Interviewing Tips: What You Can Expect From An Interview

Knowing what to expect can mean the difference between performing well and making a fool out of yourself.

If you know what to expect you can better prepare yourself for the challenging questions and scenarios they may pose. 

Generally, when you begin and interview there is a period of introduction. 

Once those have been completed, you may be offered the opportunity to speak about yourself.

You should really try to keep this relevant to the current job offer. Although your personal life maybe of great interest, the time for an interview is limited so best stick to what they need to know and want to hear.

You may be asked to demonstrate your current knowledge of the company.

You may be asked this directly or in the form of a question such as. Why would you like to work for us? Prepare yourself by doing some research about the company.

This shows the employer that you have a genuine interest in working for them and are not afraid of doing some research.

Nearly every interview asks that dreaded question, what are your weaknesses? The worst answer that you can give is none at all.

Everyone has weaknesses so this answer will not impress. This question is more a test of your answering skills than anything.

Speak about how you deal with your weaknesses. I make lists of things to do to make sure I remember everything or I use spell check to make sure everything is correct. This answers show your weaknesses and how you cope.

You will also likely get the opportunity to speak about your strengths. Although you may have many, keep these relevant to the job on offer. Again, interview time is limited and you don’t want to waste opportunities.

Preparing yourself ahead of time and knowing what to expect can make a great difference in how well you perform in an interview. By being able to handle yourself well, you’ll be able to make that important first impression.

Interviewing Tips: How To Guarantee You'll Perform Well

Knowing what to expect can mean the difference between performing well and making a fool out of yourself. If you know what to expect you can better prepare yourself for the challenging questions and scenarios they may pose. 

Generally, when you begin and interview there is a period of introduction.

Once those have been completed, you may be offered the opportunity to speak about yourself.

You should really try to keep this relevant to the current job offer.

Although your personal life maybe of great interest, the time for an interview is limited so best stick to what they need to know and want to hear.

You may be asked to demonstrate your current knowledge of the company.

You may be asked this directly or in the form of a question such as. Why would you like to work for us? Prepare yourself by doing some research about the company.

This shows the employer that you have a genuine interest in working for them and are not afraid of doing some research. Nearly every interview asks that dreaded question, what are your weaknesses? The worst answer that you can give is none at all. Everyone has weaknesses so this answer will not impress.

This question is more a test of your answering skills than anything.

Speak about how you deal with your weaknesses. I make lists of things to do to make sure I remember everything or I use spell check to make sure everything is correct.

This answers show your weaknesses and how you cope. You will also likely get the opportunity to speak about your strengths.

Although you may have many, keep these relevant to the job on offer. Again, interview time is limited and you don’t want to waste opportunities.

Preparing yourself ahead of time and knowing what to expect can make a great difference in how well you perform in an interview.

By being able to handle yourself well, you’ll be able to make that important first impression.

Interviewing Tips: Keeping The Past From Haunting You

Unless you are interviewing for the very first time, you likely have worked before. In fact, most of us will have several job interviews in our lifetime.

We will also have had several previous work experiences ranging from great to absolutely terrible. You want to list your work experience but you don’t want a prior bad job or employer from hurting your chances of getting hired.

There are some techniques that you can practice to help you keep your past from haunting you. You will likely be asked about your last position or positions.

Try to remain positive and keep a good spin on things. Never say you left because you were dismissed, or let go.

Say things like you left because you felt you had grown as much as you possibly could at that company. Also speak about what you learned while working there and how your experience will help them.

Even if your last employer was horrible, do not say anything negative. Many times this is a test of discretion and by being negative you will fail it.

You can mention things you liked and disliked in a professional way. If you have had a long absence from work, you will be asked to explain why. Again, keep positive. 

Explain that you wanted to find a company that you could settle down in. 

Employers will like this.

If you can convince them you want to stay on long term, your chances of getting hired will increase. Companies spend a huge amount hiring and retraining new recruits, so someone who will stay on for the long term will look very attractive to them.

By staying positive and not insulting past employers, you can go a long way towards keeping the past from haunting you.

Interviewing Tips: Things To Ask The Interviewer

When the interview ends, you will likely be given the chance to ask your own questions. It is wise to prepare some ahead of time, failure to ask anything looks like you want to end quickly.

Good questions presented to the employer make you look like you have a genuine interest in the company. A good question to ask is who your immediate supervisor will be.

