Post by Wanderista on Nov 24, 2014 17:28:46 GMT -5
I second the following up. For the jobs that I've successfully gotten, I was quite aggressive about following up and expressing my interest in the position. Basically, I found an element of "faking it until you make it" to be effective. I remember that when I applied for the job I have now, I was wondering in my head if my repeated following up with them was a bit much but I was in "take no prisoners" mode because I wanted the job within a short timeframe. My reaching out was not excessive, I got the job.
I'm sure that others will have more great tips but so much about the job interview is about "clicking" on an interpersonal level. It's almost like dating in a way, at least in my experience. Another thing to remember is that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. You are deciding if this is somewhere that YOU want to contribute your time and skills. Don't get an attitude with them or anything but keep that in mind.
Google who you are meeting with...you might be able to find out a little about them that will make you less nervous. For example, at one of my previous positions, I found out that the guy who I was interviewing with loved dogs and volunteered with a rescue...I don't know why, but it made him relatable to me, and I had something to talk about if there was a chance for more conversation/small talk.
Make sure you research the company, their products, the industry (if you're changing industries). I'd ask specific questions about the position at the end of the interview, a question about the company or the group you'd be working in. Show them that you've done your homework.
Don't be afraid to ask them to repeat the question. If you can, bring a pen and pad in with you to write notes. They may ask you to hand in the paper at the end of the interview, but that's fine. Writing down some notes will help you stay calm.
Answer your questions using the STAR format. Describe and explain the Situation/Task, tell them what your Actions were and what were the Results. The most important part of that is your role/action in the situation.
It's okay to be nervous, but deep breaths and try to stay calm. Good luck!
Make sure you research the company, their products, the industry (if you're changing industries). I'd ask specific questions about the position at the end of the interview, a question about the company or the group you'd be working in. Show them that you've done your homework.
Don't be afraid to ask them to repeat the question. If you can, bring a pen and pad in with you to write notes. They may ask you to hand in the paper at the end of the interview, but that's fine. Writing down some notes will help you stay calm.
Answer your questions using the STAR format. Describe and explain the Situation/Task, tell them what your Actions were and what were the Results. The most important part of that is your role/action in the situation.
It's okay to be nervous, but deep breaths and try to stay calm. Good luck!
The interview is with a recruiting firm. I don't know who the hiring company is.
Make sure you research the company, their products, the industry (if you're changing industries). I'd ask specific questions about the position at the end of the interview, a question about the company or the group you'd be working in. Show them that you've done your homework.
Don't be afraid to ask them to repeat the question. If you can, bring a pen and pad in with you to write notes. They may ask you to hand in the paper at the end of the interview, but that's fine. Writing down some notes will help you stay calm.
Answer your questions using the STAR format. Describe and explain the Situation/Task, tell them what your Actions were and what were the Results. The most important part of that is your role/action in the situation.
It's okay to be nervous, but deep breaths and try to stay calm. Good luck!
The interview is with a recruiting firm. I don't know who the hiring company is.
Make sure you research the company, their products, the industry (if you're changing industries). I'd ask specific questions about the position at the end of the interview, a question about the company or the group you'd be working in. Show them that you've done your homework.
Don't be afraid to ask them to repeat the question. If you can, bring a pen and pad in with you to write notes. They may ask you to hand in the paper at the end of the interview, but that's fine. Writing down some notes will help you stay calm.
Answer your questions using the STAR format. Describe and explain the Situation/Task, tell them what your Actions were and what were the Results. The most important part of that is your role/action in the situation.
It's okay to be nervous, but deep breaths and try to stay calm. Good luck!
The interview is with a recruiting firm. I don't know who the hiring company is.
If the interview is with a recruiting firm, then you'll definitely want to wear a suit and to be as professional as possible. That is different than interviewing the actual company's employees. Essentially, you are being screened, so I would not deviate from standard interviewing practice.
Basically, it's not a scenario where I would joke around or bond over liking the same sports team unless the interviewer is REALLY relaxed. That stuff is more likely to work with the people from the actual firm.
Think of answers to questions like, "What is your biggest weakness?" and, "How do you handle a challenge?" They might ask you stuff like that. You'll basically want to make a good impression so that they forward your resume onward and if you build a good connection with the recruiter then they might continue to help you out even if you don't get this position.
I was at my last job for 14 years before I took my current job 4 years ago. It is nerve wracking to get back out there and interview. Best foot forward. Good luck!
At the end, when they ask if you have any questions ask if there is anything that would prevent them from hiring you at this moment.
