The Interview Handbook

For those of you are not sure as to what a behavioral interview entails. Behavioral based interviewing is interviewing based on discovering how the interviewee acted in specific employment-related situations. The logic is that how you behaved in the past will predict how you will behave in the future i.e. past performance predicts future performance.

So what’s difference Between A Traditional Interview vs. Behavioral Interview?

In a traditional interview, you will be asked a series of questions which typically have straight forward answers like "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" or "What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?" or "Describe a typical work week."

In a behavioral interview, an employer has decided what skills are needed in the person they hire and will ask questions to find out if the candidate has those skills.

Preparation for the Potential Behavioral Interview

What’s the best way to prepare? It’s important to remember that you won’t know what type of interview will take place until you are sitting in the interview room. So, prepare answers to traditional interview questions.

Then, since you don’t know exactly what situations you will be asked about if it’s a behavioral interview, refresh your memory and consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You may be able to use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved problems or performed memorably. The stories will be useful to help you respond meaningfully in a behavioral interview.

Finally, review the job description, if you have it, or the job posting or ad. You may be able to get a sense of what skills and behavioral characteristics the employer is seeking from reading the job description and position requirements. Do You want to be one step a head of your competition? 

Take a look at this really good book it will really help you and give you the confidence to walk into any interview:

"The Ultimate Guide To Job Interview Answers"

Over the years I have read so many books on job interviews all proclaiming to have the final answer; I will let you into a secrete; no one book has all the answers but this my personal recommendation for a number of reasons for recommending "The Ultimate Guide To Job Interview Answers"

The author keeps it very simple, a lot of books use far to much jargon and over complicate the whole process, it’s the old saying KISS – (keep it simple stupid) The guide is only 81 pages long so its not "War and Piece" and what’s more you can actually use it there is some real value to its content.

• It includes over 137 intelligent and effective job interview answers.
• 11 closing "power statements,"
• 43 questions for you to use to uncover the interviewer’s hidden needs.
• 13 desirable behavioral competencies hiring managers look for.

How to create and use your own winning S.T.A.R. statements to "package & spin" your work experience.

How to do a S.W.O.T. analysis, how to show you know how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, a quick and simple 9-step exercise you can do that will calm your nerves every time, AND a special section on behavioral interviewing and surviving harsh "stress" interviews. 

Remember It’s important to keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers, its about being yourself and being confident in your own abilities.

The interviewer is simply trying to understand how you behaved in a given situation. How you respond will determine if there is a fit between your skills and the position the company is seeking to fill. So, listen carefully, be clear and detailed when you respond and, most importantly, be honest. If your answers aren’t what the interviewer is looking for, this position may not be the best job for you anyway. Good Luck!

Technorati Tags: Career,careers,resume,resume writing,job interview,employment

Listing your professional experiences on your resume is not easy and you need to follow some basic steps, but it can be done!

Remember a resume is just a simple way of listing achievements and is normally consists of: job titles, time frames, key responsibilities, transferable skills, etc. The difficulty is when you have gaps in your work history. Your potential employer will have no way of knowing why there is a three and a half year gap in your professional experience just by reviewing your resume,

For example. The employer may wonder if you skipped over one of the jobs you held because it didn’t meet your career objective, or they may assume that you didn’t work at all during this period that is unaccounted for on your resume. Remember –

Any gaps in your employment history will need to be explained in writing; don’t fall into the trap of lying or skipping any information on purpose.

So here are a few general rules I suggest you follow:

Any unaccounted time that is shorter than three months doesn’t need to be explained. Having 60-90 days in between jobs is not too unusual, and often goes unnoticed within a resume. However, any gaps extending beyond three months should be addressed in your cover letter or e-mail. Whether you had personal or professional reasons for not working, the gaps in your employment history need to be explained as you don’t want to leave the employer to make their own assumptions.

