How to Understand Interviewer Questions and Techniques

How to Understand Interviewer Questions and Techniques Before you jump into the interview, it is crucial that we first take a step backward and try to see the interview purely from the interviewers point of view. What is he looking for? What does he want? What qualities, skills and experience is he looking for? If you can discover what he really wants and match those requirements one-by-one, youll be amazed at how smooth and successful the interview can be. Key requirements: Ability Lets not kid ourselves. You can know all the tricks of the trade. Be an expert in every aspect of interview psychology. And even have the prettiest, hand-printed resumes it really wont make the slightest difference unless you have the actual skills and ability to do the job advertised. This is any interviewers first objective: to ascertain if you have the ability to successfully carry out the functions you will be given if you get the job. But during the interview, it is not only essential that you inform the interviewer of your qualifications to do the job, but that you can prove it to him there and then. It is one thing being able to actually do the job but quite another thing being able to convince the interviewer of this reality in a positive and enthusiastic manner during the brief span of an interview. In fact, this ability is the key difference that separates the winners from the losers. Lets take an example. Mr. Joe Ordinary is going for an interview for the position of computer programmer. The company is looking for a hardworking computer programmer who will help them develop a new software program. The interviewer asks Mr. Ordinary, Can you do the job? Joe Ordinary smiles: Yes I can…….. It should be good……very interesting….looking forward to it…… Now notice the difference when Mr. Joe Winner is asked the same question. He knows he must not only tell his interviewer that he can do the job but prove it in such a way that the interviewer will not believe him but be excited by his potential. But how? The secret is, in fact very simple: for every skill you list, always recall an incident in which you successfully used that skill. Paint a picture in words for the interviewers so that they can actually see you using this skill in their minds eye. Before we get back to our computer programmer, let me give you this example: Anne Malone desperately wanted the job of manager at her local florist shop. During the interview, the owner said she was looking for someone who was hardworking and very ambitious to look after and build up the business. Most applicants would have said, Yes, Im determined and will definitely strive to increase your turnover and profits. Yes I can do it…..definitely. Anne, however not only made a similar statement, but she backed it up with a real-life practical example. She brought her statement to life. She recalled her part-time summer job in a florist shop when she was a student. She told the story of how when she started the job, she noticed that the shop looked run-down that it lacked sparkle and a sense of freshness So she told the interviewer how she went to the shops owner and how she managed to get her to agree that when she worked in the shop over the weekend, she would get an extra commission for all the extra customers she could attract to the shop. So the following weekend Anne used her own money and managed to persuade her family and friends to help her re-paint and re-fashion the shop and deliver a single fresh free flower to every house in the surrounding area. And the shops sales blossomed. Can you now see the difference between just saying to an interviewer I can do the job to actually bringing such a statement to life. And thats how Mr. Joe Winner answers his questions. When he is asked can he do the job -he not only confirms his ability but he backs it up with personal examples of how, for example he programmed similar software for other High-Tec companies. In fact for every skill he lists he backs it up with personal examples. He paints vivid word pictures. Yes, this seem simple. Yet in the thousands and thousands of interviews, I have sat through the vast majority of people will simply answer such questions with a bland ..Yes, Im confident I can do the job… and leave it at that hoping the interviewer will be happy with that. He may be happy but will he be impressed? After the interview will you stand out from the other candidates? Remember: every time you detail a specific skill that you can contribute to the business dont just make a bland statement, I can do this and I can do that always back it up with personal real-life examples. Paint a picture of yourself putting these skills into practical and profitable use so that the interviewer can see this picture in his/her mind. And, of course, always bring with you any documentation (neatly assembled in a smart folder) that will add weight and substance to your claims. Extra references, awards or prizes, for example you may have won or articles and reports that you may have written that stand out. Proving that you can do the job is the essential first step of the interview and the interviewers first and main concern. Before he proceeds to the next stage of the interview, he will want to be sure in his own mind you are capable of doing the job. It is your job to convince him. Suitability The interview proceeds. The tone has changed. It has become more open, more relaxed. The original awkwardness you felt is beginning to dissipate. The interviewer is now happy that you at least have the necessary ability to carry out the basic requirements of the job. Now hell want to know more about you. After all, he and his fellow colleagues may be spending a lot of their lives working with you. So he will now try to find out if you are personally suitable for the job. Hell start to focus on trying to ascertain what type of person you are. To do this, most interviewers will