HOW TO CRACK AN INTERVIEW

FILLING IN YOUR APPLICATION FORM Once you receive it, take a copy or two of it to draft your responses. You will want the form that your prospective employer receives to be immaculate and not have any blots, rubouts or scribbles on it! Read all the instructions contained upon It carefully and comply with them Do not be tempted to try to put a form through your computer printer and have your typed words line up into the boxes it will take you forever Never, ever, EVER write in any of the boxes. See enclosed CV. It is a guaranteed way to have your application rejected. Employers use these forms for a reason; they do not take too kindly to someone who is too lazy to be bothered to fill them in. Boxes on application forms tend to be small. Choose your words carefully. If the box simply is not big enough for what you want to tell them, attach a piece of plain paper with your script and refer to it on the form. When listing your previous employers, ensure there are no unexplained gaps Try to adopt a positive attitude throughout the form. Stress achievements if you can. If you are asked to name referees, ensure that you have sought their permission first, or if you do not want them contacted until youve been made an offer, indicate on the form Once you are happy with your draft, transfer the detail to the original form. Always write application forms in your neatest hand and in black ink for your preference as this photocopies well. Never use any other color except black and blue Once you have completed the form, photocopy it for your own records. You may wish to take it to the interview with you to refer to. Draft a covering letter to go with your form. Keep it brief and always use the term.

CIRRICULA VITAE I will leave it to you to decide on the style and content of your curriculum vitae. There are many sources which will advise you on these aspects. Here are some brief pointers : a. b. c. d. e. Use the best paper you can afford Use only white or off white paper Do not use a fancy hard cover or binder Use a simple font such as Arial and use the same font throughout your covering letter Never use a generic covering letter. Be specific in your content by bringing out one or more elements of how you match what they are looking for. It is not just a wrapper for your CV f. Your CV needs to get past that first 30 seconds after the recruiter picked it up. Imagine yours is just one of the 50 or 60 more applications received g. Stress on your achievements in your CV, not simply list your past employers and job titles

h. Comply with any instructions in the adverts such as supplying your current salary you may wish to do this within your covering letter Imagine your delight, constant reader, when two weeks later you receive on a lovely headed paper, an invite to attend an interview for this potentially wonderful new job!!! Thats when your hard work really begins.

PERSONAL RATINGS AND COMEPTENCIES What follows is a simple method of assessing your strengths and weakness and also those kills known as transferable skills or competencies which are sills you acquire as you meander through life. They may be consciously acquired or gained by osmosis. Either way, these are not job specific skills, but ones that can be readily applied to different roles. Incidentally, the word competency has generated a lot of heat and light over the last few years within the world of human resources and indeed the interview which you attend maybe described as competency based interview or a competency focused interview. In either case, what they mean is they will be asking you questions aimed at finding out whether or not you have the competency level in the areas they require rather than simply seeking confirmation on the information contained in your CV. Competencies fall into broad categories such as described below : Drive for Achievement Defined as individual grasps opportunities to achieve and exceed their business and personal objectives; desires to perform tasks to the highest standards, is generally positive and enthusiastic at all times; does not suffer too greatly by set backs and is tenacious; is resourceful and self driven; can accept change and is flexible; has a high energy level ; leads by example. Strategic Thinking Defined as: The individual can think about their industry/ sector as a whole; can identify threats and opportunities to the organization; can identify threats and opportunities to the organization; can monitor the progress of short and long term projects; can manage multiple priorities; understand the link between departmental and organizational objectives; recognizes the interaction between people and technical issues in achieving objectives. Relationship Building Defined as: the individual puts efforts over a sustained period of time in building influential relationships; understands the importance of good business relationships; demonstrates proactivity in utilizing the expertise of others; works with others to formulate solutions; builds our friendships and actively networks.

Commercial Awareness Defined as: the individual understand how organizations work; can apply commercial and financial principles, demonstrates an active interest in financial performance of organizations in terms of profit and loss, cash flows, added value, routes to market, competitiveness, etc Leadership Change Defined as: Individuals works with others to implement change; helps to clarify and avoid ambiguity, willingly accepts change; takes responsibility of driving things forward; can identify and initiate change; understands the connectivity of departments and how change affects others. Leadership Skills Defined as: the individual demonstrates an ability to share a sense of vision and common purpose; has respect for others through words and deeds; inspires loyalty programmes and commitment; has an adaptable leadership style depending on the individual and circumstances; can create and build teams; is inspirational and enthusiastic; demonstrates empathy; can transform strategic objective into firms actions. Continuous Improvement Defined as: The individual demonstrates the ability to identify the actions needed to make things happen in a quality oriented way; can ensure these actions are carried out; seizes opportunities to make improvement; establishes conditions to ensure continuous improvement; can plan and organize tasks; can challenge the status quo. Customer Awareness Defined as: The individual can demonstrate an ability to meet and exceed customer expectations; recognize the prime importance of customer; can anticipate future customer needs; goes the extra mile for the customer; takes responsibility for developing long term relationships with customers; forges partnerships that contribute to future growth opportunities for both customer and own organization. Decision-Making Skills and Judgment Defined as: The individual can demonstrate a readiness to make high quality decisions based on the information to hand using logic and analytical skills, breaks complex issues into component parts; considers the outcomes of varying course of actions; can draw reliable conclusions from disparate and often conflicting sources of data; can make sound decisions in a timely manner; is able to make decisions with an awareness of the political climate internally.

Influencing Skills Defined as: The individual demonstrates competence in convincing others or impresses them in such a way as to gain acceptance, agreement or behavior change; sets positive example by modeling behavior; has excellent oral and written communication skills; has the ability to influence peers; subordinates and superiors and key decision makers; can influence at tactical and strategic levels. Development of Self and Others Defined as: The individual demonstrates an interest in the development of others as well as himself; seeks out opportunities to learn new skills; encourages others in their development; accepts coaching and mentoring responsibilities; monitors own and others skill levels; keeps abreast of development in their chosen field. Team working skills Defined as: The individual demonstrates an ability to work co-operatively and productively with others; copies the team working styles of others; looks for opportunities to work in ad-hoc and established teams; understands how to set and monitor team objectives and goals; recognizes the differing skill sets of individuals and need for a mix within the teams. Researching the Organization An obvious place to start preparing for your interview is to research the organization youd like to work for. There are many, any sources for which t gain the kind of information you need, ranging from the internet to periodicals, annual reports, etc. All of these have their own part to contribute in building up the picture you have of the organization. The Internet will obviously give you access to the organizations own website. However, be aware that the organization will use this medium to present the face to the world that they want, and it may be heavily spinned. Putting cynicism aside for a moment, make sure you read as many of the web pages as you can and jot down salient points as you come across them. You will often find information on their markets, their products, their employee numbers, their green credentials and usually details of how you can contact them directly. For larger companies, call up their public relations department (it may have many other titles) and ask them to send you any brochures or literature that they have all about the company. Now most employers will have expected you to do at least a basic internet search on them and Ive lost count of the number of times a candidate has recited verbatim statistics on the website. To many of us this is lazy research. So what should you do? Using what you have gleaned about the organization as a starting point, see if you can find out who their competitors are and what they have to say on their websites.

