helpful hints for the 'Interview"

SoupyNorman

Denerick wrote: »

I've an interview next week and I'm really dreading it. I have no idea how to answer stupid questions like 'How would you convince somebody to do something they wouldn't want to do?'

'What are your strengths/weaknesses?'

That last one especially drives me up the wall. My strengths and weaknesses? Fúck you! What are your strengths and weaknesses? I really hate that question, I never know what to say. You either end up looking arrogant or like some sap.

Those 'stupid questions' can be the most dangerous, they can stifle even the most seasoned interviewee.

In my last interview I was thrown 3 of these standard questions, and as I had prepared answers for them I answered them fluidly and without pause.

For a start, if you dont know how to answer the 'What are your strengths/weaknesses?' type questions then Google it, these are the questions you can prepare for. Read some of the examples and then apply one of your own situations/experiences.

When I'm asked 'where do you see yourself in 5 years', I never make the mistake of instantly spouting how much I want to be in a managerial position etc,this kind of answer is given all to often as it's an easy one to give in my opinion, instead I like to explain how I hope to be a subject matter expert in my field and so on.

I know some people who dont believe in preparing much before an interview because they may not be asked many of the questions mentioned, true you may not be but IMO it's well worth taking the time to prepare as it pays dividends when you are asked.

Good luck with the interview.

Amandapanda801

You know what could help you actually.. I know of this psychometric testing website that gives personality, career and personal growth tests to see if people are right for a certain job or not and to pinpoint a person's strengths and weaknesses. I think this could help you since you seem to be having a tough time seeing who you really are. I mean it always helps to ask and actual person what they think about you and what they think your strengths and weaknesses are but taking a psychometric test that has been scientifically validated always helps to really pinpoint your personality type. I think the website is www.centraltest.com, but see for yourself.

angel6

"What is your salary expectation?"
I have an interview coming up for a Graduate Software Developer and I'm not sure what to answer if asked this question as I've seen jobs for IT grad positions advertised with salaries ranging from 20k - 33k. Do I specify a range or a bang on figure?

lasnoufle

"How much do you have, I'll take it all"
Seriously, a figure, now of course the hard part is to guess the highest that won't disqualify you for thinking too high of yourself...
I'd say a range sounds bad because it's like you don't know what you're worth, plus in any case they'll just take the lower bound.

FOXFISH1

Got an interview tomorrow......dreading it!!!

Just a quick question,
I was planning on bringing some notes into the interview so that i could use them to refer to for one or two questions.
Is it generally ok to do this? or is it a no no.

In my opinion i'd prefer to glance at a page in order to remember my answer, rather than sit there dumbfounded for many seconds.

...or does it just appear totally unprofessional to be referring to notes at all?

any advice appreciated,
thanks!

x in the city

FOXFISH1 wrote: »

Got an interview tomorrow......dreading it!!!

Just a quick question,
I was planning on bringing some notes into the interview so that i could use them to refer to for one or two questions.
Is it generally ok to do this? or is it a no no.

In my opinion i'd prefer to glance at a page in order to remember my answer, rather than sit there dumbfounded for many seconds.

...or does it just appear totally unprofessional to be referring to notes at all?

any advice appreciated,
thanks!

bring in a job spec and notes and your cv, all in a folder.

not harm at all, say " i got some questions down here if i could ask you?"

it shows your interested, thats all that matters

better than someone going to an interview with nothing and half asleep....

FOXFISH1

x in the city wrote: »

bring in a job spec and notes and your cv, all in a folder.

not harm at all, say " i got some questions down here if i could ask you?"

it shows your interested, thats all that matters

better than someone going to an interview with nothing and half asleep....

Thanks for the reply @x in the city!
Yea i brought a folder of stuff with me, didn't open it though......i froze....lol.....just sat in the chair answering the questions as best i could.

That's a good idea to have the questions written down.

finisklin

Any thoughts on how to answer "What do you consider to be your biggest mistake to date?"

