one well. If you discuss what you don’t do well, you may not get the job. If you say you have no weaknesses, the interviewer won’t believe you. Ask yourself what the interviewer really wants to know. He or she wants to know that you are aware of your weaknesses. The interviewer wants to know that you have learned to overcome them so that they don’t affect your work. Using the second step of the three-step process would result in a response like this:
“I do have some weaknesses. For example, in previous jobs I would get annoyed with coworkers who didn’t work as hard as I did. I sometimes said so to them, and several times I refused to do their work when they asked me to.”
You have answered the question, but the response should not end there! Using step three of the three-step process would result in a statement like this:
“But I have learned to deal with this better. I still work hard, but now I let the supervisor deal with another worker’s problems. I’ve also gained some skills as a supervisor myself I’ve learned to motivate others to do more because they want to, not because I want them to.”
Did you notice that this weakness isn’t such a weakness at all? Many of our strengths began in failure. We learned from them and got better. Your answer to any interview question should always present your positives.
Question 5: Why Are You Looking for This Sort of Position and Why Here?
Employers know that you will do better in a job you really want. Employers want to make sure you know what you want. They also want you to tell them what you like about the job, and what you like about doing the job in their organization. The closer you come to wanting what they have, the better.
The best answer for this is the truth. You should have a clear idea of the type of job you want before the interview. You should also know the sort of organization and the type of people you want to work with. You gathered all of this information earlier in this book. If you are interviewing for a job you want, in a place where you think you would enjoy working, answering this question should be easy.
Question 6: How Does Your Previous Experience Relate to the Jobs We Have Here?
This one requires a direct response. The employer is really asking, “Can you prove you have the experience and skills to do the job?” The question is directly related to the employer’s expectation on skills and training. In some cases, other people with better credentials than yours will want the job you’re after. You can even mention this, and then explain why you are a better choice. Here is an example of how one person answered this question:
“As you know, I have over five years of experience in a variety of jobs. While this job is in a different industry, it will also require my skills in managing people and meeting the public. In fact, my daily contact with large numbers of people on previous jobs has taught me how to work under pressure. I feel very able to deal with pressure and to get the job done.”
Remember to go through and familiarize yourself with each of these questions before you go for your interview. They will proof to be useful in one way or another.
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Job Interviews: 10 Commonly-Asked Questions (And How to Answer)
Being prepared for a job interview isn’t just about dressing appropriately, it’s also about knowing how to respond thoughtfully to the interviewer’s questions. Interviewers like questions that are personal and revealing, which can be intimidating. But the truth is that interviewers tend to ask the same questions – or variations thereof. So, if you know what these questions are, you can prepare accordingly. Here are ten of the most commonly-asked job interview questions. Don’t be surprised if they come up in your next interview.
1. “Tell me about yourself.” This is the ice breaker. First of all, it is important that your answer doesn’t sound rehearsed. Your answer should be genuine and honest as well as short and sweet. Don’t talk endlessly about every detail of your life – that’s not what potential employers want to know. Focus on your education, work history, recent career experience and any hobbies or accomplishments that reflect a strong character. Even though it’s an ice-breaker question, it should still be selling you as a candidate.
2. “Why did you leave your last job?” With this question, it is crucial to be brief, honest, and, most importantly, positive. If you left by choice, don’t talk badly or put blame on others. You’ll only make yourself look bad. Instead say you left for a better opportunity. If you were fired, be honest about the reasons and assure the interviewer that the mistakes – if any – will not happen again. Being honest about the circumstance shows your interviewer that you have confidence in yourself.
3. “What do you know about this company?” You should expect this question at every interview. This is why you should always do some research on the company before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players? This shows the interviewer that you are actually interested in the company and being employed by them.
4. “Why do you want to work for this company?” Again, make sure you’ve done your homework and base your response on the knowledge you’ve acquired. For instance, you could say that you’re interested in the kind of business with which the company is involved, or that you like the benefits the company offers. Better yet, try to relate your answer to your personal interests or career goals.
5. “Why should we hire you?” This is a softball pitch – an easy opportunity to show your strengths – so hit it out of the park. Try to sound confident without sounding cocky. Create your answer by thinking in terms of your abilities and experience. Point out specific ways in which your assets as a candidate will benefit the company.