try to see how you measure up under the following headings. Desire / energy: Do you seem energetic? A person who gets up and does things with enthusiasm. Do you seem the type of person who wants to get ahead wholl make a real difference? Confidence / determination: Do you seem a relaxed, friendly yet confident person? Someone wholl be able to get on with others? Also someone wholl stick to a task until it is done. Independent. What the interviewer is looking for here is someone who can be a team player and follow the directions of his supervisor but yet still have the maturity to be able to work unsupervised and direct and motivate herself. The employer is looking to see if you have this balance. Motivation: Are you the type of person who wants to do well. To get ahead. To impress with your professionalism. To innovate. To build. Power of communication: Have you the ability to mix and get on with people by communicating clearly and effectively. Will you be able to take extra responsibility in the future and be able to lead and motivate people through effective communication skills? Likability: Do you seem a friendly, OK person. This does not mean that you have to be perfect or the most popular person around. They just want to know if you are a friendly and easy person to get along with. Someone who will add to their existing team and not disrupt it. How Professional Are You? A new stage of the interview now starts to emerge. The interviewer has now got to know you even more. There is a definite softening in the atmosphere. An embryonic personal relationship seems to be developing between you and your fellow interviewers and you notice most of your pre-interview tension seems to have gone. You begin to allow yourself to relax a bit more. The interviewer, too seems more human. At this stage, he is convinced you have the skills to do the job; he likes you; he feels you are personally suitable and he finds it easy to communicate with you. In his own mind, he is now beginning to see you not as an interviewee but as a potential employee. For the interviewer, this is an important turning point. And hell now want to take an even closer look at you from a professional business point of view. Hell want to make sure that youll be an asset to the firm, that youll act in a professional manner and be loyal, reliable and trustworthy and be committed to the company. As you speak and answer his questions, hell now be trying to evaluate you under the following main headings. Reliability: Do you seem honest, reliable. Someone who will do an honest days work? Someone who is straightforward and has enough respect and pride in themselves to always want to do a good job. Honesty: Do you seem an honest, trustworthy person? Someone whom they can have full confidence in? Someone they could leave the keys to lock up at the end of the day? Dedication? Do you seem hardworking and dedicated? Someone who starts a project and finishes it? A starter and a finisher? Someone who does not look for excuses to cover up failings and moans about everything? Communication: As discussed earlier under personal suitability, are you the type of person who can get on with and communicate with all levels of the company from the tea lady to the M.D.? Commitment: The interviewer is trying to judge if you got the job would you commit yourself fully to it? For example, what would you say if you were going for the job as a middle- manager and the interviewer asked you: As an employee, would you clean the floors? What the interviewer really wants to find out here is how committed you would be to the team how willing you would be to roll up your sleeves and do whatever is necessary to help your team get the job done. Dont only answer yes, but make sure you also give a personal example of a similar situation where you helped out to back up your answer. The Last Check? Lets see how the interviewers thought processes are operating now. Hes happy you can do the job and that you are personally suitable. Hes also confident that youll get on with most of the staff and that you have all the necessary professional commercial qualities that he requires from his employees. You almost have the job! The interviewer is now beginning to visualize you as a future colleague. Someone who he will be working with and someone he will possibly be responsible for managing. Manageability All during the interview, this question will be at the back of the interviewers mind. How manageable will you be? The last thing a manager wants is an employee who he thinks might cause trouble in the future and cause him sleepless nights! And so a lot of his questions will be aimed at helping him come to a considered judgment on your ability not only to work alone unsupervised but also on your ability to work with others. He will also want to judge your ability to take direction and criticism not only when it is honestly given but also when you may be treated unfairly. The interviewer/manager knows that a lot of the time, in the real business world things go wrong, people make mistakes, deadlines and commitments are broken and tempers are ignited. The interviewer wants to consider how you might react to such circumstances? So be aware of these questions when they arise and the real motivation behind them. Also when you sense such questions are being asked treat it as a positive sign that the interviewer is seriously considering you for the position. Last thoughts What we have presented here is only a very general outline of the interviewers possible thought processes as the interview progresses. Each interview is unique and its structure and tempo will change and adopt to accommodate the different personalities involved. However, it is very helpful to be aware of the key stages of your interview and to have a deepening understanding of what your interviewer is really looking for when he asks you certain questions. RELATED: How to Answer Tell Me About Yourself in a Job Interview