It is much better to answer an interviewer in response to the question. What do you know about us?with a brief summary of what youve learned followed by your own question such as . However, I see that Company XYZ is also expanding into the Pacific Rim market in direct competition with yourselves. How do you see that battle going? It is a golden rule when researching or collating data on any subject not to suffer from paralysis by analysis. You must react to what your research tells you. Example You are going for a job with a company which manufactures parts for the production of cigarettes. Your research tells you that the company has enjoyed growth over the past 20 years and shows no sign of declining. However, the recent introduction of anti-smoking legislation in the UK has made you think that this company must be doing something right in order to continue growing. You dig around some ore and find that in the UJK, smoking is actually in decline through a combination of the new legislation and through greater awareness of health issues by the general public. Ergo the only reason the company can still be growing is because they are selling outside of the UK. You do some more searching and find that the worlds growth markets are India, China and other developing countries. Now, it is tempting to then just drop into your conversation with the interviewer your knowledge that these are the growth markets. How much better does it sound when you come out with: Are there any plans then to expand your manufacturing operations into China and India to give you a more direct route into the growth markets? This not only lets your interviewer know that you are aware of where the growth markets are, but also that you have thought through what it might mean to them as a company. The Annual Report is an invaluable source of historical information on an organization as it reflects the previous years trading/activities. The Annual Report is often a daunting read as it contains highly detailed financial information. My advice is that unless you are familiar with financial terminology, simply scan those pages. The juicy stuff is contained in the Chairmans Report (usually near the end). This is the narrative report to shareholders by the top person in the Organization on how the previous year has gone. It will also point out where the organization hopes to be going in the future. This again is valuable information you can take with you to the interview. TIP Companies which are public limited companies (PLCs) are duty bound to supply copies of the most recent Annual Report to anyone who requests one. Find out the registered address of the company and telephone their Public Relations Department for a copy. Lastly, but not least, how much information on the post you are applying for is actually contained in that job advert? Not much, Ill wager. Enough to capture your interest, sure, but enough to decide whether or not this really is the job for you?Probably not. Telephone or e-mail the Human Resource

Department and ask them for a copy of the formal job description. This should have much more detail that the advertisement and again provide you with clues on how to prepare. Timing is Everything There is an old saying relating to appearing for an interview: If you are not ten minutes early, then you are ten minutes late! Do you know, its true! If you are way too early it may appear that you have (a) not researched the travel time; (b) are a tad desperate to impress; (c) have poor time management skills. Be aware of potential road traffic issues if you are travelling by car and make sure all public transport selections will have you arriving in plenty of tie. Take along with you the original invitation letter which will give you the organizations telephone number should you have to call ahead and explain that you are going to be delayed. If you do not have a mobile phone, make sure you have change for a payphone. Ten minutes is almost respectful. It allows the organization plenty of time if they have not finished their preparations just yet and you are the first candidate. It may well be that the previous candidates interview is extended a little or they are late in seeing you. However fed up you are at this obvious personal slight, please do not let it show on your face! Remember, you might just be grateful for the interest you have generated in them whereby they dont notice the passage of tie and your allotted time runs on! Planning what to wear Its time to head for the interview and you have one question: what is the dress code? Should you be strictly formal? Should you just go ahead and be yourself? After all, they wont want to employ yet another worker bee, will they? What about earings, nose studs, tattoos etc? Should they come off? Would you make more of an impression if you stood out from the rest of the crowd? Dressing for the interview is a big issue and many get this woefully wrong. The answer is actually very simple. The job interview is a formal meeting between people who are assessing each others capability and suitability to work together in a professional environment which could lead to a legal formal agreement between an employee and an employer the employment contract therefore its not over stating the case to call it professional. The dress code then must obviously be biased towards formal. Prepare for it with all seriousness it requires because you need to create an impression on those whom you are meeting that you are responsible and resourceful kind of a person. This means that the casual look or even the smart/casual look is out. It means that the conservative ( no, that does not mean going for the David Cameron or John Mayor look, I meant with a small c) look is what you need to work at. Even if you are going for an interview as a call center operative who has no contact what so ever with the public or a part time summer job, it will surely make a

difference if you go to the interview dressed formally. One rule that most human resource people promote is that an applicant must dress as if he or she is going for the interview of a job one level higher than the post actually being applied for. The point of dressing yourself well is to leave behind an impression of yourself as well groomed and professional. Nothing does this as much as the clothes you wear, the fragrance you wear and the colors you wear. With conservative colours and clothes you are in safe zone with most people whereas a daring fashionable look could just disqualify you for too much attitude of the wrong kind. Some of the things for female applicants that are to be avoided are: Too much jewellery remove any visible piercings except discreet earrings Brightly coloured clothes or nail polish Chewed, unsightly nails Skirts that are too short and clothes that are too tight or revealing Accessories that are too colourful or floral Inappropriate shoes ( leave those killer Jimmy Choos with the four-inch spikes at home) Collarless shirts Strong perfumes

And for guys: Pale coloured suits Suit, collar and no tie combo; Rolled up sleeves; Tattoos on display; Overpowering after shave; Brown shoes with any colour suit except dark brown; Always wear a black belt unless you are wearing a brown suit White socks with any outfit!! ( This is a golden rule of life; unless you are taking part in sport, there is no room in life for white socks ) Sandals or any type of open toed shoe.

These all just go to prove that you do not really care about the job and all you are worried is about your own personal attitude, which may not be a great advertisement to someone who is looking for a colleague who is going to fit in. Once youve got the job there will be plenty of time to assess the real dress code of the organization. Now what is it that you must wear ?Colours that are suitable are the traditional blue and grey. Blacks and dark brown are fine as well but are less conservative than blue and grey Whatever the role is, remember organisations do want disciplined, professional, responsible people in their jobs and it is best that you reflect that in your attire and attitude. White shirts, plain striped or

small patterned tie and jacket while for ladies, it is best to stick to a business suit if you can or alternatively a demure jacket/skirt/trousers combination work best. In all cases, never ever wear brand new clothes. You dont want to be sitting down to the embarrassing sound of a too tight seam on your trousers parting company or be near to tears because those new shoes really are a tight fit! I know, I know, it sounds like advice from two centuries ago, but believe me, most interviewers are conservative in their outlook and do actually believe in this stuff. As they are the ones with all the power you are playing in their back garden, you need to adapt YOU to fit them, not the other way around. If you are still unsure, it does make sense to call and ask before hand what is the dress code and dress appropriately. CONDUCTING YOURSELF AT THE INTERVIEW There is a variety of different types of interview: such as one-to one, panel and group interviews. The style of the interviewers will vary too- some will seem very stern and assertive while the others will be more welcoming and engaging. In every case though, there are basic principles that you should adopt in how you deport yourself and behave during the interview. I make no apologies for using the word behave as there used to be a (now discredited) style of interview where the interviewers were deliberately antagonistic, the idea being to see if they could get the poor candidate to behave as they would when working under pressure. Thankfully, this practice is very rare these days and you are unlikely to suffer the torment of this. Ok, the basic principles are: When you first enter the room, make sure you have a good posture and make eye contact with everyone in the room As you are introduced to everyone, give a firm handshake Scan the room layout once only and maintain eye contact with the lead or only interviewer Look alert and wait to be asked to sit down If you are offered a tea or coffee, politely decline. Its another thing that can go wrong like spilling it down on yourself or worst still knocking it over. Three rules of behavior in the interview are professionalism, professionalism and professionalism. You are likely to be asked if you found your way to the interview venue easily. Always answer positively, even if it was a nightmare getting there These people will be so used to getting to those premises that it will be a jar In their minds if you moan about not being able to find the building. You are trying to build a consistently positive picture in your mind from the word go

