Killer Interview Tips.com

Posts Tagged ‘Success’

Product Description
Competency-based interviewing techniques will give your company a strategic focus by allowing hiring managers to integrate job-specific, future-oriented competencies into their interviews. This workshop teaches participants to identify key competencies (characteristics that differentiate outstanding performers from average performers in a given job) and build those competencies into their hiring and selection process in order to attain this strategic focus. Interv… More >>

Interview for Success: A Half-Day Competency-Based Workshop Instructor Guide

Product Description
The new edition of this bestseller is designed to quickly prepare interviewees for handling the most important steps in the interview process…. More >>

Interview for Success: A Practical Guide to Increasing Job Interviews, Offers, and Salaries

Medical interviews (ST interviews, consultant interviews and GP interviews) can be daunting if you are unprepared. Here are a series of medical interview tips that you can apply to ensure that your answers stand out.

1 – Keep your answers between 1½ and 2 minutes

No one can listen to a speaker for more than 2 minutes unless that speaker is absolutely fascinating or has some visual aids to help retain concentration. There is therefore no point in giving answers that are much longer otherwise you run the risk or boring the interviewers.

2 – Avoid long introductions. Answer the question directly

In my experience of interviewing and coaching candidates for interviews, I have always been struck by how few people actually answer the question directly. At an interview, it is crucial that you get to the point quickly, that you address the core of the question and that you avoid lengthy introductions that serve no purpose other than allowing you to buy time.

3 – Structure your answers in 3 or 4 points

One of the problems that plague interviewees is lack of structure in their answers. This makes it difficult for the interviewers to identify the different ideas that are being presented.

The human brain finds it difficult to remember more than 3 or 4 ideas at a time, so there is no point giving your interviewers 10 different ideas in the same answer. It will only confuse them. Stick to 3 or 4 points maximum. If you feel that you need to use more points to say what you want to say then your answer needs to be structured differently.

4 – Illustrate each point with examples from your experience

Making broad statements not only makes you sound vague, and at worst arrogant, it also makes it difficult for interviewers to differentiate you from other candidates. It is therefore crucial that you back up all the claims you make with examples drawn from your personal experience so that that there is no doubt in anyone’s mind about your abilities.

5 – Signpost each point clearly – Make your points clear

Once you have a structure in mind, make sure that it clearly shows in your answer and that the message that you are trying to convey is clearly announced clearly within each section that makes up your answer.

6 – Use power words

Selling yourself is not just about stating your message clearly and describing your experience. It is also about sounding confident, mature and, generally speaking, in control. Most people tend to understate their experience. In order to appear more confident, you will need to adopt a vocabulary which may be slightly different to that which you are accustomed to on a day-to-day basis, and which will sell yourself in an active and enthusiastic manner.

For example, Consider this sentence: “After a few attempts, I was able to reach a compromise with my colleagues” . On the surface, it sounds like a good thing to say. However, “After a few attempts” and “I was able to” sound weak. They make is sound as if the candidate didn’t try that hard or is not particularly proud of his/her achievement. The sentence could have a much stronger impact if it were reworded as follows: “Following several discussions where I encouraged my colleagues to review their position, I was successful in helping the team reach a compromise”. In this revised sentence, the words “encouraged” and “successful” present a much more proactive candidate and make a big difference in the manner in which the answer is being received by the listener.

7 – Talk about yourself rather than everyone else

Candidates who feel uncomfortable at interviews usually compensate by talking about everything else but themselves. They talk repeatedly about “we”, “the team” and, although it does present a good team playing attitude, it fails to tick the boxes when it comes to personal skills and competencies.

In your interview, it is perfectly fine to introduce some collective actions and say sentences such as “As a team, we were charged with conducting an audit on waiting time in A&E”, but only as an introduction to the rest of the answer, which should remain focussed on you and no one else.

8 – Bring objectivity into your answers

If you feel awkward talking about yourself or you don’t want to appear to be boasting, one good way to counter this problem is to bring objectivity into your answers. This can be achieved firstly by bringing examples from your experience into your answers but also by discussing the feedback that you have received, either informally or through 360-degree appraisal forms.

9- Avoid vague statements

Keep to statements that provide real information. Avoid vague statements such as “I went into paediatrics because I like it” unless you can back up your statement. What really matters is why you find it interesting or why you like it.

10 – Don’t bore them with spurious detail

Avoid going into too much detail when giving examples unless they have asked you to describe a specific example in the question. If you provide too much intricate detail, you will make your answer very long and you will create confusion by concentrating on one issue whilst the question may be much broader.

