No matter where you are in your career, from entry-level to the top rung of the ladder, one skill that is absolutely necessary to catapult you from one level to the next throughout your professional life is the ability to interview well.

What exactly is the purpose of an interview? What are the goals of both parties involved in the interview, and how does this tie in to receiving a job offer? What is the best way to prepare for an interview, to avoid being nervous, anxious, and blowing the entire appointment?

According to a general dictionary, an interview is defined as a formal meeting, especially one arranged for the assessment of the qualifications of an applicant. Seems simple enough, right? As a job seeker, it’s necessary to change the way that you view an interview. Let’s take our thinking from a passive appointment in which an employer gets to know a prospective employee, to a dynamic process in which a prospective employee has the opportunity to sell his or her skills. Read the full story

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You’ve heard the expression, “Getting a job is a job.” No one knows more than you how many hours a week it takes searching, researching, applying, interviewing, reflecting, and so on, to get a job. It’s not easy; but it was never intended to be.

The harder the job, the harder it is to get the job. Essentially this means that if you are an entry level employee, it should be a fairly reasonable process. But if you are at mid-career and have held significant authority and responsibility, it’s going to be a more lengthy and sophisticated course.

As someone who has been in the staffing industry for more than 18 years, I wanted to share an “insider’s perspective” on what every job seeker should know about the process. I’m continually amazed that potentially great candidates for my jobs simply don’t represent themselves as well as they could by not playing by the job-search rules. Read the full story

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What do you do when they ask for references during your job interview? First of all, do a little happy dance (in your head, of course) because you’ve just gotten a buying signal from your interviewer. Asking for your references indicates definite interest. However, you’re not home free yet. Always assume your references will be checked.

Do you realize how important good references are to your chances of receiving a job offer? Some people believe that hiring managers and recruiters never bother to call references, but they do. (Recruiters are especially vigilant about checking references, because our reputation depends on our delivering quality candidates–so we gather as much information as we possibly can.)

References are not an afterthought. They are a major player in your job interview process. Your references are another area where you can set yourself apart from other candidates and shine. That can be critical in a competitive job market. Read the full story

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Tell me your Weakness? This is certainly one of those questions everyone hates in an interview. You know it’s coming at some point during the process. Is it a trick question, a ‘trap’ question, a question to see if you’re honest or just a question they interview has to ask because it’s on a sheet of questions they need to ask.

In reality, it does not matter. The truth is you need to know your weaknesses and strengths ahead of time and prepare for this question. So do you know your weaknesses? Second, do you know why you have those weaknesses?

Before I give you the answer, here’s a story about Ben Franklin. As a young man, Little Ben wanted to ensure he was successful in life. He wrote down a number of weaknesses he felt needing correction: smoking, cussing, drinking, being obstinate, womanizing, and others. He diligently worked on correcting one per month, and only one. Read the full story

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Think about the kind of impression you want to convey to your interviewer or hiring manager: experience, ability, and confidence. Your confidence comes out in your physical presentation, your body language, and what you say and how you say it.

Yes, you must research the company, prepare quality documents, and deliver substantial answers to interview questions, but employers are also looking at the intangibles: energy, drive, enthusiasm, and great communication skills.

Confident speaking is an interview skill that is essential to presenting yourself as a winning candidate. Here are 3 major areas where candidates fall short: Read the full story

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An interview gives you the opportunity to showcase your abilities and qualifications to a potential employer and it pays to be well prepared.

There is no point thinking that you can just “wing” it when it comes to a job interview. The reality is that you only get one chance to make a great first impression so get to work on some simple but highly effective preparation steps.

Find below some helpful interview tips, techniques and advice to help you sail through your big day: Read the full story

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After you have found a job that interests you, the next step is to apply for it. Let’s cover the basics of what you’ll need to do when applying for a new job.

You will almost always need to complete resumes or application forms and cover letters. Later, you will probably need to go on interviews to meet with employers face to face.

Resumes and application forms.

Resumes and application forms give employers written evidence of your qualifications and skills. The goal of these documents is to prove, as clearly and directly as possible, how your qualifications match the job’s requirements. Read the full story

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You can never fully prepare for every question you may be asked during your interview however there are a number of common interview questions which are pretty likely to crop up during most interviews.

With this in mind, think about your responses to the twelve most commonly asked interview questions. 

I can’t guarantee that you’ll be asked every single one of these questions during your own interview, however as a minimum, aim to have a number of stock answers prepared for our dirty dozen: Read the full story

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Why wait for a job advertisement to appear or a recruiter to call when you could be proactively seeking out opportunities to target companies by preparing a carefully researched mailshot.

The first step is to identify the criteria that will help you locate the right companies and industries to fit with your ideal work preferences. You need to consider the marketplace as widely as possible. In broadening your job search the chances of success can be increased greatly.

Research is an essential part of the job search process. You need to satisfy yourself that the opportunities you explore are matched to your needs and aspirations and that you are armed with as much information as possible when attending interviews. Read the full story

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You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to appreciate that you need to concentrate and listen very carefully to the questions during an interview.

Make sure you understand the question before offering any answer. Allow the interviewer to finish asking the question before offering an answer.

If you miss the question or are not sure about it, rephrase the key words and ask the interviewer to clarify. Do not attempt to answer without fully understanding the question.

If you do not anticipate a question and have not prepared an answer for it, pause and think before offering one. It is better to think carefully for an appropriate answer than to offer an answer in a hurry. Make sure you do not spend too much time thinking. Read the full story

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