Successful Interview Techniques

Being well prepared for an interview will help you be confident and impress the interviewer(s).

The key to a successful interview is adequate preparation. Most employers ask the same basic questions, so prepare answers before an interview. A list of questions frequently asked by employers, with some ideas on how you might answer can be found in the complete article here.

Use Impressive Written Communication

Aside from resumes, your job search will likely require you to write effectively to communicate your capabilities.  Interviews are great when you can get one, but they are usually the result of prior written communication. 

Your effectiveness in writing cover letters, completing applications, and sending follow-up thank-you letters depends on paying attention to the details. For pointers on these three necessary documents see the material here.

Job offer? Ask yourself 5 questions

If your carefully crafted Resume, job searching and a few interviews have finally landed you a job offer, what now?  No longer is it necessary for job seekers to jump at the first opportunity that comes along; if you’re talented, experienced and personable enough, there will be more where that came from.

But for candidates, simply realizing they have a certain amount of agency and leverage in the job hunt is only the first step. After all, having a measure of power is one thing, but making a power play is another. If in the course of your search you land on a job that, on the surface, appears to suit your interests, it’s important to ask some difficult questions of the position, the company, and yourself before saying yes.

See five key issues to consider here.

Contact Hiring Managers Directly

Wish you could contact hiring managers directly? And without necessarily sending out your resume first? Today's technology is literally changing how this is possible. 

The Switch Job App is a new way to test the job searching market without necessarily looking for a job. There are no time-consuming applications to fill out and no job searching needed. It takes only a few minutes to sign up with nothing being posted on the Internet for full security. You complete a short profile on-line in four minutes or less with two major ingredients: 

• Provide your Linkedin URL and identify the specific job titles that you are most interested in. The Switch Job App does the rest by regularly sending you directly the jobs that best meet your expectations.
• Your Linkedlin posting is your calling card! But have your resume and other credentials ready to go when you receive contact information of each job's hiring manager if you both match up through your social media postings.

Presently, there are over 1,000 employers connected to the Switch Job App which is totally free and it is growing exponentially. The rest of what happens is rather innovative. If your Linkedin account is razor sharp and meets the needs of the posted jobs, learn more about this new way to directly contact hiring managers here.

Impress anyone in under 30 seconds

Experts estimate that 85% of your financial success comes not from your skills or knowledge, but from your ability to connect with other people and engender their trust and respect.

Within seconds, everyone you meet forms an impression that largely determines whether they’ll like, trust, and and respect you. Making a good impression is absolutely critical.

Whether you are raising money for your company, or you are managing your team or leading your business, connecting to people and making a great impression is very important.

For some tips to help win hearts and minds in 30 seconds see the article here.

Surprising Job Interview Tips

Your carefully designed dynamic resume landed you an interview; now it’s time to seal the deal. So what’s the best way to prepare?

Drawing on experience, interviews, research, and most importantly, employees from today’s most coveted companies, useful tips have been developed. These are deep insights beyond the typical “sit up straight!” and “dress to impress!” commonly suggested.

See the dozen best tips before, during and after your interview here.

Using Power Statements

Communicating your value to the reader of your resume or your profile is of prime importance. Your value or ability to satisfy the positon requirements is being compared to many other candidates being reviewed. Using well thought out power statements helps you hold a position for further consideration.

Power statements are appropriate for use in your application, resume and online profile. During an interview these principles are applicable to your work experience examples s you reply to questions.

Review the use of power statements here.

Add Pizazz to Your Interview

The job interview is the most anxiety-inducing part of the job search; it's incredibly frustrating to spend time, energy and effort on making a great impression without getting the position as your reward. If you find this happening to you over and over, you may need to sharpen your interview skills. Make sure the following techniques are part of your strategy.

• Use your resume as a reference point
• Present your accomplishments numerically
• Understand the company
• Let your personality come through

For the details of these points see the complete article here.

Interview Etiquette

If your effective resume or a personal introduction has provided you with an invitation to interview, do not mess it up.

The first step to a career victory is to adequately prepare for the interview. Use etiquette tips for interviews to ensure you are making the best impression possible to your prospective employer.  To see a graphic path to success, with do's and don't, select the link here.

Words for Negotiating Salary

You have the most power to negotiate a salary after you've impressed your future employer in interviews, but before you sign an official job offer. Most employers will informally offer you the job before they give you anything to sign, and this is a good time to talk about what you want.
Your new employer wants to hire you, has received buy-in from other team members and has no desire to keep interviewing. More than anything, she is anxious for you to start work. This is the time to ask for more money.