Berty

finisklin wrote: »

Any thoughts on how to answer "What do you consider to be your biggest mistake to date?"

I once answered that question in relation to my CV.

"I wish I had realised my skills and attributes as a salesman far earlier in my working life as it is something of a job/career that I excel at."

Wishy washy but open and honest. Tailored of course to my job hopping early on in my working life of course.

finisklin

I dug this up from the net...regarding biggest regret....something similar to biggest mistake.

Great Professional Mistakes
The following represent great answers for “professional regrets. or mistakes”

• Promotions you did not accept.
• Internship opportunities you could not afford to pursue.
• Inventions/ideas you did not share.

The first two are difficult. Chances are if you were provided an opportunity to advance your career, you took it. However, if you are one of the few that did not, these are great answers. They make you look like a fantastic employee and your greatest professional regret was a missed opportunity.
Not sharing ideas is the next best answer. If you had an idea you didn’t share that would have helped turn a profit, and failing to share that idea cost the company money, this is a good answer. Chances are you have some answer like this.

Bad Answer
“My greatest professional regret was back when I worked at the local grocery store. I had a rough morning with a customer, and when my boss asked me to stock the shelves, I yelled at him and ended up losing my job.”

Good Answer
“My greatest professional regret occurred when I worked for MarketingCorp. I had an idea for a campaign that could potentially take advantage of an upcoming shift in social media, but I talked myself out of sharing it and a competitor utilized it to their own advantage. Since then I’ve been working on sharing all of my ideas, especially when they are related to possible improved profit for the company.”

This is a good answer, and don’t forget to add what you did to ensure that your greatest professional regret does not occur again.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Your greatest professional regret should be a missed opportunity that makes you look like a great employee.
• Always follow up with what you are doing to ensure it never happens again.

I hope this helps.....

Jemmy

I've an interview for a Team Leader position next wk anyone got any pointers? This is the first step up i a company I've decided to take so very nervous, only ever done a regular position interview!

socio

There are some excellent interview tips, advice and practice questions on the Career Compass website.
http://www.careercompass.ie/careercompass/www/default.asp?magpage=10

I found them great just to run through and I actually got a job shortly after preparing with this.
Although no gaurantee this was the reason!

Good luck!

daniBe

AT&T has some great interview tips listed on their site, I think these tips can be applied to any interview situation not just for interviews with AT&T.

NaiveMelodies

Hey all,

I've an interview tuesday week for a 10 week college work placement in the summer with a sports organisation. Just wondering what I should wear, would a suit be a bit much? Hate getting worried about stuff like this but just wanna make sure i get it right!

Cheers

egennery

Well done to you. Focus on the potential interview questions and answers (with evidence). Dress smart casual - trousers (not jean), pressed shirt, maybe a jacket, polished shoes. good luck

CMD Training

LinkedIn: Job Seeker Tips


Hi Everyone, I have been using LinkedIn for years to find job vacancies or more recently to find potential employees for job vacancies at the CMD Training Institute, the company at which I work. LinkedIn is a free online tool that you can use to find a job and hopefully get noticed by an employer.

What is LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 80 million members and growing rapidly. LinkedIn connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals.

How Can I Use LinkedIn To Find A Job?


Get Noticed: Build A Professional Profile


Your LinkedIn profile is your chance to showcase your skills and talents and help the right people and opportunities find their way to you. As your professional representation online, you can set it to be discoverable through the millions of searches on leading search engines and on LinkedIn. Be sure that your profile is up-to-date with your latest work information and you have a well-written summary that touches on your experience, interests, and where you’d like to go. Start updating your profile now. Users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn!


Get Networking: Build A Real World Network Online


When your network represents those you know and trust, you can utilize them for recommendations, and ask for introductions into a job or opportunity that you are interested in. Your first step is to Import your address book and add those trusted connections who are already on LinkedIn. To complete your network, invite the contacts that are not on LinkedIn to join Use the address book importer to import your address book directly from web-based email clients such as Gmail or Yahoo! Mail, or use the Outlook address book importer.

