Just a quick note to wish all our readers a Happy 2008. Here is to landing that new job. We hope that the CV & Interview tips help. You will find more posts added shortly.
Interview Tips – Common interview mistakes
White Lies – It may be tempting but it does not work. Certainly you can gloss things up but outright lying does not pay. “If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything.” – Mark Twain
Negativity towards current company or boss – This paints a poor picture and employers don’t like to hear it. They can trick you into taking this road. Your interview is not the time to criticise previous employers or managers
No manners – What dictates rude or manners – bit subjective. Play with caution at interview and remain professional. Remember to be polite to everyone you meet on the day.
General complaining – Again interviewer do look on this kindly. Remember your interview is a short window to sell yourself. Complaining will not support this.
Discussing work colleagues – Quite often you will be asked about previous examples of conflict, how you deal with it and how you deal with other workers. This is not an opportunity to let loose on a rampage of character assassinations. Hold back on all that built up anger until you get back to the office!!
Poor preparation – Analyse the job, the job description and your CV before interview.
Nerves – Yes it is ok to be nervous and most people are BUT some hide it better than others. There are exercises to improve confidence and proper preparation will boost this anyway. You can fake confidence.
Poor first impression – Very difficult to come back from this.
Lack of company knowledge – A definite no-no. This says I am not interested or I don’t know what I want.
Neen Interview help? Interviews & Job Interviews
Below are 10 Super Interview tips I read on another website. Take these on board and you will impress at interview says the writer. They certainly provide 10 good tips for interview but I wouldn’t say they were the 10 most important.
1. You should market your skills and experience. You must do this in a positive way, but do not be cocky or aggressive.
2. Before interview research the company. It will identify if the company is for you and let the employer see that you are interested.
3. Prepare answers for the popular interview questions before interview. Practice saying the answers out loud or role play.
4. Ensure that you dress for success.
5. Identify what questions you need to ask and bring a list of your own questions with you to interview. You should also bring a few extra CV’s.
6. Listen and focus and focus at interview. Many jobseekers talk far too much at interviews.
7. Prepare to be asked to describe your weaknesses as strengths.
8. Ensure that you make eye contact with your interviewer.
9. Never volunteer your personal views about a subject unless you are asked by the interviewer.
10. Try to establish rapport with your interviewer. BE YOURSELF!
Ensure that you take these points on board as they will enhance your performance at interview. For other tips for interview read interview tips skills. Other information includes interview questions and answers and how to handle competency based interviews.
OK – I highly recommend that jobseekers invest in a professional CV. Your CV has 30 seconds to make an impact and maybe even less in a competitive market. If you want to successfully generate interviews your CV has to make an impact. I also realise that not everyone can afford professional help and this site provides loads of free advice with CV Tips & Interview Tips.
I would be interested to get the views of our readers. The site is still young but there is about 80-100 readers per day. I would like your views - How do you find the site? How do you find the information? Has it helped you and your job hunting? Please feel free to leave a comment and we will post all comments both positive and negative.
More CV Writing Tips & Help, Cover Letter Tips and Interview Skills, Tips & Techniques
Interview Coaching – Difficult interview questions
I regularly work with jobseekers preparing them for interviews. The most common request is about interview questions and what questions will be asked at interview. Unfortunately it is impossible to predict what questions you will be asked at interview. If you want possible questions then Google “interview questions” and you will find page after page full of possible questions. With a focused approach to preparation you should be able to answer all questions posed. This aside I have outlined some questions that do arise more frequently at interview. I have also outlined an approach to answer these questions.
What salary do you want?
Money is important but more often than not often it is not the key motivation for most jobseekers. I recommend evasion tactics when answering the above questions. Avoid answering it or answer the question with a question. Responses may include; “What would a role like this pay within your organisation?” or “My current salary is 30k and I am negotiable depending on the role and the location”. Answering the he salary question like poker and you should try to make the employer make the first move. Answering the above question may price you out of the job but worse still you could do yourself out of a few thousand euros by pitching yourself below the employers figure.
Why should we employ you?
This is not an opportunity to waffle but instead it is the client asking you to summarise how you meet the requirements of the job. The secret to successfully navigating this question requires an understanding of what the employer is looking for and how you match these requirements. Let’s not complicate this – job descriptions tell you what the employer wants. All you have to do is summarise how you meet these needs BUT add some meat to the answer by providing examples and quantitative data to back up your points.
Why do you want to work for us?
The interviewer is investigating if you have put any thought into the job hunt and if you have done any research on the organisation. Another way to look at this question is does you know what they want and does our role and company meet those needs. This is an important question and it is the interviewer trying to identify if you have a scattergun approach to job hunting. Again, proper preparation ensuring that you understanding yourself and how the client meets your needs will help master this question.
What are your weaknesses?
Possibly the most feared interview question and it stops most interviewees in their tracks. The key to answering this question is not to focus on your personal traits. The interviewer is seeking to find out if you have self awareness but more importantly if you act on potential development needs. Answering “no” to this question will not impress. A suggested reply would be something like “I continually strive to improve my presentation skills and recently joined toastmasters and volunteer to present at our monthly sales meetings”
What are your career goals?
This is often an interview filler question with no real purpose for interviewers except maybe make them look more skilled that they actually are. This aside you should answer effectively. Focus on short to medium term goals. These will vary from one jobseeker to another but a short term goal common to any jobseeker would be to secure a challenging job. I guess that is why you are at the interview.