For the language to use see the complete article here

Job Search #11: References and Recommendations

There are several support documents you may have need of; a list of references and letters of recommendation to use in your successful interview.  These are not commonly provided with your resume, but held and made available when asked. That said, since it involves others, you must plan ahead; these are not things you can do alone or on short notice.

For reference letter samples and how to request and write recommendation letters, see the complete source here.

Nonverbal First Impressions

It begins even before you say your first word in an interview. As the interviewer walks toward you to shake hands, an opinion is already being formed. And as you sit waiting to spew out your answers to questions you've prepared for, you are already being judged by your appearance, posture, smile or your nervous look.

• The nonverbal messages
• The Handshake
• Your Posture 
• Eye  Contact 
• Your Hands 
•  Don't Fidget

Preparing what you have to say is important, but practicing how you will say it is imperative. The nonverbal message can speak louder than the verbal message you're sending. For details on the above see the complete article here.

100 Potential Interview Questions

While there are as many different possible interview questions as there are interviewers, it always helps to be ready for anything. So here is a list of 100 potential interview questions. Will you face them all? No interviewer would be that cruel. Will you face a few? Probably.

You be well-served by being ready even if you're not asked these exact questions.  In reviewing these questions try to formulate an answer or be ready with a personal example you can elaborate on.  

Find the complete list here. 

Your Interview: hard questions, best answers

There are many challenging interview questions that you may be asked in a job interview.  You need to be quick on your feet with good answers. By reviewing tough questions and formulating good personal responses reflecting on your experience with actual situations, you prepare yourself.  Review typical questions and consider an appropriate response, based on your background and skills. 

There aren't necessarily any right or wrong answers, but carefully consider the job you are applying for, your abilities, and the company culture before you respond.

For a set of questions to test your wit and skills, see the full article here.

Ready for your video interview?

As if mentally preparing for a job interview wasn’t hard enough, now you need to look good on camera, too.

More companies are making video interviews an integral step in the hiring process. Depending on the survey, from 30 percent to 60 percent of organizations conduct some portion of job interviews via webcam.  There are things you can do to be ready, including knowing where to look, practicing and making sure you’re talking from an appropriately work-like setting.

Here are the recommend preparations for a video interview:

1. Get the gear
2. Talk from an office setting
3. Declutter and remove noisemakers
4. Adjust the lighting
5. Dress appropriately
6. Look into the camera
7. Practice
8. Be on time

For the details on these video savy topics, see the full article here.

Exact words for salary negotiations

You have the most power to negotiate a salary after you've impressed your future employer in interviews, but before you sign an official job offer. Most employees will informally offer you the job before they give you anything to sign, and this is a good time to talk about what you want.

Your new employer wants to hire you, and has no desire to keep interviewing. More than anything, they're anxious for you to start work. This is the time; ask for more money.

For pointers on strategy and language, see the full article here.

Strategies for job seekers over 40

The recent recession battered all segments of the U.S. economy, erasing 8 million private sector jobs in the process.  For every job opening, there are at least five out-of-work Americans.

Middle-aged professionals have been hit particularly hard.  There are inherent difficulties that older workers face when having to compete against younger applicants in the new economic environment.

If you are 40 or older and looking to re-join the workplace or move up in your career, there are several extra strategies that need to be part of your job-hunting process. That’s because age discrimination still exists in subtle forms.

You need to be aware of the stereotypes that pervade the marketplace concerning older workers and learn how to overcome the barriers that hiring managers may put in your way because of your age. See the complete article here.

Things Never to Say to Your Boss

“Think before you speak” is always a good policy  …

At work it's even more important. Saying the wrong thing to your boss can do serious damage to your career -- and some of the things bosses don't like to hear may surprise you. 

Checking with some managers came up with a list of nine phrases they strongly dislike.  To see the list of what not to say and what you should say instead, see the complete article here.

Interviewing, a Comprehensive Discussion

Considering that your resume has been successful in getting a call to interview, you need to understand the interviewing process. In a labor market where there are many qualified candidates competing for the same position, how you do on the interview can often determine whether you get the job. 

Here are topics you might find enlightening in your interview preparation:

• Types of Interviews
• Interviewing Strategies
• Illegal Questions
• Who gets Hired?
• Negotiating Your Compensation Package
• More Information About The Interview

For the complete discussion see the complete article here.

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