Ok so the interview Is under the way. You maybe asked to talk through your career to date. This is where your copy of your CV comes in handy to have in front of you. When talking about your career to

date, dont repeat merely what it says on your CV. Your interviewers will have read it already and are looking for you to expand on what it contains. Always accentuate anything of note that you were responsible for. Beware, however. Of over exaggerating your role in the success of an organization. In terms of the body language, you should exhibit throughout the interview, I would say dont sit too rigidly upright in your chair but dont slouch either. It is easy to say be yourself but really thats exactly what you should be. The interactions between you and your interviewer ( who may well turn out to be your new boss ) will then be genuine and honest, and a good guide to whether or not you are going to get on. COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND HOW TO ANSWER THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR DRIVE FOR ACHIEVEMENT Tell me what you know about our business? This question falls into this category as the new employer will be assuming that you want to join their firm because it is a sound and progressive career move for you. Thats a hint. Again, this question will come up time after time. You are expected it to be asked. Didnt you? So you went onto the internet and googled their name. You went onto their website and noted a few facts and figures. Zzzzzz- I am asleep already. It does not mean that you know anything of the company at all..Now while Im not suggesting that you dont quote them some devastatingly interesting statistics around their niche market specialisms, but what I am saying is get behind the facts that they present to you. What is their market share? Who are their competitors? What threats are there to their growth? What opportunities might they wish to exploit ? What did their CEO say in their last annual report? By all means use the net. Find out the registered office of the company and telephone their marketing department and request that they send out to you a copy of the most annual recent report. Can you imagine interviewing five people and all of them trot the same figures and facts taken from the same source? What if the sixth interviewee reminds you that the moment you are the only number two in the world market; however the CEO has a strategy in place to you to number one, and that involvesNo contest!! I am asking you to be a bit smarter than the average bear on this one. Be creative about how you illustrate what you know about their company. Give an example of when youve experienced a setback? If you are asked a question at the interview and you are unprepared for it, you will probably make a hast of it. No question. Its the interviewer mining that negativity seam again and your auto response wille to go into denial about it. After all, someone brilliant as me gets it right the first time every time dont I?

The trick here is to recall a time when, although the eventual outcome was positive, the success was down to either your intervention or your realization that what you were doing for the first time round was not working. Theres no shame in admitting that your initial approach to a situation turned out to be less effective than you hoped, but through your well developed sense of self awareness, you changed some or all aspects of your approach and achieved the aim after all Interviewers will be expecting you to describe the situation, your thinking behind why you initially did what you did, how you reacted to the realization that it wasnt working and maybe the reaction of others round about you. The answer contains all the essential elements : An outline of the circumstances; your initial approach; your initial approach; your recognition that it wasnt working; your gathering of data to come up with an alternative solution and its subsequent success; and finally a recognition of where you went wrong in the first place What have you done to progress your education to date? Obviously I cannot state here what you should be saying in terms of formal education because you will have all different experiences. However, education comes in many forms- and you should talk with enthusiasm about this.. Well, I left school with a few GCSEs and one A level and started in company ABCs sales department. The company sold house and car insurance via their call centers. After I had received my initial training for the job, I was taken on for, there were a few opportunities for me to attend short training sessions such as assertiveness training and customer care etc, but I realized I was capable of a lot more so I asked my team leader if I could perhaps spend some time in another department, such as the under writers room. They seemed to be pleased with my enthusiasm , so they let me spend a month watching and learning what they did in that department. As a result, when a vacancy came up, I was the obvious choice for the role and got a position there. When I was there, I asked the company to support me in going to a night school to gain insurance qualification, and Im please to say that they did- as you can see from my application. Do you think you are over qualified? Why on earth would an interviewer ask you this question? Didnt they read your CV before they decide to interview you? You can safely assume that this is not really an issue for them otherwise they would have discarded you at the first shift. What they are really trying to gauge is if they have been lucky enough to be able to buy a Ferrari for the cost of a BMW Turn the tables on them. Why do you think Im over qualified? Tell me what your concern is? Wait patiently for an answer. Do not be surprised if they are flustered and struggle to explain. If they respond that the concern is that you are going to get bored, reply with something along the lines of that you are dedicated and dont start projects that you dont complete.

Say My hope is that I can do this job sufficiently well to be recognized for this and maybe this will help me progress in the company in due course Do you mind reporting to someone younger than you? Easily countered with. Absolutely not, I respect competency and position and have no problem working with people who have obviously proven themselves in the past to be worthy of their position Which is more important to you, the job itself or your salary? Ah, now I bet you are thinking that you are a greedy, grasping sod, now arent you? Interviewers are realistic you know. Whilst surveys tell us that money isnt always the most important thing about work, there are damn few of us who would work for free! Its ok to mention salary in your response. Like most people I suppose I am looking for a salary and benefits package commensurate with my experience and qualification, and the relative worth you have already placed upon the role. However to me, its crucial to be in a job I enjoy doing and feel I am making a genuine contribution to the success of the company. Why should we employ you rather than one of the other candidates? Ouch! You didnt see that one coming, did you? Should you really be negative about other candidates to paint you in a better light? Of course not. How could you be? You dont know about them. The interviewer wants to know what unique quality makes you the best person for the job. To differentiate yourself from the other candidates, you must show that you have researched the company thoroughly and studied the job description. You should be prepared to demonstrate clearly how your skills, qualifications, and accomplishments match the employers specific needs. It is important to convey genuine enthusiasm for the post. Ofcourse I have no idea of the quality of the other candidates, although the must be of a high quality for you to interview them. How ever I would like to think that by the end of this interview I have done enough to convince you that I have everything that you are looking for and that I am the best choice in this instance.

