Module 04 : preparing for a job interview.
Read the interview advice document given on the job interview advice site.
Sample
Job Interview Questions and Responses
Q: How will you advance this company?
This question should be answered with some tangible examples. Provide facts to support the talent you will claim to bring. Make sure you offer skills that will actually be useful to them.
A: My expertise in accounting has saved thousands and, in some cases, millions of dollars for the different companies I’ve worked with. With the welfare of the very infrastructure at stake, every penny counts, and I make it my priority to account for each of those pennies. As noted on my resume, I was responsible for sourcing a funds leak disguised as a supplies expense account at Innitech Corp. I can bring that same relentless scrutiny to the books here.
Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
This is a good opportunity to be honest and incorporate your goals and priorities into the conversation.
A. I don’t really plan my life by year or by month. My goal is to continue developing useful software and applications for the open source community and keep learning. So, if I had to say, I’d like to still be learning in ten years. I’d like to have contributed enough useful programs to provide a whole new generation of coders with the tools they need to make life easier. I don’t really believe in retirement either, so I plan on doing this as long as I’m up and running.
Q: Why did you choose this company?
Potential employers don’t just want someone talented. They want to see if you’ll mesh with the company.
A: This has been my dream company all along. I’ve been building up my experience and developing my talent so that I could qualify for a position here. The people are genuine and among the most talented in the world, you value progress and cultivating a community of learning, and the focus is on quality work rather than arbitrary rules of conduct and performance quotas. Everyone is here because they want to be here, and they’re the best at what they do. The sense of responsibility and high standards fits in perfectly with my values.
Q: Why are you the best person for this position?
Don’t be afraid to stroke your own ego here. Don’t say anything self deprecating. Focus on this position in this company. Why shouldn’t they hire someone else?
A: I’m the best for this position here because I’ve been following this company’s progress for years. Any time there was a new release or you were mentioned in the news, I was all over it. I already know the infrastructure and history of this place like the back of my hand. Not only was my latest project focused specifically on the new language developed here, but I’ve been implementing it in my own personal work since its release six months ago. I can see being here for a very long time if the company continues in the direction it’s going.
Q: What is your biggest flaw?
Don’t panic! They’re not trying to trick you here. Everyone has flaws. What they want to know is if it will interfere with your work and whether or not you’re doing anything about it.
I tend to be a bit too polite. When you’re too nice, people perceive you as a bit of a pushover. While I would never be rude to anyone, I try to keep the small talk from becoming excessive in order to maintain a “no-nonsense” reputation.
Task 1
You are going to be interviewed by a personal finance management company. CREALOGIX
After studying the information about the company, you answer the following questions as if you were looking for the job.
1. How much experience have you already had working with business software?
2. What made you come to us?
3. How can you help us to improve our sales and customer pool?
5. What are your main assets?
6. How do you see yourself in five years time inside our firm?
Task 2
Essay: "I know who you are (the firm), this is who I am (the candidate) and here is how I can fit in and help you develop your business." To what extend is this the best strategy for finding a job?
Sample Interview Strengths and Weaknesses
Steps to take
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Research the company's profile and background. Start by looking into their future goals and plans. Conducting the interview with this in mind will make you seem like a good long-term investment. You should also be ready to talk in depth about the industry, the organization, and the position you are applying for.
Think of questions to ask your interviewer. Participating actively during the interview gives a good impression of your level of interest in the job. It's a good idea to come prepared with at least three thought-provoking questions to ask your interviewer. (Avoid asking anything that could be easily answered through a quick internet search, or you will simply come across as lazy.)
2
Practice with a peer. If you have a friend who is also preparing for an interview, consider preparing together. Not only will this give you a way to structure your preparation, but it will also help you get comfortable with giving answers, telling anecdotes, and using appropriate terminology. Practice giving concise, complete answers and maintaining eye contact with the interviewer(s) while you give them. Make sure you aren't speaking too slow or too fast and that your answers are stated with confidence.
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Anticipate questions from the interviewer. It’s best to prepare for a wide variety of questions by thinking about your own career goals, long-term plans, past successes, and work strengths, but you should also brace yourself for the deceptively simple questions that most employers like to throw at their interviewees.
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Dress for the interview. As a rule of thumb, you should dress for the interview the way you would for the job itself. (If the job is unusually casual, however, you might want to show up in business-casual clothes to be safe.) Choose subdued colors (blues, browns, grays, black) and make sure that your clothes are lint- and wrinkle-free. Avoid wearing perfume, after-shave, or scented lotion (but do wear deodorant).
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Show courtesy to everyone during the interview. This means everyone from the reception staff to the interviewer herself. You never know who has input in the hiring process, and you can only make a first impression once.
Look everyone in the eye and smile. Looking people in the eye will telegraph alertness, and smiling will signal friendliness.
Speak clearly and say "please" and "thank you." Make sure the people you talk to during the interview can make out what you're saying. Talking audibly, with good enunciation, tells people you're confident, while good manners tells them you're considerate of other people.
Don't noodle around on your phone or electronic device while waiting. In fact, leave it in your car. Even though it's practically acceptable, playing around on your phone can communicate boredom and frivolousness (even if that's not the case). Stick with a book or review your notes while waiting.
7
Be honest. Many people think that an interview is the perfect time to embellish. While you want to structure your answers so that your best, most qualified aspects take center stage, you don't want to deceive or outright lie. Companies do perform background checks, and lying about your experience is simply not worth it.
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Keep things simple and short. Talking about yourself can be very difficult to do well: You're trying to convince someone you don't know that you're qualified for a position without sounding too cocky or pompous. Stick to what you know well, and keep things short and sweet.
9
Be personable. Try to come off as a genuinely likable person if you can. If you're cynical, pessimistic, and absolutely disabused of any faith in humanity, try to tone it down during the interview. Being personable is about getting the interviewer's emotional side to like you and believe in you. Employers don't always hire the candidates most qualified for the job, but rather the candidates they like the best.
10
Shake hands with the interviewer and exchange pleasantries. Try to invest some feeling into the handshake and pleasantries, even if you think you bombed the interview. The interviewer should give you a time frame for when to expect to get a callback, if applicable.
11
Send a thank-you letter to your interviewer and/or liaison. Now is a good time to thank the person you interviewed with, even if it's just a formality. You can say something like:
"Dear [interviewer's name], Thank you for the opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you. I remain very impressed by [interviewer's company], and invite you to contact me if you have any further questions. I look forward to hearing from you about this position."
If you missed any important points in your interview you wanted to stress, you may include one or two in the thank-you letter. Keep the points brief, and tie them into a discussion point that you or the interviewer made during the interview.
If you received any help in getting the interview, follow up with appropriate parts of your network. Inform them that you received an interview, are grateful they helped you in your career search, and would be eager to help them in the future.
12
Follow up with the interviewer at the appropriate time. You should have received some information about when you could expect to hear back from the employer. The standard time is about two weeks, but it can depend. If you've waited past the designated callback date — or the callback date wasn't set and it's been two weeks — follow up with the interviewer in a short email. You can say something like:
"Dear [interviewer's name], I interviewed at your company [at such and such date], and am still interested in the position if it hasn't yet been filled. I'd greatly appreciate any information you might have about my candidacy. I look forward to hearing from you."
Task 3
Explain to a colleague in simple terms the 12 steps to take.
First you should..........then.......Don't forget to.......and last but not least............
Now go and Watch the Monty Python interview (just for fun).
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