Be honest! I can’t stress this enough. If you are honest with your potential employer, you will not have to worry about them checking your references, doing a background check, or surprising you with questions in an interview.

Don’t exclude months of your employment from the job listing. You are better off explaining the gaps in your resume than trying to cover them up. Honesty is really the best policy when it comes to your resume. If you have held jobs that are not applicable to your career objective, list them on your resume anyway.

Rather than create gaps in your resume, explain why you held jobs outside of your field in your covering letter or in your email. Again, whether the reasons are personal or professional, explain yourself honestly and don’t leave room for assumptions on the part of your potential employer.

Regardless of the reasons for the gaps in your professional history, it is important that the tone in your covering letter and your resume remains positive. Do not sound apologetic – life happens and you don’t need to be sorry for taking time off work. Be positive, and always show your potential employer that you never lost focus on your career.

While I agree life takes unexpected twists and turns and respect that there will be times when there are gaps in your resume, why not put that time to good use and use your experience in volunteer work, community projects, and consulting or freelance work.

Why not take a class at a community college or at the community centre that will improve your work-related skills and allows you to interact with other people with similar professional backgrounds.

Read about the new developments in your field. Get a subscription to a professional publication/magazine, or get the newly published books that discuss changes or improvements in your profession.

Most of all, be honest and stay positive. You can’t change your work history, so do your best to show your employer you are a perfect candidate for the job by focusing on your experience and your education, highlighting your achievements and your qualifications.

Technorati Tags: Interview Skills,Job Interview Skills,Interview Questions and Answers

When writing a resume or attending an interview remember you are selling yourself, think about what you have to offer the employer and why you are the best person for the job, what can you do to make yourself stand out and make sure the employer remembers you. Successful resumes and interviews are all about matching what you have to offer, your particular skills and achievements with what the company is looking for.

Before the interview takes place concentrate on your five best skills and how you can put them across to the interviewer in a way that will make you stand out from the crowd. Your objective is to match your best skills with the job on offer and get these points across, so when you leave the interview you will not be forgotten easily.

Think of ways that you can get your achievements across, for instance if you are having an interview for a position that requires great communicational skills and the interviewer starts off by saying “tell me a little about yourself”, now is the time to make a start on getting your point across and selling yourself of how well you communicate to other people. Why not start by saying “one of my key skills is in being able to communicate effectively” and continue with examples of skills in your previous jobs.

Later in the interview you could bring communication skills up again in a different way, say for example as a story you tell.
When asked “what makes you the best person for the job” again reiterate how good your communication skills are and how you could be a positive part of the working team. By repeating your best skills over and over you are far more likely to remain on the interviewers mind than by just mentioning them once or twice during the interview.

What are your strong points?

You not only have to identify your strongest points or skills but also make sure they relate to what the job has to offer, make sure you read through the job description several times and know what particular skills the company is looking for.

For example if the job description includes report writing with the sales department think about what is needed to accomplish this and what kind of person the company are looking for.

This particular example would require excellent writing and interpersonal skills, if you are particularly skilled in these areas then make sure you keep letting the interviewer know this.

Remember the point of the interview is to sell yourself as the best candidate for the position; by focusing on just a handful of skills and pointing these out, you will more than likely leave a good impression on the interviewer that won’t quickly be forgotten.

Making phone calls is the quickest way of getting an interview, but there are a few rules you need to be aware of. The most obvious one is nerves, you have to be relaxed before you make the call, and you must have an idea as to what you are going to say, remember you must sound professional and clam.

The key question is: Who should I call?

Your objective as with the letter and resume is to get an interview with the person who has the authority to recruit. So do your research.

Tip: Ring the company up before hand ask the receptionist for the name of the individual who looks after recruitment, make sure you tell them what you are skilled in, like sales, sales and marketing or administration, you are looking for the right manager. The most embarrassing thing you could do is pluck up the courage to make the call and end up speaking to the wrong person!!