How To Be A Good Intern In 17 Easy Steps

How To Be A Good Intern In 17 Easy Steps Sometimes you see an image or an infographic and you think, thats brilliant! I just came across one such piece. How to be a good intern in 17 easy steps was originally created by Number 17, which has been shut down, but their  creators  run their own individual sites. I came across this now but some research shows it was actually created in 2008! Thats pretty cool. If you like this, make sure you hit the share buttons below. 45

5 Helpful Tips on Finding the Perfect Apartment for Rent

5 Helpful Tips on Finding the Perfect Apartment for Rent Whether you are venturing out on your own for the first time or moving from mortgage to rental, you need to be ready before starting your apartment hunt.  Finding an affordable perfect house is not easy. However, it does not need to be too overwhelming. Once you find out what you can afford, it is just a matter of finding the ideal apartment and signing on the dotted line. Here are some tips that will come in handy when looking for apartments in the Bay area: Determine affordability Your rent per month should not exceed 20 percent of your monthly income. To avoid spending too much on rent, you should take the time to polish and update your personal budget before you start looking for apartments. Doing so will help you to figure out which houses you can afford and the things that you need to cut back on if you want to afford a pricey apartment. After studying your budget, you might decide to cut out the costly expenditures to allow yourself to find the best apartments within your price range. You may need to put off your cross-country trip to the East Coast to enjoy a beachfront hotel in Ocean City, MD. Lower rental costs You can do several things to lower your monthly rent, including: Considering transportation costs â€" urban areas usually require small transportation budgets because you can use subways and public buses to get around. However, you will need to consider the cost of bus passes and gas money if you opt to live far from the city center. Look outside the urban area â€" when looking for apartments for rent in Burbank CA, you should consider those outside the city if you want cheaper rent. Make sure that you check out apartments that are within a commutable distance to work. Think small â€" square footage is important when determining the price of an apartment. Although choosing a studio apartment might mean that you will miss out on space, you will be able to save. How much space do you really need? Assess this by considering your visitors, storage needs, and lifestyle. Add renter’s insurance Renter’s insurance might be a choice for some renters, but most landlords need it. Whatever the case, you need to include it in your budget. This insurance covers any losses in case you damage your property or suffer a break-in. The landlord insures the building but renter’s insurance actually covers what is inside the building. Fortunately, renter’s insurance is affordable and its rates depend on the amount of coverage, geographical location, and rent paid. Run a credit check Are you looking for affordable or luxury apartments for rent in Oakland? You need to request a free credit report. Most landlords usually run credit checks to ensure that there are no issues with their tenants: unpaid bills or bankruptcy. Although the property owner will run a check before approving you, make sure that you check for any potential roadblocks on your own. Start hunting Do not start looking for apartments at the last minute. Typically, you should start apartment hunting three months before your expected move in date. This allows you to find a residence in time because renters are required to give at least 30 days’ notice if they want to move out. Although the features that you want should be specific to you, look out for the following: Transportation â€" if you do not have a car, you should consider the apartment’s proximity to public transport. You need to factor in the cost of transportation to know how much an apartment really costs. Convenience â€" choosing a conveniently located apartment makes life a lot easier. Look for houses near your workplace, amenities, and shopping malls. Author Bio: Jim Thompson Title: Super-Connector Jim is a super-connector with  Towering SEO and Youth Noise NJ  who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses his efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.

