Interview Questions UK

What do Those Interview Questions Really Mean?

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 11:25:07 +0000

You have just been through a grueling interview. The questions were tough and some just seemed off-the-wall and some were rather innocent. What was the interviewer really looking for? What did she mean by those questions? Well, you can be certain that if you were interviewed by a seasoned interviewer, each and every question had a very distinct purpose. Listed below are some common and not-so-common questions with the potential purpose of the question.

Common questions and what the interviewer is really looking for:

Question: Tell me about yourself?
Answer: The interviewer is looking for you to talk about yourself and to reveal anything that she might not otherwise be able to ask. For example, do you have kids? Married? Hobbies? Interests? Single parent? Let’s say the job involves shift work, the need to be at work at 7:00 every day or the flexibility to be on call? Candidates with children are perceived to have more problems getting to work on time, miss more work because of children illnesses, school functions, etc. Is this fair? No. Is this a reality for some hiring managers? Absolutely. So what to do. Talk specifically about previous work, your desire to work, etc. The only exception would be if you know for a fact you and the hiring manager have something in common that you can use to build interest with himher and that you would be a great fit.

Question: Tell me about the most difficult person you had to deal with?
Answer: The interviewer could care less about the most difficult person you had to deal with. What she is fishing for here is your ability to get along with people. Do not answer this one too quickly. Answering quickly suggests you have had to deal with a log of difficulty people which really suggests that you are the difficult one. A better approach might be to tell the interviewer that you get along with everybody and that you do not have problems with difficult people. Assuming that that statement is true, expand on your ability to pull diverse groups of people together to complete a project

Question: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Answer: While the obvious answer would seem to be “this job”, you might also talk about your desire to take the next step thereby giving the interviewer the thought that you are an achiever and willing to work hard. It always amazes me how many people that I have interviewed are stumped by this question or answer it saying a surfing job.

Question: Tell me what you liked about your last job and what you disliked
Answer: Here is another one to be careful on. Do not go on about all the things you disliked. It leads the interview to think you do not like anything. Even if your last job was really, really bad, focus on the positive aspects of the job such as the things you learned, the exposure it gave you, etc. If you talk more about what you disliked, chances are you will say you dislike something that may be a critical part of the job you are applying for.

Question: Tell me about your favorite and least favorite manager
Answer: Again, this is a tricky question. If you begin to talk about the things you dislike about your previous manager, the hiring manager will believe you have a problem with authority. Focus on the things you have learned from previous managers. Also talk about how you and a previous manager disagreed on an approach and how you worked the issue out.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, an experienced interviewing has a reason for each and every question. While the question may seem innocent enough, how you answer it could decide whether you get the job or not. Always to remember to focus on the positive aspect of your past. Focusing on the negative will give the impression that you are a negative person and probably not the best fit for the position.

What Kind Of Interview Question Will You Be Faced With Next.

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:25:44 +0000

There is nothing like a good hard interview question to strike fear into the heart of even the most qualified applicant. This is a great chance for both parties—the applicant to strut their stuff, and the potential employer to see if the potential employee has the mettle that it will take to perform the job in question well.

So it therefore behooves both parties to prepare well to both ask and answer these sorts of questions. But where do these “million pound” questions come from? Do they have to be or are they original? Is there a place to find and prepare for an interview question? It turns out that the answer to both of these questions is Yes! Often they are found in the same place, and now more than ever the best place to look is on the internet.

There is more information concerning interviews—how to conduct and how to survive them—on the internet than ever. The information, depending on how hard you look, can be very specific too! For instance say you are a small software development firm in silicone valley amongst giant sized competitor companies. You thrive on the pressure exerted from and the competition provided by these larger companies and your constant mission is to beat them at their own games. Well you are going to want employees to thrive under pressure right?

So the trick is to find questions that load on the pressure and get the interviewee into a situation where they feel slightly uncomfortable but should be able to reason their way through the interview question and provide an answer that shows that that is what they have done. If you search you will find websites that provide you with gobs and gobs of questions like this. Some even group them into specific areas and some also offer advise for interpreting answers and providing follow up questions and feed back.

