Posts Tagged ‘Interviewing’

Ten Ways to Get Ready for Your Next Interview

Sunday, June 27th, 2010

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

Saturday, June 19th, 2010

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

Interview Questions For You To Ask Employers

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Interviewing is a two-way street.  Obviously, the organization is using the interview process to evaluate you and your credentials to determine if you are a solid fit for the company’s needs.  But the interview is equally important for the opportunity it affords you to evaluate how well the company and the position match what you are seeking.  Formulating a series of well-thought out questions in advance of the interview will not only help you draw out pertinent information form the interviewer, but also demonstrate your intelligence and sincere interest in the position at hand.

The best questions are those that arise from the initial research you will conduct of the organization while preparing for the interview.  Whenever possible, questions should be tailored to the position and company.   The following questions will provide you with some ideas and get you started thinking about potential interview questions you may want to consider asking employers during the interview.

- Fit for the Position

What are the most important skills and attributes a candidate needs to be successful in this position?

What are the characteristics of a successful employee in your organization?

Describe the work environment.

What are the challenging facets of the job?

What would be a typical work day in this position?

What is your management style?

What is your preferred method of communicating with your team?

What is the next step in the interviewing process?

- Company Culture

How would you describe your company culture?

What is the organization structure of your department?

Who are the primary parties that you are responsible to support: shareholders, customers, employees, etc.?  How do you go about making decisions when the needs of these groups are at odds with each other?

- Measures for Success

What are your expectations for new employee hires within their first 90 days on the job?  Within the first six months?

How and when will my job performance be evaluated?

What metrics are used to measure whether or not you are achieving your predetermined goals?

How will my success in this position be measured?

How is success measured in this department (or organization)?

- The Future of the Organization

What is your vision for the organization (or department) over the next two years?  Next five years?

What current major challenges are you facing as a manager?

What is the organization’s biggest challenge currently?

What is the organization’s competitive advantage in the marketplace?

Ten Ways to Get Ready for Your Next Interview

Monday, July 6th, 2009

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

How To Impress At The Interview

Sunday, December 14th, 2008

Impressing an interviewing panel at interview is never easy. Sometimes you may think that you really impressed them, really charmed them, but then you find out that you dint get the job. Or you may find out that you get a job, even though you got the feeling that the interview panel were not all that impressed with you. So how do you actually impress people at an interview? Are there any golden rules that you should apply?

Well, there are a few rules that will certainly help you to succeed at impressing at an interview. First of all research the company or organisation that you will be working for. Then devise some questions to ask them, so that you can demonstrate that you are interested in the position.

Make sure that you research the job itself. Are there any questions that you could ask them about some details of the job, so that you really do act interested and are seen to be someone who is serious about taking on this job.

Make sure that your CV is up to date and where possible, try to make some reference to your CV when answering a question.

You should also ensure that you address all members of the interviewing panel. If you only address the ‘lead’ interviewer, then you will not impress the others on the panel, so keep establishing eye contact with all members.

Always, but always be diplomatic in your answers and never simply dismiss or rubbish a past employer.

Finally, it doesn’t matter if the interview is an informal interview with a recruitment agency, for a Saturday job or head of a multi-million pound firm. Treat all interviews as being important: don’t get too stressed by them, but remember that people are giving up their time to interview and as such you owe them courtesy and respect.