JOB INTERVIEW

A job is interview is something you surely will go through, whether as an interviewer or as job seeker, during your life time. So you be ready for it. During this chapter we will see both sides of the coin and have some tips on how to do it. Here go some useful tips for the job seeker:

            If you watch elite athletes right before a competition, you'll see they are fiercely focused. Whether they're quietly preparing or psyching themselves up as a team, all the attention is directed at the goal ahead. Last-minute job interview preparations are similarly important.

            Check Twitter one last time. Presumably you've done your due diligence prior to heading to your interview -- Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, whatever social media you have at your disposal. On your way in, tap on Twitter and the company's website one last time to see if there is any company breaking news you might be able to relevantly reference. "It will make you seem interested, informed and help you stand out from other candidates," says Meryl Weinsaft Cooper, co-author of Be Your Own Best Publicist: Using PR Skills to Get Noticed, Hired and Rewarded At Work.

            Check yourself out, too. Especially if your appointment is after lunch, find a mirror and do a quick stain/spinach-in-teeth check. So simple, yet so often forgotten in the well-intentioned desire not to be late. "One of my clients, in her haste to dress and rush to the interview, discovered that she was wearing her blouse inside-out," says Roy Cohen, career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide.

            Respect the front desk. The security team or receptionist isn't just a gateway into the office, he or she may be a pseudo-spy for your boss-to-be. Act as if anything you say or do will be relayed to your interviewer. "Many candidates don't realize that the receptionist holds more power than you think. Starting on the wrong foot with the receptionist could prematurely end your candidacy for the position. And the worst part is that you may never know what happened," says Cheryl Palmer, founder of Call to Career, a career coaching firm. Part of showing respect means finishing any cell phone conversations before you enter the building and turning off your ringer.

            Use the bathroom beforehand. If you're traveling a longer distance, try to leave time to use the ladies' or mens' room. "Nothing is more distracting than nature's call mid-interview. You may not be able to concentrate fully on questions that you are asked and those you need to ask to appear engaged and focused," says Cohen. Having to take a bathroom break during your meeting will make you seem unreliable and disorganized.

            Scope out your competition. Being aware of the people around you and your surroundings from the time you enter the building until the time you sit down across from your interviewer can give you clues that you can use on the fly. "Often the person leaving as you are arriving is your competitor. Or you may be waiting in the same area as other candidates. See how they are dressed, how old are they, what are they carrying," says David Couper, career coach and author of Outsiders On The Inside: How to Create a Winning Career...Even When You Don't Fit In. He suggests tailoring your answers appropriately with the information you gather: "If they seem older than you they may have more experience. Be ready to talk about the quality rather than the quantity of your work knowledge."

            Check out the scenery. Part of being aware of your surroundings is noticing what's on the walls, in people's cubicles, and in the lobby. This can give you nuggets about the company that can't be found with Google. "Sometimes looking at what is on a whiteboard in a conference room can give you valuable information. A client once saw three issues that were hitting sales on a board in the room he was asked to wait in. He was able to talk about them during his interview," notes Couper.

            Get your mind revved up. Ever feel like you settle into an interview after a few minutes? That doesn't go unnoticed. "As a former recruiter, I would see candidates come alive three or more minutes into the interview," says Caroline Ceniza-Levine, partner with SixFigureStart, a career consulting firm. Unfortunately, that's a big strike against you: "That's three minutes too late, as I've already formed an opinion about them," notes Ceniza-Levine, a former Fortune 500 recruiter. She suggests taking five minutes in the waiting room to review an index card with key points or an inspirational quote to make sure you're operating at 100 percent the moment you sit down.

            Organize your grand entrance. An interviewer is not a surprise situation -- you know you'll probably be in a waiting room and that at any moment you'll be called in. So be ready. "I can't tell you how many candidates scramble for their bag, their coat, their water, their book, and hunched over and arms full still try to shake my hand. It's hard to look professional and poised this way," says Ceniza-Levine. So pare down what you're carrying and leave a hand free to shake. She adds that you should make sure your first impression isn't a wardrobe malfunction (for women, that may be a skirt that rides up too far, and for a man, pants that are hemmed too short). "One job seeker wore Mickey Mouse socks that so distracted an interviewer, he went from front-runner to discard," recalls Ceniza-Levine.

            Smile like you mean it. Of course you automatically smile when you introduce yourself -- you're a reasonably socially competent human being, right? But the thing is, when you're nervous, you may simply be breezing through the motions and a half-hearted effort can leave a bad first impression. So smile purposely, with confidence and with every person you meet. "Too many people are timid through the process of letting receptionists, security and others know they are there for an interview, as if the job seeker is putting people out. It's hard to turn that attitude around to one of power when you sit in the hot seat so I recommend starting with that confidence the moment you arrive," says Tracy Brisson, founder and CEO, The Opportunities Project, a career coaching firm for younger employees.

Questions that might be done.

1- Tell me about yourself. This is probably the most asked question in an interview. It breaks the ice and gets you to talk about something you should be fairly comfortable with. Have something prepared that doesn’t sound rehearsed. It’s not about you telling your life story and quite frankly the interviewer just isn’t interested. Unless asked to do so, stick to your education, career and current situation. Work through it chronologically from the furthest back to the present.

2- Why are you looking for another job (or why did you leave your previous job)?
On the surface this appears to be a simple question, yet it is easy to slip. I would suggest not mentioning money at this stage as you may come across as totally mercenary. If you are currently in employment you can say it’s about developing your career and yourself as an individual. If you are in the unfortunate position of having been downsized stay positive and keep it brief. If you were fired you should have a solid explanation. Whatever your circumstances do not go into the drama and detail and stay positive.

