Succeed in a Job Interview
You are getting ready to start looking for a new job. In this economy, it's hard to find one and there is a lot of competition. Read this article to improve your chances of succeeding.
Contents
Steps
Succeeding in a Job Interview
- Know the basics. There are only three main questions an interviewer wants to ask:
- Can you do the job?
- Will you do the job?
- Will you fit in?
- Structuring your planning around these three areas, will help you to cover the most crucial issues likely to be covered during the interview, and give you the chance to prepare your key statements and responses to market yourself most effectively.
- Can you do the job?
- Questions in this area are intended to probe your background. It is unlikely you would have been invited for interview if your qualifications and experience on paper did not match the criteria for the job. Most interviewers therefore will spend about 15% of the interview on this area.
- Do you have the required qualifications?
- If the job is very technical, you may be required to demonstrate greater in-depth technical knowledge in the interview. Be prepared to verify and back up any claims you make regarding qualifications and so on. Employers are increasingly using the services of data agencies to verify details given on CVs and application forms. Avoid 'little white lies' such as upgrading your A Level results. A small fib found out will undermine your credibility totally.
- Always arrive 20 minutes early. this will ensure that you are not nervous and will give you plenty of time to prepare.
- Make up your mind to try to smile! Smile through the interview because this is your final examination, you are not going to get the opportunity for a rain check, and therefore, you are going to get that job if your life depended on it.
- Make sure you take a trip to the rest room before you go in. interviewees are always nervous so sweaty hands result.
- Make a trip to the rest room before the interview to check your hair, teeth, makeup, etc. please also wash and dry your hands before. you will not get a goodbye handshake if you don’t.
- Make sure you have plenty of breath mints handy. bad breath is a sure way to turn off the interviewer; especially if the interview is behind closed doors.
- Check your nose hair, trim your eyebrows.
- Be sure you are well groomed.
- Men: Avoid colouring your hair to make a good impression. There is nothing worse than a man trying to pass off as a younger man.
- Women: You can mostly get away with it - it is sometimes even recommended.
- Always make sure your hair is neatly trimmed and cut to a professional length. Curls and fluff will not get you through an interview.
- Men: No long hair, handle bar moustaches or overgrown beards. Keep it short and professional. You can always grow it back once you get the job! No earrings, thick gold chains, or nose rings either.
- Make sure you have a positive attitude. Use positive words, like yes, instead of no.
- Talk about your achievements: how your involvement saved or made the company money, reduced expenses, solved problems, saved time, trained users, show value to your employer.
- Always tell the truth
- Always be positive.
- Take notes, but only after asking permission to do so.
- Ask lots of questions about what you will be doing, who you will interact with, about your role in current and future projects.
- Exude confidence. (You are the expert on what you have done. don’t be shy about your abilities).
- Take a copy of your references, and 3-4 nicer copies of your resume to hand out to each interviewer. Also take copies of written references.
- If asked, give examples of when you failed and how you overcame it. Explain that you did not view this as failure. it was a learning experience.
Additional Help
Doc:Job Interview Questions and Responses,Interview Strengths and Weaknesses,Interview Tips and Tricks
Tips
- Studies have shown that body language (neuro-linguistics) is very important during any face-to-face meeting. People like to be around those who are like themselves. Watch your interviewer closely. If (s)he leans forward, (s)he wants to know more about you and is interested, so lean forward too. If (s)he sits back in his chair, (s)he is listening and evaluating, so sit back too. If (s)he smiles, (s)he is happy, so smile in return. If (s)he crosses legs, never cross yours, but mimic the hand gestures. (S)he will be taking notes, so ask permission to do that too. For the rest, here are some tips:
- Firm handshake (not sweaty) should last 3-5 seconds. Do not initiate at first meeting, but extend your hand first after the meeting, when you are ready to leave.
- Do occasionally use your hands to express yourself and steeple your palms while thinking. it shows confidence (all great speakers use it).
- Concentrate on the posture of interviewer. mimic posture.
- Smile! Smile! Smile! (genuinely). People always like happy people around them.
- Keep and maintain eye contact, but do not stare.
- Glasses: If you wear them only for reading, take them off while talking, and put them back on while reading. If you wear them all the time, then please do keep them on. Try not to wear tinted lenses, because eye contact is essential for good communication.
- Ask where to sit, and sit, only after your interviewer sits down. Do not take off or open up the buttons of your jacket.
- Lunches are a crucial make-or-break time when an employer really can judge about personality.
- Wait for him/her to order, and order something similar in the same price range.
- Order a small easy-to-eat portion. Never order spaghetti, which may stain your clothes. Do not take seconds. You will need to eat less, so you can keep speaking.
- When talking, turn your fork and knife into an inverted v-shape on your plate. When finished, turn fork and knife upside down in the centre of your plate. and do not ask for a doggie bag even if your interviewer does.
Warnings
- Don’t touch your mouth, fidget, or play with your hands frequently (it shows nervousness). *Do not order wine, even if your interviewer does. Only ask for water.
- Do not order dessert. Set you glass to the right side at the head of your plate, and not on the side of your plate to avoid knocking it over.
- Do Not:
- Don’t talk about salary. If pressured, tell them what you made, not what you expect. Tell the interviewer that your agency has requested the opportunity to negotiate.
- Don’t say you want management: if there are no management positions available, then you will not get the job. Instead, say, "I wish to find a good home, and grow with a company."
- Do not talk about religion, politics, or express your views on sensitive issues.
- Do not ask about benefits. The company is not hiring you for what it can do for you. They are hiring you, because of what you can do for them. Leave this question for your agent.
- Do not say "I'm a good learner." The company is not paying you so you can learn. Instead, say that "I'm the kind of person who, if I do not know something, will do whatever it takes, work nights, weekends to bring myself up to speed."
- Don’t ever badmouth your current employer or anyone else. If asked why you are leaving your current job, say something like, "Our management styles are different, or I am ready for new challenges".
- Do not wear cologne or perfume. If your interviewer is allergic, he will cut the interview short, and may not hire you.
- Make sure you stock up on breath fresheners. Interviews are usually held in small rooms, and odour permeates.