8 Cover Letter Writing Mistakes That Might Be Ruining Your Career

8 Cover Letter Writing Mistakes That Might Be Ruining Your Career The following is a guest post by  Gloria Kopp.  Her bio follows the videos. Most employers will ask you for a cover letter, but it won’t mean much if your letter isn’t engaging or interesting. A great cover letter will set you apart from other candidates, and you can achieve this by taking heed of these eight tips. These are common mistakes that people make when writing their cover letter, and eight ways you can avoid doing the same. Mistake #1: Implying More Experience Than You have Even in a cover letter, you might be tempted to exaggerate your experience. You should never lie on your cover letter. Implying you have more experience than you do have will do you no good in the long run. In the age of social media, it is only too easy to find these things out. TIP: When talking about your experience, be honest and embellish what you do know. Mistake #2: Being Too Personal There is commonly an excess of information in cover letters, and it can become too personal for the human resources manager. Turn offs include personal life such as marriage or divorce, religion, age, and other topics that are naturally off-limits. TIP: Do not speak on personal relationships, age, religion, or other off-limit topics. Focus on the job at hand. Mistake #3: Underselling Yourself One of the worst things that applicants commonly do is deliberately undersell themselves. Your cover letter is the perfect place to sell your positive qualities and enthusiasm. Using self-defeating phrases such as ‘You probably have other clients to review’ and others share an air of being unconfident in your ability. You cannot stand out. Be assertive, honest and enthusiastic from the very first sentence. TIP: Remain confident in your ability as a potential employee. Mistake #4: Focusing Too Much on Yourself A cover letter is much more than what you can do or have done in the past. The company wants to know what you can do for them, and how your set of skills will benefit them. TIP: Make your achievements known in a context that lends well to the duties of the position to which you are applying. Mistake #5: Sharing Irrelevant Experience While job experience is crucial to many positions that you may be applying for, oversharing can be a turnoff â€" especially in a cover letter! Don’t confuse your potential new employer â€" share some experiences in your cover letter, and allude to positions that are relevant to the work you are applying for. TIP: Make sure to tailor your cover letter to only the most relevant experience and skills. Mistake #6: Writing A Novel For some hiring managers, nothing is worse than a long, novel-like cover letter. If she becomes tired reading through it, it has become too much. TIP: At one-half page or less, keep your cover letter concise. Mistake #7: Not Customizing Writing the wrong company name or position is the fastest way to get your cover letter thrown out. Write, and read, your cover letter careful to make sure that it is specifically catered to the position that you are applying for. TIP: Customize it: include the right company name, position, and the correct spelling of the hiring manager as well. Mistake #8: Not Proofreading or Editing A few harmless typos can cost you your dream job. As the top mistake that most cover letter job applicants make, you need to do more than use a spell check. TIP: Use an online editing tool â€" or three â€" to check and check again to ensure that your cover letter truly stands out. Useful Cover Letter Editing Tools There are several great online resources for job seekers to edit their cover letters. For example, the Hemingway app helps to make your writing concise and clear. It points out long, complex sentences for editing and helps to strengthen them. Ginger Software and PaperFellows are grammar checkers that help you to avoid common, embarrassing mistakes in your writing. Correcting spelling, grammatical mistakes, and misused words, it is as accurate as a human editor. PolishMyWriting is an online application that corrects spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, style mistakes, and misused words in your writing. Accuracy is key to writing the perfect cover letter. Ukwritings and Essaroo provide a great community of writers and editors who are experts in their field. With some writers being at the Ph.D. level, both websites are great resources if you are stuck and in need of motivation and inspiration in your writing. Write well and edit often â€" a strong editing tool will not create the perfect cover letter, but practice certainly will. About  Gloria Kopp. Gloria Kopp is a digital marketer and an elearning consultant from Manville city. She graduated from University of Wyoming and started a career of a business writer and an educator, now she works as a tutor at  Assignment writing service. Besides, she is a regular contributor to such websites as  Engadget, Boomessays,  Huffingtonpost etc. Want a mini-course in writing great cover letters that get results?   Check out these videos!  Click the arrow to start.

What Is the Best Resume Writing Services For Reddit?

What Is the Best Resume Writing Services For Reddit?We are all aware of the fact that online forums are one of the best places to get good deals, but the question is how can we tell if we are getting the best deal when it comes to hiring a top quality and reputable resume writing service? There are a number of questions that you will want to ask yourself when it comes to this particular market. Here are a few helpful tips.When you are going to hire a resume writer, you will need to have some type of a criterion on how much money you are willing to spend. This is so that you can be sure that the writer will be able to deliver the kind of work that you need. You need to be able to hire someone who has experience in the field that you need a resume written for. You may want to choose a company with the knowledge to be able to give you some suggestions as to what will be the best course of action for your needs.If you find a company that has a lot of experience in your field then you wil l have more of a chance of having your work done correctly. The same thing goes for a company that is new to the game. They may not have the knowledge on how to properly do your resume.Another important factor to consider is whether or not the writer has any sort of certification. You need to make sure that the writer you are looking into has had any training on how to do this particular job. With that said, there are a few good choices when it comes to this.If you can find a website that has at least some of these factors then you should take advantage of it. A resume writing service that has the ability to offer classes on how to write a resume is an ideal way to go. The reason for this is because it will help the writer as well as the client.By paying a fee to pay for some of the training and certification of these top professionals will provide you with a better professional image. That means that you will get the impression that you are hiring a professional and that you will b e more likely to be hired. It's easy to say that you do not want to get stuck paying for training when the writer can give you the training free of charge.Once you have found a service that you feel comfortable with, you will need to do some research. You will want to find a few different services to check out because you will want to compare the work and credentials of the writers. From here you can choose the best one.It's important to find a writer that can do the job for you as soon as possible so that you do not have to waste time waiting for your resume to be completed. By doing some research you can make sure that you are going to have a resume that is going to do exactly what you need it to do.

