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With the current state of economic affairs in the United States and other countries being what they are, jobs are hard to come by. If you are fortunate enough to be granted a job interview, don’t arrive unprepared. There are many aspects to interview preparation, but an area often overlooked ... Views: 1543
Do you know the most important question you should ask in phone interviews? Hopefully, you already know that it’s important that you should ask questions in your telephone interview. But you might not know that one question in particular can ensure a good interview or even turn the tide of a ... Views: 1540
Like millions of other Americans, I found myself a victim of a layoff during this Great Recession. It was the first time I was unemployed in a career spanning 36 years. There is a famous line from the Godfather movie, “It’s not personal, it’s strictly business.” Eliminating a job may be ... Views: 1539
Recruitment agencies and employers will often receive a high response for many of their vacancies with many candidates initially appearing to be suitable. To make sure they can identify the best candidates to progress to the interview stage they will need a suitable screening and pre-interview ... Views: 1539
Phone interviews are notoriously difficult for the simple reason that the interviewer can’t see you. So much of how we communicate is through gestures and expressions and those have no meaning at all on the phone. But phone interview or not, it’s still vitally important that you project an ... Views: 1537
Being offered an interview often means you are part way there, but the toughest test is still to come. The key to success at interview is preparation, preparation, preparation!
Do your research, surf the company’s website, news articles about them and internal literature such as the annual ... Views: 1535
Tell me about a time when you faced a difficult situation with a co-worker.
“Works well with others” is a major skill we’re judged on from kindergarten right on into the workplace. (If only we didn’t get so many ‘opportunities’ to hone that particular skill!) That’s why you get job ... Views: 1535
What were the major challenges of your last job and how did you handle them?
This is a tough job interview question to answer because the major challenges of your last job typically are going to be the key job skills that you’re bringing to the new one. (The exception being if you’re a brand ... Views: 1535
What are your hobbies?
Asking about your hobbies and interests seems like an odd interview question, but companies are asking more and more of those ‘personality’ type questions these days in an effort to make sure that you’re going to be a good cultural fit for the organization. And the ... Views: 1533
Why do you want to join this company?
All companies want to know that you want to work for them rather than you just want a job. An enthusiastic employee is a better employee—and more pleasant to work with, too.
Your answer to this question should sound like, “I want to join this company ... Views: 1533
Why have you been out of work for so long?
Boy, I bet you’d like to know the answer to that question, too! The job search can be a very difficult time for many people, but it’s important that you show a positive face to everyone. Answer every job interview question with as much positivity ... Views: 1533
Unfortunately, job hunting for recent college graduates can feel tough. Fortunately, here is immediately useful job hunting advice or tips to help the job seeker get a job.
1. Volunteer
Problem: Job hunters find it hard to get a job without experience – but it is hard to get experience ... Views: 1532
How to Ace The 2010 Interview
Common sense would tell us that a job interview whether for your first
employment out of school or for CEO of a NYSE company, requires planning
and research.
This same famous - common sense - tells us that holding a seashell to our ear retains the sound of ... Views: 1532
Telephone interviews are tricky things. Even though they seem more casual, they are very, very important and should not be taken lightly. Even though it seems less stressful to talk to someone on the phone rather than facing them in your business suit, it’s actually a little unnerving to not ... Views: 1530
People struggle to get a job they want to have. Sometimes, they can not succeed in an interview. Sometimes, circumstances beyond their control prevent them from reaching their career goals. And often they simply do everything to succeed and still fail to get a job at the end.
Job of a ... Views: 1529
How do you deal with difficult customers?
Dealing with difficult customers is a fact of life for a TON of jobs: sales reps, customer service reps, retail store clerks, receptionists, restaurant waitstaff, and a hundred other service-industry jobs.
The people in those roles are in the ... Views: 1528
What are your least favorite things to do in your role as a XXXX?
This is a slightly different version of, “What did you dislike about your previous job?”