6. “How long do you plan on staying with the company if you’re hired?” Technically, employers are not supposed to ask this question; still, sometimes it finds its way into the conversation. If it does, steer clear of specific answers; being too specific could be potentially dangerous. You could be making promises you can’t – or don’t want to – keep. That being said, try not to sound too vague. Try something along the lines of “I’d like it to be a long time, or as long as we both feel I am doing a good job.”
7. “Are you willing to work overtime?” You’re on your own here – but be prepared for the question. It’s to your advantage to be honest up front in setting the terms of employment; however, keep in mind that the more flexible you are, the more likely you’ll get the job. If nothing else, let your interviewer know that while you have preferences or special circumstances, you are willing to be flexible.
8. “What do you feel this position should pay?” A loaded and a delicate question. The best way to have success with this question is to not answer it directly. A good tactic is to counter with something like, “That’s a tough question… Can you tell me the range for this position?” In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. Of course, a better approach would be to do your homework. Find the average salary for the position you’re applying for and answer, “I understand that the range for this job is between $____ and $____. That seems appropriate for the job as I understand it.” Either way, make sure you communicate that while the money is important; getting the job is first priority.
9. “What is your philosophy/attitude towards work?” If you get this question, be advised that the interviewer is not looking for a soliloquy. Ask yourself: “Do I have strong feelings about how work should be done?” If so, answer accordingly. If not, keep it short and positive, always showing concern for the good of the organization.
10. “Do you have any questions for me?” This is one of the most neglected and overlooked questions of the interview. In fact, many applicants treat it as a “throwaway.” Instead, come with some prepared questions, such as: “How can I be an asset to the organization? How soon will I be able to be productive? What type of projects will I be involved with?” Remember that a keen or insightful question on your part will tell the employer as much about you as your answers.
To conclude, let me observe that the key to most of these questions is doing your homework. The fact is that you can compensate for lack of experience or education, even getting fired, by having a well-rehearsed and well-delivered response to the questions above. Still, remember that even the best answers will have no credibility whatsoever unless you are completely honest and sincere with yourself and with your interviewer. And while I can’t promise you’ll get every job using these tips, I can promise a more successful interview and a fighting chance even with jobs you have no business applying for.
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Good Interview Questions
In fact anything of quality is pretty hard to come back even more so in the interview world. A world based on self-less promotion of ones self. What’s the difference between the great interview questions and the good ones?
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The Purpose
The great interview questions are designed to put the candidate into the hot seat. Make them feel a little out of their zone so the interviewer can get a quick appraisal at their skill level, true personality and make a fair judgment.
The great interview questions also happen to be more often then not the ones that we don’t expect nor do we exactly know where they came from. They’re spontaneous and usually light-hearted but allow to reveal a more human side to both interviewee and interviewer.
It’s impossible to just make a list of such questions because they are truly situational. As an interviewer your job isn’t to just sit with a list of questions and record the answers you are given.
Your job is to interview the person – find out about them. Figure out if they have what it takes to work for your company or organization. This is precisely where hard questions come into play. What better way to find out their true feelings or thoughts then by asking them a spontaneous question?
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Make up your own great interview questions because if there was a list then everyone would know it, and if everyone knew all the great interview questions then what would really make them so great?
You were probably hoping for an article which just lists a couple of these questions, but what I’m asking of you is much more elementary. You should learn to come up with your own because then you will be a greater asset to your company and able to complete a much more thorough evaluation of the candidate.
As a professional interviewer myself I know that no list can ever beat coming up with your own hard questions right on the spot.
Ever been stumped? Hopefully this article has brought you to realize that great interview questions are about more then sitting down and reading off paper. It’s about ingenuity, dedication and countless attempts. Good luck during your next interview and we hope you’ll be able to create your own!
