Interview Questions UK

Job searching not only include resumes and interviews, but also involves other activities to ensure that you get the job you want. An interview should never be considered as the end process of job searching. It is also important to write an interview thank you letter. You must be wondering why you should write an after-interview thank you letter. Here is a list of reasons why it is vital: Writing a thank you letter after an interview can leave a positive impression with an employer and will distinguish you from other candidates. The employer will remember you. It would be best to send the letter within 48 hours following the interview. Don’t forget to address the thank you letter to a specific individual and not just a general title. Be sure also that you spelled the name correctly and be sure that you use the right title. There is no graver sin than to reduce in rank a person of high position. Make sure also that your thank you letter is business like in appearance and should never be printed on the same paper stock as your resume. Always have someone proofread your letter before sending it to ensure that it’s flawless. Write each thank you letter separately even if the form is similar for each letter. Likewise, try to highlight what was discussed in your interview and restate your qualifications as well as other continuing interests. And if you have received and accepted a job offer, be sure that you send your new employer a thank you letter. This is to show your gratitude and it is also an excellent way of starting a positive relationship with your new employer. When writing thank you letters in response to telephone conversations and informal interviews you should remember to write clearly and briefly. And again reiterate some of the important or major points of the conversation and then express your gratitude for the assistance extended to you. In case you would like to withdraw from consideration for a position or to turn down an offer, it is best to send a polite and positive thank you letter. This leaves a good impression on your part and could open doors for future consideration if you change you mind. In situations where you are rejected, still send a thank you thanking them for the interview which they granted you. Likewise, express your continuing interest in working for their company. If you resign from your employment it would be nice to send a thank you letter to your previous employer. This type gesture may generate positive references. Sending a thank you letter reflects that you are were a grateful employee.

Over 90% of companies run some type of background check on their job applicants.  Pre-employment screening can be expensive and time-consuming, but most companies feel it is an essential part of the hiring process.

Here are the top five reasons why a company will take a good look at you before making a hiring decision:

1. Fraud – It’s estimated that over half of all job applicants lie on their resumes and job applications each year.  Education leads the list, with over half a million people in the U.S. falsely claiming to have college degrees.   Many people enhance their job titles, stretch dates to cover employment gaps and even invent employers.  By running a complete background check, a company can quickly verify if an applicant is telling the truth.

Veritas asked CFO Kenneth Lonchar to resign following the discovery that his claim to an MBA from Stanford University was phony.  George O’Leary, hired as Notre Dame’s head football coach, lost his job when it was revealed that his resume contained falsehoods.

2. Criminal Activity – No company wants to hire an individual who will bring crime into the workplace.  Some two million Americans are victims of workplace violence every year.  Many companies face theft, embezzlement and drug use by employees on a regular basis.  In addition, the terrorist attacks of 911 have caused many employers to take a more careful look at their hires.

A complete background check will usually let a company know if an applicant has a criminal record.  Not all people with criminal records are hiring risks, but pre-employment screening allows the employer to make an informed hiring decision.

3. Negligent Hiring Lawsuits – A company can be held responsible for the actions of it’s employees if it fails to conduct a background check prior to hiring someone.  Lawsuits for negligent hiring are one of the fastest growing areas of litigation.  Industry experts say that employers lose almost 80% of these cases.

Seeking to protect themselves from multimillion pound jury verdicts and enormous legal fees, companies are now very cautious about who them hire.  They know that one bad hiring decision can dramatically hurt a company’s finances and reputation.

4.  Recruitment Expense – Finding qualified applicants for a job costs time and money.  Managers who are looking for new employees must spend their valuable time developing and placing ads, sorting through resumes and interviewing applicants.  After a long recruiting process, a company wants to be sure that they have selected the right applicant.  They don’t want to repeat the process all over again.

5.  Federal & State Laws – Background checks are required for many state and federal jobs.  For example, most states must run a criminal background check on anyone who works with the elderly, the disabled or with children.  Many federal jobs require an extensive investigation for those trying to get a security clearance.

