A quick stop for your early morning break, or a quick pick-me-up before you start your hard day at work!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Mastering the dreaded interview!
1.Be clean. Shower 1 hour before, no perfume, no "statements" like punk clothing/haircuts/jewelry/nose or earrings/other body art. If you want to sell yourself, be relaxed and ready to kick butt.
2.Give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview. You don't want to be late or rushed--arriving early will allow you to enter the interview calm, cool and collected (and ready to answer questions).
3.Keep in mind that a job interview is not "just about you". It is also your opportunity to determine if the company is one you wish to work for. When the interviewer asks if you have any questions, the worst thing you can do is say no. Always have at least two or three job or company related questions ready.
4.Do a bit of research in advance of the interview and learn about the company's history and direction.During the interview, refer to things you've learned about the company. This tells the interviewer that you have an interest in the company and understand its mission, giving you an edge over applicants who simply "walk in".
5.Turn potentially negative answers into positive ones. A common example would be "What are your weaknesses?" The worst answer to give is that you haven't any. Find a weakness that you've improved upon and use that for your answer to this common question. "I learned in my previous position that my computer skills were not as strong as I would have preferred. I have since completed classroom training in that area, and have greatly improved." Remember, the question isn't meant to determine what the "weaknesses" are- it is meant to determine what you have done to correct them.
6.Always bring questions full circle back to your stated achievements and qualifications. When the interviewer asks a "How would you handle xxx?", a good answer would be "I had a similar situation in a previous position, and I handled it by.." Whenever a positive result was achieved, it is imperative that you note it. "My actions resulted in a decrease of operating expenses by 15% while increasing revenues by 25%."
7.Practice asking yourself questions in a mirror or have someone you know assist. Do what all US Presidents, court witnesses and executives do to prepare for tough questions: using a role-playing format, have someone ask you the same potentially tough questions, giving you the opportunity to practice your answers and delivery. Allow yourself practice to work through not only the best answer but one you're most comfortable delivering.
8.Use the STAR method when asked questions such as have you ever been in a group that did not work well together? Discuss the Situation, what Tasks you needed to achieve, what Actions you took, and the Results. It's okay if the situation ended badly. Discuss what you learned and how you would have handled the situation differently.
Hope you can check back every work day for a little pick-me-up before your 9-5 grind starts. These posts are funny, irreverent, irrelevant and weird ... but they should all be relatively safe for work. Good, (mostly) clean, innocent fun. Enjoy!