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The First Formal Phone Interview
For most job seekers, this will be their first real interview. All types of questions are possible and you will be interviewed by members of the hiring team. You will receive follow-up questions based on your resume and possible job qualification questions and, you will most likely receive behavioral questions for the first time in the interview process. To help prepare for this interview, we have some additional tips:
1. Began preparing for Behavioral Interview Questions. Since behavioral questions will begin to take on a larger aspect with this interview, it is important to allocate a good part of your preparation time to answer those questions. To do this to the fullest:
a. Make a list of possible job skills from your job description.
b. Make two positive examples from your work or education experience that show how you have a certain job skill.
c. Make two negative examples from your work or education experience that show how you have used certain job skill.
d. Go back over the examples and fill them in with as much content detail you can find and remember. It is best to find actual numbers and know dates and timelines.
e. Practice your answers to these behavioral questions for each job skill by stating these examples. As you practice these examples, adjust your answers to make them sound more professional and clear-cut. Ultimately, you want to make it so someone who knows nothing about your field would be able to follow it and you also want to have enough facts available that you can satisfactorily answer follow-up questions.
f. For the negative examples, choose ones that are minor issues. In addition, make sure you take responsibility for what happened. Do not blame others for the problem. Merely state this is what happened and how you addressed the issue or what you would do differently now. Bottom line is that by preparing for these negative behavioral questions, you will help ensure to put your best face forward.
2. Be ready for follow-up questions on resume- related and job qualification questions. Be prepared to answer more fully questions about your resume and how your skills fit the job description. When answering each question, be sure to drive home your strengths and if appropriate, provide them with some of the company information you have learned.
3. Make the interview a conversation. Try to turn the interview into a conversation. Recognize the interviewer(s) will have ask some questions, but there is no reason why it can’t take on a warm and conversational tone. Be warm and cheerful throughout the interview and you will more likely win over the interviewer. Remember this is not an interrogation, it is a conversation.
4. Get interviewer contact information for thank you letters. As always, get their contact information during the interview so you can send them a thank you letter and also ask them when you can expect to hear from them regarding the next round of the interview process.
5. Tell them you want the position. If nothing else, tell them you want the position. Even if you are not that interested in the position, make it clear to them you want the job by specifically stating it. Do not assume they will figure it out. If they know you want the job, they are more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt when deciding whether to advance you to the next round.
With these phone interview tips, you should have the knowledge to help get you to the on-site interviews.
Summary:
A job interview can be a challenging experience where you are asked all types of different questions that at first can seem like a personal interrogation. To help you fight back, we have put together a list of the different types of job interview questions. Armed with this information, you should be well on your way to taking back control over the interview.
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P&G Interview Questions
This allows them the ability to check out more employee prospects without having to cover the costs of seeing the out of state applicant in person. Another reason telephone interviews are becoming more popular with part time jobs in New York is that it becomes easier to weed out applicants in a 5 minute phone interview than a face-to-face chat that could last as long as an hour or more. Knowing that, you the applicant need to be suited for interviews over the phone and be prepared as they could come at any time! Here are some tips on how to interview over the phone.
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Research The Company
You can believe the company is going to do research on you before they call you for a phone interview, so you had better do some research of your own. With the internet, you can look up any company and find out all kinds of information about it (especially since most companies have a website). Find out where the company is located and if it has multiple branches. See what the company actually does. And most importantly, find out exactly what the job you’re applying for entails. 9 times out of 10, the interviewer will end up asking you “Why do you want to work for [the company he could be hiring you for]?” If you don’t know what the company does or what you’d be doing at the company, you might sound pretty foolish stumbling through this answer.
Practice Ahead of Time
The old saying “practice makes perfect” might not be entirely accurate, but it definitely helps. There are certain questions that almost every interviewer asks. “Why do you want to work for this company?” “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” “What are your short term goals and long term goals?” “What are your strengths and weaknesses” and “What makes you the best candidate for the job?” Figure out your answers to each of these often asked questions ahead of time (as well as other possible interview questions) and practice saying it. The goal here is not to memorize your answer so that you sound like a robot reciting lines. It’s so you don’t stumble over your words and waste any of the interviewer’s time. Practice with a friend or family member. Have them be the interviewer and you be… well, you! Record the mock interview and study the tapes carefully. Try to find trouble places where you have long pauses or verbal tics like “um”, “uh”, and “like”. Eradicate these simple words from your vocabulary. You might not realize you say them when speaking, but an interviewer can quickly become annoyed by hearing you say “um” 3 times every sentence.
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Take Notes
Have a pen and paper ready and waiting by the phone for when that phone interview might happen. Make notes of the interviewer’s name and the company they’re calling for. When they describe the position to you, write down all the important parts such as title, hours and pay. Make sure that if you ask the interviewer any questions that he/she didn’t cover, that you write down their answers. It’s also a good idea to keep note of what questions they asked you. This gives allows you to know exactly what you talked about for if you get a second phone interview, or better yet, an in-person interview.