Whatever the reason, the chances are excellent that a hiring company will want to look into your past.  The best thing you can do is to be prepared when it happens.

Anything being sent to a decision-maker should sell you, not just state facts. When conducting a job search, your cover letter and resume are in a pile for the decision-maker to review, one by one, along with a vast number of other documents submitted by other hopeful individuals. The odds that YOUR document is the very first ones on the pile are about a zillion to one! This means the decision-maker has probably read X number of cover letters (and resumes) before reaching your set of documents. With that in mind, I never recommend you start the cover letter with the sentence used in so many other letters:

“Pursuant to your recent advertisement in the New York Times for the position of Staff Accountant, I am enclosing my resume for your review.”

B-O-R-I-N-G!! Plus, the decision-maker probably just read this same (or very similar) sentence about five dozen times. Remember, you want to GRAB the decision-maker’s attention and SELL yourself to them.

Since the cover letter is designed to market you to potential employers, don’t state the obvious. If the cover letter does not create a sense of excitement and entice the reader, it is a waste of your time for writing it and a waste of time for the reader reading it.

Keep track of how many times you use the words “I” andor “my”. After you write the letter, take a pen and circle all the I’s and my’s in the letter: more than five? Time to re-write some of the sentences.

Here’s an illustration of how to do that: instead of writing “I am looking for an opportunity for advancement with a new employer. My background is in retail management and I feel well-qualified for the Store Manager position with your company” you can write, “A background in retail management and proven record of obtaining results as a Store Manager are key elements in qualifying me for consideration as part of your team.”

Remember the PURPOSE of the cover letter: to highlight your background in the right light, sell your skills, and show the potential employer you are worthy of an interview. Explaining what you WANT throughout the letter doesn’t tell the reader the BENEFIT of what you can offer, which is imperative for you to be successful.

One of the techniques I like to use in cover letters is to pull out the top 4 or 5 achievements and mention them in bullet form with the letter. It serves as a wonderful focus point for readers’ eyes and draws their attention immediately to your strengths. Here’s a brief highlight in what would naturally be a longer cover letter:

…Recognized as a top-performer and dedicated professional, my record of achievements include: · Generating a 58% increase in new business during tenure as Regional Advertising Manager · Boosting client media coverage 50% and developing partnerships with previously unsecured media contacts

There are many ways to say things but, as you can see, some words have a stronger impact on readers than others. In cover letters, e-resumes, and traditional resumes, you can change the reader’s perception in a heartbeat by substituting various words or phrases for more traditional (and outdated) verbiage. See the outline below:

NON-AGGRESSIVE VERBIAGE

Set up entire department from scratch
Worked closely with department heads
Helped produce £3 million in sales
Helped new employees
In-depth knowledge of capital markets and corporate finance
Assisted marketing department in strategies and bids
Reduced expenses by 10%

AGGRESSIVE VERBIAGE

Established department from inception through successful operation
Fostered relationships with department heads
Instrumental in generating £3 million in sales
Aided new employees
Expertise in capital markets and corporate finance
Actively participated in formulating marketing strategies
Slashed (or cut) expenses by 10%

In short, aggressive writing makes you SIZZLE, while passive writing tells your “story.” Remember your goal is to effectively market yourself, not to author your employment biography.

Negotiations happen in our daily lives. We might not be aware of it, but many situations require good negotiation skills, including the simple act of buying an item from a store, talking things over to save a relationship, and trade agreement between nations, among others.

It would be worthwhile to consider the factors that may spell success or failure in the negotiating table:

1. Everyone aspires for negotiations to turn out successful; otherwise, it is senseless to sit, talk, and explore (sometimes for hours) each other’s position to no avail. For this to be so, exert every effort to favor the other party’s whims while still coming out satisfied or contented with the outcome of the negotiation. This should be your objective. Come to terms as easily as possible. Stipulate details in black and white with a tint of trust to seal the negotiation in favor of both parties.

2. Mutual respect for each other’s priorities must prevail. Never focus on your own objective alone. Think of how the other party would be satisfied with the outcome.

