The Interview Handbook

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked a young engineer fresh out of MIT, “What starting salary were you looking for?”
The engineer replied, “In the region of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”
The interviewer said, “Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years — say, a red Corvette?”
The Engineer sat up straight and said, “Wow! Are you kidding?”
The interviewer replied, “Well YES, but you started it.”

You may laugh but this question comes up all the time. Therefore, trying to create an impression that the salary does not concern you actually is counter productive. It indicates that you have trouble coping with the question and may even insinuate that you under value your self or have low self esteem.

First thing to remember. You don’t have to disclose your current or past salaries and you don’t need to respond to this question. Unfortunately it’s not that easy.

Given you are interviewing for a new job, the manner in which you deal with the question can affect the outcome of the interview, so it is worth being prepared.

Tip

If you are unsure try to deflect the question by inquiring the interviewer what they are offering.

OR

Rather than quoting a figure present a range. This range should take five factors into account:

1. The salary you earned in your last position

2. The salary standards in the industry

3. The current market situation – it’s all a question of supply and demand. If demand is currently high in your profession, you can suggest a higher salary and offer a tougher bargain. If the opposite is true you may have to compromise.

4. Your work experience and qualifications / credentials– the more experience and / or qualifications you have the more your services are ‘worth’ to the employer (in some professions the work experience is more important than the credentials; in other professions it’s the other way around and yet in others it may be a combination of both).

5. Finally, the salary you aim for.

In your early career, you will be expecting an increase in salary when you move to a new job - usually because the new job may be a step up for you and as such has more responsibilities.

You also need to remember that your new employer really has no way of finding out your previous salary, so if you want to exaggerate a little to help justify an increased expected salary, then feel free to do so - it’s not a big deal, but remember be conscious that you shouldn’t go to far with this.  Adding a couple more £k to your current salary isn’t a big deal.

How to respond when asked what your salary expectations are.

Let’s assume you want more money than you are getting just now.  If the salary hasn’t been disclosed for the job, then you need to carefully discuss the potential with your new employer.

You can start off by saying something like,

“I would expect a salary that is in line with the level and responsibilities of the job and my experience - what starting salary do you offer for this job role?” –

It doesn’t commit you to a specific figure, and moves the discussion back to them.  They will always have a figure in mind from the start of the interview - most employers just want to see if they can hire you for less money!

There are several responses they can give to this:

1. A figure that is way less than you want (in which case you need to think about if the job is really suitable for you)

2. A figure that is a little lower than you want (then you need to put an argument forward for a higher starting salary)

3. A figure that is suitable or higher than expected (take it - or haggle some more if you’re feeling cheeky!).

Salary negotiations are a sensitive and complex issue. If possible try to avoid discussing the salary in the first interview, however if the issue is raised by the interviewer then respond accordingly.

The most important point to bear in mind is to request a reasonable and fair salary. A salary that encompasses the five factors: your last salary, the industry salary standards, the current employment market situation, your work experience and qualifications and finally the salary you aim for. Ask for what you deserve; if you consider these five factors you are bound to come up with a reasonable salary range.

The salary negotiations are always a complex and delicate matter; consequently it is wise to postpone it to the crucial meeting or point in the interview after most other issues have been dealt with. If you have more than one interview, then use the first interview as an initial platform to make the right impression. Do not assume that employers will always prefer an applicant that has lower salary expectations. On the contrary, if you managed to impress the employer, they are likely to seriously consider hiring you despite the fact that your salary expectation may be hire than a fellow candidate. Hence, making a good impression in the interview subsequently elevates your salary negotiation point

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.

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.

What are skills? – That a great question!

Skills refer to the things you do really well. The key to finding the most appropriate job is to match your skills or qualifications to employer requirements and to communicate those skills by using a CV or resume.

It sounds easy, its not. Its take time and a great deal effort, you need to do a lot of research and write a powerful resume to back it all up. Finding your career path is never easy; but it can be fun as well as rewarding,

Majority of the most viable skills are those that are used in a variety of work settings. What are these skills? Would matching your skills to find the right job be successful?

The first thing you need to do is site down and list all the skills you think you have, make your list long, think hard!, remember you are selling those skills to a future employer.

Why do you need to do this?

You want to put yourself at the front, you want to become the leading candidate for the job. Remember I said write down all your skills does not necessarily mean it was adapted in a work environment. If this is your first job search and you have no job experience to date, why not show other of skills which you have.

Majority of skills, including knowledge-based and transferable, could be absorbed and developed as a volunteer, a student, a homemaker, or in your other personal activities. The skills you have used for these activities can still be applied to your desired jobs.

Why do I need to do this?

Organising and listing your personal skills can help you easily fill out job applications, provide useful information for job interviews, and prepare quality resumes. BENEFIT- It saves your time filling in forms and employers can scan read and pick out the core skills-

What’s a core skill?

If they say in the job description you must speak a foreign language, then that is a core skill.

How do I organise and list my skills? - Another good question.

First, categorise your skills by separating your interests and aptitudes from your work experience.

1) Aptitudes and interest. These include all of your hobbies, activities you have been involved in the past, and all the things that interest you. By listing all of these down, you could examine the skills it takes to achieve each item.
Skills from aptitude and interest may be homemaking, playing basketball, fixing cars and many more. All of these items could determine if you are capable of working with a team, able to handle multiple tasks, have viable knowledge of human development, knowledge of electronics and ability to diagnose mechanical and numerical problems. The list goes on, but make sure to consider the skills that would be beneficial for a working environment.