Conflict During Job Search

Conflict During Job Search Conflict exists in job search; both internal conflict and external conflict.   The why is not nearly as important as how you resolve the conflict.   Like it or not, job search is not black and white. It is very very grey. Personal Conflict I dont know what I want to do next!   Are you saying this? Have you said this?! I hear it more often than almost any other dilemma. This is an easy excuse that rolls off the tips of many job seekers. How you go about resolving this is up to you and it isnt easy. Just be sure you will stop saying it soon.   It will be close to impossible to move forward with your search until youve resolved this one! Here is a post that might help get you unstuck Career Change Isnt An Exact Science.   Or you can skim through the posts listed on this page: self assessment. Conflicting Job Search Advice Apply for lots of jobs online vs. network.   I actually don think anyone is saying this, but it is what many job seekers choose to hear or believe. You can and should do BOTH! It isnt an either or thing. The conflict most likely happens around how you will balance your time and fit it all in. Or it comes from not feeling comfortable with networking. You can check out all the articles Ive written about networking here. Conflicting Resume Advice One page is better, use an objective, hire someone to write it for youYou hear all sorts of advice given about what changes you should make to your resume. Always consider the source. Always be polite and avoid debate. Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, a certified and professional resume writer provides her advice on how to deal with conflicting resume advice on her Glassdoor post: 5 Resume Secrets Revealed It is about personal preference (theirs and yours) Personal preference influences these mandates, which, as you realize, are not mandates at all. Some final thoughts as you grapple with everyones expert advice, consider asking yourself these questions: Is it based on facts or emotions. What qualifies this person to provide this advice. Whats the logic behind the advice. Has it been successful for others. What do I have to lose by trying it.

Do You Have The Right Soft Skills For Small Business Success

Do You Have The Right Soft Skills For Small Business Success Image Credit Pixabay.com License CC0 So you have an amazing idea for a business and you’ve told everyone about it. The next thing that you need to do now is to turn that seed of an idea into a real live business. But before you do that, you should check to make sure that you are going to be able to deliver on your business goals by checking to make sure that you have the right soft skills for small business success. Getting a great business off the ground takes more than just an idea. You may well have a winning concept, but if yours are the wrong hands to turn it into something tangible and scalable, then it will fail to reach its potential. Do You Know Where To Turn When You Need Help? Being a great business leader is not about trying to do everything in business yourself. You don’t have to be able to run every aspect of your business. In fact, there are several areas of your business where it makes no financial sense for you to get involved in unless of course, you are an expert in that field. For example, your business may have a lot of technical needs. Your IT infrastructure may be complex and it will definitely have security concerns attached. Strategic IT Consulting will help you to manage these IT needs effectively. Not only will an expert allow you to save time that you can spend on other aspects of the business, but they will also get the job done well, meaning that your company can become more effective and more productive. Do You Know When You Should Be Delegating? If the answer to the above question is not “all of the time”, then you will need to develop your delegation skills. If you are hiring employees to help you turn your dreams into a success story, then let them help you. Empower them by offering them the opportunity to take on important responsibilities within your company. Allow them to feel motivated by giving them the chance to learn the business and to develop their skills. Not only will it save you a considerable amount of time and energy doing all of the jobs yourself, but your company will also be productive and efficient. Have You Got The Passion To Pull You Through The Hard Times? Setting up a business means that you will be going from nothing but an idea to something quite substantial. But in order to get there, you’re going to have to walk a long and slow path. Times will get hard and there will be moments that you wish that you had not started on the journey. But you’ll end up with a lot resting on it emotionally and financially and you need to deliver. To do this, you will need passion, determination, self-belief and a real love of the idea. You need to be able to communicate this passion to those around you so that you don’t just motivate yourself, you motivate others too.