Do Your Homework before Attending any Interview

The wrong perception young and aspiring fresh graduates have about attending interviews is all interviews are passive. If you think that attending an interview means sitting back and answering questions about yourself, then you are wrong. Many people fail in their interviews because they do not play an active role before the interviews.

What is the active role you need to play before an interview?

Begin with reflecting all accomplishments or achievements before you attend the interview:

- Accomplishments in school

·Grades

·Special commendations

·Clubs / activities

·Positions held

·Responsibilities

·Awards received

·Participation in sports and games (if any)

·Part-time jobs – when and where

- Accomplishments at home (in the community)

How do you plan your day

Part-time jobs

Hobbies and interests

Volunteer work

- Accomplishment at work

·Organization

How do you organize your work

Have you set up systems to make your job more efficient

Have you helped to increase your organization’s profit

How do you help to keep costs down

·Coming up with new ideas

Have you contributed any new ideas for your organization

Were the ideas implemented

Were the ideas successful/

Why did the ideas fail

Have you learned any lesson from the failure

·Teamwork

Do you get along with your colleagues

How is your relationship with your bosses and other supervisors

Have you lead any team project

Are you a co-operative team member

·Contribution to the society

Do you belong to any work-related non-profit organization

Do you hold any position

Have you been featured in any of the newsletter of the organization

- Check to see if you possessed any hidden skills

A skill is something that you have learned previously and you are able to use it to solve problems competently. It is an ability that can be taught, practiced and mastered effectively.

You should know that you are not able to sell yourself if you cannot convince the prospective managers the skills you possess. These skills are abilities that can be applied to whatever jobs you happen to be doing. You can easily sell yourself to any employer.

These skills really make you ‘attractive’ to any hiring employer. These skills also help in your promotion or when you decide to change job or career.

Go through the list and check some of the skills you may possess.

• Utilize materials correctly
• Analyze and evaluate ideas and presentation
• Produce good and detailed research work on various to
• Develop new approaches to solve problem
• Observe, inspect review the work of other
• Plan, organize, systematize and revise projects/tasks
• Meet work deadlines
• Motivate others/team members/colleagues
• Invent, imagine, create and design
• Think logically
• Good time management
• Work on long term projects
• Supervise and lead team members
• Manage work-related stress effectively
• Produce detailed and accurate work
• Set goals for team/department
• Delegate jobs to relevant subordinate/team members
• Teach, instruct and coach others/colleagues/team members
• Think and act independently
• Take risks when required
• Communicate effectively with others/colleagues/bosses
• Run and handle meetings effectively

The skills listed in the list above are just an example of some hidden skills you may have. Other people cannot see these skills unless they work with you. Interviewers will be interested to know how you helped to solve a problem faced by your previous organization. So, be honest. What are the skills you have used in solving the problems?

Supposing, you have no experience in solving any problems faced by your previous organization; think hard how you have helped to solve problems for your team/department. Your skills may be used once a while, but you know you have them.

- List your job requirements

This is your list of the ‘features’ you may want in the job. Everyone has a different set of priorities when they apply for a job. You have one too. Ponder carefully and make a list of the features.

Think of your situation now. What is important to you right now? Money, job or experience? List them down. Then rearrange the items again.

Some of the features you may include can be:

·salary

·type of organization

·size of organization

·traveling time

·location of organization

·your willingness to relocate

·job responsibilities

·own office/cubicle or share office space

·basic remuneration plan

·fringe befits

·with/no traveling

In case you do not have any idea what to list in this section, get a copy of your daily newspaper. Turn to the job classification or job search page and you will know. Some organizations are very detailed with their list of requirement, while others stress more on experience and qualification.

The reason you need to list all these questions is to help you to write one or two of your achievements in your cover letter to your prospective employers. Of course the other reason is to uplift your morale to appreciate all you have achieved until that moment. You may need to be able to communicate these accomplishments to the people who will value your skills.

- Rewrite your resume and cover letter

This may surprise you, but most prospective employers are hoping to receive a new set of resume and cover letter from you when you attend the interviews. You may have sent in yours a while ago, but the hiring employers wish to know more of your accomplishment between the period you first applied for the job to just before the interview.

Use what you have discovered about yourself to let them know what you have to offer. Focus more on your accomplishments. Use dynamic and strong action verbs to describe your achievements.

You have successfully done your homework. You know yourself and what you are looking for. You do not have to tell tales to impress the interviewers. You have answers to the questions because you know what you want. You will make a good impression.

You may want to keep a job for a long time. So, it is good to attend interviews for positions that meet your criteria. Do not let yourself get stuck in a dead-end job. That is why you need to do your homework, before you write your job application letters!

Slip-ups That Cost A Job Opportunity

Attending interviews means opportunities. Everyone with the thought of getting a job loves the chance of attending an interview with the top personnel of the company. This is the time the candidate can really 'advertise' himself.

However, there are times candidates make blunders or slips ups. Worst of all, they make one mistake after another just when the hiring company is about to offer them that ‘dream’ opportunity!