2) Work history. This includes volunteer, part-time, freelance, summer and full time jobs. Once you have listed all your past employment, examine the skills you do work each work duty.

* Ask for help. As soon as you have your list ready, you could now go to job services that could help you acquire your desired job. You could also search job yourself. However, always remember to match your skills and abilities in your list to the needed skills and abilities of various jobs.
In most cases, people who seek jobs are threatened with job titles. This should not be the case. As long as your skills and abilities could meet the requirements of the workload and job title, your possibility of acquiring your desired job increases.

People put a lot of thought into changing careers. After all, it is one of the more important decisions you can make. You have to consider your family, living, financial situations, and your competitive advantage in the new field, etc.

Making a career change typically means starting with a blank canvas; while you have the freedom to paint the canvas any which way you wish, you have to invest time, energy, make sacrifices and prove yourself as a credible professional in your new field. You have to be competitive, and motivated, and sustain the drive that is necessary to be successful. After you convince yourself that changing careers is the right thing to do, you will have to convince your potential employers to give you the job you are seeking.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people fail to have a plan of action or are working to some form of goal setting; how can you measure your success or were you are in life. 

To do so, you have to do your research. Demonstrate to your employer that you have an extensive knowledge of the industry, even if you don’t have the accompanying experience. Before you begin your new career, make sure that you understand what professional paths are available for you, and determine what your ultimate goal is. This will help you form the career objective for your resume.

Additional, make sure to do your research on the company you are interested in, as well as their competition (if you are interested in non-profit organizations, make sure to brush up on other organizations with similar missions); if invited for an interview, you will want to appear very knowledgeable not only about their company, but about the industry as a whole. The best resources are your local library, the internet, read local press and why not ring them up and ask for information it seems so obvious but so many people fail even with this simple exercise, which will give such an important start!.

You will have to convince your potential employer that you the best person for the job, better than the candidates with experience – to do that, you have to showcase not only your enthusiasm for the opportunity, but your eagerness to learn and your knowledge about the field, again do the prep-work first, go in prepared

.

Transferable skills, those skills that can be utilized in numerous fields, are also a key to a successful career change. Consider your qualifications to date. What experience have you acquired that can be transferred across industries?

Transferable skills include verbal and written communication, people management, customer relations, organization and project management, development of new processes, generation of new ideas or concepts, etc, write them down give the interviewer a copy, remember you are selling to him and he is buying into you.

Such skills can be adapted to all organizations, and you should utilize them to showcase your qualifications for the job you are seeking.

For example, if you would like to ditch the 9-to-5 desk job for a hectic, unpredictable life of a high school teacher, let your potential employer know that your previous experience in leading by motivation makes you a perfect candidate for the job (even if that marketing project you managed has nothing to do with teaching English composition). And again I repeat! Make a list of all your professional experiences and the qualifications needed for the job you are seeking will help you in determining which skills are transferable to your new career. Once you define your transferable skills, use a functional resume to assure most (if not all) of the qualifications needed for the new job are met in your resume.

In addition to your resume, use your cover letter or email to let your potential employer know why you are changing careers, and that your new interest is not a passing one. Make sure that your resume reflects your newfound interest in a genuine and professional manner, and you are sure to have a successful career change.

Remember, Plan for the interview, don’t just rely on your ability.

When applying for jobs, it is important that you read through the job description thoroughly before submitting your application. A lot of what employers are actually looking for in their potential associate is written right in the job description and requirements. In fact, you should review your resume against the requirements listed in order to make sure you have covered everything the employer is looking for. If you can address all the requirements by the information in your resume or in your cover letter, you will be on the right track for getting the job.

However, there is a whole list of skills employers look for that are never spelled out in the job description. These skills are typically referred to as employability skills, which are skills beyond your technical knowledge and qualifications that make you a great professional in your field. Don’t panic, you already have employability skills, you just may not think of them as critical for getting a job.

The employability skills have been grouped in eight categories:

• Communication skills

• Teamwork skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Initiative and enterprise skills

• Planning and organizing skills

• Self-management

• Learning skills

• Technology skills

Now that you have read the categories, you are thinking to yourself, Yes, I have those skills. But did you ever think to list them on the resume?

Most people focus on their professional achievements and responsibilities, and they often skip these skills in favour of those that are job specific. However, more and more employers look for these skills in resumes.

Your potential employer wants to know that you are a team player, that you communicate well, and will show initiative when needed. While you may think this is implied by your interest in the available position, employers like to see these skills called out on your resume or cover letter.

The best way to demonstrate these skills is through your experience and under your qualifications. Point out the initiatives you have participated in that required you to work in a team, under a deadline, or as a self-starter.

Demonstrate your loyalty through pointing out your accomplishments at an organization and how they benefited your team as a whole (not just you). You can showcase the employability skills in your cover letter by openly showing your enthusiasm for the available position, stating your commitment to your career objective, indicating your motivation and your integrity, and showing that you are above all un-selfish and credible.

These skills are just as critical to your ability to do a great job as your professional experience and education – employers are looking for someone who will be a great fit on their team and in their organization, someone who works well under pressure but also has a sense of humour and has a balance between their personal and professional life.

Review your existing resume. Does it contain any employability skills? If not, make revisions to incorporate those employability skills you feel you excel in. If you are unsure, ask your friends or family for an objective opinion, so that you can get a better idea of how people around you see you as a person as well as a professional.

Keep these attributes in mind as you compose your resume and your cover letter, and especially as you are taking part in interviews. These skills can make a difference between knowing how to do a job and being qualified to exceed goals and grow in your career.