Tough Interview Question - "Tell Me About Yourself"

Interview Tips: Why should we hire you? - the GOOD answer

Job Interviewing-Say This, Don't Say That-Part 1

Job Interviewing-Say This, Don't Say That-Part 1 by Michael W. Hall

Job Interviewing-Say This, Don’t Say That-Part 1 By Michael W. Hall, Author, Speaker, Career Coach- “The Ultimate Interview Guide for Job and Career Success” Copyright, 2008, Michael W. Hall. All rights reserved

So you’ve got some job interviews coming up. Maybe you’ve had some interviews already, and can’t figure out why you haven’t gotten a follow-up call. Maybe it’s because you blew the interview. Maybe not. Do you know what to say? Do you also know what not to say? Has your resume, or a combination of your resume and applications gotten you some interviews? Good. Job Hunters, as interviewees, range on a scale of 1-10, from 1 being nervous and totally unprepared to 10 being very confident, polished and prepared.

On that scale, where would you rate yourself?

A lot of your rating depends on what kind of work you do, or want to do, how much you’ve interviewed, how long you’ve been in the workforce, whether or not you have a complete resume, etc. The good news is, you can improve your odds of doing well and getting job offers if you know what to say, and what not to say.

In today’s article, I’ll cover a few of the typical interview questions, and how to respond. Plus, I’ll cover some things you shouldn’t say, no matter what.

Let’s start with the basics. The key is to be ready, be yourself, and be brief.

Q. Tell me about yourself.

¨Hint: Practice this answer, since you’ll be asked this question most often. The best way to practice is to study the responsibilities and qualifications for the job, then shape your answer to match them with your background, skills, education and experience. (Keep your response to three minutes or less.) For instance, let’s say you were applying for a job as an Electrician/ Supervisor for an electrical contractor.

Say This-

A. I started working with electronics when I was a kid, taking apart the family radio and putting it back together to see if it worked. During summers in high school, I worked for Gus Gimby, a local electrician, who taught me a lot about wiring buildings and how things worked. After high school, I went to _______(name of school), and got certified as an apprentice electrician while working for Gus.

I understand that you are looking for an Electrician/Supervisor (whatever the position is). Is that right? (Wait for an answer.) Well, I’ve been a journeyman electrician now for over 5 years on both residential and commercial properties. And, I’ve been a crew leader for the past 4 years. I think I can handle the job here, helping you to make money and build your business and reputation as a first class electrical contractor. (Hush and grin.)

Notice how this response covers a lot of what the interviewer is looking for, and it brings this Job Hunter’s resume to life. Do you do that?

Also, it’s to the point, and you’ve told the interviewer just what they needed to hear. Remember, they want to know if you’re the one they should hire right away! Many interviewers would rather have a root canal on a good tooth, with light Novocain, than have to keep interviewing people. Remember that.

Some people say things like;

I born in a log cabin, and my dad was injured, so my mom worked in a sweatshop sewing clothes. We ate potatoes and rice and my ten siblings and I walked to school, uphill both ways. In the winter we melted snow for bathwater and used lanterns to save money. I walked an extra 2 miles after school to work on a hog farm, cleaning and feeding hogs. They really stink, but you get used to it. We had an old transistor radio at home that I had to work on all the time.

Our one room schoolhouse lights started sparking one day, and caught the place on fire. School was dismissed early. After the volunteer fire department left, Gus, the electrician, came out to rewire the building. I got to be his helper and have been doing electrical work ever since then. And I’ve only been shocked 6 times.

Don’t say that!

Here’s another typical question where a lot of people really BLOW their opportunity to knock the socks off the interviewer.

Q. Why are you looking for a new job? (A loaded question.)

Say This-

A. This job sounds great and seems to match up well with my qualifications. I like a challenge and I like to stay busy. I look forward to getting trained in different ways to make myself more valuable to the company. I’m also looking for a place where I can move up to higher positions with greater responsibility and pay. I understand that you offer these things here. Is that right? (Hush and grin.)

-or-

A. This job sounds great and seems to match up well with my qualifications. I want to be with a company that is growing, has promotion opportunities for experienced and highly motivated workers, and cares about its people. This is a company with those qualities, right? (Hush and grin.)

-or-

If you were laid-off, fired, or displaced from a corporate takeover, or Hurricane Katrina, just say so. Just remember to limit your responses on each of these topics.

Very few, if any, companies or books will tell you the Secret I’m about to tell you.

Here it is: The real reason most people get crossed off the list for the job during or right after the interview is that they say the wrong things, especially when answering this question.

Bad response- “I was fired/laid-off because Gus hired another boss who was a real jackass. I couldn’t get along with him so I told him to ‘take this job and shove it,’ just like that Merle Haggard song. Ain’t that funny?”

Don’t Say That! Also, don’t ramble, complain, cuss, get physically upset or sick, start talking bad about former bosses, tell victim stories, hard luck stories or get so personal or say anything that will make the interviewer depressed. You don’t want the interviewer to get depressed at anything you say or do. It amazing that some people say these types of things all the time! Duh!

I understand that it’s tough dealing with all these situations. I’ve had to deal with all of them except Hurricane Katrina.

Say This:

A. “I’ve had some challenges. Some were from making wrong decisions. I’m quick to admit mistakes when I make them, like all human beings do occasionally. Wouldn’t you agree?” (Pause to let that sink into the interviewer’s brain. The point being; everyone, including him/her, has made mistakes galore in their lifetime. Nobody’s perfect, so get over it.)

