INTERVIEW TIPS

PART I: JOB INTERVIEW TIPS
These tips will help you while getting prepared for your interview, read carefully and do no forget any tip as these are the base for the best performance in your interview.
Wishing you all the best.

1. Job Interview Tips No. 1 -Come prepared
Know yourself - your strengths, weaknesses and accomplishments. A job interview is not the time to wing it! Prepare! 

2. Job Interview Tips No. 2 - Research the company
Find out as much as you can about the company. Your effort will show in the job interview, and you’ll be seen as proactive, hardworking and astute.

3. Job Interview Tips No. 3 - Dress appropriately to match the company culture
Many companies have gone to corporate casual. Check with your contact to see what they require. When in doubt, always err on the side of formal business attire.

4. Job Interview Tips No. 4 - Arrive 15 to 30 minutes early
Punctuality is a subtle clue about attitude and behaviour. Tardiness, no matter the excuse, is a major blunder. Research in advance what your parking options are and allow plenty of time.

5. Job Interview Tips No. 5 - Exhibit enthusiasm
First impressions, positive or negative, dramatically affect the ultimate evaluation. You can make or break a job interview within the first five minutes.

6. Job Interview Tips No. 6 - Appear friendly and outgoing
Smile and say hello to everyone. A positive reaction from the support staff is an important factor in the evaluation. Many hires have been heavily influenced by an Administrative assistant.

Job Interview Tips No. 7 - Be self-confident
High self-esteem and self-confidence are the hallmarks of the successful individual. With confidence, be able to demonstrate how you have overcome obstacles. There’s nothing wrong with feeling good about yourself.

Job Interview Tips No. 8 - Come prepared for key questions
Practice your responses to all the typical questions, such as "tell me about yourself" and "why are you looking for a new position?" How well you speak will have a bigger impact than what you say.

Job Interview Tips No. 9 - Remain involved
The most effective job interviews are those where an active two-way conversation takes place. Not the typical question and answer type. Begin early in the interview to interject your own relevant insight. Remember, don’t interrupt your interviewer.

Job Interview Tips No. 10 - Establish your worth
Discuss your specific accomplishments that demonstrate a proactive attitude. Such as: have you done something not required, trained someone, etc.

Job Interview Tips No. 11 - Know your six key strengths
Be prepared to discuss in detail and with examples your five or six main attributes. These should be the ultimate reason you get the job over someone else. Assuming you have done the proper homework on the company, these strengths should also be closely aligned to the key traits the employer is looking for in a person to fill their position.

Job Interview Tips No. 12 - Give 1 to 2 minute responses
Communication is the key to successful interviewing. A minimum of one to two minutes of well-prepared discussion gives the interviewer insight into your intellect and supports your contentions.

Job Interview Tips No. 13 - Provide examples/details
Support statements about yourself with specific examples. These will provide legitimacy to your claims. Without them, the interviewer won’t accept them as valid.

Job Interview Tips No. 14 - Remain attentive
Stay alert during the job interview. Maintain good eye contact. Sit forward in your chair. Be animated. Show high levels of interest and stay enthused. These actions can maintain or generate momentum during the interview. This is especially important when you are doing multiple interviews on the same day. The energy level must be as high for the last as it is for the first.

Job Interview Tips No. 15 - Don’t be arrogant
A presumptuous, overbearing attitude will offset the finest abilities. There’s a fine line between being too confident and cocky. Don’t cross that line.

Job Interview Tips No. 16 - Ask probing questions
A few strategic questions can demonstrate your intelligence, analytical skills and assertiveness. Have these prepared from your research. Avoid superficial small talk.

Job Interview Tips No. 17 - Be positive about co-workers
Don’t bad mouth previous positions, companies or employers. No matter how well founded, this implies a negative attitude, typical of those who don’t take personal responsibility for their actions.

Job Interview Tips No. 18 - Clearly state your interest
By the conclusion of the interview, state that you are definitely interested in the position and would like to know when the next step will take place. It’s best to demonstrate this interest throughout the session. Be careful not to go overboard.

Job Interview Tips No. 19 - Know your objective and end with it
Establish your objective before the job interview, like a second interview or an offer. Ask for it if you have not achieved it. Ask a question such as, "do you think my skills match your needs?" This gets straight to the point and, at worse, reveals other obstacles to overcome.


PART II: SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Sample Job Interview Questions

Job Interview Questions No. 1
"Tell me about yourself..."
Be prepared to talk for two minutes about yourself. Be logical. Start anywhere, such as high school, TAFE, or your first professional position. The interviewer is trying to evaluate your communication skills and linear thinking. You may try to score a point or two by describing a major personal attribute.

Job Interview Questions No. 2
"Why are you leaving your current position?"
This is a very critical question. Don't bad mouth your previous employer or co-workers or sound too opportunistic. It's fine to mention major problems, a buy-out or a shutdown. You may want to state that after long personal consideration, your chance to make a contribution is very low due to extensive company-wide changes.