First question: What do I say?

You should always start by stating the reason for the call; and then be prepared to justify your claims but don’t do so until pressed to. The reason this is so important is that if you start to justify without being pressed by the other party, assumption becomes explanation. The attitude in your voice should be such that the person should just agree to interview.

Tip: Try and work on your voice before you make the call. Tape your own voice, listen to it, does it have a pitch and tone? If not practice, remember a voice should go up and down both in tone and volume. Smile!!!!

When you smile on a call it completely changes the way you come across to the caller - try it with a friend. Also sit up straight, find a comfortable chair with a straight back, by sitting straight this will help you in your breathing.

Try and remember these simple mistakes to avoid

· Hesitation when speaking, this shows weakness.

· Lack of fluency due to nerves or poor research of the company.

· Talking to fast

· Not listening to what is been said

For those of you who don’t know what words to use when making this call, here are few scripts that will help you get started.

1.  Hello Mr. Smith, my name is Bill Harris.  I have been interested in Component Company because what I have been reading in the newspaper.  I think I have some relevant skills and ideas which may help Component Company with these issues.  Do you have 15 or 30 minutes in your diary in the next week or so?

2.  Hello Mr. Smith, my name is Bill Harris.  I see Component Company is looking for Sales Representatives.  I wanted to call you direct, right away, I understand your business and I think I can offer more than the typical candidate.  I wanted to be the first to ask to get on your interview schedule.

3.  Hello Mr. Smith, my name is Bill Harris. I am about to put my resume in the post to you, with a covering letter explaining how my experience fits exactly with what you need for the Sales position.  If you were to describe the ideal candidate for this role, how would you do that?  Do you mind if I stop by this week?—I’d really like to hear what you need this person to do for your company, extra things that perhaps are not in the job description.

4.  Hello Mr. Smith, my name is Bill Harris. I saw your advertisement in the local paper and I wanted to call right away to let you know I have those exact qualities and qualifications.  My resume and cover letter can’t show you how excited I am about Component Company—I hope I can visit with you in the next few days.

Admittedly, there are dozens of telephone openings you can use.  My intent here was actually NOT to give you one that you could realistically use.  My intent was to show you how important it is for you to write down the exact words you are going to use when making this phone call.   Words are important.  I thought this article my help you as well.

Using the telephone to get a job

Technorati Tags: Body Language,meaning of body language,body Language in,the body language,a body language

Here’s a fact which should be burnt into your memory: In face to face communication your words account for as little as 7% of the perceived impact of your message. Your voice tone is about 38%, but your body language represents about 55% -

WOW!! 55%. It’s amazing what you can revel without saying a word, so how can improve my job prospects by giving out the right signals and understand other peoples signals?

It’s such a massive topic and it would take hours to talk about it, so I just picked a couple of areas which are quite simple to use and to put into practice.

Body language is fascinating and intriguing and you underestimate its power and influence at your peril. One gesture can be interpreted in several ways; for example crossing your arms could mean that you feel anxious or angry – or simply it means that you are cold and you are folding your arms to keep warm. How about nose-touching, it could mean that you are covering your mouth to conceal a lie, or you may simply have an itchy.

Let’s look at how body language works within the work place. I have met so many people who have real talent, work hard and are conscientious but never receive the rewards their hard word deserves. Why? - They lack charisma, but with the right body language you can have real charisma.

For example when entering a room, remember these simple tips:

• Walk in talk, don’t slouch.

• Look relaxed, smile, don’t over do it; you’re not on a tooth paste ad!

• Walk with confidence

• Greet everyone you pass

• Use eye contact at all times

• Use friendly signals, touch, eye contact and mirrored gestures

The good news is that we all have the power to change our body language it does take a certain amount of work and effort. Have a go it could make all the difference.