You need to know if you can get along with this person and this is a good opportunity to find out.

You may also get the chance to meet this person and make a good impression on them as well. Another good question to ask is when a hiring decision will be made. 

This shows your sense of urgency and your keenness to start working. You may also want to ask how successful candidates will be notified.

Asking about possible advancement opportunities is a good question. This shows that you may be willing to stay with the company long term.

Companies always look on this as positive. It also shows that you are ambitious and goal oriented.

You may also want to ask about training opportunities within the company. This is a good question to complement advancement.

Finally, the appropriate dress code is a good point to rise. It shows that you are detail oriented and want to make a good impression.

To get that job offer, you need to have a successful interview. Employers rarely hire the person on experience and qualifications alone. Most of the time it is the candidate that gives the best interview.

By knowing how to present yourself in the best possible way, you can guarantee yourself success.

The Job Interview: Engaging Everyone

Many job interviews will be conducted by more than one job interviewer.

This can either work for or against your chances of landing the job but there is one major thing that you can do to improve those chances: engage everyone in the interview room. What this means is that you need to make eye contact with each interviewer so that you show interest in what they are saying. Don’t make the mistake of focusing on one person because you’re too nervous to work the room.

Make sure that you bring along copies of your resume and references to any job interview even if you have no idea how many interviewers there will be. This way when there is more than one person you come prepared to engage them all. 

This very act alone can go a long way in showing a potential employer that you are serious about the interview process and think ahead of the game plan. When you answer a question, even if the question has been posed by only one person, make sure that you look at everyone in the room when you’re giving your answer. Once again this shows that you have good people skills and that you are able to perform under the pressure of a job interview by more than one interviewer.

The Second Job Interview

Your goal in a job interview should be to make it to the second round. Many job interviews are more than just the one step of the first interview.

Most employers these days will have a short list that they have after the first interview of people who they are interested in.

When you make it to the second job interview there are some strategies that you should keep in mind so that you ensure you get the job.

Most employers will test you to see if you know what you’re talking about. If you’re applying for a job that is specific, such as a technical job, your interviewers will want to know that you can do the job.

You may be required to take a written exam that is quite extensive. Prepare for your second job interview by going over the things that you know you need to understand for the job that you’re interviewing for.

You may be introduced to other employees and potential coworkers during the second job interview. Try to look each of them in the eye and leave a personal impression on them so that they have something good to say about you to their employer.

The second interview is going to get you that much closer to landing the job so put all of your effort in.

The Job Interview And The Thank You Letter

These days the thank you letter is a big part of the job search strategy that you need to perfect when you’re looking for that perfect job. In the past people would write a short note to thank their interviewer for their time and letting them know that they are very interested in getting the job.

In today’s job search market the thank you letter is much more than just a note to your interviewer. In fact, the thank you letter is crucial if you want to be seriously considered for the job.

You’ll want to use the thank you letter as a way to address the key points of the job interview that you just had. Discuss key areas that were brought up by your interviewer so that you indicate that you were listening at all times. You’ll also want to show that you have a good understanding of the goals of the company and what direction they are taking.

Your thank you letter should be about one page in length. Any longer and an employer will consider it to be over-kill. The letter should be sent within three days of your interview. If you wait much longer it may show that you’re not really interested in the job.

Showing Confidence In The Job Interview

Employers everywhere want to hire people who are capable, confident, and unique to the job that is being offered. You need to walk into your job interview with this confidence flowing out from you so that your interviewer remembers who you are. Many employers are looking for employees who are fresh out of school while others are looking for more experienced workers.

No matter what an employer is looking for you need to show confidence that you can handle the job and that you are what they are looking for. There are several ways that you can show this confidence by including certain issues in your answers to certain questions.

Employers like to hear about “teamwork” whenever they can since this shows that you have an awareness of the importance of being part of a team. Team players go a long way when it comes to impressing the boss. You can also display confidence by maintaining eye contact with your interviewer.

If you look away too often you can leave the impression that you’re either not really interested in the job or that you’re feeling very insecure. Prepare for your job interview so that go into it with as much confidence as it takes to get the job.

The Job Interview: Realistic Expectations 

Try to have some realistic expectations about any job that you interview for. You don’t always have to interview for jobs that you have all the qualifications for since sometimes, by reaching for a job that is out of your league, you learn something useful that you can apply in the future. Realistically most employers are looking for employees who have the skills that are needed to do certain jobs. If you’re working on your education so that you can get one of those jobs you might want to apply just for the experience.

