Friday, April 17, 2009

Job Interview Preparation..Are you Truly Ready?

You have researched your potential employer, answered the 200 sample questions and know exactly where the interview is taking place. Now what? Are you truly ready for the interview? Not yet! Here are a few more tips:
Appraise Yourself. Review your accomplishments by thinking of specific examples. Write them down and say them out loud. If you have babysat a total of 16 children aged six months to six years over the past four summers, say so. If you haven't missed a day of work (or school) in two years, say so. If you've catered seven banquets of up to 100 people, say so. If you won an award for the best safety record in your company, say so. These are noteworthy accomplishments; give yourself credit where credit is due.

Think Benefit. Job interviewers want to know how you can benefit their business. Period. Why isn't a list of job responsibilities good enough? Because:

It doesn't show proficiency or skill level.
It doesn't show initiative, creativity, or problem-solving ability.
It doesn't distinguish you from other workers doing the same job.
It doesn't show how an employer benefitted from having you as an employee.
If you were an employer, would you rather hire someone who says "I did month-end mailings." or someone who says "By computerizing our month-end mailings, I reduced an 8-hour job to 1 hour." Would you rather hire the applicant who says "I transported pallets to a sanitary landfill." or the applicant who says "They had always taken their pallets to the dump. I used the pallets to make compost bins, and sold them for $20 each."
Give employers enough good reasons to hire you, and they probably will.

Prepare Questions. Make a list of questions to ask the interviewer. Topics might include the company, the industry, products and services, work environment, job details, who you report to, when you'll be contacted, etc. Whichever questions aren't answered during the course of the interview can be asked at the end.

Contact Your References.
1. Tell them the date of your interview, the company's name, and the position you're applying for.
2. Make sure they have a copy of your resume. Remind them of your goals and why you would be a great candidate for this job.
3. Ask if they have any questions, and thank them for their help.

Plan Ahead. Don't be late for the interview. Ever! If you're not sure of the location, phone and ask for directions. The day before the interview, go to the location and note how long it takes to get there. Are there train crossings, detours, or road construction along the route? Don't worry if you take a wrong turn and get lost, or you end up at 450 Park Ave North instead of South: the interview is tomorrow, and you won't make the same mistake again.

If you're not doing all of these things in advance, you're not as prepared as you could be.

No comments:

Post a Comment