Interview Tips

Top 10 Tips For Making An Interview Work For You

Research the employer and be prepared with a “good” level of knowledge. You don’t need to know all pertinent information, but you should know enough to show the interviewer that you respect the opportunity by showing interest in company
Be on time, with a clean and professional copy of your resume – Leave 20 minutes early in order to get there 10 minutes early (to accommodate for unforeseen issues)
Dress business-like and professional (depending on role)
Be kind and respectful to every employee you meet –you need to mind your manners at all the time.
Bear this in mind…… not what the company can do for you, but instead “what can you do for your company?” (It shows you care…)
Also keep in mind that this is a presentation in which you are selling your capabilities to do a job for the company. Focus on your expertise or how you can solve problems. Don’t go into a half-hour long dissertation on none related issues. The interviewer does not want your life story, they want to know your business capabilities.
DO NOT talk negatively about previous employer… Whenever you do this about your former or current employer the interviewer will think you will do same with his company.
Save the money talk for last. Focus on the job, your ability to contribute, and all the great things you can provide before discussing financial compensation
Thank the interviewer for their time and ask questions – again, this shows good manners and good sense.
Always send a follow-up e-mail thanking the interviewer again and reiterate (very briefly) what you discussed and how you can contribute. This serves as a good memory jogger of your conversation and reminds them of the points you want them to make for you in the hiring meeting.

Other important tips

General Tips

Spending some time preparing for your job hunt will greatly increase your chances for success and will eliminate much of the stress.
Write down a description of the kind of job you are looking for.
Write down several sales pitches for yourself.
Write down all the details that might be needed for an application such as:
- Work history including dates, addresses and phone numbers.
- Places you have lived in the last 3-5 years.
- Include education history including dates, locations, and GPA.
- Contact all the people that you wish to use as references and let them know you are job hunting, and ask permission to use them as a reference.
- Dress business-like and professional (depending on role)
- Practice answering questions about yourself.

Resume Tips

A good detailed resume should be no longer than 2-3 pages long.
A manager will usually take only about 5 - 10 seconds to initially scan through a resume. Your resume should be concise, poignant and easy to read. Bullets are a good way to achieve this. Paragraphs might not be read.
Dates should include month, but day is not necessary.
Make sure the resume's formatting is consistent. (Bullets are all in order. Dates are tabbed over correctly and in the same spot for each company...etc)
Most resumes are now scanned by a program before they are read by a person. Be sure to include important keywords including, product/brand names, acronyms, terms or art and 'buzz words'. Imagine searching for your resume on Google.
Provide detail to go with your keywords that demonstrate your experience and/or training.
If you have an advanced degree or certifications, you may want to move that to the front of the resume. Your competition may not have it.
Always spell/grammar check your resume and then spell/grammar check it again.
Do NOT include your picture on the resume, and do not include personal information.
Put your references on a separate document and avoid making that information available to the general public.

Interview Tips

Dress professionally & appropriate: clean clothing (suit / coat & tie …..Depending on position)
Always take care to make eye contact.
Be ON TIME for the interview (10-15 minutes early if possible). Use a map to find the location at least 1 day prior, and leave time for wrong turns and traffic problems.
Show enthusiasm and have some knowledge about company
Show the interviewer ant positive impacts or result on your current (or last) position, and how those results can transfer into position with their company. (Give specific examples)
Never say anything negative about anybody for any reason.
Get sold on the job. Visit the company’s web site and do some research on the company. Find out what you need to know to make an informed decision about the position.
Ask interviewer to tell you about the position, ask if they mind if you take notes (then take notes).
After talk about the position, respond to key points from their description with examples of how you did those things on your last position.
When asked about your strengths, be concise & specific (but not to lengthy).
When asked for weaknesses, have one ready, and tell them how you are working to improve it
When asked what you are looking, tell them you are happy with your present position (if you are working!) then try to be specific about the reason you want to leave—but BE POSITIVE! Be honest about a reason you are leaving, but show them how their position will fulfill that goal for you.
When you talk about your goals be realistic.
If the manager asks you about money, tell him "I am mostly interested in the opportunity, and replay that if you are as interested in me as I am in you, I know you will make me a fair offer." If he still wants you to talk about money, tell him you would rather he discuss that with your recruiter.
Don’t forget to close the deal: "Based on my qualifications and what you’re looking for, do you have any concerns?", and "I’m excited about this opportunity—what do we have to do to take this to the next step?"