In your job, what is good enough? Big flashing green light! Big flashing green light! This is a personal invitation, copperplate script on handtooled vellum, delivered by a footman in fetching white stockings and scarlet slippers. This is your opportunity not only to underline your work ethic, but also to re-enforce your approach to quality Well, it would be easy for me to sit here and say that to be good enough I have to produce the work required of me to an acceptable quality and on time. However, my own personal standards are higher than that. I like to look for ways to add that little bit extra to what I do. It maybe something as simple as hand delivering sometime to someone rather than putting it into the internal mail, or producing a set of comparison figures to contrast against, rather than assuming the reader of the new figures will do anyway. I suppose I am an advocate of continuous improvement not change for changes sake but Im always looking for a better way of doing things whilst respecting existing traditions. THE AND FINALLY QUESTIONS One of the reasons that human resources occasionally received a hard time over the years was the propensity of some of its practioners to put questions the purpose of which the interviewee couldnt understand, nor could they see how what they might give as an answer would have any relevance to the role they had applied for. We have already seen that one of the factors in successful performance in a role is the ability of the post holder to assimilate into the culture of the organization or at least to fit in with those around them. Therefore, it would be a legitimate aim of any interviewer to get an impression of the kind of person the candidate is in terms of character, interests, etc. Ofcourse, the interviewer may just be nosey! What follows are what I call the and finally questions. I have named these after the more frivolous news items that came at the end of news bulletins in the UK. If you are asked these type of questions, they will most likely come to an end of the interview. Obviously there are no right or wrong answers to these questions, only your own answers. There maybe the odd time when you are asked questions that you may have no clue what the interviewer is driving at. To be honest, sometimes there will be a definite attempt to prise out some facet of you that relates to the job on offer. There will be times where it is an attempt to get a feel of what your personality is like. Sometimes, it may just be the interviewers having a bit of fun (shock! Horror! Interviewers in Sense of Humor probe!) If you would invite three people ( living or dead ) to a dinner party, who would you invite? Depending on what you have already established about the company, you should be ready to call to mind three people who most closely fit the type of organization. For example, an altruistic, not for profit organization may like to hear you say Mahatma Ghandi so I can learn what his struggle was like for him first hand; Bill Gates to ask him why he has dedicate most of his fortune to charitable enterprises rater

than leaving it with his children; and Stephen Fry, because the conversation would never falter with Stephen there! A good tip is to always include Stephen Fry as he is (apparently) the most popular choice for a dinner guest in the UK and the chances are your interviewers would have picked him too! If the company concerned was very entrepreneurial, you may wish to choose Freddie Laker, Richard Branson and Sir Alan Sugar probably the most famous entrepreneurs in the modern times. You get the idea! Do you think workplace romances are O.K.? Far be it for me to say what you would motivate an interviewer to ask his question. However I have sat alongside a manager who has been asked this question of candidates. Maybe there has been a bad experience in the past or maybe he just like watching interviewees squirm, who knows? Anyway my advice is that there is only one possible answer for this. From my own perspective I cannot see anything but trouble ahead when co-workers get involved. If there is subordinate-superior relationship there then neither party can act with any objectivity. If during the day, then perhaps there is less opportunity for things to go wrong but I am uneasy about the whole thing. I do see merit in the view that employees private lives are their own concern and nothing to do with the employer, however I think it best if private lives and working lives are kept separate If we were risk managers and decided to examine the pros and cons in the two columns on a flip-chart, Im sure we would find many more entries in the cons column and the pro column. This question would appear to be the one where the answer is open to debate. I dont think so, as well as being in HR I am also a manager and I would much rather not have to deal with the complications resulting from personal relationships going sour which they quite often do! Id opt for the easy life every time as would all of the colleagues I recently polled. Here are some questions for you to consider what kind of answer you might give: a. What would constitute a perfect evening for you? b. What would be a nightmare evening? c. Would you rather have an extremely successful professional life and have a tolerable home life or have a fabulous home life and a merely tolerable professional life? d. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one new ability, skill or quality, what would it be? e. Who is your biggest villain? f. Describe the one person who has had the single biggest influence on your life? g. Has anyone told you that you have been their inspiration? h. How forgiving are you? Give me an example i. Have you ever made a big sacrifice? If you have, is it something you have kept to yourself or do others know about it?

j. Has anyone ever made a big sacrifice for you? k. What percentage of people of your age do you think are having a better life than you? On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you? l. Tell me about the last time you laughed at yourself m. Does others laughing at you bother you? TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS Telephone interviews are being used more and more these days as they are extremely time efficient for the recruiter. Once used by the recruitment agencies, many private organizations use these as an intital filter. Undoubtedly you will come across these at some stage in your career, so its best to have some idea what to expect before hand. Think about what you are trying to achieve here. Its not about actually securing the job at this stage. Its about getting to the next level which involves a face to face interview. Everything I have said previously about you doing research on the organization still applies. The advantage you have this time is that you can have all your research notes in front of you to refer to, rather than having to commit it all to memory. This goes for your CV and covering letter too. Have them in easy reach. Even better, why not prepare a reference sheet with points to jog your memory on specific tasks you have worked on, achievements you have made or projects youve taken part in? When you agree to an appointment for a telephone interview, make sure that you choose a time where you know can definitely be in an environment conducive to you giving your best. That means no interruptions, background noise, etc. If you can, make sure you receive the call on a landline. Then there is no worry about batteries going flat or reception being lost. Yu will be more likely to be relaxed and give a better account of yourself in this type of environment. The biggest drawback, from both the recruiter and the candidate point of view is the lack of visual feed back during the conversation. These subtle, visual clues to how well we are doing are denied to us, so we must be focused and alert to picking up purely verbal indications. If the interviewer is good at what they do, they will have prepared well at their end and the call will have a clear structure and purpose. This is good for you as it stops the conversation straying into areas which may have pitfalls in them for you. In your responses, try to be clear and concise. Remember that the reason a telephone interview is happening in the first place is to speed up the whole recruitment process, so highly detailed, longwinded answers are not called for here. I would also suggest that you make sure that your diction is good so that the interviewer understands you clearly. If anything, slow down your speech slightly to allow extra time for the interviewer understands you clearly. If anything, slow down your speech slightly to allow extra time for the interviewer to make written notes about what you are saying. If you dont have shorthand skills and have ever tried to capture peoples word s verbatim, you will know exactly how difficult that is! Do what works for you. Some people have found that standing during telephone

interviews helps them to focus and helps with their breathing and posture. This translates into sounding composed over the telephone. You may want to rehearse beforehand. Try writing your own set of questions and have someone telephone you and ask these questions. Remember that this is unlikely to be the hiring stage, so the questions are unlikely to be complex or demanding. Get them to write down your responses and add their own critique. Analyze these notes and amend your approach accordingly. Part of the purpose of the telephone interview, from the recruiters perspective, is to find out how much you want the job and ( in the case of sales job ) whether you have closing skills. As soon as it seems appropriate during the conversation, ask for a date to meet for a face to face interview. Say something like this : Well, this certainly sounds like just the job Im looking for, Mr.X. Im sure I can contribute a lot to your organization. Id really like to visit you to show you what I can offer. When and where would you like to meet me? You may have to be content with the response : Well, we have a few other candidates to talk to yet, but we will be in touch, but at the very least you can ask When am I likely to hear from you?. If the manager umms and ahhs, decide on a reasonable timescale, and suggest, Well, havent heard from you be next Friday, would you mind if I call you then to find out? This approach is particularly important when you are applying for sales jobs, as you are expected to demonstrate your natural salesmanship. But even in this case of other jobs, most people will appreciate your keenness and enthusiasm. If they dont and you loose the job account of being too pushy ( most unlikely ), well is it the sort of job you wanted anyway? If after a telephone interview you dont get called to the next stage, do not be afraid to contact the recruiter again and ask for feed back on your performance. This will help you improve your own skills and hopefully produce a more positive outcome in the future. HR JOKE How many HR managers does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but he reserves the right to take his time about it as the company would need to be aware of the light bulbs view on change and also the view of other stakeholders involved. Once upon a time there was a shepard looking after his flock of sheep on the back of the road in deepest Wales. Just then, a shiny BMW screeched to a hault beside him and the passenger leans out of the window and says to the shepard : If I can guess how many sheep you have, can I keep one? The shepherd says: Right you are then The women in the car connects her laptop to a mobile phone, logs into the NASA website, scans the field using a satellite, opens a database linked to 142 excel files filled with formulae, logarithms, pivot and

look up tables, then prints out a 100 page report on a 12-volt DC powered micro printer. She says to the shepherd You have 1398 sheep exactly Thats right . You can take your pick on my flock. Says the shepherd The woman packs all the gear up, looks at the flock, picks ne up and shoves it in the boot. As she is about to leave the shepherd says, If I can guess what you do for a living, will you give my animal back to me? The women agrees and the shepherd says Youre an HR manager Thats amazing cried the woman, How did you know? First of all you came here without being invited. Second of all you spent ages telling me what I already knew. And finally, you dont understand a thing about what I do, but interfered anyway. Now , ca I have my bloody dog back?