On the other side if you are an interviewee, part of the preparation is trying to think ahead. First to the types of skills that will be needed to perform well in this job and then to the types of questions that show case these skills. The nice thing about this is that there are only so many interview questions that exist and if you do the first part of your research on the job well you should have no question finding information about classic questions that are designed to bring out certain qualities. You therefore have no excuse about not being prepared and in the same manner about not getting a great job!

What the HR Manager Won’t Tell You.

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:27:38 +0000

Most human resource managers today are limited to providing only the basics for employment verification. Fear of litigation nullifies anything that may be deemed subjective or, more considerably, litigious.   Conducting the formal employment verification will typically return little more than the date your candidate started employment, the date he left, and the position he held. You will often find yourself lacking the input needed to make an informed hiring decision. Once in awhile, the HR Manager will be adventurous and respond that your candidate was “in good standing.”
In fact, at the writing of this article, there was a radio program where the show’s commentator reinforced this principle.   The commentator admonished Human Resources Personnel that there is as much a danger in providing a positive reference as there is in providing one that is negative.   He went on to say it is important to keep all employment verifications as uniform as possible.   He suggested providing only the start date, completion date and the position held.
Is this bare bones information enough to make an informed decision on an employment candidate?   Sometimes. When the job is simple enough and no special skills are required… yes. Then all you need to know is whether or not your candidate actually worked at his previous place of employment.    You may need to know more about an IT candidate’s technical skills, but whether or not your candidate’s last job as a pizza boy can shed any real light on his abilities is open to debate.
Because the typical employment verification yields such sparse information, more and more businesses are turning to the reference verification in order to find out more about their candidates and their respective skills. While the reference verification can have its pros and cons, for a fair number of hiring situations it’s a smart way to go.
Reference verifications can be best used to discern the skill sets of your job candidate. Recruiters will employ the reference check to determine if their candidates are qualified in special skills and experience.   You may call upon references to define a job candidate’s level of IT skills, or his fluency with general and industry specific software programs.   You may wish to better understand his abilities in graphic and web design, which can provide essential considerations.
As a recruiter, you may want to know more about your candidate’s networking capabilities, who he knows in his industrial sector.   If he is a sales person, you may know just how well connected he is in, say, licensing product in certain geographic regions. For international candidates, when language capability is a concern, you can use the reference verification to help assess these abilities.
Of course, there are other questions you may ask in your reference verification process. You may want to know more about your candidate’s management skills or style. You need to determine if he works well with others, if he is a team player or the sort that works better off by himself. Does he show up on time? Is he absent frequently? What are the areas where he can improve?
At Corra, as part of the verification process, we ask the reference to rate the employment candidate using a scale of one to ten. Ten is the highest score. Usually, to be considered a viable employment candidate, our clients would like to see at least a seven rating.   Seven and up is considered pretty solid.
Sometimes the reference gets carried away and barks out a ten.   Most employers will look at this as boosterish. But there are the exceptions. If the reference is an upper level executive and qualifies his or her statement with such phrases as “I’ve been around for umpteen years and rarely have I seen someone work as well as So and So,” the employer will take it more at face value.
In most cases, the higher level ratings are a nine or nine plus.   The reference will often qualify his rating with “Everyone has room to improve…”
Always bear in mind the reference that your job candidate supplies you, will be a favorable reference.   No candidate in his right mind would give you references that would go out of their way to sink his ship.   Sometimes the reference may not find the candidate as favorable as the candidate would like to believe. While the reference wants to be a good person, they may also want to divulge the more negative aspects as well. There is any number of reasons for doing so.   Sometimes they wish to give you a heads up. Sometimes there are personal issues.   Sometimes they are just covering their butts.
The reference may not tell you directly that the candidate is tough to deal with or is someone who they would never hire again.   Yet they would like to. So it is not the answer itself, but the way they answer that serves as the indicator.   It’s what they don’t say or their hesitation that provides the tipoff they were less than thrilled with your candidate.
Listen for the speech inflection, the hesitation, or the reference’s struggle to find the right word or term.   Sometimes they are working so hard at being diplomatic you can glean a more negative appraisal. Sometimes, if prodded, they will tell you a little more about the downside of your candidate.   Sometimes that won’t veer from the positive appraisal, but while they don’t say it outright, there is something in the way they answer that can tell you more than they had wished.   Or, they told you exactly what they wanted to say, but with plausible deniability.
It should be noted for the rare but embarrassing occasion that when you get a reference contact information, make sure they are a legitimate source.   Either insist on the business phone number as well as their cell number, or find some way to substantiate that the reference isn’t your candidate’s cousin Larry pretending he is the former CEO of Nonexistent Enterprises ready to give your candidate a really great review. Think it doesn’t happen? Think again.   But then you might weigh your candidate’s penchant for duplicity against his daring and creative thinking. Just kidding.
Here are some of the questions, you may wish to use when conducting reference verifications—
Date:
Candidate name:
Reference name:
Reference TitleCompany:
Company where they worked together:
Relation to Candidate:
Reference Phone:
Confirm Candidate’s Title and Dates of Employment:
1)    Did the candidate report directly to you?
If not, what was your working relationship?
2)    What were this person’s main responsibilities?
3)    a. What are this person’s strengths?
b. What are some areas in which this person can improve?
4)    How does this person work with others?
5)    In what ways does heshe respond to stressful (high pressure) situations?
6)    Did heshe ever have a problem with tardiness or absenteeism?
7)    What advice would you give hisher future manager in working with, and motivating this person?
8)    Would you rehire this person? If not, why?
9)    On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being best), how would you rate this person’s overall performance?
10)    Do you have any additional comments that you feel would be helpful?
Of course there are variations upon the theme, so you can be resourceful in choosing reference questions to fit your company’s particular needs.   Be uniform in composing these questions. Otherwise, it becomes a cumbersome process, and you can risk driving your researcher crazy. There is also the issue of fairness and how it affects the rules governing employment law. So be consistent.
Reference verifications can be a great tool for the pre-employment screening process. It can be an effective background check, when you use it wisely.

