How to excel at your job interview

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Interview tips

After years of preparing candidates for interviews (not to mention attempting to prepare myself for interviewing overseas when I moved from Canada to Singapore in 2008), I have come to realize that no matter how long you have been on the other side (as a recruiter) or how successful you become in your career, you never forget that cringe-inducing interview that you didn’t prepare properly for. Maybe you had the wrong information, went blank on the first question, or drifted completely off-topic on an unrelated matter that left the interviewers looking at their watches…

The good news is that this doesn’t have to happen to you!  

By following just a few simple tips, you can ensure that you ace your next interview:

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH: I have capitalised this because it’s the most important thing you can do to eliminate surprises, establish confidence and ensure that you have a great interview.  Make sure you know as much as possible about the company, the people you’ll be meeting with and the specifics on the role you’re interviewing for.  The internet can serve as your best friend in this respect, and there are many social networks such as LinkedIn to help you to find out some of these ‘insider’ information.

Bring a copy of your CV: Maybe even bring two. Never assume that your interviewer will have a copy.  In addition to serving as your most important sales ‘prop’ for the conversation, you will look extra prepared for those times where they do not have a copy.

Know your CV inside and out: Dates, titles, key achievements, everything – it’s all important even if some of the experiences are dated. If you look like you have forgotten parts of your own history or can’t account for gaps of time between jobs you run the risk of looking like you are being untruthful, which can be fatal in an interview setting.

Find out the name and title of the person you are meeting: It’s also good to know how they would interact with you in the role if you were to get the job. This is not always possible, but there is nothing wrong with asking whoever is setting up the interview (recruiter or hiring manager) a few exploratory questions beforehand. 

Once you have some basic details on your interviewer, research them on the internet (Google, LinkedIn profiles, etc) to see what else you can gather about them. You may have something in common without knowing it!

Dress for the job you want NOT the job you have: It is always better to be overdressed than underdressed.

When you’re asked for examples from previous positions, remember that it is okay to include your whole career:   Many people, when asked for examples of projects, situations or challenges tend to place more focus on their current or latest position.  If you accomplished something great two positions ago, include it!  

Make sure you understand the question – and the competencies they’re looking for:  The questions you’re being asked are designed to garner information about your competencies, so take a moment to figure out what they’re trying to get at – and how you can best answer it. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarifications if the questions are too vague.  Additionally, when you are giving answers, keep in mind the most important part of each of your past roles is what you were able to achieve. Tasks you did or actions you took are fine, but in the current economic environment, everyone is looking for people who are going to deliver real results to their organisation… so don’t leave that out!

Make a list of the questions you want to ask: If you’ve done your research, you should have a number of questions about the organisation and/or the role.  This is vital. In this business I have seen people turned down for roles simply because they had no questions for the interviewers.  The reason?  “How can they make a proper decision on their career without asking for more information?" 

Be POSITIVE:  Even if you didn’t enjoy your last job/boss/everything about your daily work, don’t speak negatively about it. How you handled your last position, good or bad and how you speak about it now gives the interviewer an insight into how you will speak about him/her and their organisation when you leave.   

Make sure you thank the person for their time: You can also ask when you can expect to hear from them.  This will allow you to gauge interest and timelines and without it, you won’t be able to judge how to approach other opportunities. 

Most importantly, RELAX: The most important thing is to be yourself, which will give everyone a better idea of whether you and this job would go well together.

The conversation will essentially be about you and the company/role, so take your time, know your resume (and yourself) and know the company. If you are relaxed, you will be able to present yourself in the best light.

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Source: http://www.jobsdb.com/SG/EN/Resources/JobSeekerArticle/Career%20Guide?ID=424

Reference: www.robertwalters.com.sg

 

How to Stay Consistent with Your Personal Brand

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You’ve had a great interview, and you feel strongly that you’re a top contender for the job. Maybe the interviewer even told you that you’re the #1 choice. Even so, this is not the time to rest on your laurels. How you present yourself after an interview is just as important as what you did before and during the interview. In fact, some candidates have made mistakes after their interviews that took them from the top of the list to the bottom of the list. The solution? Defining and communicating a strong “job-seeker personal brand” can help you to maintain your place and become not just the #1 choice, but the candidate hired for the job. Personal branding when it comes to a job search is all about how you want potential employers to perceive, think, and feel about you in relation to other candidates. So, branding yourself helps you influence potential employers and allows you to establish a strong connection and relationship with your interviewer both before and during the interview. What many applicants forget, however, is that staying consistent with their personal brand after the interview is just as important. For example, if you have established a very professional personal brand before and during your interview, how might you be perceived if you suddenly begin to send e-mails to your interviewer with emoticons? You might believe that it’s okay to be casual because you’ve built a friendly enough relationship with the interviewer – but be careful. Stay true to your desired personal brand of professionalism, and you’ll have a much better shot at that great job you want so much! Here are some tips for keeping your brand in check after an interview:

Before You Do Anything Else…

The first thing to do after an interview is to sit down and summarize it while everything is fresh in your mind. Don’t put it off! Simply unload your mind before anything leaves your memory. It’s vital to recall the most important points that you discussed with the interviewer so that you can refer to them in subsequent e-mails and interviews. You won’t communicate a conscientious personal brand if the interviewer brings something up from your first interview that you no longer remember. If you can recall your discussion in great detail, however, your interviewer will be impressed – and you’ll stick out of the crowd. After you have written down the most important parts of the interview, take the time to also jot down anything you believe you could improve. How well did you answer the tough questions? Could you do better in any subsequent interviews? If so, how? Make note of whether you lost your cool or reacted to a challenge by becoming flustered. If you note where your interview skills need improvement, you can develop an action plan later. Even if you feel you did poorly in the interview, don’t fret. Just look ahead, and use it as a way to learn from your mistakes.

Be Appreciative.

Statistics show that only 10% of job applicants ever write a thank you note after their interviews. So, this is a very simple but powerful way to communicate a polite personal brand. Within 24 hours, send a thank you e-mail or snail mail to your interviewer. It only takes a few minutes, but you will stand out from the other 90% of applicants who won’t bother to do so. Take the time to say that you enjoyed meeting the interviewer, and customize the note so that it specifically refers in some way to what you talked about. Reiterate your excitement about the possibility of joining the company and why you’re a great fit for the job. If you interviewed with more than one person, send a thank you note to each of them.

Don’t Drop the Ball.

If you are called for a second or third interview, don’t throw off your interviewer by suddenly changing your strategy! Be consistent with your personal brand. It got you the second interview, so you did something right the first time. Continue to communicate the same qualities and attributes. If you change now, your potential employer might think you were putting on an act in the first interview and that the personal brand you previously communicated isn’t who you really are. This is also true of matching the dress of the company. Let’s say that during your first interview you noticed that a company’s employees were all in business casual dress. Should you then dress more casually for your second or third interview? Most Human Resources professionals agree that it’s best to err on the side of caution. An interview is a more formal meeting than the average work day, so unless the interviewer specifically tells you to dress more casually for an upcoming interview, dress as formally as you did the first time. You don’t want to act as though you’re already a part of the team before they say, “You’re hired!”

The Word “No” May Not Be the End.

First of all, don’t let a rejection defeat you. Simply focus your efforts on the next job, and assume the one you lost wasn’t right for you. Baseball players miss more balls than they hit, and even the top movie stars occasionally put out a film that loses money. If you don’t get the job, take the time anyway to send a follow-up thank you note via e-mail or snail mail. Tell the interviewer that you would like to be considered for other openings in the company. You never know what might come of a note like this. People have actually gotten jobs later on this way. If you were second in contention, the person who was hired may not work out or may leave shortly after starting. You never know! If you’re still interested in the company, keep your name in the hat. Many job applicants fail to stay the course with their personal brands during the job search process. If you remain consistent before, during, and even after your interviews, you will give yourself a decided edge and find yourself one step closer to the job you really want. Source : http://www.jobsdb.com/SG/EN/Resources/JobSeekerArticle/job-search-advice.htm?ID=202

 

Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions

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Q: Why do you want this job?

Be honest with yourself: Why do you want this role? Are you really interested in what the position entails? Are you impressed by the company’s view on social and corporate responsibility? Or is it just a really impressive increase in salary? Hopefully it’s not just the latter!

Why do you want this job? Do you know exactly what will be expected of you? Have you seen a job description? Have you researched the company’s website? Do you know people who work there who’ve recommended them as an employer?

Be prepared and do some research!
Avoid being on the defensive with answers that begin with because such as: ‘Because I think I’d be good at it’, ‘because it seems like a good opportunity for me’ or ‘because it pays well’.

A recommended answer to this could be: ‘Having read the job description and having looked at your company website, the role attracted me as I feel that I have the suitable skills but I am also very interested in what additional responsibility I will gain’.

Adapt your answer to suit the role. Will you have increased responsibility? Will you now be supporting one senior director instead of a team of 50? Will you have a more varied work scope with the opportunity to be involved in company projects and events?

Q: Why should I hire you?