11 – Stay positive

Whether I coach people who are applying for ST, Consultant, Clinical / Medical Director posts or even higher up, many candidates incriminate themselves by delivering answers with a negative undertone right from the start. I have lost count of the number of people who start their answers to the question “What is your research experience?” by saying “Well, I haven’t done much research”; or those who describe their communication skills as “above average” i.e. nothing special. To make an impact, you must sell what you have rather than what you don’t have. If you don’t show that you believe in yourself then no one will.

Product Description
Medical school multiple mini interview preparation with questions to practice for the MMI. Feel confident and prepared for the MMI. Includes a full length practice MMI interview complete with prompting questions and discussion to simulate the actual MMI experience. Learn to approach MMI questions and what the interviewers are looking for in the MMI. Read stories and experiences from medical students. One of the best books to prepare for the MMI…. More >>

Medical School Multiple Mini Interview: Secrets for Success

Candidates are always looking for an edge in job interviews, and they try to gain that edge in different ways: crafting a killer resume, dressing for success, practicing interview questions and answers, researching the company, building a brag book, or even practicing positive body language. However, one thing candidates often overlook, or never even consider, is creating a business plan for interviews. Simply put, this type of plan is a short one-to-three page document that states in as little or as much detail as necessary what a candidate will do in the position that he or she is interviewing for.

To write a personal business plan correctly, you have to take the time to think out the position, your goals, and the company’s goals. You have to research the company and your specific desired position in it, analyze what it takes to be successful, and write what is, essentially, a “to-do” list for yourself. This list should take the form of incremental goals, ideally organized into a 30-day plan, a 60-day plan, and a 90-day plan. It is a lot of work to do before you even know if you’re hired, but this kind of effort will set you apart from other job seekers and absolutely get a hiring manager’s attention. Not only that, but it will increase your chances of success once you do get the job…because you’ve already mapped out how to be successful.

The 30-day part of the plan is the easiest to put together. In your research of the company and your discussions with the recruiter you are working with, you should discover what the company’s training plan looks like-how long it takes and where you receive it. So most of the items in your 30-day plan should be along the lines of attending training, mastering product knowledge, learning specific corporate systems, traveling to learn your territory (if you’re in sales), meeting other members of the team, or reviewing accounts.

The 60-day part of the plan usually includes more field time, customer introductions, reviews of customer satisfaction, fine-tuning your work schedule, and getting feedback from your manager.

The 90-day part of the plan is the “getting settled” part of your new job. It should include things that take more initiative on your part: landing your own accounts, scheduling programs, or coming up with new ways to get prospects’ attention (again, if you’re in sales), as well as continuing to get performance feedback and fine-tuning your schedule.

Keep in mind, these examples are extremely generalized. The more specific you can be in your plan, the better. Research the company and the position, even if you’ve done the same kind of work for years. Your business plan doesn’t have to be long and complicated, but it does have to show that you’ve done your homework, analyzed this job, and thoughtfully considered how you can best serve this particular company. That’s the edge that will get you hired.

Peggy McKee, founder of and senior recruiter for PHC Consulting, has been providing top talent in the areas of sales, sales management, marketing, technical support and service for all areas of the medical and healthcare industries for over 9 years. See her website, http://PHCConsulting.com/ for details.

Peggy’s blog, at http://PHCConsulting.com/WordPress/ – offers insights and advice to job seekers and hiring managers that apply to everyone in the job market at all levels. It also offers much more detailed information about 30/60/90-day plans. Visit: http://30-60-90-day-sales-plan.com for more information about the 30/60/90 day sales plan.

Sample Job Interview Question #1: What do you know about our company?

This question is usually asked in the beginning stages of the interview process. To prepare for this question, you’ll want to research as much as you can about the company beforehand. You can search for information in the most obvious place – the web or call the company ahead of time and request a company brochure. The things that you’ll want to zero in may include; the industry, their length of time in business, their annual sales figures (if it’s a public company) and, their corporate culture.

Sample Job Interview Question #2: What are your strengths?

Many people have trouble with this question because we are trained from way back in elementary school to work on our weaknesses and so they find it hard to even identify their strengths. Also, many of us grew up being told that it’s not proper to boast about ourselves. So for this question, be prepared with at least 3 key strengths that relate back to the job posting. An example would be the following, “I have many strengths that I think you’ll find valuable, however I will highlight 3 specific strengths that relate to what I believe you are looking for. First, I have excellent rapport building skills and during the last 3 years I have developed a number of key accounts to the point where I am now their exclusive supplier. Second, I grew my territory by 30% in the last twelve months, etc.”