3. Get to the core of the discussion and work from that core outward, concentrating on the details.

4. It is not difficult to trace the presence of sincerity in a negotiation. As long as you have this in mind and you see the other party’s sincerity as well, the progress of the negotiation will sail smoothly.

5. You may have a set of rules that are guiding you to get what you want. Modify if need be as long as it is practical and does not deviate to become a disadvantage on your part.

6. Negotiating is not a contest on who is better between the parties involved. There is no battle to win. Neither is it a stage to display one’s wits. It should be a two-way process.

7. Be true to your word. What you say must be congruent to your action. Any deviation should be tackled beforehand to avoid the element of surprise, which usually leads to anxiety.

8. Keep your options as open and as diverse as possible. They may come in handy, especially when slight differences pop out.

9. Watch for reactions to proposals through body movements. They may help to make you and the other party come to terms more easily.

10. Be a good listener. Pre-empt what the other party may say, but only in your mind. You could be right, but you could also be wrong. It is better to sound affable than be sorry afterwards.

Like preparing a great meal, interviewing requires preparation. Get good ingredients and give yourself time. Prepare the food on the plate to make the meal attractive. All of these go into a great meal. Taking the time to prepare for an interview will give you a huge leg up on your completion.

1. Schedule interviews at times that work for your metabolism. Are you a morning person? Why would you accept a 6PM interview? If you are a person who functions best in the afternoon, try not to accept early morning appointments. If you are a person who needs to be conscious of their blood sugar, try to schedule your appointments at times when you are at your peak. If forced to accept one of your less ideal times, have a quick bite prior to the interview to avoid “fading.” Avoid overeating.

2. Give yourself extra time to get to their offices. There are few things worse than getting to an interview late.

3. Arrive at the office building 7-10 minutes early. If it is summer, you want to wait in the lobby to cool off; no one likes shaking sweaty hands. If its winter, warm up; you don’t want someone’s early impressions of you formed by shaking a cold hand. Take a few minutes in the lobby to get focused on what you will say. Allow a few minutes to get through building security so that you actually arrive at your interview on time and ready to go.

4. Properly introduce yourself to everyone you meet by saying. “My name is __________ and I have a 1:30 interview with ________________.”

5. If you are asked if they can hang your coat, accept the offer; if offered a beverage, accept a beverage. You don’t have to drink coffee or tea. Soda, bottled water or water is fine. Thank whoever helps you. Declining the offer may be rude in some cultures.

6. Take your seat in order to face the greatest number of entry points into the room so tat you can see someone approaching you. Being startled is not a good way to start a meeting.

7. If you are given an application, complete it and complete it accurately and neatly. Do not attach your resume and write, “See attached resume.” An application is a legal document and failure to complete it accurately can be grounds for termination.

8. If you are not sure about the month you started a job or your exact salary, write “approx” (for the word approximately) next to the item. If asked, indicate you are not absolutely certain of the exact month and don’t wish to deceive anyone. Obviously, if you can ascertain your salary or starting date prior to interviewing, do so; for some people, the date or salary may be so far in the past to make it impossible to determine.

9. Write legibly (or as legibly as you can). This may be the twelfth application you’ve completed, but it is the first of yours that they’ve seen. In many professions, sloppiness is seen as a flaw.

10. When you hear your name announced, stand, and smile, shake the hand of your interviewer and immediately size them up as a person. Are they smart (or not). Aggressive (or not). If you were meeting this person socially, I’m sure your instincts would be right. Unfortunately, because people think interviews are important, they think they have to feel the interviewer out. Doing that is a mistake. Hard and fast impressions of you will be formed during the next ten minutes that will be difficult to change. If you tend to be right in social situations about the people you meet, trust your instincts in professional ones, too.
Using these ten steps as a check list will get you started well than your competition. What you do after that is up to you. Good luck.
By: Muhammad Sadiq Javed - Sameers
http:www.constructionjobsnet.co.uk
Construction Jobs Network - The easiest way to find your next UK construction job.
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