This question is all about selling yourself. Why should someone hire you? Are you brilliant at organisation? Are you proficient atMicrosoft Office with excellent use of Powerpoint and Excel? Are you creative and do you really think you could add value to the company?

By looking at the job description that was given to you, try to point out your strengths by using examples of work you’ve done in relation to the requirements for this role.

You could say something like: ‘I believe that I meet the requirements listed in your job description and I feel that I would really excel in this role as I particularly enjoy working for… (What industry are you going into/role type/seniority level). In my previous role I was responsible for… (Use exact examples of how you can prove your value)

Again, adapt this question to suit the role you are applying for! Be enthusiastic in your answer, be positive and confident. If you cannot convince yourself that you’d be perfect for the role – how are you going to convince someone else!    


Q: What is your biggest weakness?
This is known as a negative question, one that interviewers love asking to test your ability to stay cool. We all have weaknesses, let’s face it, we’re not all perfect! But that doesn’t mean that yours should get in the way of your dream job. Think about how you can spin your weaknesses into something positive.

Look at the job description to hand and choose one required responsibility you feel you could improve on. Are you shy to make public presentations? Does your time management need a little work? Do you feel you would benefit from Microsoft Office training?

A possible answer (depending on your weakness): ‘I am aware that my systems skills, Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint are not up to advanced level but this is something that I’m working on by teaching myself in my spare time’ or, ‘I think my time management is something that I could work on. I’ve been doing some research and planning and getting better at prioritising and writing to-do lists to help me’.

Avoid being a ‘perfectionist’ or saying ‘I have no weaknesses I know of’. This only makes you look arrogant and overconfident.

 Q: Why are you leaving your current role?

Whatever you say – be positive! This is not the opportunity for a rant about how unfair last year’s bonus was or how unreasonable your current boss is. For whatever your reason, make sure you turn your answer into something positive.

If you’re feeling undervalued in your role or have had a personality clash with your boss or colleague, think of how this would sound to a potential employer and make sure to word your answer to suit you favourably. Make sure you have a structured answer to this question before you attend the interview.

Simply stating that you would like a ‘new challenge’ or ‘change of environment’ can sometimes also send out warning signals to employers so be careful. Be prepared for counter questions! If you answer: ‘I’m looking for a new challenge.’

Why are you looking for a new challenge? What would you describe as a new challenge at this stage in your career? Why did you not approach your current employers about gaining such a challenge? 

Focus more on why the new role is perfect for you and less why your current role is not. 

Q: Tell me about yourself?

Be careful. This is not the opportunity to tell the interviewer your life story.

‘Well, I’m from a family of six and I live with my eldest brother near the East Coast Park and have recently just returned from a family holiday to America’ is probably NOT the answer they were looking for. When interviewers ask this question they’re interested to know about how you work, what you enjoy in your career and as a person how well you’d fit in with the culture of the company. What they really want to know is, what interests you, how skilled are you and what strengths you would bring to the organisation.

Cater the answer to the role you are applying for! Don’t express your enthusiasm to work as part of a team in a busy noisy office environment if you are aware that you’ll be a one man band sitting behind a wall in a very secluded room.

A good answer to this could be something like: ‘I’m a very dedicated worker; I enjoy being part of a team and working in a challenging and dynamic environment and I also work well independently. I like meeting new people and particularly enjoy being involved with administration for projects and events’.Q: Where do you want to be in five years time?

This question is a favourite amongst interviewers! Lets be honest – does anyone know where they want to be in five years’ time?

A suggested answer for this could be: ‘I’d like to think I will be working for a successful organisation such as this but in a role with increased responsibility’.

You could also tailor your answer to suit the specific role that you are applying for. If you are being interviewed for an Administration or Personal Assistant’s role, succession to that would be to become an Office Manager or Administration Manager. If you are aware of the company structure and know that administration staff are likely to be promoted to Business Executives, mention it!

A lot with this question is in the way you answer rather than in what you say. Be positive and confident rather than defensive and unsure. Don’t give the interviewer the idea that you’re still trying to ‘find yourself’ and you could make the discovery two months after joining the company.

Always remember that the interview is a two-way process so have a list of questions you can ask your interviewer at the end!

These could include:

• What two/three key competencies are you looking for in a successful candidate?
• How long have you been with the organisation? What motivated you to join the organisation?
• What are the team like to work for? What are you like to work for?
• Have you had an assistant in the past that you’ve got on really well with and what particular qualities would you insist on for your next hire?
• Do you have any reservations at this point about my skills or experience?

Source: http://www.jobsdb.com/SG/EN/Resources/JobSeekerArticle/Career%20Guide?ID=444