The important thing to remember is that you are realistic about your chances of getting the job. Many employers want to hire people when they are at the beginning of their career so that they can shape them and guide them in the direction that they need. This can work to your advantage if you’re just out of university and are looking for an entry level job.

Other employers want to hire people who have the education as well as the experience that they are looking for. This often means less training costs for the company. When you go to your job interview be realistic about the knowledge and the experience that you have.

You may not always get the job but every interview should be a learning experience that prepares you for the next one.

Writing Your Resume 

When it comes to formatting; if you are writing an executive resume you will want to highlight your experience and accomplishments.

For the most part, unless you have studied at an Ivy League school, you will likely not have to place too much emphasis on your school history.

For example, if all that the job you are applying for requires is a high school diploma than you can simply skip that part all together and mention that you meet all of the requirements for the position in your cover letter. 

Of course if you are using your resume to get a general job, you will want to highlight all of your duties so that your prospective employer knows that this is an area that you have already demonstrated in the past.

What can be very complicated in creating your résumé’s format is if you are applying for any job in a company and do not really care which.

For this you would want to show your diversity in your format. This would naturally more emphasis on your different job experiences.

In general, resume formats should include items such as: qualifications, experience, references, and special accomplishments.

After that what is needed pretty much varies by the job you are looking to get. If in sales, you will want to focus your attention on your accomplishments in this area or a similar one and your personality in general.

This would be more along the lines of your CV.

This is the document that you will be using to describe yourself on a personal level.

When it comes to a job like sales your experience with dealing with people is your most important ally.

With so many formats to choose from, it can be difficult to choose between them but if you really think about it; it doesn’t have to be impossible. Just think about what is being highlighted in your resume and what type of impression you want to give. 

Just so that you know, most resumes are best served if written in 12 point, Times New Roman font. Just make sure that the headlines are bold and a bit larger so that they stand out and give the employer an easy to see what they want.

The All Important CV 

Any person who is actually planning on applying for a new job can benefit from curriculum vitae writing tips. A typical curriculum vita, which is often referred to as CV, differs slightly from a standard resume because it contains substantially more information than just your education and prior job experience.

A CV should also include any other information about you that is relevant to the job that you are applying for.

A CV offers so much more personal information about you and your abilities and has become a primary aspect of writing a resume thee days. The first difference between a curriculum vitae and a traditional resume is how long it is.

Professionals will quickly advise you that resumes should fill up one or if it is really needed two pages. A CV, though, can be longer if has to be; it is not uncommon for a curriculum vitae to be at least three, or as many as 10 pages long if you want.

Some people just really need that much space to write their qualifications. The next aspect of the curriculum vitae tips is to include, in detail, any special licenses or awards that you have been given.

If you have published books or articles, have taught courses at a university, or if you are affiliated with any academic or professional groups or organizations, they should also be included on the curriculum vitae.

The CV is your chance to show every bit of your personality and life and your achievements. What this means is that this is the time for you to brag your guts out. There is no such thing as tooting your own horn too much with a CV because that is what this is for.

Getting To The Cover Letter

When you are thinking of applying for a new job, the skill of cover letter writing is really worth taking a close look at because there are many people out there who spend a tremendous amount of time and effort perfecting their resume, only to speed through the process of cover letter writing.

This is a potentially large mistake, as the cover letters are the first and sometimes the only things that a hiring manager will see about you.

This is because there are many applicants applying for the same position at one time and how you express your interest in a position may just be all they need to know before deciding on an interview.

Unlike a resume, the cover letter has to be fine-tuned each time you send it out. A resume can be frequently printed in bulk.

After you create and edit a resume, you can generally let it just be there for a little while before making significant changes to it. Cover letters, on the other hand, will change literally every time you send them out because they need to be tailored to the company and position you are applying for.

How will they change, you may ask? Just to point this out, you should always address each letter to the hiring manager personally. You should never use general salutations like “To Whom It May Concern.

” This is not just impersonal; it demonstrates that you haven't taken the time to research the company for which you are applying to.

With the resources of the Internet, it is easy to find out the identities of human resource directors, so you should take a few extra minutes to find out some names, and you may be rewarded with a lucrative job in the end. Chances are that you will be applying to firms that don't all do the same exact thing either.