Technorati Tags: The Interview,How To Plan A journey to an interview,How to Fail An Interview,Interview Questions

A little forward-planning is essential if you’re going to arrive fresh, with a clear mind and ready to impress interviewers. Follow my simple tips on how to plan ahead for a stress-free journey.

You’ve got an interview. You feel prepared, confident and even a little lucky. Then before your very eyes it all turns to dust: your alarm fails to go off, and you wake up 15 minutes before your train is due to leave. You arrive at the station out of breath, sweating; totally stressed out! only to discover the train’s been cancelled.

Is this your worst nightmare? Think it’ll never happen to you? If events are ever going to conspire against you, they’re guaranteed to pick the day of your interview. Being late is the number one sin; let me tell you here and now, you can never recover from this, remember first impressions count, even if it’s due to circumstances beyond your control, there are no excuses.

A little preparation and forward planning will go along way in helping you to have a stress-free journey to your interview:

Here are a few simple tips to follow, remember the simple things are things that people forget to do!

1. A few days before your interview, work out how to get there.

2. Plan your route and find out how long the journey will take. If you’re taking public transport, you might want to buy tickets so you won’t have to queue on the day.

3. Aim to arrive about 15 minutes early, and leave extra time in case things go wrong. Waiting may not ease your nerves, but watching the minutes tick past as you’re stuck in traffic is far worse. And if you’re early, employers will notice that you’re well prepared and have met the ‘deadline’ of your interview with time to spare.

4. Check the news and traffic reports to find out if there are traffic jams, accidents or major delays on the trains.

5. If you want to smell as fresh as you look on arrival, don’t smoke in your car.

6. If it comes to the worst and there’s just no way you’re going to be on time, do some damage limitation.

7. Call the organisation and explain what’s happened. Traffic jams delay everyone, so they should be sympathetic. It may be possible to postpone the interview by an hour or so, or to reschedule for another day if things are really bad. Never rely on this.

So remember the planning is in the detail!  

What a great question, so why do so many people fail to take the bull by the horns and follow up on their interview? Its so important to show that you have a real interest in the company, there are a few rules you need to follow, its not difficult so here we go.

You are quite happy with yourself because that last interview went really well. You feel that your chances of getting the job are pretty good but you hate the part where you have to sit back and wait for the employer to call you back. Well, guess what? You’re not supposed to just sit back and wait. An interview is never finished when you shake hands and leave the room; you have to follow up on it.

Following up after an interview can give you a winning edge over the other candidates. The manner in which you follow up is also important because it can win you or cost you the job. The best way to illustrate this is with an example.

Elizabeth had been hoping to hire a market researcher to fill a position that had been vacant for several weeks. Henry, Melissa, and Barbara were equally qualified and she was having a hard time deciding which one to hire. When she listened to her voice mail on morning after the interview, Melissa had left her a message thanking her for the interview. She made a mental note of the fact that this candidate had shown a serious interest in the job by following up. That same afternoon, when she checked her mail, she found a letter from Barbara. She was impressed by the care and effort that had gone into writing the letter. Barbara had not only thanked Elizabeth for the interview, but she had addressed some of the organizational issues that had been discussed during the interview as well. Barbara was offered the job the very next day.

Now that you know how important following up after an interview is, here are some pointers to help you get it just right.

Get the time frame right

Towards the end of your interview, always remember to ask the potential employer how long it would be until a hiring decision is made. If you get a good idea of when the company will be hiring, you will know how quickly you need to follow up. If you know the company will make their decision in 5 days, then you need to send out the follow-up letter right away.

The Letter

A follow-up thank you letter is an excellent way to get your interviewer to remember you. The letter should re-emphasize why you are a suitable candidate and discuss any additional information about your qualifications that you didn’t have a chance to mention during the interview. Whether you use email, snail mail, or fax depends on the type of company you’re interviewing with. If it’s a high-tech, trendy one, you might want to go with email. A posted letter may be more appropriate if it’s a conservative company. In any case, check that you have the correct information with regards to the interviewer’s name, position, and address. Asking for a business card after the interview is a good way of making sure that you do.