They are trying to find out more about you and how you think. If you are transferring roles in more of a lateral move, your answer ... Views: 1528
Congratulations! You've just landed an interview for your dream job. Now all you need to do is ace the interview and show your potential new employer that you're the perfect person for the position. Preparing for an important interview takes time and practice. The following are tips and tricks ... Views: 1528
It has been observed in many researches that a large number of people suffer from the phobia of job interview. Also it has been observed that the people who overcome the fear of interview have a very high probability of getting selected in an interview. To ace an interview remember that you ... Views: 1527
How Do You Demonstrate Confidence?
As you read articles and books about interviewing you will notice that most of the information focuses on “being prepared.” When you look closely at the information provided by “experts,” you will notice that a great many of the tips given concern the external ... Views: 1527
How many jobs have you applied to online—only to receive no response? Or maybe you received a “thanks but no thanks” letter. Either way, you aren’t making much progress in landing a job.
If this applies to you, I have a question: Do you have a LinkedIn profile?
Maybe you don’t think it’s ... Views: 1526
LinkedIn
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: LinkedIn is great job search resource. Why? It’s packed with information and potential connections, and it’s entirely business-focused (unlike Facebook, which is socially-focused). Everyone there is interested in making more connections ... Views: 1525
Even when you have the education and professional background to qualify for the job, don’t count on it as a sure win that you will be asked to come in for an interview. In fact, your qualifications may hinder your chances.
It’s very common in today’s market for employers to dismiss a job ... Views: 1524
Why have you changed jobs so frequently over the past X years?
Job-hopping is not a great habit. When you stay at a job for only a few months or a year, over and over again, you are cultivating an image of someone who can’t be depended upon, who doesn’t know what they want, and who’s ... Views: 1524
Why should we give you the job over the other candidates?
This is a tough job interview question. Most people are not that comfortable with the idea of tooting their own horn, but that’s exactly what you have to do in a job search and in a job interview, and that’s especially what you have ... Views: 1523
What did you like or dislike about your previous jobs?
Asking what you liked or disliked about your previous job sounds like a ‘get-to-know-you’ question, but don’t get too comfortable. This is another way to get at your strengths and weaknesses, and you can trip yourself up. Always ... Views: 1522
The art of conversation requires that you not only express yourself well, but also that you listen well. Good listeners are valued. Being a good listener means that you’re going to have a more productive, higher-quality conversation than you would otherwise.
Being a good listener is ... Views: 1522
Phone interviews have all of the critical, “make-or-break” qualities of a face-to-face interview with none of the advantages. (1) You don’t have very much time to make a good impression. Phone interviews are very often over within 10-15 minutes. If you make a mistake, you don’t have much time ... Views: 1521
What is your least favorite managerial task?
With this job interview question, they are trying to get a feel for any potential weaknesses you’ll be bringing to the job, without asking directly about your weaknesses. Hiring managers are fully aware that you’ll be ready for the ‘weakness’ ... Views: 1520
I love it when an opportunity presents itself to listen in on a “normal” interview. Arriving early for an appointment at a Starbuck’s in the Denver area, I was enjoying an amazing cup of black tea as the store manager began interviewing for a potential staff member. As effective interviewing is ... Views: 1519
How was your working relationship with your previous supervisor?
How was your working relationship with your last boss? This is an attitude question for sure. They don’t really care about your last boss, they care about you. Hiring managers know that past behavior predicts future ... Views: 1519
At the beginning of our career, most of us probably dreamed about a good job interview in which we would make such a positive impression on the interviewer that they wouldn’t want to wait another day before hiring us. As we grew up, however, it became more and more obvious that not every ... Views: 1515
Previous Bosses
Did you know that there are a lot of things your previous bosses can do for you in your quest to find a job? They might have a job lead for you, they can definitely offer insight you can use to be a better job seeker, and they are excellent references.