CURRICULUM VITAE / RESUME / BIO DATA Name: ( Type your Full Name here ) Contact : Mobile ( Mention your Cell Number ) Landline ( Landline with Area Code )

Email : ( Everyone to make new sober ids please no cooldudes / 007s ) your name @ anything.com Present Address : ( Your current residential address )

Mission Statement / Objectives : ( An interesting fact finding statement that is eye catching )

Educational Summary ( Start with your latest qualification first and work backwards to your school grades) Mention Course Name and Year of Graduation / Percentiles as an option***

Internship Work Experience ( Assuming you have done an Internship / Minor Project mention details here in the following format ) Name of Company : Type of Company : Duration of Internship : Your Responsibilities and Key Achievements :

Professional Work Experience : ( Some of you might have been working in your own company or a relatives company on the job training or even running your own small show) Name of Company : Type of Company : Duration of Experience : Your Responsibilities and Key Achievements : Additional Qualifications : ( Mention Dual/ Toastmasters / Other Courses including Computer Proficiency, International Languages, any special skills acquired due to special training / workshops,etc )

Accolades & Awards : ( Enumerate your college achievements that you feel would be worthy of showcasing debating, speaking, best managers, cultural fests, literary fests, quizzes, etc ). Extracurricular Activities : (Hobbies, SUPW & STA) etc Anything which is truly you and with a worthy or intrinsic value to share Trekking, River Rafting, Philately, Aero Modeling, etc. // Working with Cheshire Homes, Raphael, Social Services YUVA, etc. // Avid reader, Movie Buff, Cooking, Gardening. Classical Singing / Dancing, Playing Chess. Sports & Achievements : ( List sports activities where you have participated and possibly won prizes at an Intercollegiate level Cricket, Hockey, Football // Athletics // Gymnastics // Long Distance Running // Table Tennis // Tennis // Golf // Swimming, etc. Personal Details : Name : Fathers Name : Permanent Address : Passport Details : Passport Number / Validity Marital Status : Sex: Date of birth: Age: Languages known:

References Available Upon Request from : 1) Professional Reference Name Email 2) Personal Reference 3) Academic Reference Name Email Name Email Contact Number ( Work related ) Contact Number ( Family related ) Contact Number ( College related )

Declaration : Place: Name: Date: Signature

QUESTIONS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Why do you want to work here? What type of experience do you have for the job? Why do you think you are successful in your career? You are applying for the position of------------. What, in your opinion are the broad responsibilities of such a position? What did you dislike about your last job? What is the least relevant job you have had? What have you learned from the jobs you have held? Are you willing to go where the company sends you?

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Have you already done the best work you are capable of? How long will you stay with the company? What would you like to be doing five years from here? What are your qualifications? How long would it take you to make a contribution to our company? What are your biggest accomplishments? Tell me how you have progressed through your career? What is your greatest strength?

17

What are your outstanding qualities.?

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Do you like working under pressure?

Why should I hire you ? What can you do for us that someone else cannot do? What aspects of the job interest you most? What are you looking for in our company? What will your references say about you? Can we check your references? What was the last book you read or the last movie you saw and how did it affect you? How long have you being looking for another job? Have you ever been fired and why?

Were you ever let go from your job and felt that the reason was unjustified?
How do you handle pressure? Can you tell me in what way has your previous job prepared you to take on greater responsibility? How do you think this job will compare with others you have applied for? Do you like taking orders.? Can you tell me about a time where your work or one of your ideas was badly criticized?

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Tell me about yourself. How do you get along with other people? How would you rate yourself on a scale of one-to-ten? Can you tell me what things really bother you? Would you like to have yours boss's job? What did you think of your last boss? You say you have determination and initiative. What have you done that shows this? Just going back to your boss - do you feel she could have done a better job? Your boss obviously helped you a lot but what are some of the things that your boss did that you disliked? What personal characteristics do you think are necessary for success in your life? If you had a choice would you prefer to wok alone or as part of a team?

45 46 47 48 49 50 51

Would you clearly voice your opinion if you disagreed with the views of your boss or superior ? How would you deal with, say, a supervisor who was unfair and difficult to work under? Would you consider yourself a born leader? Do you feel you are much better at your job than your co-workers? When do you expect a promotion? What have you learned from your other jobs? You said earlier that you were still working for 'X' company. How have you managed to attend this interview while still employed?

52 53 54

As we still have some time left, could you tell us a story? Looking back, what have you done that was, shall we say, stupid? When you started your last job and met your colleagues for the first time, how did you feel? How did you get on with them? You must have experienced some disappointments in your life. How do you feel you have benefited from them or have you ? What kind of salary would you require to accept this position ?

55

56

57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66
67

What kind of salary do you think you are worth? What kind of salary do you believe you will be earning in, say five years? Why aren't you earning more at your age? What aspect of this job interests you the least? To change track a bit, could I ask you, how do you rate me as an interviewer? Although your CV is quite impressive, what would you say is your greatest weakness? You are aware of the product/service our company provides. Imagine I am a customer . Sell our services to me now. What is the worst thing you have heard about our firm? How would you react if I told you that your interview, so far, was terrible. I'm still not really sure if you are suitable for this job. What do you think? Do you have any questions?

How would you react if I told you that your interview, so far, was terrible?

Stop for a moment and really think how would you react if your interviewer said that to you. Would you get angry and annoyed and maybe insult the interviewer back. If so, you would have fallen for the trap. Listen to the question again and this time pay close attention to the most important word in the question -'If'. The interviewer is not saying that your interview is terrible, he is asking: "How would you react IF I said your interview was terrible." In other words, he is trying to find out how you react to criticism. In the daily grind of the real business world people lose their tempers and shout and criticize each other. The interviewer wants to judge how you might react to such situations in the work place. So listen carefully to the question and don't fall for the bait. Let the interviewer see you calmly considering the question and then begin your respond:

Well, I'd be quite surprised and rather sad. I have put a lot of work into preparing for this interview and getting this job is very important to me. May I ask you, what parts of my presentation did you consider were not up to an acceptable standard? If you could pinpoint these areas to me, maybe I could go over them again and clear up any misunderstandings that might exist. I'm sure that's where the problem lies"

Try to respond to this question along the above diplomatic lines. In fact, what you say in response to this question is not nearly as important as your original emotional response. You have not got angry, emotional, upset, depressed or defeatist. You have not thrown in the towel despite the interviewer's apparent criticism of your performance - but you have come out fighting. Unknown to yourself you have already passed the interviewer's real test

What is the worst thing you have heard about our company?

