Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
What now?
The rule of thumb is preparation, preparation, preparation.
How do you do that? By rehearsing your answers to some of the most common questions asked during an interview.
Here are just a few:
• What specific goals, including those related to your occupation, have you established for your life?
• How has your college experience prepared you for a business career?
• Please describe the ideal job for you following graduation.
• What influenced you to choose this career?
• At what point did you choose this career?
• What specific goals have you established for your career?
• What will it take to attain your goals, and what steps have you taken toward attaining them?
• What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
• How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your successful accomplishments.
• Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your chosen career?
• What has been your most rewarding accomplishment?
• If you could do so, how would you plan your college career differently?
• Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals?
• How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a team?
• What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
• Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you, can you give us a reason to hire you?
There are obviously hundreds of possible questions you may be asked. However, by practicing on key questions as to what you can bring to the company and what you want from it, you’ll go a long way toward acing your interview.
Tuesday, February 15th, 2011
It used to be the only part of the employment search a candidate had to worry about was whether the offered salary and benefits were going to be what they required or wanted.
Years ago, that changed with the advent of professional resume writers. With the increasingly competitive job market, it was no longer acceptable or wise to submit a homemade resume.
Now, a new wrinkle has been added to the job search process. Interview coaching.
Many of you may consider this a luxury or unnecessary. Your skills are solid, your background impeccable, your certifications/education the very best.
Even so, is it enough?
It might not be in this economy. Increasingly, candidates are hiring interview coaches to help them over that last pre-employment hurdle.
So what will interview coaching do for you? It depends upon who’s providing the service. At ResumeEdge.com, we provide only those coaches who either hold the CEIP (Certified Employment Interview Professional) designation from the PARW (Professional Association of Resume Writers) or those that are recruiters/human resources managers who have conducted hundreds of interviews in their careers.
Our editors explain to clients the ins and outs of Behavioral Interviews, Traditional Interviews, Lunch Interviews, Phone Interviews, and everything in between.
They provide job interview tips and conduct mock interviews with their clients, preparing them for every eventuality.
With so few jobs and so many candidates vying for a single position, it’s essential to use every resource available…a professional resume service, cover letter writing, and interview coaching.
Money well spent, especially when you get that all important job offer.
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Here’s a brief list:
1. How would you describe yourself?
2. To be successful in this career, what do you think it takes?
3. Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your chosen career?
4. Why should we hire you?
5. What are your long-range goals and objectives?
6. What major problem have you handled recently? Did you resolve it? How?
7. What characteristics do you think make a manager successful?
8. Why did you apply to our company?
9. What do you look for in a successful candidate?
10. How do you approach critical assignments?
11. If you had to think on your feet to solve a difficult situation, what would you do?
12. Why were you fired?
13. What are the steps you take before making an important decision?
14. Name the most difficult assignment you had and how did you finish it?
15. What kind of supervisor do you prefer?
As you can see, the questions are open-ended, not allowing for a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. The more you talk, the more the hiring authority learns about you. That’s why you need to be prepared before you utter one word. Each answer must be crafted carefully to maximize your chances of being hired.
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Too many candidates mistakenly believe that being called in for an interview is being guaranteed a position. Nothing could be further from the truth. You might be the last person on a short list of candidates. Your skills, knowledge, and abilities are good – but not a perfect match for the company. However, the hiring manager is interested enough to meet with you and allow you to sell yourself to the company.
How do you do that? Preparation, preparation, preparation.
1. Know how to dress. If you’re not familiar with the company culture, visit their website or their offices during work hours to see how staff dress. No matter how casual they may be, the key is for you to look professional – you’re not on staff yet.
2. Do extensive research about the company. Know what they’re about. Nothing’s worse for a hiring manager than to interview someone who hasn’t a clue what their company produces.
3. Compose a list of questions about the company that indicates your interest in what is produced and how things work.
4. Prepare a list of answers to the most frequently asked interview questions. For example: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
5. Practice, practice, practice. Make certain your voice and body language don’t give away your anxiety.
6. Know how long it will take to get to your interview so you arrive on time.
To assist you in interview prepartion, consider the ResumeEdge.com JobInterviewEdge service. Details at this link: http://www.resumeedge.com/services/jie-home.html