Follow Up
At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for their time and ask when you might hear from them or someone else in the company again. Ask if you can meet them for an in-person interview. Ask when they might be making their hiring decisions. Thank them for their time (I know I said this already, but it’s pertinent!). If they have not given you a specific time frame, be sure to call the company in a few days to follow up on the interview and see if any new information (like a hiring decision) has become available.
If you follow these tips, you should have a great phone interview. And make sure to read your notes afterward. If you don’t get this job, you can use it as practice for future phone interviews for full time or part time jobs in New York. Also, remember to smile when giving the interview. Smiling changes your vocal tone and makes you sound much more positive. Employers like that.
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How Job Interview Pointers Can be of Help
Job interview pointers are essential to prepare for any type of interview, whether it may be the first interview or the second. Everyone has to face various interviews while he is looking for a change in the career. Students try hard to prepare rightly for the interview. Job interview pointers will always help such students. Candidates seek for the help of career advice experts during their interview period. Here are some interview tips to help you while you are getting prepare for any interview.To visit the web site of the company that requires employee is the basic tip for any fresher. Try to contact the people who work in the specific company. Do not be confused during your interview.First, try to listen to the question carefully. Then there should be some time given between stimulus and response. So think over it for few seconds and then answer it briefly. Try to speak loudly so the interviewer can listen properly.It is always better to give illustrations of what you have done or created during your course. An interviewee should present the toolbox of the illustrations of the project he has finished. Try to guess the expected questions that an interviewer is going to ask related to the condition of the task. Answer all the questions with details avoid answering in generalities. Answer all the questions confidently. At the end of the answer, ask the interviewer is it the correct reply for your question. An interviewee should always be honest. Answer all questions honestly. Avoid quoting irrelevant answers or illustrations. Avoid hiding your inabilities during the interview. An interview must keep up his professionalism. Everyone should always keep this thing in mind while learning job interview pointers. Do not tell anything that will push you out of argument. Avoid assuming the image of the interviewer in a particular way. Ask any question to the interviewer with great curiosity. The interviewer should feel that only you are the appropriate candidate for the job. One of the most important thing about job interview pointers is that the interviewer thinks whether the candidate is potentially equipped in a specific branch. The interviewer tries to learn whether the interviewee is able to balance the skills of his possible coworkers. The interviewer tries to seek that the candidate knows the company and its intention. The candidate is always evaluated comparing to other candidates for the task. The interviewer compares your act with the performance of another candidate. Some of the interviewer checks the will power attitude in a candidate. They need candidates who wish to be challenged and internally forced to do better. A candidate has to confirm that he needs the job. Show keen interest about the job and answer every question carefully. Try to pacify pre-interview worries. Ask about your faults or good points to your rehearsal associate. Try to find and remember the names of the people you are going to meet during your interview if you know in advance.
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Job Interview Questions Biggest Weakness
This is one of those difficult interview questions that interviewers ask from time to time. The way you handle your response to the question might be as important if not more important than what you actually say.job listings
The question is how to answer the question without making it look like you have a weakness that might prevent you from getting hired.At the same time, you don’t want to mention a weakness that isn’t really a weakness and simply tell the interviewer what you think they want to hear.Trust me, an experienced interviewer has heard every clichéd answer to this question and will know when you are feeding them a line.The purpose of asking this question is firstly to see how you handle a stress question and secondly how you actually respond to it.Here are some guidelines for responding when an interviewer asks what about your biggest weakness:Job Interview Skills Click here
1. Answer the question honestly. It’s always best to answer any interview question honestly (obviously) but this is an especially important one. Making up a weakness that isn’t really a weakness will most likely be very noticeable to the interviewer. If they think you are lying, they may ask you for another weakness which will cause you even more trouble trying to think of one off the top of your head.2. Don’t mention a big weakness that could cost you the job. Your goal here isn’t to lie of course, it’s simply to present yourself as best you can. We all have weaknesses but it doesn’t mean we tell an interviewer everything that we do wrong. If for example you are interviewing for a project manager job, it’s probably best not to mention that you have trouble getting along with people since you’re going to be constantly working with others.3. Don’t evade the question. Don’t try to avoid answering the question. Also be careful about giving a clichéd weakness (ie. I work too hard) and then quickly stating how you deal with it. That looks too scripted and the interviewer has probably heard it one million times before. Admitting a real weakness but then stating what you are doing to improve yourself is preferable ie. “My presentation skills are not as strong as I’d like so I signed up for weekend presentation skills classes and also joined a Toastmasters club.” Remember that the specific job you are interviewing for will help to determine how you answer the question.4.Keep your answer factual and brief. Typically, stress questions such as these that put us on the spot tend to cause us to ramble on and speak for longer than we should especially if we’re nervous. The best way to answer the question is to be well prepared and to know how you are going to answer the question before the interview. This will avoid you trying to think off the top of your head and saying more than you need to which could hurt your chances of getting the job.5. Be careful about using “my biggest weakness is my biggest strength” as your response. Saying that “I’m a perfectionist” or something like that is another of those clichéd answers that people often give to this question. It will probably come across as being scripted and the interviewer will most likely determine that you got the answer from an interview tips book.