If I were looking ... Views: 1514
You might not think about the quality of your voice before your phone interview—but you should. Interviewers concentrate very hard on your voice in that conversation: Do you sound alert? Confident? Enthusiastic? Are there any red flags they need to be worrying about? They just don’t have ... Views: 1514
What’s Your Greatest Weakness?
“What’s your greatest weakness?” is possibly the most annoying job interview question just because of its sheer ridiculousness…your choices seem to be either to give them an obviously fake weakness (like you’re a perfectionist or you work too hard…ugh!), or a ... Views: 1513
How much did / do you make?
Here’s a question guaranteed to make you uncomfortable in the job interview process. It’s one of the big hot-potato questions. No one wants to say a number first. But you don’t have to feel pressured or stressed. There are some great ways to handle this ... Views: 1511
We are looking for someone with experience…or, You don’t have enough experience—why should we hire you?
If you’re a new graduate, or if you’re switching careers, you might get asked this question, especially early on in the process, like in a phone interview. It is a challenge, but don’t let ... Views: 1508
What salary are you looking for?
I hope that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are never to bring up money in the interview, at any time, until they make you an offer—until they say, “yes, you’re the one, let’s come to terms.” Curbing your enthusiasm until then will serve you in ... Views: 1508
Job interviews are all about communication, right? You will only get the job if you can successfully communicate that you understand the job, that you can do the job, that you will do the job, and that you pose no risk to this person’s continued employment. (That’s why 30-60-90-day plans are ... Views: 1507
As an executive, you’ve probably been on plenty of interviews in your lifetime – from that entry-level position to the management positions you’ve held. But nothing quite compares to the executive-level interview; if you’ve been on even one you know this is a true statement.
So how do you ... Views: 1504
If all an employer cared about is the IT skills and technical knowledge a candidate has obtained, then there would not be the need for an interview. The fact is, in addition to looking for specific skills and knowledge, employers want candidates who are passionate about the field and who have ... Views: 1502
Who was your best boss and who was your worst?
This job interview question tests several things about you and gives a lot of information to the interviewer:
Are you adaptable?
Can you get along with a wide variety of people?
Do you carry grudges?
Do you fit their ... Views: 1502
Why do you think you can manage a team without any prior managerial experience?
If you are interviewing for your first management-level job, you will definitely be asked some version of this question. They are going to want to know if you think you can do this job and why.
The key here is ... Views: 1502
How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?
It’s not ideal to work for someone who does, in fact, know less than you. In fact, it’s kind of aggravating. But typically, they don’t know less than you in all areas. There is usually a reason they are where they are. ... Views: 1501
Is there anything I haven’t told you about the company that you’d like to know?
Toward the end of the interview, hiring managers will ask some version of, “Do you have any questions for me?” Your answer is ALWAYS going to be “yes.”
You always want to have a list of questions to ask in ... Views: 1501
For companies, the phone interview is a screening process. The hiring manager or human resources manager has a stack of resumes of potential candidates sitting in front of them, and their job is to wade through the stack and get it to a manageable number. Many candidates don’t realize just how ... Views: 1499
I was talking to a prospective client yesterday and he asked me, "How do I make myself memorable in an interview or when networking?" We discussed a variety of tactics which will surely help him out, but there was one that stood out. We were talking about a specific chapter in How To Win ... Views: 1499
What was your most difficult work experience and how did you deal with it?
This is a great job interview question to talk about how you have overcome a challenge and ended up a winner! You can talk about how you stepped up to a difficult situation and got a good outcome, or how you overcame ... Views: 1498
Why do you want to switch from an academic field to business/industry?
The one big perception / misconception about academics is that they can’t make it in the ‘real’ world. They are secure in their ivory towers and not coming out any time soon. So if you find yourself trying to leap from ... Views: 1497
Here you are in the interview you have been dreaming about. Now what? Will you nail the interview by making a great impression mastering artful responses to behavioral questions being asked? Or will this be another unsuccessful attempt at getting to your dream job.
The following S.O.A.R. ... Views: 1497