3- What do you know about this organization? Do your homework prior to the interview. Doing the background work will help you stand out. Find out who the main players are, have they been in the news recently? You’re not expected to know every date and individual yet you need to have a solid understanding of the company as a whole.

4- Why do you want this job? This questions typically follows on from the previous one. Here is where your research will come in handy. You may want to say that you want to work for a company that is x, y, z, (market leader, innovator, provides a vital service, whatever it may be). Put some thought into this beforehand, be specific and link the company’s values and mission statement to your own goals and career plans.

5- Who are our main competitors? This shows you really understand the industry and the main players. Think about a few and say how you think they compare; similarities, differences. This is a good opportunity to highlight what you think are the company’s key strengths.

6- What would your previous co-workers say about you? This is not the arena for full disclosure. You want to stay positive and add a few specific statements or paraphrase. Something like “Joe Blogs always mentioned how reliable and hard working I was” is enough.

7- How do you handle stressful situations and working under pressure? There are several ways of addressing this one. You may be the sort of person that works well under pressure; you may even thrive under pressure. Whatever the case may be just make sure you don’t say you panic. You want to give specific examples of stressful situations and how well you dealt with them. You may also want to list a few tools you use to help you, such as to do lists etc. It is alright to say that if you feel you are way over your head you will ask for assistance. It is equally acceptable to say that you work best under pressure if this is indeed the case and relevant to the particular role.

8- Are you applying for other jobs? If you are serious about changing jobs then it is likely that you are applying to other positions. It is also a way of showing that you are in demand. Be honest but don’t go into too much detail, you don’t want to spend a great deal of time on this. If asked about names of who you have spoken to it is absolutely legitimate to say you prefer not to disclose that information at this stage.

9- What are you like working in a team? Your answer is of course that you are an excellent team player; there really is no other valid answer here as you will not function in an organization as a loner. You may want to mention what type of role you tend to adopt in a team, especially if you want to emphasis key skills such as leadership. Be prepared to give specific examples in a very matter of fact sort of way.

10- What sort of person do you not like to work with? This is not an easy one as you have no idea whom you would be working with. Even if you can immediately think of a long list of people you don’t like to work with, you could take some time to think and say that it’s a difficult question as you have always gotten on fine with your colleagues.

11- What is your greatest strength? This is your time to shine. Just remember the interviewer is looking for work related strengths. Mention a number of them such as being a good motivator, problem solver, performing well under pressure, loyal, positive attitude, eager to learn, taking the initiative, attention to detail. Whichever you go for, be prepared to give examples that illustrate this particular skill.

12- What is your biggest weakness? A challenging one, as if you so you have no weaknesses you are obviously lying! Be realistic and mention a small work related flaw. Many people will suggest answering this using a positive trait disguised as a flaw such as “I’m a perfectionist” or “I expect others to be as committed as I am”. I would advocate a certain degree of honesty and list a true weakness. Emphasize what you’ve done to overcome it and improve. This question is all about how you perceive and evaluate yourself.

13- What has been your biggest professional disappointment/achievement so far?
If asked about disappointments mention something that was beyond your control. Stay positive by showing how you accepted the situation and have no lingering negative feelings. If asked about your greatest achievement chose an example that was important to you as well as the company. Specify what you did, how you did it and what the results were. Ideally pick an example that can relate to the positions you are applying for.

14- What kind of decisions do you find most difficult to take? There is no right or wrong here. The logic behind this type of question is that your past behavior is likely to predict what you will do in the future. What the interviewer is looking for is to understand what you find difficult.

15- Tell me about a suggestion that you have made that has been successfully implemented. Here the emphasis is on the implemented. You may have had many brilliant ideas, but what the interview is looking for is something that has actually materialized. Be prepared to briefly describe how it went from an idea to implementation stage.

16- Have you ever had to bend the rules in order to achieve a goal?
Beware of this type of question! Under no circumstances is it necessary to break company policy to achieve something. Resist the temptation to answer and give examples, as what the interviewer is looking for is to determine how ethical you are and if you will remain true to company policy.

17- Are you willing to travel or relocate if necessary? This is something you need to have very clear in your mind prior to the meeting, if you think there is any chance this may come up. There is no point in saying yes just to get the job if the real answer is actually no. Just be honest as this can save you problems arising in the future.

18- Why should we hire you? This is an important question that you will need to answer carefully. It is your chance to stand out and draw attention to your skills, especially those that haven’t already been addressed. Saying “because I need a job” or “I’m really good” just won’t cut it. Don’t speculate about other candidates and their possible strengths or flaws. Make sure you focus on you. Explain why you make a good employee, why you are a good fit for the job and the company and what you can offer.

19- Regarding salary, what are your expectations? Always a tricky one and a dangerous game to play in an interview. It is a common mistake to discuss salary before you have sold yourself and like in any negotiation knowledge is power. Do your homework and make sure you have an idea of what this job is offering. You can try asking them what the salary range. If you want to avoid the question altogether you could say that at the moment you are looking to advance in your career and money isn’t your main motivator. If you do have a specific figure in mind and you are confident you can get it, then it may be worth going for it.

20- Do you have any questions for us? This one tends to come up every time. Have some questions prepared. This will show you have done some research and are eager to know and learn as much as possible. You probably don’t want to ask more than 3 or 4 questions. Try and use questions that focus on you becoming an asset to the company. A generic one might be “how soon can I start if I were to get the job”. Another idea is to ask what you would be working on and how quickly they expect you to be able to be productive. Remember to ask about next steps and when you can expect to hear back.

Bare in mind that the interview starts from the minute you walk into the building until you leave and are out of sight. Don’t think that just because you have left the meeting room, you are “off the hook”. You need to maintain an image of confidence, enthusiasm, competence, reliability and professionalism throughout.