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Y ou'll be judged on your performance. JOB INTERVIEWS. ( By Melanie Allan ). C reate the best impression that you can. Be prepared Dress smartly Shake hands and be polite Listen carefully to the questions Think before you speak Be honest and open Anticipate problems and prepare for them
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You'll be judged on your performance. JOB INTERVIEWS (ByMelanieAllan)
Createthebestimpressionthatyoucan • Be prepared • Dress smartly • Shake hands and be polite • Listen carefully to the questions • Think before you speak • Be honest and open • Anticipate problems and prepare for them • Don’t be negative about a previous employer • Ask relevant questions, but not about salary • Steady your nerves just before you go in
1. Be prepared • Find out about the organisation and the responsibilities of the job. • Minimise stress on the day. • Know where to go and how you will get there. • Know how long it will take to get there - and leave more than enough time • Decide what to wear and make sure it's washed, cleaned, polished and ready to put on.
2. Dress smartly • Always dress smartly. It reflects the formality of the situation and shows respect. Failing that, be sure to wear a smart jacket (and tie, if you're a man).
3. Shake hands and be polite • Shake hands when you're introduced. 2. Take your cue from them. a) If they start withgeneral chat about theweather or yourjourney, chat along. b) If they don't, sit down, smile, and wait forthem to start. Don't babble!
4. Listen carefully to the questions • Focus on the question without getting your answer ready at the same time. • Take your time and try not to anticipate what is coming. If you don't understand or don't take the question in, it's fine to ask ‘can you repeat that, please'or ‘would you clarify that, please?'. Interviewers will make allowances for nerves - they're used to it!
5. Think before you speak This is where a ‘prop' can be useful. If you're offered coffee or water, accept it whether you're thirsty or not. Take a sip before you answer a question, to give yourself time to collectyour thoughts. Invaluable!
6. Be honest, open and positive 1. Answer every question honestly and openly. 2. Be confident and positive about your strengths, but don't ‘big yourself up' and lose sight of reality! 3. If you can't answer the question, say so. Interviewers are not trying to catch you out; they want to find out about you. They will be more impressed with honesty and willingness to learn than with bluff and bravado.
7. Anticipate problems and prepare for them It helps to have a prepared sentence to hand: something like ‘can wecome back to that later?' Not only will it give you time to stoppanicking, but having a response tohand will make it less likely to happen.
8. Don't be negative about a previous employer 1. Come up with a diplomatic way ofmaking your point, without blaming, finding fault , or making accusations. E.g.‘My line manager and I did not always agree about...'. 2. Turn it around and make your statement positive about the prospective employer. E.g. “I wanted to be part of a larger organisation with careerprospects',or ‘I feel I'd be more creative/comfortable in a lessconventional environment'.
9. Ask relevant questions, but not about salary! 1. Prepare properly and do your research 2. If the interviewers invite to do so, ask aboutmanagement style, reporting lines, yourresponsibilities, products or projects. Don’t ask about terms and conditions ofemployment (holidays, forexample) nor about salary. Ask about those when you're offered the job.
10. Steady your nerves just before you go in • Give yourself a few moments just to be still and collect yourself. • Stop rehearsing in your head and concentrate on your breathing. • Sit or stand comfortably and steadily, with both feet flat on the ground. • Breathe in slowly, then breathe out, emptying your lungs.
Typicalquestions at traditionalinterviews: • Questions about yourself: your background and your future ambitions: • Tell me about yourself. • Why did you choose your degree subject? • Explain gaps on your application form - e.g. year out; unemployment; travel. • How would the experiences you describe be useful in this company? • What are your main strengths and weaknesses? • What other jobs/careers are you applying for? • Where do you see yourself in five years time? • (This is quite a common question: read the employer's brochure to get an idea of the normal pace of graduate career development. Be ambitious but realistic). • Tell me about your vacation work/involvement with student societies/sporting activities.
2. Questions about your knowledge of the employer, or career area: • Why do you want to work for us? • Why have you chosen to apply for this job function? • Who do you think are, or will be, our main competitors? • What do you think makes you suitable for this job? • What do you see as the main threats or opportunities facing the company? • What image do you have of this company?
Closed questions These are questions which can normally be answered with a simple "yes" or "no". If you are asked a closed question open it up, as in the following example: • Interviewer: "So you're studying Marketing at the University of Zagreb?" • Interviewee: "Yes, I've found it a very interesting course because ..."
Watch the video and make a job interview. Top 36 Job Interview Questions and Answers 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L3V5hg4QDE&feature=fvsr