This is known as a 'shock' question. It is designed to throw you off balance - to make you uncomfortable and then to see how you will react. Although, at first glance it may seem a difficult question it is quite simple to answer once you don't fall in to the trap of trying to answer it objectively. It is a trick question injected into the interview to test you. The interviewer is an old pro. He knows the questions that can unnerve interviewees. He is carefully watching for your reaction. However you have done your homework, too, and instead of getting hot and bothered you smile and simply say:

"The worse thing I have heard about your company is how hard it is to get a job there and how tough, detailed and rigorous their job interviews are.!" A simple but effective answer. Now watch your interviewer respond to that!

What was the last book you read or the last movie you saw and how did it affect you?

Are you surprised by this question? It's strange but 5-10 years ago it's not a question you would have expected to get during an interview but to-day it is quite popular. Most interviewers, however think it is quite original and that they are the only ones to use it but it is now a common question now so be prepared for it or a variation of it and select your book or film beforehand. However, there is no need to tell them about the very latest film you have seen or book you have read. Select a book or film that you really like and genuinely know about. Of course the smart interviewer will

use this question as another golden opportunity to illustrate to the employer that he has the exact skills and talents the company is looking for. For example, our chef being interviewed by the restaurant might say:

"Oh, that's an unusual question I love reading biographies and the last book that I read was the autobiography of the famous French Chef, Jean X. The book was fascinating as it detailed his rise from nowhere to the top of his profession and it gave incredible details of the long hours he worked and the incredible pressure he put himself through and that no matter how difficult it got he always maintained the highest standards. He put the same effort and care into his very last meal of the day, even if it was meal 580 as he did into the first meal of the day. They, too are the standards I would like to aspire to and I believe I have the capability of reaching the same standard "

I'm still not really sure if you are suitable for this job. What do you think?

Don't take this question at face-value. Although the tone of the question may sound critical and uncertain the interviewer is really asking you to finally convince him once and for all that you are the right person for the job. The question is asked in this format to see if you are easily intimidated and defeated by blatant negative criticism. The interviewer wants to gauge how determined you are - to really discover how much you will fight to get this job. So tackle the question head-on. Don't let the way it is phased knock your confidence or poise. Begin your response with a question of your own:

"May I ask why you believe that?" This simple question will force the interviewer to reveal why he may think you are unsuitable. Usually he will refer to a lack of some skill or other or a lack of experience.

I n fact he will, probably be quite deliberately vague as his question is really a request for you to finally convince him that you are right for the job. Nevertheless, use what he says as an opportunity to emphasize again all the main reasons why you believe you can do the job. By now you should have these reasons off by heart. This question, if you use it rightly is simply another opportunity to press these reasons home. When you do that, the interviewer will be impressed not only by your answer but also by the way you turned an apparently negative question around and skillfully used it in such a positive way.

Sample Questions 1. What is your management style? 2. If you havent thought about this its time you do! open-door management is best And you get the job done on time or inform management. 3. Are you a good manager? Give an example of why you feel you have top managerial potential? 4. Keep your answer achievement and task-oriented; emphasize management skills planning, organizing, interpersonal, etc. 5. Please give me your definition of (the position for which you are being interviewed)? 6. Keep it brief and give actions-and results oriented definition. 7. What to you look for when hiring people? 8. What are your salary expectations? 9. What is the toughest part of a job for you? 10. How would you describe your own personality? 11. Give me some examples of how you are as a leader? 12. If I spoke with your previous boss, what would he/she say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? 13. How do you resolve conflict on a team project?

14. What was the most difficult decision you have had to make and how did you derive at your choice? 15. How would you describe the essence of success? How successful have you been so far?

Sample Questions to Ask the Interviewer Most employers will ask you if you have any questions. How you respond may affect their evaluation of you. If you dont ask any questions, you may appear passive rather than curious and interested. So, be prepared to ask some insightful questions about the organization (firm) Topics could include: The competitive environment in which the organization operates. How their goals have changed over the past three to five years. What obstacles the organization foresees they may encounter in reaching its goals What is the management style

Interview Checklist Have you done your homework on the company? Its products, industry outlook, strategy, goals? Do you know the companys culture? Does your image, traits and personality seem to fit in? Can you exceed the positions initial requirements? Are you ready to discuss your past successes? What can you tell the recruiter about yourself that would make you a top candidate? Remember to be yourself demonstrate confidence and maintain composure

Typical Stress Questions 1. What are your short/long-range objectives? 2. What do you look for in a job? 3. Why did your business fail?

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.

What can you do for us that someone else cannot do? Why should we hire you? How do you rate companies to your classmates? How is your health? Have you ever had counseling? How do you respond to/work under pressure? What is your philosophy of management? Do you prefer staff or line work? Why? What salary are you worth? Why? What were the major accomplishments of your career? What are your major strengths/weaknesses? How long would it take you to make a contribution to our company? How long would you stay with us? If you could start again, what would you do differently? How do you rate yourself as a manager? What new goals or objectives have you established recently? Why? How would your boss describe you? Subordinates? Have you received any job offers yet? What features of your previous jobs have you liked? Disliked? Describe a situation in which your work was criticized. Describe the essence of success. What was the last book you read? What interests you about this position/firm? Don't you feel you'd be better off in a different size organization? Will you be out to take your boss' job? Describe your personality Have you helped increase profits, reduced costs, increased customer base, etc.? Have you hired people before? What do you look for? Have you fired people before? Why? We do drug-screening at the flyback. Do you have any problem with that?

Cooperative Education Program Favorite Interviewing Questions

Employers responding to the RECRUITING TRENDS survey were gracious enough to share some of their better, favorite, and/or most often used interviewing questions. A few of the best are listed below, categorized according to personal background, skills and abilities, academic preparation, and other

topics. This list of questions would be an excellent resource for graduating students to use when preparing for interviews with prospective employers.

PERSONAL AND MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS Please tell me about yourself. How would you handle rejection? Who or what had the greatest influence on your life? How would you describe yourself? What are some of the greatest personal challenges you have faced during your lifetime? What are some of your personal goals, and have you achieved them? SKILLS AND ABILITIES What skills and abilities do you possess that will help make you successful in today's job market? Please discuss some of your past leadership roles and your accomplishments in them. Please describe a frustrating experience from school or work, and tell me how you dealt with it. How do you interact with people around you (i.e. leadership, communication, socializing, etc.)? Why should our organization hire you? For you, what are some of the pros and cons of working on a team project? Have you ever supervised someone in a similar position with another organization? How would you describe your supervisory style? Who was the most difficult person you have ever dealt with, and how did you respond? How did you organize your time in school/work/play? What are your major strengths and weaknesses? What personal factors do you consider most important when evaluating yourself? In what organizational structure do you function best? What organizational techniques do you use on a daily basis to accomplish your academic, work, and social goals? Please tell me about your communication skills, your personal skills relevant to work experiences, and your problem-solving abilities. Please describe your leadership style. What skills and/or special qualities do you possess for this job that would make you stand out from other candidates? How well do you work with others? What skills and abilities do you bring to this job? Please list three personal attributes that you would like to improve, and tell me any efforts you've made to make improvements in these areas. What do you see as your greatest challenge when starting a new career? How would your friends describe you? What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort? In what areas are you working to improve? Who are two people you admire and respect the most, and why? What aspects of your job at the XYZ organization were most frustrating? If you could create the perfect job for yourself, what would you be doing? What is special about you that you feel would make you an attractive candidate for our organization? How would others describe your weaknesses? How do you organize your time?