Need interview preparation coaching? Contact Interview Coach Ireland
The job market has changed dramatically over the last decade particularly in the area of recruitment and selection. Traditionally employers relied on a basic interview and a couple of bland references to recruit and select staff often hiring the applicant with the best interviewing skills rather that the best skills and ability to perform the job. It has been accepted that these methods do not work and increasingly employers have become more scientific in their approach to hiring new staff. There has been a dramatic increase in the use of competency based interviews also know as behavioural interviews or structured interviews. This article will give you an insight into competency based interviews and the best approach to prepare for such interviews.
What is a competency based interview?
Competency Interviews also go by the names Behavioural Interviews or Structured Interviews. These interviews will consist of targeted questions that require interviewees to describe specific situations or task. Competency Interviews function on the basis that the best indication of future behaviour in past behaviour. Normally interviewee will be assessed against a number of competencies for example “presenting and communicating”. A typical question could be “……”
STAR Technique
The most popular technique to answer competency interview questions is the STAR technique.
S/T – Represents Situation or Task. This is the opening information where interviewees describe the event. It is important to describe the situation ….
A – Represents Action. This is the meat of your example with details about what action you took and how you behaved. Try to avoid sweeping statements and provide detail. Probably the most common slip up at this stage is using “We” instead of “I” when describing events. This dilutes your contribution.
R – Represents Results. This is where you outline the outcomes or results of the situation. An opportunity to sell yourself by highlighting positive outcomes.
Preparation is the key to success at competency interviews
Preparation is the key for success at any interview but especially competency interviews. When you get invited to interview you need to clarify what forms of assessment you are facing. If this is a competency interview enquire what competencies will be assessed. Some organisations provide this information but some will not. In this case you will have to try and predict what will be used. It is essential to have identified situations and tasks to support the competencies. The most common complaint about competency interviews I get is how difficult it is to think of examples when the spotlight is on at interviews. Prepare these beforehand. Work you your story telling focusing on your language and attention to detail.
Leading Interview Coach in Ireland
Interview Checklist
Be Polite – Go out of your way to be polite on the day of the interview not only to the interviewer, but also to the receptionist or secretary.
Body Language – Firm Handshake, direct eye contact and a friendly smile; demonstrate a sincere interest and enthusiasm for the job.
Positive Attitude – Maintain a positive attitude and believe in yourself.
Focus – Remember what the clients is looking for!!
Answers Brief & Concise – Unless asked to give more detail, limit your answers to two to three minutes per question. Tape yourself and see how long it takes you to fully answer a question.
Concrete & Quantifiable Examples – Interviewees tend to talk in generalities. Unfortunately, generalities often fail to convince interviewers that the applicant has assets. Include measurable information and provide details about specific accomplishments when discussing your strengths.
Listen & Adapt – Be sensitive to the style of the interviewer. Pay attention for helpful clues to assist you in tailoring your presentation.
Loyalty To Former Employers – no matter what they did (or did to you) never, say anything negative about them.
Two Way Process – Ask Questions One of the final questions you’ll be asked in an interview is: “Is there anything you would like to know about the company or job?” Answering “No” sends the wrong signals. It can say you are not really interested in the job or lack confidence and assertiveness. Use your judgment about the number of questions you ask. When you begin to think of the interview as a two-way process, you will see it is important for you to find out as much as possible about the company. You should therefore have plenty of questions but if you are struggling see Appendix 8.0.
Need a CV or Interview Service in Ireland?
Here are two articles that offer information on CV & Interview Service Costs and How to choose a CV or Interview Service.
Good Luck
Lets just say you get caught sleeping on the job. Normally this means that you have to get your CV and Interview skills sorted as you are for the highway. Maybe not!! Below are some creative responses to that situation. Try one of these excuses if you get caught sleeping at work BEFORE you come back to our site for excellent CV & Interview advice to help you find that new job……..
“The blood bank told me this might happen.”
“This is a 10-minute power nap just like they raved about on the time-management course I attended.”
“As you can see I was working smarter and not harder.”
“Thank God! I must have left the lid off the glue.”
“Just pacing myself for the work all-nighter tonight!”
“That flu medicine I am taking just won’t wear off!”
“Sorry boss but I thought you were gone for the day.”
“Damn! Get to work at 6am and look what happens!”
“Research has indicated that this is one of the 7 habits of highly effective people.”
“This is to make up for the 7 hours I dreamed about work last night!”
“Why did you interrupt me? I had nearly solved our biggest problem!”
“Somebody must have put decaf in the wrong mug.”
“…and lastly I thank you for my wonderful boss, Amen!”
Interviews
Have you messed up at interview recently? Answered a question liked Homer Simpson or asked a question that filed your application under ”rejection & exit door”.
Interviews are tough BUT you can improve confidence, performance and results through proper preparation. I guess interviews are no different to most things in life. The harder you work at them the luckier you get.
If you are feeling down about a recent interview I have collected some examples of how other people opened their mouth at interview to change feet. Here are some interview disasters that will give you a laugh before the weekend and prove you were not that bad.
Interviews – Funny Interview Mistakes
* At interview an applicant was asked what their greatest job-skill. The applicant replied “I am proud of my computer illiteracy”
* At the end of the interview the interviewer asks the applicant if they had any questions about the position. The jobseeker replied – “What happens if I wake up in the morning and don’t feel like coming to work?”
* After a jobseeker arrived for an early morning interview, the jobseeker asked to use the interviewer’s phone. The jobseeker then faked a coughing fit as they phoned in sick to work.
* An employer called the jobseeker and asked them to bring several copies of their CV and 3 referees. The candidate called back an hour before the interview requesting a rescheduled interview. The jobseekers gave the excuse that their referees couldn’t were unavailable to attend the interview.
* Towards the end of the interview the interviewer asked a jobseeker to describe their dream job. “I don’t know…I haven’t had it yet.” was the reply.
If you have any good examples we would love to hear them ….
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