INTERVIEW TIPS

Turning Your Vision Into
Reality

Practice

Practice answering interview questions and practice your responses to the typical job interview questions and answers most employers ask. Think of actual examples you can use to describe your skills. Providing evidence of your successes is a great way to promote your candidacy.

Prepare

Prepare a response so you are ready for the question "What do you know about our company. Know the interviewer's name and use it during the job interview. If you're not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview. Try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions.

Watch

Take a look at my Job Interview Tips Videos, so you'll be sure to dazzle a potential employer and leave the right impression.

Get Ready

Make sure your interview attire is neat, tidy and appropriate for the type of firm you are interviewing with. Bring a nice portfolio with copies of your resume. Include a pen and paper for note taking.

Be On Time

Be on time for the interview. On time means five to ten minutes early. If need be, take some time to drive to the office ahead of time so you know exactly where you are going and how long it will take to get there.

Stay Calm

During the job interview try to relax and stay as calm possible. Take a moment to regroup. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. Listen to the entire question before you answer and pay attention - you will be embarrassed if you forget the question!

Show What You Know

Try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. When discussing your career accomplishments match them to what the company is looking for.

Follow Up

Always follow-up with a thank you note reiterating your interest in the position. If you interview with multiple people send each one a thank you note.

Typical questions that an interviewer would ask

1. Tell me about yourself

The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work/Study-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done well at your college and how you wanted to perform in the first job.

2. Why Should We Employ You?

For this question, your answer should list out strengths that you feel are relevant to the job. Given below are some answers which could help you with your answers. However, structure them to suit your requirements.

  • I have good co-ordination skills
  • Good analytical skills
  • I can persuade people to see my point of view, and get the work done
  • My greatest asset is my ability to motivate people
  • Even during emergencies, I do not loose my cool
  • I have good entrepreneurial skills
  • I have consistently met my deadlines and targets
  • Can say no to people when required to do so!
  • I am very co-operative with my sub-ordinates, and would like to see them grow
  • I am a good team player
  • I am very flexible, and have the ability to work hard under difficult work conditions
  • I have the experience and knowledge relevant to this job (Here, give appropriate details and examples)

3. Do You Have Offers From Other Companies ?

This is of course a difficult question to answer. Obviously, you must have applied to other companies if you are looking for a job or would have some offers from other companies already. Therefore, do not lie that you have not. However, you are on thin ice here! The interviewer could be checking your honesty. On the other hand, he/she may also be trying to find out how focused you are - are you applying randomly, or is there a well-planned strategy? Whatever your answer, it should match your career goals.

4. What Salary Are You Expecting?

Try not to get into salary details early in the interview. If pressed, you could say that it all depends on the job, and would like to talk about it after a job offer.Say this in a convincing tone. In case you are asked this question in your latter interviews, give a direct answer. Do not sound apologetic while quoting the figure you have in mind.

5. Describe a typical work week?

Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to discuss what they do while they are working in detail. Before you answer, consider the position you are applying for and how your current or past positions relate to it. The more you can connect your past experience with the job opening, the more successful you will be at answering the questions.

6. How do you handle stress and pressure?

A typical interview question, asked to get a sense of how you handle on-the-job stress, is "How do you handle pressure?" Examples of good responses include:

  • Stress is very important to me. With stress, I do the best possible job. The appropriate way to deal with stress is to make sure I have the correct balance between good stress and bad stress. I need good stress to stay motivated and productive.
  • I react to situations, rather than to stress. That way, the situation is handled and doesn't become stressful.
  • I actually work better under pressure and I've found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment.
  • From a personal perspective, I manage stress by visiting the gym every evening. It's a great stress reducer.
  • Prioritizing my responsibilities so I have a clear idea of what needs to be done when, has helped me effectively manage pressure on the job.
  • If the people I am managing are contributing to my stress level, I discuss options for better handling difficult situations with them.

It's a good idea to give examples of how you have handled stress to your interviewer. That way, they get a clear picture how well you can work in stressful situations.

7. What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make?

The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions, is to refresh your memory and consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved a difficult situation.

8. What do people most often criticize about you?

There's no on-going criticism. I'm open to personal and professional growth and welcome the opportunity to improve. If humor is appropriate, this is a good time to use it. Example: I have a teenage daughter - few things I do are okay on her radar screen.

9. Give some examples of teamwork?

In high school, I enjoyed playing soccer and performing with the marching band. Each required a different kind of team play, but the overall goal of learning to be a member of a group was invaluable. I continued to grow as team member while on my sorority's debate team and through my advanced marketing class where we had numerous team assignments.

In my last postion, I was part of a software implementation team. We all worked together to plan and manage the implementation schedule, to provide customer training, and ensure a smooth transition for our customers. Our team always completed our projects ahead of schedule with very positive reviews from our clients.

10. How do you evaluate success?

I evaluate success in different ways. At work, it is meeting the goals set by my supervisors and my fellow workers. It is my understanding, from talking to other employees, that the GGR company is recognized for not only rewarding success, but giving employees opportunity to grow as well. After work, I enjoy playing softball, so success on the field is catching the winning pop-up.

11. What are the Most Difficult Decisions to Make?

Give concrete examples of difficult situations that actually happened at work. Then discuss what you did to solve the problem. Keep your answers positive ("Even though it was difficult when Jane Doe quit without notice, we were able to rearrange the department workload to cover the position until a replacement was hired.") and be specific. Itemize what you did and how you did it.

12. What Interests You About This Job?

If you were interviewing for a Programmer / Analyst position. In that case, you would mention your interest in learning and excelling at new technologies, your experience in programming both new applications, and your interest in and your ability to problem solve.

In all cases, you will want to convey your enthusiasm for the opportunity to interview, along with your solid ability to do the job

13. What Can You Do for This Company?

First of all, be sure to have researched the company prior to the interview, so you are familiar with the company's mission. Respond by giving examples why your education, skills, accomplishments, and experience will make you an asset for the employer.

Take a few moments to compare your goals with objectives of the company and the position, as well as mentioning what you have accomplished in your other jobs. Be positive and reiterate your interest in the company, as well as the job.

14. Why Should We Hire You?

The best way to respond is to give concrete examples of why your skills and accomplishments make you the best candidate for the job. Take a few moments to compare the job description with your abilities, as well as mentioning what you have accomplished in your other positions. Be positive and reiterate your interest in the company and the position.

15. What applicable attributes / experience do you have?

The best way to respond is to describe your responsiblilities in detail and to connect them to the job you are interviewing for. Tie your responsibilities in with those listed in the job description for the new position. That way, the employer will see that you have the qualifications necessary to do the job. Focus most on your responsibilities that are directly related to the new job's requirements.

It's also important to be honest and accurate. Don't embellish your job, because you don't know who the hiring manager will be checking with when they check your references.

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