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Can You Answer the $64,000 Question?
In the early days of television, there was a top ten show called “The $64,000 question”.
Players would be asked a series of more and more difficult questions.As the questions got more difficult, their price tag got bigger. The final one was the $64,000 question.
Answer that one and you were home free.
Sounds a bit like your last interview doesn’t it?
You know, the small talk is easy. Then you settle in and the questions get tougher and more specific.
You are concerned about making sure you know your business and can answer those tough questions.
You don’t pay much attention to the easy ones, like, “so – John, why don’t you tell me about yourself?”
Most of us don’t take that question seriously. We consider it small talk. We answer in generalities, cliches, and superficial comments.
“Well, there’s really not much to tell” -or- “when I was six my parents moved us to Montana”.
This question is loaded though, and should be answered carefully.
Here are some ideas:
1. Answer the question as it pertains to the interview at hand. Tailor your response to highlight relevant professional and/or personal accomplishments based on how the interviewer drives the discussion.
2. Focus on mapping your unique knowledge, skills and abilities to the perceived need of the employer. If the interviewer has shared an interest of theirs with you, seize on it, if you can. Never initiate a discussion based on personal interests though.
3. Ask the interviewer what they want to know. For example: ” Do you want me to focus on the major accomplishments at my current or last position or do you want me to provide an overview of my experience?
This may sound presumptuous, but the tactic helps focus the interview in your direction.
4. Answer the question with your two minute pitch. Make sure it is tailored to the industry and niche you are interviewing for.
5. If you are a career changer, provide an interesting, meaningful story about how you evolved in your career to this point. Integrate your transferable skills into the story.
6. Explain how your past life accomplishments and skill sets provide a smooth transition to the new career. Explain how you can add value with a fresh perspective.
When you analyze this question you can prepare an effective strategy to steer the interview in your direction. Successful interviews are ones that guide the interviewer and encourage him/her to ask the questions that you have the best answers for.
Your resume can be a great help in this process. Prepare a resume that highlights the accomplishments you want to discuss. When you answer the $64,000 question you can lead the interviewer directly to those accomplishments you want to promote.
Here’s why:
The majority of interviewers don’t read resumes before the interview. They just don’t have the time. Therefore, they will be happy to have you lead them through your accomplishments as long as you can integrate them into the interview framework.
The 30 second impression
HR professionals will tell you that most interviewers make up their minds (at least on a subconscious level), in the first 30 seconds. You can’t fight that cliche so don;t be concerned.
I like to focus on the ten minute impression.
In the first ten minutes you will be asked to “tell me about yourself”. How you answer this question may have a significant bearing on the outcome of your interview.
Your objective is to focus on your successes and ignore your failures. Measure the mind of the interviewer and align yourself with their values and culture.
The next time the interviewer asks you to “Tell me about yourself”, save the small talk and unleash your strategy.
