JOB VACANCIES TRAINEESHIP APPRENTICESHIP VACANCIES Interview Tips

The key to successful interviews
Other great tips from http://www.iconrec.com.au/sw/fintervw.html
Your potential employer has received a pile of applications and resumes. These have been weeded through. Now it's time to put faces to the paperwork and ask probing, insightful questions to determine the perfect candidate for the prized position.
But, as we also all know, what we aim for isn't what always happens. It's the person who gives the best interview who wins — whether they're the best one for the job or not.

One important point to remember is that we are only human. And so too are our interviewers. Some of us perform badly in interviews. And sometimes our interviewers perform badly, too. There are times we go in poorly prepared. And occasionally, they do too. Sometimes we ask foolish questions. And sometimes they ask questions they have no right to ask.

Whatever happens, don't be disheartened. See every interview as a learning experience. If you are not successful, ring and ask for feedback. Determine what you did well and where you need to improve.

Preparation
See the interview as a competition — one in which there is rarely a prize for coming second. So you have to win. And before you can win any competition, you need to prepare for it.

Identify four or five of your most valuable strengths, thinking along the lines of personal qualities. These could include the ability to stay calm while other around you are panicking; commitment; willingness to work long hours; lateral thinking; team leader, team player, sense of humour. Prepare an example of how you have demonstrated each of these strengths and make sure you get an opportunity to mention them somewhere during the interview.

At the same time confront some of your weaknesses. While you don't need to share these with your interviewer/s, you don't necessarily want to land yourself a job you will hate.

Demonstrate a "good fit"
List the requirements of the job point by point, then match your experience to the appropriate requirements. Learn them. But make sure that, when the opportunity arises, they come out naturally and spontaneously — don't regurgitate them in an obviously rehearsed way.

Know the organisation
If you can't demonstrate some interest in how the company makes their money, they're unlikely to offer you any of it. The more you can find out about the following, the better:
company size, form, locations and divisions;
products and services, target market;
reputation;
major competitors.

Review your resume
Read your resume carefully to remind yourself of your past achievements and identify areas to highlight at the interview. You got to the interview stage because the interviewer saw something in the CV that appealed. Identify what it is. Practise answering likely questions on what experience you have.

At the Interview
You're prepared, on time, perfectly groomed for the role and ready to convince them that you're the person they need. Along with the other applicants, you will have been allocated a certain amount of time in which to convince the interviewer or panel of interviewers.

It's also worthwhile pointing out that the interviewers too are in the spotlight to an extent. Even the most thorough pre-application research cannot tell you certain things about the company or the job. So the recruiter/employer is selling the company and position to you as well.

Make a good first impression
The first impression is always the strongest and most lasting. Be friendly, but not over-friendly. Leave the smart, witty comments for another time. Create a positive first impression by offering a firm, non-bone crunching, handshake and make direct eye contact.

Deal with nerves
Being nervous is normal and most experienced interviewers understand this. And it rarely harms your chances if you acknowledge your nervousness.

However, excessive nervousness can work against you — especially if you continually apologise for it. It makes other applicants, who are more relaxed and confident, seem more attractive.

Also many people tend to be overly talkative when nervous. If you fall into this category, try not to go off on tangents. Stick to the question being asked and answer it concisely. You will control your nervousness more effectively if you have taken the time to practise answering questions before the interview.

Ask questions
Interviews aren't supposed to be grilling sessions. The intention behind a good interview is to find out more about you, while you find out more about them. In other words, to get a good match between the person and the job.

Interviews should be a two-way street. Probing, intelligent questions can help the employer to evaluate your professional and personal needs. Your chance of being successful increases when the employer believes that the position will be mutually beneficial.

Consider bringing a notepad and pen to take notes of answers to your questions and pertinent facts and figures. It shows you have come prepared and are taking the opportunity seriously.