Job Interview Questions No. 3
"What do you consider your most significant accomplishment?"
A good answer to this question can get you the job. Prepare extensively—discuss hard work, long hours, pressure and important company issues at stake. You may want to tell a two minute detailed story, discussing personal involvement.

Job Interview Questions No. 4
"Why do you believe you are qualified for this position?"
Pick two or three main factors about the job and about yourself that are most relevant. Discuss for two minutes, including specific details. You may mention a technical skill, a management skill and/or a personal success story.

Job Interview Questions No. 5
"Have you ever accomplished something you didn't think you could?"
The interviewer is trying to determine your goal orientation, work ethic, personal commitment and integrity. Prepare a good example where you overcame difficulties and succeeded. Prove that you're not a quitter.

Job Interview Questions No. 6
"What do you like/dislike most about your current or last position?"
The interviewer is trying to determine compatibility with the open position. Be careful; don't say you dislike overtime, like management, or get too detailed. It's safe to say that you like challenges, pressure situations, opportunities to grow, or that you dislike bureaucracy and frustrating situations.

Job Interview Questions No. 7
"How do you handle pressure? Do you like or dislike these situations?"
High achievers tend to perform well in high-pressure situations. Conversely, these questions could imply that the open position is pressure-packed and out of control. Know what you're getting into. If you do perform well under stress, provide a good, detailed example. Be descriptive.


Job Interview Questions No. 8
"The sign of a good employee is the ability to take initiative. Can you describe a situation where you did this?"
The proactive, results-oriented person doesn't have to be told what to do. To convince the interviewer you possess this trait, give a series of short examples describing your self-motivation. Discuss one example in-depth, describing the extra effort, your strong work ethic and your creative, resourceful side.

Job Interview Questions No. 9
"What was the worst/most embarrassing situation of your career? How would you have done things differently with 20/20 hindsight?"
Your interviewer wants to know how introspective you are, and to see if you can learn from your mistakes. Don't be afraid to talk candidly about your failures, especially if you learned something significant from them.

Job Interview Questions No. 10
"How have you grown or changed over the past few years?"
Maturation, increased technical skills and increased self-confidence are important developmental aspects. To discuss these effectively is indicative of a well-balanced, intelligent individual. Overcoming personal obstacles or recognising manageable weaknesses can help identify you as an approachable and desirable employee.

Job Interview Questions No. 11
"What do you consider your most significant strength?"
Know your key five or six strengths—the ones most compatible with the job opening. Discuss each with specific examples. Don't include your management or interpersonal skills unless you can describe specific examples of good management, or how your relationship skills have been critical to your success.

Job Interview Questions No. 12
"Deadlines, frustrations, difficult people and silly rules can make a job difficult. How do you handle these types of situations?"
Most companies, unfortunately, face these problems daily. If you can't deal with petty problems, you'll be seen as uncooperative. How you overcome these are important. Diplomacy, perseverance and common sense will prevail in difficult circumstances.

Job Interview Questions No. 13
"One of our biggest problems is… What has been your experience with this? How would you deal with it?"
Think on your feet. Ask questions to get more details and break the problem into subsections. It is highly likely that you will have had some experience dealing with the subsections. Answer these and summarise the total. If you can't answer directly, state how you would go about solving the problem. Be specific and show your organisational and analytical skills.

Job Interview Questions No. 14
"How has your technical ability been important in accomplishing results?"
A potential employee needs a strong level of technical competence. Most strong managers have good technical backgrounds. Describe specific examples of your technical abilities, and how you resolved a technical issue.

Job Interview Questions No. 15
"How would you handle a situation with tight deadlines, low employee morale and inadequate resources?"
Your interviewer is looking for strong management skills. You need to be creative and describe your toughest management task, even if it doesn't meet all the criteria. Most situations don't. Organisational and interpersonal skills, handling pressure and good handling of this question are indicative of effective management skills.

Job Interview Questions No. 16
"Are you satisfied with your career to date? What would you change if you could?"
Be honest. The interviewer wants to know if you'll be happy. Are you willing to make some sacrifices to get your career on the right track? Your degree of motivation is an important selection factor.

Job Interview Questions No. 17
"What are your career goals? Where do you see yourself five or ten years from now?"
Be realistic! Pie-in-the-sky goals label you as immature. One or two management jumps in 3-5 years is a reasonable goal. If your track record indicates you're in line for senior management in 10 years, then mention it. If you've had a rocky road, be introspective.

Job Interview Questions No. 18
"Why should we hire you for this position? What kinds of contributions would you make?"
This is a good chance to summarise. By now, you should know the key problems. Restate and show how you would address them. Don't be arrogant—instead demonstrate a thoughtful, organised and strong attitude.

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