You’re interviewing for a job tomorrow, and you think you've done all the interview preparation you need to do. You’ve practiced your answers to a multitude of common interview questions and have thought up some questions to ask the interviewer. Your interview suit is pressed and ready. But what do you bring to the interview?We’ve created this handy checklist, with the help of Monster Interview Expert Marky Stein, so you won’t forget a thing.Interview Checklist Items for Your Briefcase
Your Resume...
Showing posts with label career-tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label career-tips. Show all posts
Don't Talk Too Much
The gift of gab can be something of a curse during an interview. You could end up talking your way right out of the job.
It's important to remember that interviewers are only human, and their attention tends to wane as you speak. Fully understanding this is critical to effectively communicating during any interview. Your response should be less than a minute and a half when an interviewer asks you to "tell me about yourself." Why? You'll have that interviewer's attention for just about 90 seconds.
The average interviewer's...
Make a Great First Impression
Job Interview Tips
Like many career advice experts, Steve Fogarty, staffing partner at Waggener Edstrom, says candidates should research a company thoroughly before an interview. And if the company is a private firm, that's not an excuse to skip doing your homework.
Where there's a will, there's a way, and finding a way to gather information on a company "distinguishes the great candidates from the good candidates," says Fogarty.
Consider Fogarty's company, a large independent public relations agency....
A Good Interview Impression Is in the Details
As political candidates answer endless variations of the same questions in pursuit of elected office, we can't help but be reminded of our own often-torturous experiences on job interviews.
If, like the candidates, we could review our performances on tape, what might we see?
Watch and Listen to Yourself
"Verbal fillers are the No. 1 problem," says Randy Bitting, cofounder of InterviewStream, a Web-based service that gives job seekers the chance to tape and watch themselves in mock interviews.
"People are so used to texting and...
What Your Words Say About You in Interviews
If you were under the impression that cramming for the SATs was the last time you'd ever have to worry about vocabulary, you're mistaken. In interviews, the words you use are often viewed as related to your level of education and general aptitude.
Whether you're applying for your first postcollege job or trying to break into the executive ranks, it may be your vocabulary -- the subject you first encountered somewhere back around third grade -- that seals your fate.
Why Vocabulary Matters
"I think it's one of the major reasons why...
Tactics for Handling a Panel Interview
By Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer and Kathryn Troutman, Monster Federal Career Coach
There you sit alone in front of the room, waiting for the assembled strangers to attack you with interview questions. It's really not quite that bad. In fact, there is an upside to panel interviews. You'd probably have to talk to each of these people individually at some point in the process -- this way, you get it over all at once. Panel -- or board -- interviews are often characterized by a standard...
Visualize Interview Success
Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Michael Phelps employed visualization and relaxation techniques before his races. Golf superstar Tiger Woods incorporates visualization into his pre-swing routine. And Phil Jackson, the legendary former head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, implored his players to visualize victory before games.
So if your career goal is a better job, visualizing your interviews in advance could be worth trying.
The Power of Positive Thoughts
Many of us have visualized worst-case interview scenarios. It's...
Focus on Your Strengths
What do you have to offer an employer? Why should that employer choose you over someone else? What will make interviewers remember you after they're done with their first round of meeting potential candidates?
It's about matching their problems and needs with your qualifications, skills and traits. Your mission is to convince interviewers that you are the solution they've been seeking.
Make Your Case
Concentrating on your five best strengths will help you focus during the interview and will make it easier for them to remember you....
Five Tips to Ace Your IT Interview
IT recruiting has evolved tremendously over the last decade. As organizations have become more IT-friendly, clients are expecting the same in return. Because IT providers now rely heavily on providing quality service, they need a staff who can accommodate these evolving -- and demanding -- needs. To prepare for an upcoming IT interview, be sure to keep these five IT interview tips in mind.
1. Be an IT SoftieSoft skills are valued in today's workforce, regardless of your job. Your future boss wants to make sure she can trust you...
Prep for Your Administrative Assistant Interview
At many companies, administrative assistants often wear more hats than a hat rack. They're experts in office software and online research; they track and organize their managers’ projects and schedules; and they diplomatically represent their bosses at all levels of the corporate hierarchy.
Because an admin’s duties are so wide-ranging, expect interview questions for an administrative assistant job to be wide-ranging as well. In particular, anticipate being quizzed about both your technical...
Signs You’re Failing Your Interview: Interviewer Body Language Secrets
You may already know that interviewers pick up on your body language and may even base their hiring decisions on it to some extent. But nonverbal communication goes both ways. Hiring managers also give subtle, unconscious signals that they’re interested in you -- or, in many cases, are losing interest.
Here are some subtle signs that you may be headed for the reject pile, and how your words and gestures could turn things in your favor: Signs: Stops taking notes; looks repeatedly at clock or watch; dramatically...
Response Strategies for Interview Questions
Every interview question thrown your way presents an opportunity for you to make your case for why you're the best person for the position. You want to highlight your positive qualities and avoid giving reasons to disqualify you. That said, think about your overall response strategy for the interview.
Examples Speak Volumes
For each quality you present, make sure you're prepared to describe a situation where you demonstrated that quality. Basically, you always want to be able to back up any claims you might make. For example,...
Tips to Prepare for Your Insurance Sales Interview
Selling insurance can earn you a substantial income, and if you grow a big customer base, renewal commissions let you build wealth over your career. But how can you optimize your chances of getting into the insurance industry, or of making a move to a more profitable position? Careful preparation for the interview is the key.
These days, many insurance companies conduct behavioral interviews for insurance sales jobs and independent contractor agents. “We’re trying to get in touch...