The Phone Call

If the hiring time frame has passed and the company still hasn’t called you, you can call them. During the phone call, let the company know that you are still interested in the position. Be gracious at all times and don’t be too pushy. You don’t want to give them the impression that you are desperate.

If you keep these pointers in mind when you follow up on an interview, you will be well on your way to making sure that the person who interviewed you keeps you in mind for the job. At the same time, you will also be strengthening your candidature.

I was looking around for places to find resume templates for the beginner.

A really good starting place is to go to Microsoft.com. Go to the section Top Searches, there you we see browse templates  and on the right hand side half way down you will see resume/CV. Click on this and you we see three categories:

1. Basic

2.Job Specific

3. Situation Specific.

From there you can down load any of the above and you just add your own personal information to the template, its a simple as that, once you get experienced in adding information you can then start to personalise your resume to suit individual job applications.       

There you are sitting in the hot chair, trying to convince your future employer that you are the best suited for the role. So why should I give you the job?

Here is your chance to show off your skills and personally, but what are my skills and what makes me any different to all the other candidates? This is were people fail to get the job, why? Because people fail to demonstrate in simple language how they would do the job.

Companies are looking for people you can show that they can work in either an autonomous role ie on there own or as part of a team. They also what to see if you can multi-task some people call it multi-skilling they both mean the same thing. Question; what is multi-tasking?

Think of it as been able to do a number of different tasks at once or being able to do more than one role, if you want to learn more on this subject get a copy of - Multi-Skilling: A Blue Print For Success by Marc Vanvdevelde, its a really  good book to get you started.

So why do I need to have this skill? Companies these day’s run very lean, they have very little fat! - fat being people, every body can do a number of different tasks or roles  it all about saving money on the pay role.

So what else do I need to show? Well how about being to communicate to people, and to listen!, I always remember the saying "God Gave Us Two Ears And One Mouth" What! - listening is so important so practice it, your customers are telling you things all the time so are your work colleagues so listen. Show a real interest in them. Read - "People Skills" by Bolton another really good book.

Another one for you think on - Problem solving, being able to come up with ideas to solve a problem in simple terms, its no good just being able to find faults, anybody can do that!  what people fail to do is come up with an answer to the problem. Why do people never look at this a opportunity to show that they really understand the problem, How Do I Do This - listen to what people are saying, and then come up with some ideas that will help them to solve the problem, brilliant it’s so easy. It is but you need to practice and show a real interest in people.

It never fails to amaze me that people bemoan that they get a letter or phone call to say that

“You Have Not Been Successful In Your Job Application”!

How many of us have had that sinking feeling of not getting the job. But stop there who’s fault is it? The employer or you?

Stand back and ask yourself

Did I do every thing right?

You may find that it was not totally the fault of the employer, remember he was looking for the best person for the job both in skill level as well as personality, unfortunately you didn’t tick all the boxes, that’s life it gets harder to find a job in today’s job market, so you have to go the extra mile to get the job, it means getting of your butt and do the research, give the time and effort. So ask the question again.

I will let you into a little secret - Employers don’t owe you anything! Just turning up and sitting in the chair with no preparation and expect to get the job- Get real. Some times there are other people more qualified or have more experience than you, if you get an interview, pat yourself on the back, on average 100+ people will apply for each job, so you are in the front door to get an interview.

So what do I do next

Research

Key Questions and answers

Body Language

Attitude

Presentation

My Skills

Think about it, turn the situation around. You are on the other side of the desk and you are doing the interview, what do you see? Happy? Not so sure; so what do I need to change?

So next time you get a letter saying No!! don’t just assume that the employer was a jerk!

Take the responsibility and make the difference.

A good place to start is to read “How To Win Friends And Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, its quite an old book but you can learn a lot about people and to become liked and respected.