Sample Job Interview Question #3: What are your weaknesses?

This question can be a tricky one but you can answer it honestly so long as you are able to describe how you counter your weakness and keep it from being a barrier to your success and the success of the company. Your answer may include that you ask for input or feedback from other colleagues or staff members. It’s really important to be prepared for this question, many people are stumped by it. Think it through before hand and imagine how the interview might perceive your answer. Make sure it is positive and ultimately demonstrates your value to the organization.

Transforms The Complicated Job Interview Process Into A Simple, Step-by-step System To Ace The Interview And Get The Job!

Job Interview Success System.

   INTERVIEW ABOUT SUCCESS, HAPPINESS AND A MORE MEANINGFUL LIFE                            

 

The following is an interview by Darryl Mobley–http://www.darrylmobleylifebalance.com–featuring June Stepansky–poet, writer and creator of the self-help web-site A Different Voice–poetry, opinion and the exploration of a happier lifestyle http://home.att.net/~adifferentvoice/   1. From your perspective what is the most important key to achieving personal success? Before this question can be answered, we must define what we mean by personal success. Many of us equate personal success with power and financial success, and indeed we must have enough self-esteem and enough financial security in our lives to feel confident that we are meeting our necessary responsibilities, but in my definition of personal success we must view our lives in all of its varied aspects. That means attention must be paid not only to our work and our careers, but also to our personal needs–health, recreation, personal relationships and  growth.  In today’s fast paced environment, this takes a special commitment to dedicate ourselves to planning and balance.    2. What are the common barriers that block a person from achieving success?  Again we must define which type of success we are seeking, because the two separate definitions of success demand different strategies and follow different paths. Financial and career success demand that we learn to work hard, pick ourselves up from our failures and continue to constantly do what is necessary to move forward toward our goals, making success the first priority in our lives. If we make this choice then we can be confident that we will eventually succeed.    Success in one’s personal life has a different path. Our own private needs and our personal relationships must then become part of our decision making process. These more personal decisions may take time and energy away from our drive toward our financial and career success.  Each person must make his own decision as how to continue to move forward, but each decision that is made has its consequences.  If we choose career success at any cost then the personal side of our lives may suffer. If we choose our personal success path, then we may make less money and feel perhaps a lesser sense of achievement in our careers.   Therefore the barrier to achieving success is really our own conflict about these choices, and the difficulty in deciding what our choices should be. Once we make our decisions, we can then move quickly toward our selected goals.         3. What are the keys to effective goal setting?             There are two ways that we set our goals. One is outer driven and one is inner driven. The outer driven goals are the goals that others set for us. They may be set by our friends, our neighbors, the society in which we live or the prevailing values of our time. The second way we discover our goals is inner driven. It is an internal system which show us what we would like to personally achieve. It is this inner voice that whispers to us who we are and how we can achieve our unique potential. Before we can achieve our goals we must know ourselves well enough to know what goals we want to achieve, and be sure they are our own goals and not the goals that others have set for us. When we know what we really want to accomplish, it is then easier to take those steps which help us to achieve those goals.     4. What 2-3 core “things” do you believe are part of living an extraordinary life?      For me the extraordinary life is not so much about what a person achieves or what others think of him, but rather how he views his own life and his own achievements in terms of his loving relationships and his competence in adjusting to the difficult demands of living with strength and with dignity, so that he can say when he looks back over the passing years “I have been grateful for the gift of life. I have tried to continue to learn and grow. I have tried to have the courage to follow my internal honesty.”  This more examined life is an extraordinary life because it leads to more balance, more contentment and to the fullfillment of each individual’s personal vision.  5. What has life taught you that you would like to share with others?  Life is a marvelous, continuing journey. Every day is a challenging adventure with opportunities for new insights, growth and change. With thoughtful planning and good decision making skills we are more able to have some control over our days and to achieve that ultimate goal of leading happier, more fullfilled lives.    6. Biography  Interview questions by Darryl Mobley–Life Balance http://www.darrylmobleylifebalance.com

 

Interview answers by June Stepansky. She is a  published poet and writer who has a monthly web-site on the internet.  A DIFFERENT VOICE –Poetry, opinion and the exploration of a happier lifestyle http://home.att.net/~adifferentvoice/(Free self-help articles) 

 

Be ready for your secretary interview. Secretarial or administrative professional jobs are still out there but the competition is fiercer than ever. Use these expert tips to know how to handle the secretary interview and get the job you want.