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Interview Tips to Get Your Dream Job
Interview sessions are always very stressful and full of tension. It does not matter how many years working experiences you have or the number of interview sessions you have attended in the past. The simple truth is that no matter the number of interviews you have attended in the past, two interviews can never be the same. You meet different types of interviews at every interview. Some interviewers are naturally friendly and give you lead to answers to their questions and check out how you manage them, but others are unfriendly and harsh and put you under pressure even when you feel you are well prepared for the interview. The worst thing that can happen to an interviewee is when he is not prepared for an interview or when he does not know anything about the company he wants to work with or still when he does not even know the position he is about to be interviewed for. You may see this as strange but as an interviewer, we see these things happen every time. Before you go for any interview, take time to prepare. Ask your self this question, even if you are a genius, before you go in for an exam, don’t you read and get your self-ready for the exam? Of course you will otherwise you are doomed. There is this popular saying that “if one fails to plan, he has planned to fail”. There are no two ways about success. YOU MUST PLAN.Take time to review relevant job possible interview questions and answers. Give your self a mock interview. Prepare as many questions as possible that you expect to be asked and get ready answers to these questions.It is very important to know all about the company you are being interviewed for. You will look like one who is not serious when you are asked simple questions like, what the company is into, and you don’t have an answer to that. It simply tells the interviewer that you are not ready for the interview and it also shows that you don’t even know what you want.Make sure you are well qualified for the position you are being interviewed for. Be ready to know all your skills, competencies, abilities and how you can use them to add value to the company. Note that the company is not employing you because you are handsome/pretty, or because you have the necessary qualifications, no it is because you can fill the gap the have by adding value to them. It can be compared with somebody going to the market to buy a product. One buys a product because that product will be able to fill his need and give him satisfaction. If the need is not filled and satisfaction is not attained, the product is a waste.TIPS ON HOW TO GET THAT DREAM JOB:· Make sure you are prepared.· Be sure you know much about the company (what they do, their business, their Vision and Mission statements etc)· Know the requirements for the position you are to be interviewed for.· Arrive at worst 30 minutes before the interview time.(it will make you to relax and reduce tension in you)· Don’t sit idle while waiting to be called in, you can read newspapers or ask questions about some things you want to know from either the receptionist or any one you meet in the company)· A few minutes before you go in for the interview, visit the rest room, check your hair, suit, tie and practice that confident smile. (This will reassure you of your confidence).· Men make sure your hair is well cut and ladies have a good hair do.· When you walk into the Interview room, be confident and put on an attractive smile.· Greet the panel members.· PLEASE DO NOT SIT DOWN unless you are asked to.· When they have returned your greetings and still did not ask you to sit, politely ask, “can I sit down sirs/Madam?”· Manage the interview.· Be in control (Talk only when you are asked to, but be in control and manage the interview by letting them know what you want them to know about you. Use every question to portray the value you are bringing into the firm).· Sell your self. If you don’t say I am, remember no body can say “You Are” so go ahead and tell them what they want to hear.· Talk about your achievements. Show value to the employer. That is what he wants to employ and not you, but your value.· DON’T LIE. Say the truth only about your achievements. A lie may take care of the present, but remember a lie has no future. (Its better you say you don’t know but are willing to learn, than you know and they find out that you don’t know. (Integrity).· Ask a lot of questions relating to the jobs you will be doing. Show interest in working with them and prove your readiness to add value.· VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure all you have in your resume/c.v are true and that you can defend them anywhere any time.· Most interviewers invite you for an interview because of what you claim you have in your resume/C.V. (it will be too bad if you can’t prove what you have in your resume. (Integrity)· Always have copies of your resume available during an interview.· Always come with your credentials even if you are not told to bring them.(Originals and Photocopies of each).· During the interview don’t avoid eye contact with the interviewers.· Always put on a smile while answering questions (Employers like happy people).· Do not ask about salary or remunerations unless you are asked to. (Otherwise it will seem as if you are only interested in money and not the job. Remember they want to hire you for what you will do for them).· NEVER SAY BAD ABOUT YOUR FORMER OR CURRENT EMPLOYER. (Even if they are not treating you well).MOST THINGS EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR IN A CANDIDATE:
SOME COMMON AND GENERAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
To get that your dream job, you should be able to expect such questions as these ones discussed here. There are no stereo typed ways of answering them. Make sure you prepare them before going for an interview and have ready answers to them incase they are asked during the interview session. Before you set off for an interview, make sure that you have gone through them and are very confident that if they come you can handle them with ease. The good thing about these interview questions is that even if they don’t come direct, you can figure them out and manage them in your own way.You should be able to handle such questions about;
Interview questions are limitless. Just take your time and go through these questions. Prepare answers that will favour you, Manage the questions put to you to favour yourself and believe me, you are already waiting for your employment letter. But dont forget, the employers need you because of what you can do for them,because of that need they have which you can fill. So let them know how you can add value to their establishment .
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