Find Jobs: Search Jobs using LinkedIn Job Search


LinkedIn Jobs has thousands of job listings for each category. You can search using keywords, title, company, and location to find the perfect opportunity for you. Leverage the elements on your profile to help make yourself stand out. Getting recommended and having a strong network builds your professional credibility and helps you get hired.

Messaging: Message Key Network Contacts


Use an “inside connection” to help get you access to company or job you are interested in. When you browse to a job listing on LinkedIn Jobs, you can see which of your connections are at that company. Leverage these connections to help you find the right contacts at the company you are interested in. You can also use the Advanced Search to find a user by keywords or companies. You can directly contact users through inMails or request an introduction through one of your contacts if you have common connections. Another great way to use LinkedIn is to research your recruiters or interviewers. You can learn more about their background to have an edge over the other candidates.

LinkedIn Answers: Demonstrate Your Expertise Using LinkedIn Answers


LinkedIn Answers is one of the best places on the web to share business knowledge. You can ask and answer questions on specific subject matter. By demonstrating your expertise on LinkedIn you earn recognition that helps you build your credibility. The more points of expertise you gain, the higher you appear on lists of experts.

JobInsider: Use The Job Insider Toolbar


Once installed, the JobsInsider toolbar integrates into your web browser, so when you are viewing a job listing on an external job site, you can automatically see your inside connections at that company. These inside connections can help you through informational interviews or by introducing you directly to the hiring manager.

Example Profile


Head over to LinkedIn and check out my profile at www.linkedin.com. Hopefully it will give you some ideas on where to start.

Lux23

I just did an interview and I really messed it up. Well by messed it up, I just couldn't work out how I did. Its my second interview with the company and I felt I didn't do too well with the first one so you never know.

One of the interviewers was fine and quite encouraging but the other one kept putting his hand over his mouth and staring me out. Maybe he was trying to put me off, I don't know.

MightyDucks

Hi all just looking for a bit of assistance,

I got called for an interview at the end of the month and I’m not quiet sure about it. I've never done an interview before so I really have no idea what to expect. The position is for a job that I don't have any real experience in. Just a few questions,

How long would the average interview take?
Is there usually a second interview if the first goes well?
How many people could I expect to be doing the interview?
What do I need to bring into it?

Fozzydog3

how much humour would one recommend in an interview obviously not gobsh!te amounts but try ease the atmosphere ?


and im dying to test out the "clinton thumb"

32minutes

Not sure if anyone is familiar with this situation, have had numerous interviews in the last twelve months, all for professional level jobs, mainly starting jobs; graduate programs etc.

Haven't gotten any of the roles, most of the interviewers provided the same type of feedback, excellent interview but we went with someone with language skills or experience and so on. Some haven't provided any feedback at all.

This brings me to my question, with regard to the number of interviews I've done, I've come to the conclusion that I need someone to give me real pointers, while boards like this are useful, I feel I have gone beyond this point... so does anyone know any reputable/reliable people/companies that provide mock interviews or professional interview appraisal ? Google searches haven't been definitive and I don't want to be ripped off.

finisklin

32minutes wrote: »

Not sure if anyone is familiar with this situation, have had numerous interviews in the last twelve months, all for professional level jobs, mainly starting jobs; graduate programs etc.

Haven't gotten any of the roles, most of the interviewers provided the same type of feedback, excellent interview but we went with someone with language skills or experience and so on. Some haven't provided any feedback at all.

This brings me to my question, with regard to the number of interviews I've done, I've come to the conclusion that I need someone to give me real pointers, while boards like this are useful, I feel I have gone beyond this point... so does anyone know any reputable/reliable people/companies that provide mock interviews or professional interview appraisal ? Google searches haven't been definitive and I don't want to be ripped off.

This is a common complaint and I have been through what you have endured. Fair play to you for sticking to it.....the fact that your getting called to interview is positive and reassuring to know that your CV is selling you.

