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Interview Success Tips in a Tough Economy

Chris Archer — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:29:12 +0000

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.

You see, many applicants have the misunderstanding that they will participate in an interview, for the purpose of determining whether or not they want to work for an employer, at the wages and salary the said employer is willing to pay. Think about this for just a second. Many applicants walk in to an interview with limited information about the company they have applied to, and believe the answer as to whether or not they work for this company comes down to the money.

In today’s competitive job market, it’s necessary that every applicant realize there are plenty of applicants for most jobs. Unemployment is at an all time high. When you get that call to interview with a company, it’s not time to asses and be assessed – it’s time for you to audition for the role of your life!

The goals for the hiring manager during your interview is to get to know you, uncover any hidden information not provided on your resume or application, and determine whether or not this person is a good fit for the position. As the applicant for the job, your goals should always be as follows:

to display a professional and personable attitude
to openly discuss and show the hiring manager how your past experience can connect to their current needs
to ask thoughtful questions of the interviewer that provide additional information about the position, and the type of individual that will best perform the position

Obviously, the hiring manager performing the interview hopes to fill this job with the “right candidate.” Conversely, the applicant’s goal should be provide such a stellar performance, the employer will have no doubt their company cannot continue to operate without you as a part of their team.

The best way to prepare for an interview is with the help of your career agent or the recruiter who is representing you. In the event you pursuing your search alone, here are some helpful tips to ensure you are ready for the big interview:

Do a thorough research of the company’s website.
View all news articles and press releases for the company for the last year.
Find out the name of the person you will be interviewing with, and search for information about them on LinkedIn, Google, MySpace, Facebook, or any other social networking websites.
Contact the company’s human resources department, and request a detailed job description be emailed or faxed to you.
Go through the job description, line to line, and write down all of the skills and experience you have that relate directly the position. Be prepared to discuss each of these with the interviewer.
Write down a minimum of five good questions you wish to ask the interviewer during the appointment. Make sure your questions are not answered by the company website, and further show your interest in the position on a long-term basis.
Make sure you have directions to your interview, and allow yourself plenty of time to arrive early.
Dress for success – it’s always better to be ultra-professional than to be under-dressed for the meeting.
Bring three clean copies of your resume to the interview, with cover letter and references.
Write a thoughtful thank you letter to each person you spoke with during the interview, and email them as soon as you return to your home or office.

When you attempt to handle a job search on your own, it can be a cumbersome and time consuming process, that results in fewer interviews and employment offers than expected. Oftentimes, the decision to work through a career agent or professional recruiter can be the difference between obtaining your target position and remaining in your current situation.

Changing your perspective on how to interview, and the goals of each party involved in the activity can ultimately provide you with the success in obtaining your next career move, with proven results.

Author: Chris Archer

Tips For Successful Job Hunting: How To Get A Job Without A Resume

Thei Zervaki — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:50:32 +0000

I am in my mid-thirties, and, as you can imagine, I have changed and looked for jobs many times in my life. No matter how successful was in my job hunting research, I realized that there are certain ground rules that need to be respected; otherwise, we will not get what we want from our careers.

First of all, forget about your resume.

A resume cant get you a job. A resume wont get you a job. Research proved that for 1,400 resumes sent out, there is only ONE job offer! The percentage is very low so instead of worrying too much about the structure, the layout and the type of fonts you will use to create a fantastic resume, do the following:

Find what you really want to do in life.

By saying that, I dont only imply a job title. Yes, you would like to be a marketing executive, an editor, an IT consultant or a flying attendant; however, its the nature of the job you will have to think of, in the first place. Do you like nine-to-five roles, well structured and in an office? Do you prefer to work in the outdoors? Do you mind getting up at dawn to work and taking afternoons off? Would you mind being on a plane or ship, or do you think that is a fun way to get a pay check? If you feel that you do not have the answer to these questions, think twice.

Make lists with things you enjoy in life: your interests, your hobbies, your passions. Then ask your friends or family. What do they think about you? Very often, we do not have a very clear idea of what we like in life, as we are very much into it. Our closest people, though, can help us by identifying areas, hang-ups or paths we ignore or are unable to see. Just give it a go, play around, ask people and move on. By the end of your research, you will know, for example, that you are the person who enjoys working on his own, prefers the unstructured life style, and works well at night. Then, a career in writing or painting might not sound like a bad idea.

Identify the industries you are attracted to.

This is a funny task. Very often, we think we like everything. We like the movies, books, planes, hotels, schools and restaurants. Yes, we do. This does not imply that we would like to work for these industries. Enjoying a nice meal at your local restaurant, does not necessarily make you a successful cook. Your love for children does not make you a happy and wise teacher, either.

Finding the industry of your choice is a long term process, and it will require constant research and clarity on your part. I remember I had a huge crush on the film industry five years ago. I worked for a film festival that didnt last more than two months. I kept applying for jobs in the film industry, unsuccessfully. The problem was that I did not exactly know what type of job I wanted to do. Was it script writing, producing, PR, acting or what? Then I started to take classes on film writing. It was when I finished the third class of script writing that I understood that going to the movies was a fun hobby, but that this was not my industry. After that, I gave up sending resumes and I concentrated on my real needs and desires. I finally found a job for a different industry that I enjoyed.

Have a real project.

For two weeks, buy all the newspapers and magazines you can find in your local area and/or nationally. Then clip job ads you feel attracted to. Keep them in a folder on a daily basis. Each morning, find out the main elements of the job ad. Was it an intellectual job, a creative role, an analytical position or something that involved adventure and taking risks? Do you prefer management roles or travel, editing or calculating, speaking or thinking? If you do that consistently for two weeks, you will have a very clear idea of the roles/jobs you like. I experimented myself, and I found out that when looking for nine-to-five roles, I liked all management positions because they offered flexibility, travel, high profile contacts and decision making. My client, Helen, who is an editor in a publishing house loves her job although she admits that it can be repetitive sometimes. I could not imagine Helen managing, as she is the type of person who thrives on independent, analytical and writing jobs. On the other hand, my friend John, who is a lecturer at the local college, enjoys research and teaching.

Last but not least: the most important element for successful job hunting is to find out who you are, not just what you want to do. Are you a leader, a writer, a speaker, a motivator? An explorer, a risk-taker, an analyst, an artist or a priest? As an identity, you are unique. Just recognize your uniqueness and authenticity, and move on. Finding the job you want is the first step. Then you have to do this job for forty hours a week for a whole life. It is important that you deserve to express your being while doing it?

There are many other tips and strategies that will help us all to find what we want to do for a living. These four strategies form, in my opinion, the foundation to success for a first, second or fifth job. Maybe you will find a new job that will fit your personality better, because you found out who you are. Happy Hunting!

Author: Thei Zervaki