Archive for June, 2009
Interview Check List #18: Did I make sure the employer was clear about how I felt about the company and the job?
One candidate for an administrative job tells the story of how he obtained many interviews yet never got the job offered to him. Company after company turned him down. After going through coaching and some role-play interviewing, the problem was clear: He was coming across as hostile.
For example, when asked about his hobbies, his answer [...]
Interview Check List #17: Did I present my qualifications? Did I give the interviewer the information he/she needs to think of me favorably?
In other words, did you make it clear why you are a good fit for the job? Career and Interview coaches tell many stories about qualified job candidates who throughout an entire interview simply nod and smile. They don’t say much in answer to questions, nor do they ask any questions, as if being nice and [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Interview Check List #16: Did I answer their questions completely?
Nothing is more frustrating to an interviewer than to have the job candidate give a partial answer to a question or worse, give an answer that has no bearing on the matter at hand!
IF an interviewer repeats a question, or seems unhappy with an answer, make sure you understand the question so that you can [...]
Interview Check List #15: Did I do my “homework” in preparing for the interview?
Be honest now:
Did you research the company by going on the Internet and/or by at least calling their sales department?
If you did not know anything about the company and their industry, make sure you find out something about the hiring company next time. It’s the only way you can answer their questions and ask intelligent [...]
Interview Check List #14: Did I make eye contact with everyone in the room?
Did you make sure you looked at each person at least a few times during the interview, even if they didn’t ask you a question? If not, then you may have been perceived as ignoring some of the people in the room. For the next time, as you give your answers or ask your own [...]
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Interview Check List #13: Did I look them in the eye and have a firm handshake?
Eye contact can convey an enormous amount. Use it to project a bright and interesting personality.
You know if your handshake needs to be stronger if everyone else’s feels like a vise grip! And if yours is too strong, it will feel like everyone else’s is wimpy! Either way, practice with family or friends until many [...]
Interview Check List #12: Did I smile when appropriate?
Did you greet people in a friendly manner? Even if you’re not the most outgoing person, a smile is considered basic to meeting other people.
If you didn’t do this, it might help to remember that an interview is not an effort by the employer to grill you or put you on trial. It is a [...]
Interview Check List #11: Did I dress appropriately?
Each interview setting varies, but the common expectation is that a candidate will dress in the proper business attire.
“Proper dress” is part of how you present yourself and it includes personal cleanliness, a lighter use of perfume or cologne, no drinking of alcohol or smoking just before the interview. If you did not meet these [...]
Interview Check List #10: What are the positive points about the job, and the negatives?
As you review the interview, write down what got you excited. Then, make another list of what made you uncomfortable or concerned. In your answer, don’t dwell on “why”. The ”why “ may be hard to put your finger on, but “what” is concrete and more easily identifiable.
When you’re done, add the positive and add [...]
Interview Check List #9: Would the pay be adequate for my lifestyle?
In that “do I take it if it’s offered to me?” time after an interview, it’s easy to get caught up with a positive that may outweigh the negative of pay that is too low. Or vice-versa: considering a job that pays very well but will have a negative effects on your personal /family life.
You [...]
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