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Succeeding in a Telephone Screening Interview. Gather supporting material (your résumé, telephone numbers of possible references, other numbers, and a calendar). Know your strengths and weaknesses. Know the keys to the job–what the job description calls for and how you meet those requirements.
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Succeeding in a Telephone Screening Interview • Gather supporting material (your résumé, telephone numbers of possible references, other numbers, and a calendar). • Know your strengths and weaknesses. • Know the keys to the job–what the job description calls for and how you meet those requirements.
Succeeding in a Telephone Screening Interview • Have your schedule for the next few weeks in front of you. • If caught off guard, ask if you can call back from the telephone in your office. • Be prepared to ask your own questions. • Remember that you should be talking about 80 percent of the time. • Stand as you talk; you'll sound more energetic.
Preparing for a Hiring/ Placement Job Interview • Investigate the target organization. Know the leaders, company products, finances, goals, competition, accomplishments, setbacks. • Study the job description. How do your skills and accomplishments fit the position?
Preparing for a Hiring/ Placement Job Interview • Practice answers to typical interview questions. Get your best responses down pat. • Expect to explain problem areas on your résumé. • Build interviewing experience with less important jobs first.
Preparing for a Hiring/ Placement Job Interview • Videotape or tape record a practice session to see how you come across.
Sending Positive Nonverbal Messages • Arrive on time or a little early. • Be courteous and congenial to everyone. • Introduce yourself to the receptionist and wait to be seated. • Dress professionally. • Greet the interviewer confidently. • Wait for the interviewer to offer you a chair.
Sending Positive Nonverbal Messages • Control your body movements. • Make frequent eye contact but don't get into a staring contest. • Smile enough to convey a positive attitude. • Sound enthusiastic and interested–but sincere.
Fighting Job Interview Fears • Practice interviewing as often as you can, particularly with real companies. • Prepare 110 percent. • Know how you will answer the most frequently asked questions. • Be ready with your success stories. • Rehearse your closing statement.
Fighting Job Interview Fears • Take deep breaths, particularly before the interview. • Remember that during some parts of the interview you will be in charge. • Remember that you are also evaluating the interviewer and his or her organization. This should give you confidence.
Five Important Areas Employers Will Probe • Communication skills. How well do you present yourself and your ideas? • Attitude. Do you have a positive attitude about yourself and your career? • Aptitude. Do your educational training and general life experiences qualify you for this position?
Five Important Areas Employers Will Probe • Potential. How do your attitude and aptitude combine to contribute to this company? • Motivation. What are your short- and long-term career goals? Why do you want this job?
Answering Interview Questions Effectively • Use the interviewer's name occasionally. • Be sure you understand the question asked. If necessary, clarify vague questions by asking questions of your own, such as "By _ _ _ _ do you mean _ _ _ _?" • Use good English and enunciate clearly. • Avoid answering with a simple "yes" or "no."
Answering Interview Questions Effectively • Aim your answers at key requirements for the job and at characteristics that interviewers seek: expertise, competence, communication skills, and enthusiasm for the job. • Do not lie. • Don't be a "know-it-all." Don't be overbearing, overly aggressive, or conceited.
Answering Interview Questions Effectively • Never make derogatory statements about your present or former employers. • Show what you can do for the company; avoid an attitude of "What can you do for me?" • Don't inquire about salary, vacations, and bonuses until the interviewer raises the issue or until you are offered the position.
Ten Standard Interview Questions • What would you like to tell me about yourself? • Why do you want this job? • What best qualifies you for this job? • What are your key strengths? • What are your weaknesses?
Ten Standard Interview Questions • What did you like and dislike about your last job? • Do you consider yourself a team player? Why? • What are your career goals? • Where do you expect to be five years from now? • What salary do you expect to receive?
Ten Good Questions forYou to Ask • What will my duties be? • Do you have a written job description for this position? • What is it like working here, in terms of the people, management practices, work loads, expected performance, and rewards?
Ten Good Questions forYou to Ask • What training programs does this organization offer? • What are the possibilities for promotion? • What is the first problem that needs the attention of the person you will hire? • What is the organizational structure, and where does this position fit within it?
Ten Good Questions forYou to Ask • Who would be my immediate supervisor? • What is the salary for this position? • When will I hear from you regarding further action on my application?
Closing a Job Interview and Following Up • When the interviewer signals the end of the interview, stand up and shake hands. • Find out what action will follow. Ask, "When can I expect to hear from you?" • After his or her reply, say "If I don't hear from you by then, may I call you?" • Thank the interviewer. • Say goodbye to the receptionist.
Closing a Job Interview and Following Up • Take notes on the interview as soon as you leave. • Alert your references that they might be called. • Write a thank-you letter to the interviewer. Remind the interviewer of your visit. Show that you really want the job and that you are qualified for it.