The job interview is the precious period in which you are sized up by a powerful person to decide your admission. You can prepare for the interview and enhance your chances of winning an offer.
March 5, 2006 (Press Release) --
The job interview is the precious period in which you are sized up by a powerful person who may well decide whether or not you get the position you want. You can prepare for the interview just as you do for many another tests and enhance your chances of winning an offer.
A new book may help you do just that: "Don't Blow the Interview," published by St. Martin's Griffin and written by Ralph Ferrone, a long-time advertising executive in New York who has made a deep study of the art of the interview.
Ferrone argues that your goal in the interview is to stand out from the crowd of applicants. So, when you're preparing, learn all you can about the employer, its market and competitors.
"The greater your knowledge, the more confident you will be," he writes. "The more confident you are, the greater your interview success. The greater your interview success, the greater your potential for faster job placement."
Ferrone says that even before the interview you must pay attention to every detail, such as something as specific as your e-mail address. "The initial impression that the potential employer receives begins with your e-mail address. Do not use one that is adolescent or plain silly, such as "hot dog," " mrcool" or "tampababe."
Also, he advises, check your outgoing cell-phone message; make sure it's concise and professional.
If you use a person as a reference, let him or her know beforehand. In the interview itself, avoid tired words such as "like," "you know" and "cool."Â They annoy some interviewers so much that they automatically reject the applicant.
Preparation pays off
On the other hand, being prepared can really pay off. You can guess in advance what certain questions will be, and you have on-target, rehearsed responses.Â
When the interviewer inevitably asks you to describe yourself, limit your response to 60 to 90 seconds. If you are too verbose, the interviewer tunes out.
Be a good listener, says Ferrone. Be patient. Let the interviewer do the bulk of the questioning if possible (an 80/20 balance is ideal.)
Also, do not attempt to interrupt, correct a comment or show an attitude.
The interview is also the best time to score points -- slip in some comments on the importance of teamwork and work ethics.
Do not initially risk turning off an employer by asking questions that pertain to salary, time off or office hours. There will be ample time to do so later, assuming your interview goes well.Â
If the question of salary is thrown in your lap, and you are uncertain what the job pays, a good response is: "My primary objective is to work for the XYZ Company; While money is important, it is a secondary consideration -- I am sure that I will be treated fairly."
If you were able to research the salary range, you can begin by saying, "I understand the industry is paying $00,000-$00,000 for this type of position. However, my primary objective is to work for the XYZ Corp."
Come to the interview prepared with five or six questions of your own to pitch so that you're sure to end up asking at least one or two since some of them may be asked by the interviewer.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com/
A new book may help you do just that: "Don't Blow the Interview," published by St. Martin's Griffin and written by Ralph Ferrone, a long-time advertising executive in New York who has made a deep study of the art of the interview.
Ferrone argues that your goal in the interview is to stand out from the crowd of applicants. So, when you're preparing, learn all you can about the employer, its market and competitors.
"The greater your knowledge, the more confident you will be," he writes. "The more confident you are, the greater your interview success. The greater your interview success, the greater your potential for faster job placement."
Ferrone says that even before the interview you must pay attention to every detail, such as something as specific as your e-mail address. "The initial impression that the potential employer receives begins with your e-mail address. Do not use one that is adolescent or plain silly, such as "hot dog," " mrcool" or "tampababe."
Also, he advises, check your outgoing cell-phone message; make sure it's concise and professional.
If you use a person as a reference, let him or her know beforehand. In the interview itself, avoid tired words such as "like," "you know" and "cool."Â They annoy some interviewers so much that they automatically reject the applicant.
Preparation pays off
On the other hand, being prepared can really pay off. You can guess in advance what certain questions will be, and you have on-target, rehearsed responses.Â
When the interviewer inevitably asks you to describe yourself, limit your response to 60 to 90 seconds. If you are too verbose, the interviewer tunes out.
Be a good listener, says Ferrone. Be patient. Let the interviewer do the bulk of the questioning if possible (an 80/20 balance is ideal.)
Also, do not attempt to interrupt, correct a comment or show an attitude.
The interview is also the best time to score points -- slip in some comments on the importance of teamwork and work ethics.
Do not initially risk turning off an employer by asking questions that pertain to salary, time off or office hours. There will be ample time to do so later, assuming your interview goes well.Â
If the question of salary is thrown in your lap, and you are uncertain what the job pays, a good response is: "My primary objective is to work for the XYZ Company; While money is important, it is a secondary consideration -- I am sure that I will be treated fairly."
If you were able to research the salary range, you can begin by saying, "I understand the industry is paying $00,000-$00,000 for this type of position. However, my primary objective is to work for the XYZ Corp."
Come to the interview prepared with five or six questions of your own to pitch so that you're sure to end up asking at least one or two since some of them may be asked by the interviewer.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com/
Email
Print
SPAM
LEAVE A COMMENT