CAREER GOALS AND OBJECTIVES What are your long range goals and objectives? How are you preparing to achieve them? What are your goals and aspirations for the next three years? five years? ten years? What are your short and long-term goals? What are your standards of success/goals for a job? Are you goal oriented? Why do you think you would be good at this profession (sales, retailing, marketing, etc.)? Please describe your ideal job. Why are you interested in this industry/ profession/ occupation? What are your career interests? What work would you like to do that really interests you? In what environment do you want to work? What geographical location interests you most when working? Please tell me about your plans for the future. What is your timetable for achievement of your current career goals? Do you prefer theoretical or practical problems? Why do you want to work for XYZ company? In this organization, where do you see yourself in five years? Please tell me five things about yourself that would make you an asset to any organization that hired you. EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND COLLEGE EXPERIENCES With what extracurricular activities have you been involved? Please tell me about your accomplishments in extracurricular activities. What have been your greatest challenges for improvement of a campus organization? What do you enjoy doing most? Please describe your most rewarding college experiences. Please cite examples of the challenges you experienced during your leadership positions with campus activities. If you could relive your college experiences, what would you do differently? What changes would you make in your overall campus life? During your campus activities, what positions did you hold? What were your major responsibilities in these organizations? What did you like best/least about these positions? Did you have an opportunity to work as a member of a team? If so, please explain. What were some of the problems you encountered? HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS Are you creative? . . . I am writing a book entitled "101 Everyday Uses for the Common Red Brick." Can you give me five uses for the common red brick? Please look at this photograph of an electronic gadget, because you would be working with others to enhance its capabilities. It operates a helicopter hovering over an ocean platform. What are some concerns that you would place on your checklist to consider before you started this project? What could you see as the major objectives of this job? If you were hired by our organization, how would you identity the major roles and responsibilities of your new position?

What roles and responsibilities have you accepted in work, social, and other activities? What is your purpose in life? For what companies have you worked, and were they good or bad, and why? What have you admired in people who have previously supervised your work? What haven't you admired in these individuals? (In general, questions related to work ethic and value systems might also be posed.) In your opinion, what does it take to be effective in sales or marketing? What are your personal motivational techniques? How would you resolve conflict in a group situation? If you were given this assignment, how would you proceed? ACADEMIC PROGRAMS AND ACHIEVEMENTS Why did you choose this major field of study? Why did you choose your particular college or university? What were your favorite college courses, those you liked most? Least? Why? Please tell me about accomplishments in your academic program that are relevant to your future career goals. What is your grade point average (GPA)? How do you feel about this? Should grades be used as an indicator of future career potential when an organization is considering new college graduates? What were your reactions to instructors or college faculty during your academic program? How would you relate your academic accomplishments to future career aspirations? How satisfied are you with your accomplishments in this academic program? What electives did you take outside of your major? Why did you choose these courses? What was the most difficult aspect of obtaining a college degree? What are your academic strengths? What courses gave you the most difficulty? If you could, what changes would you make in your school's academic program? WORK EXPERIENCES What prior work experiences have you had? What were your accomplishments in these prior work experiences? What were your most significant achievements? What problems did you experience while on the job? What would your last two employers say about you as an employee, either good or bad? What projects were accomplished during your time on the job? How were these accomplished? What experiences did you have when meeting deadlines for project completion? Explain. What can you tell me that you enjoyed most about your previous job experiences? Least? Can you tell me about your toughest job assignment? Please tell me about a conflict situation and how you resolved it. What life experiences have given you the greatest reward? What one experience proved to you that you would be a capable manager? Please elaborate on one of the work experiences listed on your resume. Please tell me about the duties/requirements of your last job. What did you see as your major strengths and/or weaknesses on this job? ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

In addition to your educational and professional experiences, what else would you like us to know about you in order to make an appropriate decision? Please tell me about some of the accomplishments you achieved during college and which make you the proudest. How did you finance your education? What are your greatest achievements at this point in your life? Of what accomplishments are you most proud?

RELOCATION/TRAVEL Are you willing to relocate? Do you mind traveling? How do you feel about relocating during a career with XYZ company? KNOWLEDGE OF THE ORGANIZATION Why did you select XYZ company? Why do you want our training program over others? What are your expectations of the XYZ company? Why do you want to work in the position you are seeking? What attracts you to this industry? Other industries? Why are you interviewing with XYZ company? What do you know about our company? Who else are you interviewing in your job search? Why did you choose to interview with our company? What personal qualities do you bring to this firm? SALARY AND BENEFITS What starting salary do you expect as an employee? What company benefits are most important to you? How do you feel about an income made up totally of commissions? When comparing one company offer to another, what factors will be important to you besides starting salary? How important is starting salary to you when considering our company's job offer?

What steps can I take to increase my effectiveness in a telephone interview? At least you are on an equal footing with all other distance interviewees over the telephone. Prepare an agenda in advance for a telephone interview with particular care. You have the same disadvantage in not being able to read the interviewer's reactions, nor gage his/her concentration. You need to be certain to hit all you key selling points...the reasons why you want the job and why you are a great/best candidate. Also plan a strong closing: "I really appreciate the time in speaking with you Mr/Ms/Mrs. ___________ about the position of _______ at ______ Company. The information about _____ makes it sound even more exciting! I am extremely interested in the position and feel that my background in _____/my ___ years experience in really make me a strong candidate. What will be the next step? I certainly would be willing to meet with you in person."

If your telephone skills are not as strong as you wish, practice. Ask a friend to call you and hit you with some questions; then give you feedback. Also plan to have a comfortable area to take the calls, where you can sit and take notes or pace while you talk (another advantage to a phone interview to release some of that nervous energy!) Many candidate fail to ask for the job, respond to information given to them in the interview and leave with a strong statement. Not to mention knowing what is next!! Keep paper & pen & agenda by the telephone and have your notes on the organization and job ready to take response calls for jobs.

