| TOOLS FOR AN EFFECTIVE JOB INTERVIEW |
Prepare to Discuss:
Employment data
What you did
How well you did it
Salary level
Reason for leaving or considering change
Educational data
Class ranking
Honors and activities
Percentage of expenses earned
Personal data
Community affairs
Speaking engagements
Articles written
Family, hobbies, interest
Professional affiliations
Be Prepared to Answer:
"Describe yourself" questions
Pre-planned response should include:
Education
Work credentials
Accomplishments
Personality questions
Example: "How do you perform under pressure?"
Give "the obvious answer," supported by past or present experiences
Motive questions
These attempt to determine if you will enjoy the job or fit in, for example:
"Why should you want to work in a firm this size?" or, "What's the ideal situation for you?" Answer in terms of your qualifications for the job: Don't be vague, be specific and be emphatic
Salary questions
Tell them what you are presently earning when asked
Avoid negotiating salary; state you would consider a reasonable offer once all the facts have been gathered. Discuss with your recruiter how to best negotiate salary for each opportunity
Tough questions
Prepare answers in advance and answer them matter-of-factly
Why do you want to make a change?
What are your weaknesses?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
What kind of firm are you looking for?
Knowledge of the Company:
Know as much as you can about the organization, and be prepared with a list of questions (written is OK). But be careful not to cross examine.
Interest questions:
the firm, the department, background of the interviewer
Job satisfaction questions: the importance of the work, your responsibilities and authority, career potentia.l Avoid questions on salary, fringe benefits, vacations: these questions will be answered at the appropriate time
Attitude:
Maintain strong interest throughout the interview; it will be too late to decide you're interested if you've been "just curious" throughout the interview Smile, be friendly and relaxed, but never casual; show enthusiasm for the things you see and hear that you like Be positive, answering questions in terms of past performance
Never be negative (or overly positive) about past/present employers Always dress conservatively
Additional tips:
Answer questions directly, and be careful not to digress.
Don’t monopolize the conversation; make sure your interviewer has time to respond to your responses.
Conclusion:
Ask your interviewer "what's the next step"
Thank your interviewer and express interest again
Call your associate at Whitaker immediately after interview
Write a brief thank you note to your interviewer The Interview Preparation Process Answer questions directly, be careful that you don't digress
Don't monopolize the conversation, give the interviewer opportunities to respond
Goal: To Get a Job Offer
Your first goal of each job interview is to get an offer. Remember, you can always turn it down. But you can never go back and change a "first impression." Strive for every interview to be a "winning interview," that is, find out about the job and convince them you can do the job.
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