Now you come back with a positive twist:

“However, getting laid-off, (or displaced by Hurricane Katrina), were circumstances beyond my control. The good news is, that despite what happened in the past, it’s in the past. I’m here now and ready to help improve the operation and profits of the company.” (Hush and Grin.)

The interviewers will be very impressed, because they hardly ever hear this kind of talk from a job applicant. You'll be put on a short list for the job right away.

In the next article, Part 2, I’ll tell you more about how to 'Say this, not that’ in your job interviews.

Be looking for it.

To your success,

Michael W. Hall

About the Author

Michael W. Hall, MPA, CSL, DTM, is an author, speaker and career coach. A popular humorous speaker and writer, he shares proven strategies for overcoming challenges and becoming successful in life. His best selling e-book, “The Ultimate Interview Guide for Job and Career Success,” can be found at www.UltimateInterviewGuide.com. You can also reach him at www.JobHope.net

Job Interview Techniques - Job Interview Questions - Essential Questions to Prepare Yourself With

Job Interview Techniques - Job Interview Questions - Essential Questions to Prepare Yourself With by Charles Rhodes

Job interview techniques can be some of the most valuable skills for someone who is seeking a new job to learn.

Unfortunately, many overlook simple essential steps they can learn in order to maximize their chance to get the job they want. All it takes is a little job interview knowledge.

So I've taken the liberty of compiling a list of common job interview questions that one can use to study and learn how to answer.

The better prepared you are, the better the chance you get the job! Make sure you read through all of them.

* What is your name and educational qualifications?

* From where did you complete your education?

* What is the role that you wish to work for in our company?

* Do you suppose that you can get this job?

* Where did you work before this?

* Do you wish to have a stable and permanent job with our company or would you leave it after sometime?

* What do you think is more important for you, the payment, the job satisfaction, the job security, or convenience?

* What is your last drawn salary?

* What are your expectations from us? How much should be we pay you if we appoint you?

* How much do you know about our company?

* Do you have any medical or fitness, problems? Would you be comfortable at work?

* What are your other interests and hobbies?

* Can you tell us something about your analytical abilities; refer to a few examples of when you applied your abilities in the past?

* What are the long-term goals that you have?

* What are short-term goals that you have?

* Where do you think you would be five years from now?

* Why do you think that you are an able person for this job?

* Why did you quit your previous job?

* What is a team player?

* Can you present examples from the past when you proved to be a team player?

* How would you handle a argument with a colleague?

* Can you site a few examples from the past, when you avoided an argument, on your own?

* Can you describe some interesting incident that occurred during your previous job?

* What do you guess you can achieve by working with this company?

* Where you do stay?

* Would you be comfortable if you undergo a transfer in the future?

* (If long) would you be comfortable with coming so away from your place?

* Would you like to know something about this company?

Keep in mind the questions asked in the interview are of different types according to the requirement of the job. The interview can be divided into two types according to the skills, which are tested. These types are the general interview and the technical interview. The questions asked in the general interview are common for any kind of job. In this round of interview, the candidate is tested for his communication skills and confidence.

The above are examples of general questions.

These are only the common personal questions that are frequently asked for all the types of jobs in companies or firms. These may be asked by a separate interviewer who is especially present for these questions. The other technical questions are asked by the technical interviewers.

While answering these questions it is important that your answers depict clear and professional thinking. They should be answered confidently.

If you want to ensure you're the one selected for the job, make sure you learn everything you can about job interview techniques! They can save your butt and guarantee you a new, better job.

About the Author

Guarantee yourself that new job! For real life job interview techniques that actually help, visit Job Interview Techniques and make sure the bosses love you.

Job Search Tips for Sales Professionals

Job Search Tips - For Sales Professionals by Jay Bauder

Job Search Tips for Sales Professionals

Each specific industry has a variety of requirements that an employee has to meet. In searching for jobs as sales professionals, how do you prepare for a competitive environment?

Here are useful tips you could perform in searching the appropriate job and acing the interview.

1) Research: In order to be prepared on your interview, you should learn important facts about the company beforehand.

* The internet is one of the best ways to search for information and most companies provide their own websites. Study the content of the company's website; know their background, goals, and information about the top executives.

* By using search engines on the Internet, you could also obtain news and additional information about the progress of the company, past projects and issues, and organizations where the company belongs.

* Review the stock market chart of the company. Since majority of shares are publicly traded, you could examine the recent stock price and learn the difficulties of its market over the past years. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the company will help you in the interview.

* Learn as many information as possible about its competitors. When you read articles about the market space, you will find out who leads the market and you can find out the company's competitors. Having this knowledge could help you during the interview since you could be able to justify how the company is better than its present competitors are.

2) Attitude: Having the right attitude towards the interview and the job itself would ensure the position is yours.

* Majority of successful sales professionals have a unique energy that you can feel. They command a presence and hold the attention of everyone. Be energetic about the job and interview.

* Be enthusiastic. Since you have done your research about the company and its competitors, the interviewers will appreciate your enthusiasm and interest about the position.

3) Preparation: The position you desire could be yours as long as you show up prepared.

* Create a presentation by researching the products and services of the company. Be prepared to speak directly and intelligently about the company's field.

* Provide statistics and industry related facts in your presentation. This goes to show that not only are you enthusiastic about the job, you are also aware of the condition of the industry.

* The fact about sales is its all about numbers. If you are asked about your numbers, simply provide them with production reports, past employment lists or a W-2 form of your yearly earnings.

By successfully performing these basic steps, your sales job could be yours in just a handshake away.

About the Author

Jay is the web owner of http://www.jobs-in.com Online Jobs, a website that provides information and resources on searching for jobs nationwide. You can visit his website at: http://www.jobs-in.net Jobs | Job Search