When you're writing a cover letter, you should tailor each sheet slightly to the company to which you are sending it because this is just smart sense.

Cover letters are a great way to add your personality to your resume so be friendly and give those quotes any chance that you get it is better than references to most employers.

Posting Your Resume Online 

These days more and more employers want their prospective candidates to find job openings on company web sites or Internet job boards like career builder and monster.com.

They require online applications and they prefer to communicate with potential hires through e-mail. Hiring with the aid of technology is a time and money saving proposition for modern businesses.

It has maximized their efficiency in the candidate selection process and gives them the chance to search for their employees rather than being bombarded by them on the job.

Employers say they can advertise to a wider, more diverse candidate pool when they go online and this in turn means that you've got more competition than ever before! You will need to find matches for hard-to-fill positions, easily share resumes of qualified candidates with hiring managers, fine tune the hiring process, and tighten the timeline between the need for a new employee and the date the employee starts on the job.

Employers say that using the company's own online application system is the fastest way to get your resume into the right hands and there are always websites that help you connect to them.

When you are writing your online resume, you will want to make sure that your focus should be on making your application different from the others to avoid its being overlooked by the various employers out there.

Getting Help With Your Resume 

Resume writing is an area of deep expertise for those people that choose to do it. Many different services will specifically hire people and professionals to assist you in the creation of a stellar resume for you.

These services are often writers and editors who have studied the art of writing a resume and who know what companies and universities are looking for in a resume. Some services even hire Ivy League graduates from Yale and Harvard just so that they can give resume writing help to people looking for assistance.

If you plan to use a service for getting help writing a resume, it is important to know who is helping you. Be sure to check their credentials and background so that you can make sure you're getting resume writing help from someone who knows what he or she is talking about.

Most of these services charge a fee, and it is obviously stupid for you to pay money to someone who doesn't know what he's talking about.

No matter whether or not you hire someone to give you help writing your resume, you are going to want to be sure to share it with someone before you actually submit it to companies.

It is very easy to overlook errors on a resume, particularly because you are likely to stare at it and edit it many, many times before you actually think of making it a submission.

It is even possible for you to spell your own name wrong if you are not paying attention so hiring a professional can really be a good service to you.

If you are in need of resume writing help, you can always look online for help or in your local classifieds.

Just be sure to check the testimonials of clients and look for a good reputation. That will help you out very much.

Should You Apply To All The Jobs That You Come Across?

When a person becomes unemployed, the search begins for a job they can find related to their field of experience. As desperation ensues many people start to look at fast food and factory work as an option. They will apply to as many as possible, hoping for a job. This happens too when a person has a college degree but can’t find a job. It gets even more serious when money is dwindling and there is still no job to get excited about.

The longer the unemployment, the more stress sets in. The person is searching in the local newspaper or even on the Internet through hundreds of job listings. With so many to sift through and so many to apply, should you apply for all in your area? Many people, when desperate enough, do this practice.

But is this really the best thing to do? Before sending off your resume, there are several factors that need to be taken into account. 

• 1. Work related experience, education and training 

One of the first and foremost important of all other tips is making sure that any job you apply for has a common theme with your background. Basically, it boils down to the type of degree a person is holding onto. If a person has an English degree, they shouldn't be applying as a nurse to pay the bills. These two jobs have no common similarities. Making a list of jobs interested in and in the general area. Important: Try to remember that when you apply for all open positions in the immediate area, it doesn't mean you are qualified for some of them. 

• 2. Location of said positions

If a person is content where they are living, a local newspaper would be more helpful in the job search. Again, unless you don't mind commuting, it's best to remain searching locally or in the immediate area. Unless a person doesn’t mind relocating, then Internet searches will and do work. With the Internet boom, tons of career orientated search websites have become available.

One of the most important tips is never take an interview when they know relocation is not an option.

• 3. How badly do you need a job

If a person is in dire straights and unable to receive unemployment benefits, it might be wise to increase the job search applications. This is especially true if the bills seem to be piling up or the family is in need of support. Submit applications to jobs that you are only qualified to do

• 4. Repeatedly bombarding a company with applications

People should not constantly barrage a company with applications especially those that they are not qualified to do. This leaves a lasting impression that can reflect upon a person poorly. It is harmful to the person's reputation and their good name. This can be especially true for those jobs a person is not qualified for in the first place. A person's best judgment should always be used when considering how many jobs to apply for. With the points mentioned above, one can determine if applying for too many or too little will help in the long run.

