Succeeding at Job Interviews

TearTaylor

KEY SITE PAGES►	Succeeding at Job Interviews
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	If you want to win over your next interviewer and ultimately land the job too, then you'll have to prepare for your job interview. The same way you prepared for tests in highschool or anything else that you desperately wanted to do well at, then you'll have to plan on doing the same thing for future job interviews. Below I've included tips on what to do and not to do regarding job interviews. To help you make better use of the following strategy, the tasks have been divided into groups of general time blocks. Before the Interview Do a small amount of research on the company before your job interview. Luckily, a lot of information concerning companies and employers can be obtained conveniently through the Internet. Try to anticipate the interviewer's questions. Review the list of possible interview questions already provided. Make sure to practice interviewing. Have a friend or relative ask you questions from the possible list of interviewing questions or have them develop some of their own to ask. These mock interviews will help you develop more confidence and put you more at ease around your future interviewer. You should prepare a short list of questions to ask the interviewer. Asking a few questions at the end of your meeting will help to create the welcome impression that you're genuinely interested in the job. Before your interview, make sure to call the interviewer's assistant to reconfirm your meeting and reconfirm key details such as: the meeting's date, time, company address, floor or suite number, and the full name of the person you're scheduled to meet with. Bring your resume with you and a piece of paper with your references listed on it. This information will help you in completing any employment applications or other forms if required. Bring pens, pencils and a notebook with you in case you have to write something down during the interview. Also, the pens will come in handy in case you have to complete an application. Beginning of the Interview: Make sure to go to the interview alone. Never take friends with you. There are a couple of good reasons for this, but the key reason is that you’ll appear immature and less professional. Secondly, you could risk losing the job to your friend if they decide to apply for the position while they are there with you. Always arrive on time. The interview begins the minute you walk through the company’s door. It’s always a good ideal to arrive about 15 minutes early. This will give you an opportunity to relax a little, opportunity to observe the company and its employees and it will give you time to complete any forms if necessary. Also, be nice to the receptionist and any other employees that you have to interact with during your visit. In case you weren’t aware of it, these individuals can transmit both positive and negative information about you to the interviewer. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to always be courteous to everyone. Always greet the interviewer with a firm handshake and make sure to take the chair that he or she points out for you in his office. During the Interview: Listen carefully to what the interviewer asks you. If you're confused about anything he or she said, then ask them to repeat it again. Before responding, take a moment to think the question over and when you’re ready, respond in a clear, deliberate voice. Explain your capabilities and skills with confidence. Make sure to provide just the information requested. Don’t talk excessively or ramble. When describing your reasons for wanting to work at the company, make sure to speak with enthusiasm and passion. If you’ve worked before in the past, tell what you’ve learned from your experiences and how these experiences can benefit the company you're now considering. Don't discuss salary during the interview unless for some reason the interviewer brings up the subject. Don't speak ill of previous employers or complain about past job duties. If the interviewer asks you a specific question concerning your former job responsibilities, such as, “What duties did you like performing the least with your previous employer?” Make sure not to respond negatively but try to respond in a positive manner. For instance, instead of saying I hated filing. It was so boring; I often felt like going to sleep. Instead say, “I didn’t enjoy filing as much. I didn’t feel as challenged by this particular task as I did with some of my other duties. End of Interview If you have any questions for the interviewer, the end of the meeting is always a good time to ask them. Once again, don’t ask questions concerning salary. At the end of the meeting, thank the interviewer for his time and shake his hand to help emphasize your gratitude. At the end of the interview, make sure to ask the interviewer for his business card and soon afterwards, make sure to send him or her a thank you letter. (Sending the letter 1 to 3 days after the interview is a good time schedule to try to abide by.) Following the meeting, make sure to also send a thank you card to the person that arranged your interview(s). If you don’t know who this person is, simply call the interviewer’s assistant and ask for the person’s name and title. If it’s a small company that you interviewed with, then the interview coordinator might conveniently be the person that you spoke with on the phone, the interviewer’s assistant. If, however, it’s a much larger organization that you interviewed with, then the person that arranged your interviews might be called the human resources manager, recruitment coordinator, human resources associate, personnel manager, etc. Clothing & Behavior Besides providing tips on what to do and what to say during the various stages of a job interview, I also included tips on what has traditionally been considered appropriate dress and behavior for job interviews. Your appearance and conduct is very important; don't take this area for granted. Always dress your best and be courteous to everyone that you come in contact with during your visit at any company. Acceptable Appearance & Conduct Men should wear dark suits. Women should wear darks suits or conservative dresses. While everyone hopefully wants to smell nice for their interviews, both men and women should avoid wearing excessive cologne and perfume. Women should avoid wearing excessive makeup. Men should get haircuts before their job interviews. It's a good idea to have the hair cut 1 to 3 days before the meeting so that the cut will still look fresh on the day of the interview. Both men and women should not allow tattoos and/or body piercings to be visible during the interview. Tattoos should be covered and piercings such as nose rings, mouth rings and eyebrow rings should be removed until the interview is over. Don't chew gum during the meeting. Don't smoke during the interview. If for some reason the interviewer offers you something to eat or drink like a donut or cup of coffee, it's always best to only accept the drink and kindly turn down any food. Turn the ringer on your cell phone off before going into your interview. If you forget to turn it off and the phone unexpectedly rings during the meeting, then quickly turn it off then. Never answer the call. Talking on the phone during an interview is the perfect reason to see the interviewer abruptly cut the meeting short and have your name quickly removed from any future callbacks list. Don't stare down at your watch excessively during the interview. The interviewer might assume you're nervous or that you're in a hurry to get the meeting over with. Be courteous, smile, maintain frequent eye contact with the interviewer and try to relax as much as possible. Career Sites If you need additional help or advice in preparing for future interviews or searching for jobs, then please consider visiting some of the career sites listed on the jobs sites listing page. Many of the sites/companies listed here offer online career guidance, assistance locating jobs, resume posting services, details of networking opportunities, free searchable job banks and career resources links. Finally, to review a list of reasons why job applicants are routinely rejected for jobs, make sure to see the e-page, “Reasons You Didn't Get The Job.” ________________________________________________ This article is © 2003-2005 by Tracy Miller and may not be reposted without written permission from the author and may not be reprinted for profit.