Answer honestly and completely
Answer questions honestly. Try to avoid giving blunt "yes" or "no" answers. They reveal nothing. Certainly, a "closed" question ("Do you perform well under pressure?"), generally indicates an unskilled interviewer. You could simply answer "yes" but this doesn't help you. If you get a closed question, give a brief but comprehensive response. Use it as an opportunity to sell yourself. As a general rule of thumb, try not to speak longer than two minutes at a time and never dominate the conversation. The recruiter must feel in control.

Don't complain
Avoid making negative judgements and criticisms of past employers and companies

Dealing With the Trick Questions
Here are the answers that just might help get you through the questions you hoped they'd forget to ask — the question where the honest answer is completely out of the question.

"Why were you out of work for so long?"
You must have a sound and feasible explanation for this one. Don't attempt to gloss over this question, as it's an issue that most prospective employers take seriously.

Emphasise that you were seriously considering your next move, rather than just looking for another pay cheque. You enjoy your work and are determined that the next job you take will be one where you can settle down and make a solid long-term contribution.

"Why do you want to work here?"
You can't answer this one unless you've done your homework. Research the company. Reply with the company's attributes as you see them. Cap your answer with reference to its reputation for providing a stable and happy work environment — an atmospherethat will encourage your best work.

"What did you like/dislike about your last job?"
Should you get hit with this one, the interviewer is trying to find out the incompatibilities between you and the prospective job. Now, most interviews start with an introduction to the company. Pay attention. They are giving you the information that will help you answer this particular question. Use statements the interviewer makes about the job or the organisation to your advantage.

The solution is to focus on what you like and gloss over what you dislike. It won't hurt to say that you liked everything about your last job; it taught you the importance of certain key aspects about business, achievement, or professional profile. Never criticise. Criticising a prior employer is a warning flag that you could be a problem - and no-one intentionally hires trouble.

"Why should I hire you?"
Make the answer short and to the point. Highlight areas from your background that relate to current needs and problems. Recap the interviewer's description of the job and match it point-by-point with your skills. Finish your answer with:
"I have the qualifications you need [itemise them].
I'm a team player. I take direction and I have the desire to be a thorough success."

"Tell me about yourself."
This is not an invitation to ramble. If the context isn't clear, you need to know more about the question before giving an answer. In such a situation, you could ask, "Is there a particular aspect of my background that would be most relevant to you?" This will enable the interviewer to help you find the appropriate focus and avoid irrelevancies.

"Why did you choose this particular career path?"
This sort of question could lead to a vague and lengthy explanation. Avoid the trap. Form your answer so that it connects you with the position and the company. Keep it short and offer a specific example.

You need to convince the interviewer that their industry and your career goals are the same. Do you have a realistic view of what it is like to work in their industry? What aspects of their industry are particularly attractive to you? Give specific examples that the interviewer can relate to and convince the person that this career path makes perfect sense for you.

"I chose advertising because I have always been a strong communicator with a good eye for design. I have a particular interest in creating dynamic eye-catching pieces that support a new product being introduced to the market. I also like the fast-paced high-energy environment that seems to be commonplace in the advertising industry."

After the interview
After the interview, take the time to write down the names and titles of all interviewers, your impressions, type of questions asked and information learned. If you are undergoing regular interviews, this will help you keep employers and circumstances clearly defined.
If you are unsuccessful, ring and ask if you can have feedback about why you didn't get the job. While most people will be diplomatic rather than brutally honest, you should still be able to work out whether you could have improved your presentation — or whether you lost out simply because the job was not for you.

In the meantime, be brutally honest with yourself. Review your performance. What went well? What went badly? Did you sufficient prepare yourself? In which areas do you need to improve?

Remember, the only way to appear confident in an interview is to actually believe you are the person for the job. While the more you get your hopes up, the more they crash if you don't succeed, remember to pick yourself up again and launch into a new opportunity with the same energy and optimism. From every loss you learn something extra, and move one step closer to your next success.

Make your interest in the job formal with a thank you letter. If they have yet to decide who will get the job, use the letter as an opportunity to reinforce your strengths. If you have found out that you were unsuccessful, still write and thank them for giving you the opportunity to try out for the job. You never know when you are again going to be face-to-face with someone from the interviewing panel.