Tips For Dealing Cold Calls In Sales

Have you been a salesperson or telemarketer trying to sell a product? Have you ever tried doing door to door sales? This is making a cold call.

What is a cold call? 

A cold call is anyone who tries to make a sale whether in person or by phone. Cold calls are done on a personal level despite either way because it’s done for personal or official business.

Why is there anxiety with cold calls?

Most feel cold calls are only done on strangers but it can be done with people you may know. It's common to feel anxiety when making a cold call because you never know how someone will react. Because of that, cold calls are hard to do until the ice is broken and you hone in on where you feel at ease. Yet, once you have mastered this technique… it’ll be time to move to more demanding aspects one doesn’t usually approach.

Cold calling can be volatile in some ways because it leaves some people with butterflies in the pit of the stomach even causing some professional to throw up.

The anxiety one feels by making that personal leap from a physical appearance or telephone presence can lead to many wanting to quit. Some calls are so bad they make some feel like disappearing.

Professionals like doctors and lawyers feel the same way, relying on friends and loved ones for referrals. Some believe that making a cold call is a degrading to their self-respect and fine name if unsuccessful. Usually a deep breath tends to help.

Fear of being laughed or yelled at from a cold call is common and makes one feel very uncomfortable. This is a roadblock of selling but can all be trounced with confidence, a positive attitude with careful planning and the precise training. It’s possible for anyone to become a salesperson.

Five tips for stress-free cold calling

Be Positive – Cold calling deals with influential business stratagem. You must be confident in yourself and then make your co-workers or cold case callers have positive attitudes too. If you have eagerness in your voice, people will notic.

How to prepare prepared 

Always make a list of whom you are seeking to call or visit. Have introductions ready and learn what products you will be offering first. If a person is prepared, be prepared for actual business.

This is who I am 

Never be overeager or too nervous; it does show. Don’t be someone you're not; be yourself. Always presume you are making a lifetime friend.

Staying cool

Never assume you'll make a sale. Be prepared to be declined. When you do this, it doesn’t reflect as a personal assault. Just learn from the mistakes made and be persistent. Find an approach that works for you and run with it. Being declined is like moving up to the next stone and finding your niche’

Questioning is Normal 

Never expect someone to sign up right away after you're explanations. Remember that all questions have answers. People like to help and regarding your person with proper titling such as Sir and Ma’am catches them off guard especially if you ask them if there is any way they can help you out. It’s not a yes or no question but it lowers their guard, which can be used during the interaction.

Must-Know Tips On Executive Job Search 

Everyone strives to be the best they can be in both their personal and business life. When a business awards someone with a raise or promotion, it makes him or her work just as hard to prove they deserved to get it in the first place.

Still there are those who never get the recognition they feel they deserve, whether it's by their own feelings they deserve it or someone else saying, "You do a great job but..." This sends many workers searching for an executive job that will provide them with not only growth and improvement but also security and a better income.

For those seeking "the grass is greener on the other side" job, luck is not what finds you the job. Getting out and searching for it does. And landing that perfect dream job doesn't depend on luck either... it all depends on the person.

Does Appearance Matter? 

Above most, first impressions are everything. Have you watched someone in a store and were repulsed by his or her outfit? It's the same thing in what you wear to a job interview. The old saying "Looks could kill" basically fits the "If I wanted this job, I'd dress better" because chances are your appearance killed your opportunity of a job offer. When an employer looks back at all the applicants' files, they'll remember the one who wore baggy pants and a cut off t-shirt with tattoos showing and hair completely nappy. Even if the person is completely qualified for the job, think they'll get the position? It's imperative for those who want the job to dress the part even if they aren't comfortable with it.

Should an Applicant be a Know-it-All? 

An applicant seeking an Executive position has a better chance at an interview when employers see that they have most of the necessary skills required of said position. Applicants should show employers that they are quite knowledgeable in the position they are seeking.

However, applicants should never come off as a know-it-all because employers don't care. Employers are looking for people who know their material but are willing to learn new things within their company. This expands the person's knowledge a little further while doing the job they were hired to do. More than half the applicants out of 10 are hired due to experience not their attitude of experience. Employers want people who have mastered the related job field.

It's one thing searching for that dream job; it's another getting it. Just remember that what you wear, what you do, what you say and how you act will all fall to whether you do or don't get the executive position.

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