Winning Ways At Interviews

admin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 11:29:56 +0000

Marketing communications copywriter Charlie Trumpess takes a humorous look at how best to tackle that age old terror, the job interview.

Let’s face it, job interviews are about as much fun as a hot wax with no anaesthetic. After all, attempting to showcase your talents to a bunch of strangers, usually against the clock and on someone else’s turf is not a natural act. Nevertheless, if you really want the job then you have to crack the interview conundrum. Giving ‘good interview’ is all about the three Ps - preparation, presentation and positive thinking. All interviews are basically made of the same hellish stuff, so let’s start at the beginning with the introductions.

The interview introduction can be a slippery customer and one that can easily get away from you. Once you enter that chamber of horrors commonly known as the interview room, you’re on your own, never sure if you’re saying or doing the right thing. The harder you try to relax the more nervous you seem to feel. Simply stringing a coherent sentence together seems like one of the labours of Hercules. Of course the room is unbearably hot and your mouth is unusually dry so your tongue swells, cutting off the oxygen to your brain. Panic grips you. Finally, just as you’re about to turn on your heels and make an undignified dash for the nearest fire escape, the kindly interviewer extends a friendly hand and welcomes you. Now what do you do?

Fear not. Introductions don’t have to be embarrassing, distressing or tearful episodes. Introductions can be easy and fun. You simply have to approach things calmly and logically. Stop and think about it for a moment. You’re meeting someone for the first time; it’s a clean sheet, an opportunity for you to write your own ticket without preconceptions or bias getting in the way. All you have to do is arrive on time, dress smartly, check your teeth for remnants of your last meal, be yourself and make sure you’re wearing industrial strength deodorant. What could be simpler? To build up confidence you can always practice introducing yourself in front of the bathroom mirror before you actually attend any interviews. You might want to try this in the comfort of your own home rather than in the washroom of your local pizzeria, where introducing yourself to fellow patrons might be frowned upon.