It will give you a chance to clear any misconceptions from the interview and almost back them in to a corner.
Don't forget thank you notes/emails.
I don't know...if I'm interviewing, I don't like it if a candidate asks this kind of question. Clearly, you're going to have to be very PC about it and I feel like you won't get an honest answer from the interview panel/person, so it makes the person interview uncomfortable which is never good.
Rather, I'd ask them actual questions related to the job, like "what are the areas of opportunities in the current position right now?" Or "If selected, what would be some of the first tasks that I'd be on point for?" Or even "what are the qualities you see in people who really excel in this position" (ETA: just read it's with a recruiting company, so maybe the last question is most relevant since they may not know what the job entails/what projects it entails.)
ETA: yes, Thank you notes w/in 24 hours of the interview! Handwritten are great if you can (if you're at the same company, it goes a long way) or a perosnalized thank you by email (to each individual person). Don't forget that!
Bring a coopy of your resume. If they ask you to go over it, don't spend the entire time going over it, but do review it and say some-but not all-of the highlights of each position.
I think my best advice in this scenario would be to be sure you know YOU. Think about what you're looking for, what your goals are, what you like/dislike in a job, what your strengths are, etc. They are going to be looking for a good fit for you as much as for the company they place you with, so make sure you know what you want and what makes you a great employee. I've had several first round interviews recently and they usually ask what I like about my job, what I'm looking to improve, what I want to do, what type of environment/management style I like, basically just trying to get a good idea of what I'm like as an employee and what type of job I'd likely succeed in.
And don't be too nervous. I could be off base, but I think talking to HR/recruiters is actually less pressure than the hiring manager. They talk to people all the time and you'd have to say something really wild for them to judge you. They are probably also in that job because they enjoy talking to people and have an interest in helping them find good jobs. So they want you to succeed, not fail. Do your best obviously, but don't assume they are out to get you... it's probably the opposite
Post by prettyinpearls on Nov 25, 2014 9:58:43 GMT -5
I have an interview next week, so I feel your pain/fear/nervousness!
Most of these have already been mentioned, but here's what I'm doing to prepare for the interview:
Scouring the company's website (I'm interviewing out side of my current company), their FB/Twitter/LinkedIn pages, googling for recent news articles or press releases, etc.
I'm catering my spiel for "Tell me about yourself" or "Talk to me about your resume" with a brief background as to how and why I got to the point where I am now. It'll give them a sense of the kind of person I am and put some personalization to my experiences and education.
Making sure to get business cards or contact info for the interviewers and will send personalized emails to each of them individually within 12 hours of the interview. (Never send a mass/group thank you email!)
Searching for the most common interview questions and mapping out a few different ways to answer them, so I can pull something from memory depending on what direction the interview is going.
My list of questions to ask are: 1) What do you enjoy about working for (insert company name here)? 2) Can you walk me through a typical day in this role (if it hasn't been covered already) 3) Are their opportunities for continuing education or working with a mentor? What is the onboarding process like? 4) How are performances evaluated? 5) Does this role allow for flex scheduling? (Having young kids, this is important to me and I know the company prides itself on their work/life balance, so I feel ok with asking this question)
I'm planning to wear a full suit with a modest shirt underneath and a strand of pearls (obviously).
Take some deep breaths before you enter the room and remind yourself this interview is just as much for you as it is for them. Keep good eye contact and smile!
Make sure you research the company, their products, the industry (if you're changing industries). I'd ask specific questions about the position at the end of the interview, a question about the company or the group you'd be working in. Show them that you've done your homework.
Don't be afraid to ask them to repeat the question. If you can, bring a pen and pad in with you to write notes. They may ask you to hand in the paper at the end of the interview, but that's fine. Writing down some notes will help you stay calm.
Answer your questions using the STAR format. Describe and explain the Situation/Task, tell them what your Actions were and what were the Results. The most important part of that is your role/action in the situation.
It's okay to be nervous, but deep breaths and try to stay calm. Good luck!
The interview is with a recruiting firm. I don't know who the hiring company is.
You know the position you are interviewing for, right? If so, I would tailor my speech to the experience you have that is directly applicable to the position and also clear example of successful projects that you managed.
Breathe, woman. I hadn't had an interview in 7 years and I hear you on being stressed. Just remember your poise, no "Ummmmmm" when thinking of an answer to questions and sell yourself with confidence. Job dust going your way!
It went well. Not super exciting, since it was with a recruiter, but he has a position he thinks I might be a fit for. I'm not sure, but I'm not saying no to another interview if they ask!