Listed here are some of the common blunders:

- Did not attend the interview without any apologies

- Did not bring copies of original documents

- Did not greet the interviewers

- Avoid eye contacts with the interviewers

- Wore the wrong outfit

- Brought along a newspaper into the interview room

- Brag and exaggerate about past experience

- Criticize former bosses and companies

- Chew gums or sweets during the interview

- Gave away secrets of former company

- Avoid questions concerning past company/experience

- Interested only in the benefits of the job and demanded for more

- Discloses the person(s) they knew in the company

- Busy asking own questions during the interview

- Loud ringing mobile phone interrupts the interview

- Demand expected salary instead of negotiate

If you look at the list again, you will find that most of the slip-ons happen because candidates have an attitude – ‘over confidence’. If you are a fresh graduate, be reminded that being called to attend an interview does not mean your chance of securing the job has increased. That may be true ten or twenty years ago, but not today.

If you make some of the slip-ups in an interview, remember not to repeat them again in the next one. You can see how much damage one simple slip-up done to your image and reputation.

Be careful and remember that you may be blacklisted easily. Some interviewers are nice and they do not really bother what you did wrong as long as you are honest. Some examine you closely and would be glad to see you making mistakes.

What can you do to overcome these slip-ups?

- List down all you need to bring to an interview.

- Get ready the outfit you want to wear to the interview earlier.

- Practice answering questions (rehearse the interview in your mind).

- Practice smiling in front of a mirror.

Actually nobody knows what is going to happen during an interview. Just do the best you can. If you do not hear any news from one organization, there are still other organizations waiting. You will have many chances not to repeat the slip-ups in the next interviews.

Justify Why You Should Be Hired

Many years ago, applicants being called for interviews were ascertain of jobs. However, that is not so today. There are more candidates compared to job vacancies in any company. Some are fresh graduates; some are looking for better opportunities while others are unemployed and so on.

In today’s job market, you have to compete against so many candidates for a job. You may have to face the fact there may not be a chance to get the interview at all! So, you have to work hard to earn each and every job offer that comes your way. You may even have to convince that potential employer to create a new position just for you.

Yes, it is possible.

Every interviewer who interviews you must be convinced why you should be hired. They must know the benefits you will bring to the company. Every company hires for a business reason. Hiring managers want only people who can help to solve their problems as well as getting a large return on their investment.

Before you decide to write your cover letter or resume, try to predict the most important criteria to your potential employers. You can also use them in any job interview you attend. Some of the important questions arise at this point will be:

- How can I contribute to the department/section/company?

- How much training do I require before I can handle this position?

- What can I do to solve the business problem of this company?

- What kind of return can I provide to this company?

- Can I generate more than just the expected results?

- How can I gain trust from my co-workers?

- How much salary do I ask for the position?

- Do I have the personality to fit into the culture of the potential company?

- Am I really qualified for this job? (Check your education level and experiences)

And then, there is one secret you should know. Every interviewer wants to look good by hiring YOU! They have their own interest to look into first. Nobody wants to be blamed for hiring the wrong candidate and causes loss to the company.

Knowing these criteria helps you to position yourself. Never show your

desperation to get that job (even though you really are!). Instead, be confident and always convey an aura that there are other companies interested in you. When the hiring managers think other companies are courting you, they will act much quicker.

One of the ways to justify getting hired is to create your own business case. It does not have to be a complicated case. If you are a fresh graduate, this will demonstrate how you help to solve the business problem of the company. If you have a few years of experience, quantify the value of your experience. You can express how much return of investment the company will get by hiring you.

Show your potential companies :

· How you can solve their business problems or needs

· How you can make an immediate contribution to the company

· Why hiring you is the only option they have

· The kind of ROI (Return of (Investment) you can provide

· How you will make the hiring managers look good.

So, you are unable to quantify your contribution in monetary terms. That is all right. ROI is an intangible asset. Not everyone has the ability to do so. There are many other ways you can justify yourself. Focus on things like efficiency, organization, network, uptime, response times as well as morale.

Now, make that happen for yourself!

Are You Prepared For The Interview

You have read my previous articles on getting yourself prepared for any interview opportunity. So, what have you done so far?

There are a few steps you need to take to prepare yourself for the interview. Remember them always.

• Research prospective companies and industries

You need to do the research because you need to win the opportunity!

- You can use the internet to do your research. These days most companies have their own websites with information of their businesses and industries. You can use the friendly search engines to help you.

- Your local library may also keep some annual reports or news about the companies you want.

- If it is a small local company, you can ask for information from your local network. The receptionist can also provide some useful information about the company.

- You can get a little information from the company advertisements. These advertisements provide the public valuable insight into the company products, services and culture.

- Newspapers and other publications like magazines can also help to provide some useful information.

Concentrate on useful information such as products/services, target markets, challenges, competitions, company financials and industry trends. Identify the strengths and weakness of the company too. You can ask questions about the company using the information you have gathered. This shows you have great interest of the company.

• Answer the common job interviewing questions

In one of my earlier articles, I have listed some of the possible questions interviewers or hiring managers like to ask. The same questions will be listed here again. Brainstorm on all of them. Jot down the answers.

× Why are you interested in this position/job?

