A Look at Common Interview Questions an Applicant Should Prepare For

by Darlene Zambruski | December 15, 2009

Being invited to interview is certainly a reason to celebrate. However, for a serious candidate who wants the job, it’s only the beginning of the road to an offer.

All interviews involve questions asked by a hiring manager so s/he can determine if you’ll be a good fit with the organization. Skills, knowledge, abilities aren’t enough, especially in this highly competitive job market. You need to prove that you have the right attitude and personality to deal with the ups & downs of any job and the other employees that come with it.

What are some of the questions you might be asked?  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 in getting hired.

At JobInterviewEdge (JIE) our highly trained and certified staff of expert coaches provides you with insight into why a hiring manager asks certain questions and what answers are most effective.

To be successful is to be prepared. That’s JIE’s major purpose.

We invite your comments on how we can improve or add to our service.

How to Avoid Interview Blunders

by Darlene Zambruski | December 8, 2009

In today’s multi-media world, the face-to-face interview, with the applicant’s appearance/demeanor rehearsed and polished won’t always be the first contact the individual will have with the hiring manager. Nor will candidates always meet with one person.

Each type of interview has its pitfalls. Here’s what to avoid:

Phone Interviews:

1. Always, if possible, provide a land-line phone for the interviewer to reach you. Nothing is more irritating than a cell phone connection that hisses, crackles, cuts out, and hangs up on the interviewer. If a hiring manager gets dead air, they may not call back.
2. Make certain background noise is kept to a minimum. Keep a phone extension in a quiet place – a home office or a bedroom – away from TV noise, screeching kids and barking dogs.
3. If you’re snacking on taco chips when the phone rings, swallow quickly and don’t take another bite until the interview is over.
4. Keep a glass of water handy should your throat tickle during the interview.
5. Don’t smoke or chew gun – the noises can be heard on the other end of the line.
6. Never, ever, answer call waiting during a phone interview. Give the hiring authority your complete attention – if you don’t, you won’t move deeper into the process.

Lunch interviews:

1. Never order the most expensive item on the menu
2. Never drink alcohol
3. Don’t order ‘challenging’ food – short ribs, greasy sandwiches, and lobster come to mind
4. Don’t criticize the quality of the food or the service
5. Don’t ask for a ‘doggy bag’

Panel interviews:

1. Don’t focus on one panel member to the exclusion of all the others
2. Don’t forget to greet each panel member individually
3. Don’t forget to glance at each panel member while answering a question, after you’ve directed your opening remarks to the individual who posed the question
4. Don’t forget to send thank you notes to each panel member

There are many other situations that require forethought before you interview. Our experts at JIE (JobInterviewEdge) are practiced and certified in guiding you through the arduous interview process and helping you to avoid the common and uncommon pitfalls you’ll face. Our editors’ motto is professionalism and preparation – let their years of expertise direct you to your new career goal.

The importance of being well prepared for an interview

by Darlene Zambruski | December 1, 2009

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. A warning, however: Even if they wear business casual, you should err on the conservative side during the interview – for men that means a sports jacket and tie; for women, that would mean a nice pantsuit or dress. The exception to that would be if you’re in a creative field and the employees show up in jeans and T-shirts. Then, you would dress business casual. The key is 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 indicate 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.

There are many, many more details that go into being interview ready. With our new service offering JobInterviewEdge, a certified career coach details the obstacles faced and how you can overcome them. These experts will help you prepare for the first step to your next great job – the all important first interview.

Details of the service will be provided in coming weeks. We want to hear from you as to what you’d most like to see in the service so that we can incorporate even more helpful information into it.

Introducing JobInterviewEdge

by Darlene Zambruski | November 24, 2009

Today I’d like to introduce a new service that will be implemented shortly at ResumeEdge.com. Our mission has always been to assist jobseekers in whatever way possible, so they attain their dream jobs. To that end, we will be adding JobInterviewEdge.

What is JobInterviewEdge?

It’s a job interview coaching service that will prepare you for the daunting job interview process by providing computer-based interviewing skills training and a personalized mock interview with a certified interview professional.

Personal coaching will be conducted by our editors who have been awarded CEIP (Certified Employment Interview Professional) certification through the PARW/CC (Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches) and those who have reached certification through ResumeEdge.com. The standards are high, the training intense. Each certified editor is an expert in interview counseling and will shepherd their clients through the arduous interview process.

The Personal Coaching element will include:

1. Job Interview Preparation Sheet to provide your coach with information to prepare your mock job interview

2. Consultation with your coach to review your job interview preparation sheet

3. “Mock” job interview by telephone with your certified coach

4. Immediate Telephone Critique of the mock job interview with your coach

5. Formal Written Critique of your mock interview delivered within 24 hours

Each mock interview is recorded, providing you with an opportunity to play it back and review it at a later date.

In upcoming blogs, I will detail the service offerings and the intricacies of an interview.

To make this service truly valuable, we want to hear your thoughts on what else you’d like to see and how we can improve on what’s provided.