Free Tips for nail interview for any job in 2013-14
This is my 10th blog on career success. In previous blogs we saw how to do well in FSOT, GCT, personal trainer exams. In this blog you will see Printable Interview to DOs and DON'Ts list.
The job interview is a crucial part of our job search because it’s an opportunity for the employer to figure out if you’re right for the job. This blog will provide you with information to prepare for your job interview so that you can make a positive and lasting impression.
Before the interview
Be sure to do some background research to become familiar with the organization. This might include researching any current events that might relate to the organization or industry, the organization’s goals and objectives, and the history of the company. Here are some questions to help you with your research:
•What does the organization do?
•What's involved in the position you're applying for?
•What qualifications do you need for the position?
•What kind of skills is the employer looking for?
•Who are the customers or clients?
•What kind of reputation does the employer have?
You’ll be more comfortable in the interview if you know a bit about the company and the position you’re applying for.
Interview questions
One of the best ways to prepare for an interview is to anticipate questions the interviewer may ask. This will allow you to give thoughtful and organized answers during your interview.
Here are some questions you should be comfortable answering:
•Why do you want this job?
•How did you become interested in this field of work?
•What do you have to offer this organization?
•What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?
•What do you see yourself doing in five years?
Here are some tips to help you strengthen your answers to potential interview questions:
•Review your experiences at work, at school, and in volunteer activities.
•Think of examples and situations that demonstrate your abilities or strengths (for example, a time you demonstrated good judgment, initiative, responsibility, or communication skills).
•Make a list of your accomplishments or achievements to reference during the interview.
•Think about challenges you’ve faced in the past, and be prepared to describe how you dealt with them and what you learned
List of Interview DOs and DON'Ts
To Do List
1. Remember that 7% of your impact comes from the words you say; 38% from how you say it (your tonal quality); and 55% from what your body is doing while you’re speaking. (UCLA study)
2. Know that “you” is the most persuasive word in the English language, so the more you can say, “As I’m sure you know,” or “As I’m sure you’ve heard,” (Yale Univ. Study) the more easily others will respond to you.
3. Sound happy when you say, “I’m happy to meet you.” (Not to mention, look your interviewer in the eye and shake their hand firmly.)
4. Keep your hands where we can see them—out of pockets when standing, on the table when sitting. We trust you when we can see your hands; we don’t trust you when we can’t.
5. Research the company/interviewer exhaustively. What’s their bestselling product/mission statement/biggest competitor? Why specifically do you want to work for them? How exactly are you going to contribute to their success?
6. Have the answers to ‘softball questions/inquiries’ (questions so big you don’t know what to swing at) such as, “What was your favorite thing about your last job?” or “Tell me about yourself.” These should be grounded in a story such as, “My favorite thing about my last job was the opportunities I had to work with my team. For example, we once had 24 hours to put together a presentation….”
7. Have the answer to, “What’s your greatest strength/weakness?” (FYI: Your greatest weakness is just a strength taken to an extreme, “I’m so interested in my subject, I tend to inundate people with detail about it. But I’m learning to pick and choose what information will be most effective,” etc.)
8. Record a professional voice mail greeting, as this is the first contact many potential employers will have with you. Stand while you record it, smile, inhale, hit record, speak on an exhalation.
9. Clean up your Facebook/MySpace/Twitter page. Any posts or photos that don’t say, “I can be trusted with $100,000” have to go.
10. Get a thank you note in the mail—either email, snail mail, or both—within 24 hours. In addition to acknowledging the time they gave you, this should reference a story you, or they, told. Give yourself bonus points if you can include a link to an article you mentioned, or hard copy of the same.
Don’t List:
1. Use useless modifiers. (Great, amazing, incredible, etc.) Something is only one of these things if you tell me why.
2. Sit with a “too cool for school” attitude (leaning back, one leg crossed over the other, one arm thrown over the back of the chair.) Sit up and forward in your chair. Lean toward your interviewer. Smile.
3. Use ‘hope’ as a strategy—as in, “I hope nobody asks me that.” Prepare answers to the worst three questions you anticipate getting. Practice them out loud.
4. Forget you are interviewing from the time you arrive at the building—many employers can see you from the parking lot, or are in the elevator with you. This is not the time to brush your hair, remove your gum, and finish your phone call about your date last night.
5. Arrive wearing MP3 headphones in your ears/sunglasses on your head/ carrying a bag that’s bulging with papers or old sandwiches, etc.
6. Leave your PDA on, or check your PDA during the meeting, at the elevator, or on your way from the restaurant table to the door. Nothing is more important than this interview.
7. Bad mouth your former employers. If you didn’t enjoy the experience, simply say you’re looking forward to still more challenges. Employers prize loyalty.
8. Think they won’t be examining your table manners as closely as your resume should you be asked to lunch. Be on time. Follow their lead with regard to ordering (Don’t get the whole, de-boned fish if they’re having salads.) Short of visible shards of glass or the possibility of anaphylactic shock, eat what you’re given.
9. Assume they will be helping you negotiate. Have a salary range in mind. While you should not bring up a number, if they ask, “What are you looking for?” you don’t want to choke.
10. Ask, “How did I do?” at the end of the meeting. Instead, you can inquire, “So, what’s my next step?”