Early on in my job search I went to a professional interview coach and his advice was excellent (nore on that in a mo). He focused on selling myself and scripting answers to interview questions (being prepared for ALL questions) and then capturing two mocks interviews on video. Powerful stuff to say the least and after learning the scripts it meant that I was stacked, prepared for all interview eventuality (bar one, when I got a guy who thought he was smart by asking me what was half of 99, but that's another story).

The format for answering any type of interview question is as follows;

• Situation/challenge/problem that you addressed
• What was the positive outcome i.e. how you made a difference, quantifying result e.g. increased sales, reduced costs etc.
• What I learned from this challenge/problem
• Relate learning/experience back to the role applying for...e.g. this shows that I can work in a team and for this role team work is essential.

Remember the first question at interview is talk me through your CV. This is where the above format works best. Be prepared and script it....write it down and learn it off.

After every interview always make a note of the questions they asked you and note your reply. In addition, give your opinion of how the interview went and how you could improve it, or do differently.

There are loads of examples of interview questions on this thread....go through them and script them. It's a bit like going for an exam, what with learning off notes etc. Well worth the effort.

Loads of interview consultants out there....I think there is one on irishjobs.ie for this type of work costing less than €100 (no connection BTW and haven't availed of services either).

I definitely feel like I could get a HR job what with all the interviews I've done. It's at the stage where you can suss out the good interviewers and poor ones.

Best of luck with it and hope it works out. Don't forget to give yourself a date/deadline to secure employment as your don't want to be still searching this time next year. Jobs are scare and few and far between so have a contingency plan (this could be emigration,:( but better option than getting PFOs and no interview feedback)

MysticalSoul

I was made redundant in November and got a job straight away, and it seems I broke most of the rules. However, from my experience, the number one piece of advice I would give is be natural, relaxed (insofar as possible), and just be yourself - I went in being honest (honest to a fault some would say), saying my skills were not up to speed due to not having much work in my job that was soon to finish, for the past few years, on account of the current climate.

freeze4real

I had an interview for a job yesterday and I was told I'll be getting a call later on the day or the next day after which is today if I got the job.

I have not recieved any call yet.

What should I do ?

nunnybunny

Hi all, I have been called for a Group interview for college, I have applied for Community Arts Education and would be greatfull if anyone has any insight into the type of question which may be asked. I have did some reading up on group interviews which has been helpfull but would love if anyone here might have went to an interwiew like this before that is willing to share their knowledge with me .

Much appreciated

Penny Dreadful

Hi, looking for advice to keep me sane! I had an interview yesterday and the panel told me (when I asked) that they would be in touch soon. Now I know I'm probably being a little impatient but the wait is killing me. Also I'm fighting the temptation to call their HR department and ask when they'll let me know.
How long do you think it should take for them to notify the applicants?

mickman

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Hi, looking for advice to keep me sane! I had an interview yesterday and the panel told me (when I asked) that they would be in touch soon. Now I know I'm probably being a little impatient but the wait is killing me. Also I'm fighting the temptation to call their HR department and ask when they'll let me know.
How long do you think it should take for them to notify the applicants?

dont ring them unless it goes over 10 days.

mickman

MysticalSoul wrote: »

I was made redundant in November and got a job straight away, and it seems I broke most of the rules. However, from my experience, the number one piece of advice I would give is be natural, relaxed (insofar as possible), and just be yourself - I went in being honest (honest to a fault some would say), saying my skills were not up to speed due to not having much work in my job that was soon to finish, for the past few years, on account of the current climate.

i would agree with this. if they ask you do you have experience in something and you dont, just say no. dont lie, dont make it too complicated and dont try and make yourself something that your not.

AmyMaria

Hey everyone!
I'm 18 and just got a job interview in Boots! I would really, really love the job and definitely don't want to blow it as it's great to finally get an interview! Has anyone interviewed there recently? And if so any tips?
Thank you!!
Amy

vangough

i have an interview coming up- just wondering what you can answer to the question- 'what is attractive/unattractive of the job (fund accounting!)

cheers
Van