Resume Writing
Interview Tips
Salary
Negotiation
Networking Tips |
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Initial impressions are important.
Act confident, stand straight, make eye contact, and give a
firm handshake. Don’t appear desperate or needy.
It’s always best to dress conservatively
and in formal business attire, even if the company has a
casual dress code. Look as professional and well groomed as
possible.
Your attitude should be professional and confident, but not
over confident. Being too reserved can be a problem as well.
Strive for an appropriate balance between the two.
Good communication includes listening and watching, as well
as talking. Don’t talk too much or you will seem nervous or
superficial. Listen to your interviewer carefully, indicate
you understand what is being said and watch for non-verbal
cues. Match yourself to your interviewer’s demeanor and
pacing.
Be careful what you say. Providing unnecessary
information can lead to saying the wrong thing or
undermining what you’ve already said. Prepare for the
interview by studying the job posting, understanding what
the employer is looking for, and matching your skills with
the position's requirements.
Show enthusiasm about the position, but be
professional and use professional language. Never use slang
or make references to age, race, religion, politics, or
sexual orientation. Avoid getting too friendly.
Ask questions that will impress the interviewer.
Demonstrate your interest in the company and about
the position.
Answer questions carefully. Questions are the
interviewer’s way of learning about your past behavior,
personality, and attitudes. Use appropriate opportunities to
talk about your skills as they relate to the position. Some
possible questions you may encounter include:
What will you bring to the job/company
if we employ you?
Open ended questions like this put you on the spot. Respond
by demonstrating an understanding of the needs of the
employer and how to apply your own strengths and abilities
to the situation.
Tell me about your life at ….
This question is a trap for interviewees who have regrets
and an invitation to criticize or blame which you should
avoid. Watch out for other invitations to trash your past
job or boss, especially in the form of questions like: "Why
did you leave your last job?" or "Why have you had so many
jobs?"
What do you want to be doing in 2/5/10
years time? Or: Where do you want to be in 2/5/10 years
time?
These question can trap interviewees into making
over-ambitious claims about their potential, or expose their
need for security. If the position requires significant
adaptability, the hiring manager may not be interested in
someone who plans everything out.
What are your weaknesses?
This question is a trap for the unprepared. Also, be ready
for follow-up questions about what steps you are taking to
improve. Or, your response could be, "I really can't think
of any…." This should be an acceptable answer. Stay calm and
be prepared for further probing, and you’ll have
demonstrated confidence and strength. To justify yourself
with a modicum of modesty, you can say that if something's
not going right you'll keep at it, until it works. Turn your
responses around into positives.
How do you handle tension/stress?
This question is supposed to expose those who can't deal
with pressure or unreasonable individuals who claim that
stress is good. Common types of pressure questions deal with
weakness, failure, blame, and evidence of ability or
experience. The best way to handle these questions is to be
confident and turn the response into a positive.
Tell me about a big challenge or
difficulty you've faced; how did you deal with it?
This question is meant to expose an interviewee’s emotional
issues and sensitive spots.
What type of people do you get on with
most/least?
This question is meant to expose prejudices. You may get
another question in response:
"Excellent answer - now can you give me an example that
wasn't so good?"
This question can catch you off-guard, and
expose your tendency to argue.
How many hours a week do you
work/prefer to work?
This question exposes clock-watchers as well as workaholics.
Do you make mistakes? (Followed by)
Can you share your mistakes with others?
Everyone makes mistakes, and being able to take a positive
approach to learning from mistakes is a great
characteristic.
Tell me about yourself.
The answer allows the interviewee to demonstrate
self-awareness, maturity and confidence. Be clear, concise,
and to the point.
Experience:
Other questions deal with your expertise in specific areas.
Always be prepared to provide substantiation. |
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