Having successfully navigated the interview introductions, your next big challenge is to deal with an offer of refreshments. Something as seemingly benign as a cup of tea or coffee can wreak havoc during an interview. Having to juggle hot liquids in flimsy plastic cups while convincing a stranger of your marketing expertise or business acumen should always be avoided. Accepting or declining refreshments is something of a judgement call, as you don’t want to appear ill at ease, but remember the risks are high. Loud slurping or gulping won’t endear you to the interviewer while spilling hot chocolate down the front of your cream and oatmeal business suit is a blunder few candidates can easily recover from. So, if you find fear and anxiety has made your mouth as dry as Death Valley on the hottest day of the year simply ask for a glass of water. It’s probably your safest option.

According to certain eminent psychologists, who study such things, the first few minutes of any interview are crucial in determining the final outcome. It seems that first impressions really do count. With the preliminaries over, it’s time to tackle the main event. By this stage of the game you’ll either be brimming with confidence or desperate for the lavatory, a cigarette and a family-sized candy bar. Whatever happens you must stay focussed on the task at hand. 105 seconds is all the time you’re going to get to make the right impression. The key is not to panic. DON’T PANIC! If you’re properly prepared then nothing can go wrong. You should know exactly what questions to ask, what to say, and when to say it. Try to anticipate the questions the interviewer is likely to ask, and have your answers ready. But remember, before answering pause for a moment. It looks more natural. Keep your delivery clear, consistent, positive, short and simple; then you won’t go far wrong. And try not to get sidetracked or go off at a tangent.

However doubtful you are, take it on trust that having your highly polished, recently manicured fingernails pulled out with rusty tweezers is far worse than your average job interview. Interviewers aren’t the monsters they might first appear. They’re just ordinary people doing a difficult job. If the interviewer makes a poor decision then both you and your new employer will suffer the consequences. The best thing that you can probably do is place your trust in the interviewer’s experience while checking the chair you’re offered for chains and thumbscrews. At the end of all this torment, after saying and doing everything right, you still might not get the job. Sometimes life is fickle. In such a case, try to get some positive feedback on your interview technique and move on.

Typically, just as you start to relax and feel you’re building a rapport with your interviewer you’ll find the whole torturous process suddenly coming to an end. And it’s now, at the end of the interview that you face your biggest challenge. As your confidence levels climb it’s tempting to drop your guard and divert from your original interview strategy. Resist this impulse. Technically known as ‘end-of-interview euphoria’ you must fight the urge to say something witty or clever. In the intoxicatingly thin air of your newly found confidence the chances are that your wit and cleverness will be interpreted as glibness or even rudeness. Take it from someone who has suffered this fate; fight your urges and keep your mouth shut without you’re asked a direct question.

Maybe not the big finale you imagined or rehearsed, but safer by far to conclude your interview with a thank you, a smile and a gentle reminder of your contact details. Before you stand up to leave, especially if you’re one of that daredevil breed who recklessly accepts liquid refreshments, make sure that everything spillable is out of harm’s way. Now, all that remains for you to do is get out of there. At this last delicate stage of the proceedings it’s advisable not to run. Hazards are everywhere and tripping over the wastebasket, upsetting the coffee table or ripping the telephone line out of its wall-socket will usually go against you. Whenever possible it’s best to leave your potential new employer’s office building, fixtures and fittings just as you found them. Play by the rules and you’ll walk out of there with a new job in the bag. Congratulations. Alternatively, tomorrow’s another day and another interview.

Why You Should Write An Interview Thank You Letter

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:28:36 +0000

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.

Wonder Why a Hiring Company Wants to Check Your Background?

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:30:44 +0000

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.

Writing Cover Letters That Sizzle

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:01:01 +0000

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.

Ten Tips To Negotiate Successfully

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:03:56 +0000

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.

Ten Ways to Get Ready for Your Next Interview

admin — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:06:12 +0000

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.
=====================================================

Ten Ways to Get Ready for Your Next Interview

admin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 12:09:54 +0000

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

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

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.