× What are your greatest strengths?

× What is your greatest weakness?

× Why do you think you are ideal for this position/job?

× Give us the highlights of your resume.

× Tell me more about yourself.

× What are your interests?

× What are your short and long term goals?

× What motivates you to succeed?

× Describe your ideal job.

× Describe traits you want in an ideal job and company.

× What qualities do you think are important to be successful in this job?

× What previous experience has helped you to develop the skills necessary for this job?

× Can you lead a team?

× Describe how you work in a team. (As a leader or team player)

× What was your greatest challenge and how did you overcome it?

× Is there any reason why we should we hire you over other candidates?

× What are your compensation expectations? (What is your expected salary?)

× Do you have questions about this position?

× Why are you leaving your current position?

× What is your definition of success?

× Can you explain why you choose to work as a _______?

× Are you willing to accept a lower salary?

× Have you ever held a leadership role?

× How did you motivate your team to succeed?

× How do you prioritize when you are given too many tasks to accomplish?

× Can you conform to company policies that you dislike?

× Do you set goals for yourself?

× How did you accomplish your goals?

× What is your goal for the next five years?

Well, to tell the truth, you need to be able to answer these questions without any hesitation. Of course, during the half an hour interview, hiring managers will not ask all the questions. However, you must be ready.

• Have lots of interview practice. Rehearse and role play interviews with your friends and family members. Be serious. Do not crack jokes during the sessions. You can also practice in front of a full length mirror. With this you are able to work on your smile, posture, facial expression as well as appearance.

• This is the checklist after you have done the things listed.

× Check again the name(s) of the interviewer(s). Do not get them mixed-up or wrong. Ask for the title of the interviewer(s) e.g. Ms, Mrs, Mr and so on.

× Get your direction to the company right too. You do not want to lose your way and end up being late for the interview. Time is precious, so is the opportunity.

× Plan your journey so that you can arrive early. You will not panic if you arrive earlier than the appointed time.

× Pick out your interview attire in advance so that you will not waste lots of precious time in matching colors.

× Your appearance puts a weight in the interview. Wear a suit of formal attire, but keep it simple. Popular business colors are black, dark blue, and grey. Make sure your shoes match your attire too!

Well, now is the time you get yourself ready. Be busy!

An Honest Presentation of Yourself Before The Interview

So, you have lost your last job. Of course, you will be disappointed. But, do not let the disappointment stop you from looking ahead. Be objective and try to understand what happened. Truths are heart breakers. Yet, if you accept the defeat, you will be prepared and able to avoid the same problem in future.

Not everyone has a chance to learn his or her mistakes. If you are given a second chance, that is good. Take the opportunity and make the best of it. If not, move on. Life is too short to wallow in such disappointment.

At this juncture, ask yourself these questions:

- What have I learnt from this lesson?

- Where can I make improvements?

- What do I really want from this job (or a new job)?

- What can I do so that the outcome can be different?

If you cannot answer the questions, give yourself two hours to grieve and then look past the failures. Bury the past as soon as possible.

Now it is the time to analyze yourself. You need to reassess you strengths, capabilities and talents. First, identify your core competencies. Take time to identify your abilities.

· What are you good at?

· What are your strengths?

· Where does your passion lie?

These are the questions you need to ask yourself. Think hard and list down the answers. Go through the answers again and again until you are sure and satisfied. This will make you more prepared when you are asked in the next interview.

Focus on what you are good at in every job hunt. The chance of you landing a job that suits you will increase significantly. However, always be honest about your strengths and weaknesses.

Think about your competitors. They are also job hunting like you. Some of them have more years of experience and receive higher education than you. However, you need to be better than anyone of them. You need to present yourself as the best candidate for the position. You may want to present your core strengths and competencies along with your personality and appearance that will ultimately put you in a better position to get that job.

The key here is to identify your selling points to make yourself appealing to your potential employers. Get a sheet of paper and do the exercise below, answer the questions honestly.

· List your Personality Traits

(outgoing/social/emphatic/creative/motivated/etc)

· List your Work-related Personality Traits

(team oriented/detail oriented/multi-tasking/etc)

· List your Personal Achievements

(charity/community services/etc)

· List your Job-related Accomplishments

(awards/certificates/featured in company’s news/etc)

· List your Cognitive Skills

(interpersonal/problem-solving/creativity/etc)

· List your Functional Skills

(managing people/reducing expenses/processing payroll/copywriting/managing projects/etc)

· List your Job-related Knowledge

(year-end reporting/procurement/marketing/accounting/etc)

· List your Credentials

(educational institutions and professional body certifications/degrees/etc)

This exercise helps to keep you in focus, build your confidence as well as helping you to find the right job for yourself. If you focus on the good in you, you will definite have better outcomes.

It is all right if you have not discovered some of the work-related personality traits or functional skills. Remember it takes some time to acquire these skills as not everyone has them. However, you can still answer the question, “Why should we hire you over the other candidates?”

Tell them about your achievements. Remember to identify your positive attributes that are relevant to your targeted job. You also have to know your selling points well. Let them know how hiring you will benefit the company! Whatever you say, always be honest!