Prepare the right interview answers

Secretarial jobs require a broad base of skills and abilities. The questions asked in the secretary interview will differ depending on the employer, the level of the job and the experience of the candidate. However you can prepare for typical secretarial interview questions such as:

Prepare good answers to these interview questions by using the keywords that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Review the job posting or ad and underline the words used to describe the job and candidate requirements. Examples include planning and organizing ability, oral and written communication skills, initiative, confidentiality, adaptability, integrity, reliability, accuracy and attention to detail. Check the key tasks of the position in the job posting and see which qualities and experience would be necessary for performing these tasks – for example, if “scheduling” is a key activity then the successful candidate would need to be organized and able to plan and prioritize properly using appropriate scheduling tools.

Ask the right questions

Impress the interviewer by asking insightful and thoughtful questions during your secretary interview. Do some background research on the company and the position to help you prepare a list of good questions to ask your interviewer. Here are some examples:

Use this as an opportunity to find out the information you need to make the right job decision as well as to show your commitment and enthusiasm for the position. 

Wear the right clothes

Make the right first impression by wearing business-like interview attire. A suit in a conservative color or a well-tailored jacket with a skirt or tailored pants is a safe option. An unfussy blouse in a light or neutral color always looks smart under a jacket or blazer. Jewelry should be understated and not distract the interviewer from focusing on your face and what you are saying. Your attention to detail will show that you have made the effort to create the best impression. Think about your nails, your hair, your shoes. A pair of scuffed or unpolished shoes completely spoils the image. Carry a small briefcase or portfolio to hold your resume and examples of your work.

Use the right communication style

Good communication skills – the ability to listen actively and respond effectively both orally and in writing – are key to success in a secretarial position. Be aware of how you communicate during the secretary interview and make sure you impress the interviewer with your communication style and skills. Listen closely, don’t interrupt and ask appropriate questions to clarify what the interviewer is looking for. Respond in a clear and concise manner. Avoid non-words like “you know” and “like” or using negative words like “sort of” and “perhaps”. Talk in complete sentences and avoid rushing through your answers. Count to three beats in your head before answering and at the end of your sentences. Be aware of your body language – leaning slightly forward, about 10 degrees, towards your interviewer gives the message that you are both interested and involved.

Conduct the right follow-up

Timely follow-up is always one of the requirements for successful job performance as a secretary. Make sure you write and send your interview thank you letter within 24 hours of the job interview. Let your references know that they are likely to be contacted. Give them some details about the position so they can think about relevant information to provide to t he employer. Make a follow-up call to the company within a week or so of the interview. During this call you can thank the employer again for the interview and confirm your interest in the position. You can politely and professionally ask for an update on the hiring decision process. 

Be well prepared for your secretary interview. Use the Secretarial Interview Questions Guide to know the interview questions to expect and to help you prepare winning interview answers.

Job interviews always bring mind-boggling sessions for those aspirants who are well prepared with job interviews answers. However, this represents only one facet of the coin as these interviews always lead towards tiring session for those who are unprepared for them. Therefore, it is not wrong to say that by preparing for job interview question and answer round, aspirants can reduce the stress to a great level.Interviewer asks countless questions from interviewee ranging from professional history to personal background in order to analyze the appropriateness of an interviewee for a particular job profile. Standard questions like “tell me something about yourself”, “what are your strength and weaknesses”, “what are your achievements in the present job” are asked in very organization and prepared by everybody. However, it will be more rewarding if aspirants, besides preparing these questions, also get him/her prepared with other important job interview questions answers. Some of them are assorted below:•    Why do you want to join this organization?•    How you can justify yourself as most suitable candidate for the job?•    Where do you see yourself 5 years down after the line?•    What is the reason behind leaving your present organization?•    What is your greatest work related accomplishment and failure?The way by which job interview answers are given can make or break the dream of any applicant of getting the desired job. Most of the organizations ask these types of many other questions in order to analyze the abilities and qualities of applicants. For example, questions like why you want to join this organization throw light on the fact that whether person is aware about the company’s history or not.Therefore, it can be said that by giving suitable job interview answers one can prove that he/she is the best candidate for the job. Depicting yourself as a confident and enthusiastic candidate is surely going to provide you an upper edge over rest of the candidates. Nowadays, many websites are acting like helping hand in the process of clearing job interview question-answer round as they provide aspirants with relevant answers of many questions pertaining to job. So, avail the guidance of these websites in clearing job-interviews. So next time, do not forget to do your homework of getting yourself prepared with interview questions before appearing for an interview.