What questions should I ask the interviewers? Other than specific questions about salary and days off (they give the wrong impression)---what do you need to know to decide if YOU want to work there? Do some research into the company, into the job and see if you can find someone who works there to give you an inside scoop. Determine what gaps in information you need to fill in---who will you report to, what do they feel is the most important aspect of the job, why is the job vacant, what happened to the incumbent? Questions about the work you would do, types of deadlines or responsibilities....all these are excellent provided you have done some research and can show that you have a general idea about the job/organization (or else, why are you there?). Make a list of what you know and what you need to know. I find that most of the questions I want to ask the interviewers are answered during the interview. I am at a loss as to what to ask. What do you suggest? The first is to mention the questions you were going to ask and repeat their answers. "I was going to ask you about the _____. But you already mentioned that the ________ was _________. Not bad but you could do better. Any research you do should lead to questions and those questions when answered lead to more questions. Let us give you an example. When you research the company you are meeting with you find out that they have just been purchased by another company. You need to ask questions to determine the extent that the sale has been shared with the employees. If they are worried about their jobs is this a company that you should seriously be considering joining. In two months you may be out of a job if they continue to cut. In these instances it is not unusual for the last hired to be the first let go. One more suggestion is to consider preparing generic questions that may be asked of any organization (and in fact should). "How does this organization treat its employees?" "Where does this organization plan to be in five years." And the ultimate open-ended question "How is business?" -- especially if you think you know the answer. I am a female seeking a job in a male-oriented profession. How do I show the interviewer that I am not afraid to get my "pretty, clean hands dirty"?

Words would not suffice with some interviewers who still do not 'get it'. Even so, listing jobs and projects where your support and involvement entailed getting dirty would be the best route. Tell some stories... This is what I did (the results) This is why it was important This is how I/we did it Include some examples of 'we' projects---shows that you can work with and support a team effort. Let your experience speak for yourself... If they cannot see the results for themselves based on what you have achieved and accomplished, then they lose. And, would you really want to work for a place like that? Make a list now of key achievement, major responsibilities and projects that show you are handson...flesh them out with some details and you have a group of stories to tell. Make the stories concise and have them illustrate key skills...managerial as well as skill-related.

THE VITRUAL INTERVIEW Practicing for the interview means practicing several behaviors - not just answering questions. You must dress well, watch your body language and posture, practice your manners and eye contact as well as practice answering questions correctly, smoothly, and with confidence. The practice questions below, in one form or another, account for a large percentage of interview questions. With each question, you are given a series of choices as to how you might answer the question. When you select an answer, you will learn whether your answer is correct-and why. Answering these questions will help you polish your interviewing techniques. The questions and answers in this exercise are generic and, in many cases, must be tailored to your individual situation. Still, the logic behind the answer remains essentially the same.

1) Why are you the best person for the job? a) "I've held a lot of positions like this one, and that experience will help me here."

b) "Because I am good at what I do." c) "Our discussion here leads me to believe this is a good place to work." d) "You need someone who can produce results, and my background and experience are proof of my ability. For example..."

2) If asked a point blank question such as: Are you creative? Are you analytical? Can you work under pressure? etc. What is the best way to answer? a) Answer yes or no. b) Answer yes and give a specific example. c) Answer yes and give an explanation.

3) Tell me about yourself. a) Outline personal data, hobbies, and interests. b) Give an overview of your personality and work habits. c) Give three specific examples of your personality traits and accomplishments.

4) What was your GPA? Why is it low?

a) My GPA is 2.8. basically because I had a lot of fun in college. b) My GPA is 2.8 because I held a full time job while in college, working my way through school. It is not reflective of my ability to do the job. c) My GPA is 2.8 which I don't think is too low, at least compared to my friends.

5) What are you looking for in a position? a) "I'm looking for an opportunity to apply my skills and contribute to the growth of the company while helping create some advancement opportunities for myself." b) "I'm looking for an organization that will appreciate my contributions and reward my efforts." c) "I'm looking for a position that will allow me to make enough money to support my lifestyle. I am a hard worker and will give a concerted effort to earn the money I need."

6) What do you know about our organization? a) "I've done a little homework and here is what I know about your organization...(cite examples)" b) "Everything I've seen and heard makes me want to be a part of this organization. I understand your industry is ________ and your primary customer is __________. A particularly exciting part of your business appears to be _________ ." c) "I know enough to know this is an exciting place to work. It appears to be fit for my career goals."

7) What is a weakness? a) "I get really frustrated with my co-workers when they whine about everything." b) "I don't 'toot my own horn'. I like to go in and get the job done and I don't dwell on who gets credit."

c) "I don't think I have a weakness."

8) How would you characterize your work style? a) "I am a very driven person. I make a list of what needs to be done and then tackle the items until I've completed the job. b) "I show up whenever I'm scheduled to work." c) "I haven't held a job yet so I don't know what my work style will be."

9) What are your strengths? a) "I am good at giving constructive criticism to my coworkers. This honesty is something I'm very proud of and have found essential to having open working relationships." b) "I consider myself to be very consistent. I have proven myself to be someone who can be counted upon to do what is expected." c) "I would have to chose between two skills. I am very proud of my determination and ability to get things done. At the same time, I am very proud of my analytical abilities and problem solving skills. These skills combine to give me a unique ability to solve problems and then implement the solutions."

10) How would co-workers describe you? a) "They perceive me as a leader. The people who have worked with me learned great deal and accomplished in many cases more than they thought possible." b) "My employees would tell you they got direction when they needed and the room to work when it was appropriate. I believe a measure of a good manager is how much he is able to get done through others." c) "They perceive me as someone who cared about t them personally and had high expectations. I get a great deal of satisfaction from helping

others do their best. My former employees would highlight three of my priorities which are to build loyalty and a team environment, obtain results and develop people."

11) What did you like and dislike about college? a) "I didn't like the tremendous about of homework some professors assigned us. I liked those professors who realized I had a life outside of class." b) "I liked the opportunity to be involved on campus. It was a small campus that allowed students to take responsibility, organize events and be a part of the planning team. I can't really think of anything I disliked, college was a wonderful experience." c) "I liked having Wednesdays off. I think the thing I disliked most was living in the dorms."

12) Are you willing to relocate? a) "No." b) "I'm open to opportunities within the company so if that involves relocation I would consider it." c) "I'd move, but I know your headquarters is in Alaska and that's too cold for me."

13) What are your short term goals? a) "Short term, I just want a job." b) "Bills are beginning to pile up. In the short run I need to find work so I can keep up with my obligations." c) "Short-term, I'd like to find a position that is a good fit and where I can contribute to a company's bottom line. The position we are here to discuss today would appear to be such an opportunity. Could you tell me more about it?

14) Where do you want to be in 5 years? a) "I haven't really thought that far ahead but I think I'd want your job." b) "If selected I would hope to meet my goals and take advantage of opportunities to learn so I will be considered for other positions within the company. I hope to build my career with a company such as this one." c) "Long term, I hope to start my own business."

15) Describe a situation you've encountered with a difficult customer. a) "In my last job I dealt with customers at a retail store. One customer wanted to return an item she had obviously bought several years ago, which was against store policy. I talked to her calmly and explained our policies and encouraged her to shop and I would exchange the item however I could not give a refund.". b) "I rarely encounter a difficult customer because of my excellent customer service." c) "I had a customer once who claimed her steak was not cooked correctly....I picked up a knife and cut it open and explained that's the way it's supposed to be."

16) Before we go any further, what kind of money do you need to make? a) "I feel I am worth at least $30,000." b) "My salary requirements are negotiable. Your firm has a reputation of compensating employees fairly and I trust you would do the same in my case. I am very interested in finding the right opportunity and will be open to any fair offer when I do so." c) "Money is not very important to me. I need to be able to pay the bills but the work environment is far more important to me."