Cv for Interviews

Posts Tagged ‘Body Language’

Job Hunting Tips

Are you a fresh graduate and planning to look for a job? Did you just recently quit your job and are looking for greener pastures? Are you unemployed and have little experience regarding ways to secure a job? Whatever your situation may be, it would be to your advantage to

study the following tips:

Check your resume for mistakes Before submitting your resume to a recruitment consultants, check your it for corrections at least three times before handing it over. After researching about the job position, it is critical that you format your resume to match the needs of the company. For example, if you are applying for an accounting job, you should put in detail your accounting experience on your resume. Typographical and grammatical errors are serious no-no’s. It is also ideal to keep the length of the resume’ to at least a page and a half long. Taking the interview challenge

A survey conducted by a staffing and consulting firm based in California which corresponded with 1,400 chief financial officers concluded that candidates for employment made most of their mistakes on their interviews. Some of the mistakes they made include:

Arriving late
Having little knowledge about the company
Having little knowledge about the position applied for
Having a superiority complex
Behaving arrogantly

The body language of the applicant must also denote that he isconfident yet not overpowering. He must maintain eye contact, have a strong handshake, and avoid looking defensive by the act of crossing the arms. Wearing the right clothes is crucial for projecting a confident stance. As they say, it is better to go to an interview over-dressed than being under-dressed.

Answer questions smartly

A common mistake of interviewees is that they tend to get tense and forget the questions that are given to them, which has the effect that they are not prepared for the interview. It is important to research the company and the position applied for to prevent being side-tracked during the interview. If you do not know the answer to the questions being asked, it is better to admit you don’t know the answer to the
question and add that you can research about it. Look for the skills or expertise that the company is looking for so that when interview day comes and the interviewer asks about your strengths and core competencies, you will be able to match it to what they need.

Getting the necessary referrals

Having a referral from one of the company employees can go a long way toward landing an interview. A typical company may receive job applications in the hundreds and usually 35% to 60% of all job vacancies are filled by referrals. The odds of getting hired when you have a referral are very high if you have another 200 to 500 applicants vying for the same position. If you do not know anyone from the company that may give you a referral, it is a good idea to network the alumni of your college or university, trade groups, social networks, and professional associations. Remember, having a referral greatly increases your chances of getting the position.

Have you got what it takes to secure an executive role? Job hunting is stressful. Just spending time looking for appropriate jobs in the paper or on the internet is frustrating and you know that when you find one or two executive appointments that you want to apply for, you will be up against a lot of competition.

Standing out from the crowd is important at every stage of the process. From your CV to your final interview, you want to be the candidate that impresses. Whether this is your first executive position, or you are a seasoned senior manager, you still need to make your application and interview different enough to secure the job.

If youre dealing with an executive recruitment agency, there are three key areas where you need to be on top of your game in order to increase your chances of success:

1. On the Phone

Often, your first direct contact with a recruitment firm is on the phone. A telephone interview is a real test of your skills, because you cant use eye contact of body language to reinforce what youre saying; you have to rely on being prepared, focused and flexible so that you create a great impression.

2. Your CV

The key here is to focus on your achievements and experience, making everything you put on your CV directly relevant to the position. The internet is awash with information on how to make your CV more presentable, but there are some key points to remember:

Keep it short
Keep it relevant
Put your contact details at the top
Focus on things you’ve achieved, rather than your skills

3. Your interview

The interview for an executive appointment either as a preliminary with the recruitment agent or a first or second interview with the company is your best opportunity to show that you will be an asset to the business. Self-confidence is important, but not to the point where it could be viewed as arrogance. Use positive language and positive body language, give examples to show how you have achieved results in your current position and ask intelligent questions. Make sure you have researched the company well before your interview and double-check the requirements of the job.

The executive appointments market is a competitive one, and following these steps could increase your chances of success.

There are many things that you can do that can take some of the pressure off during an interview. The way that you behave is one of the most important. Its not all in the words that come out of your mouth, but often has a lot to do with the mannerisms that you use.

Interviewers are not just wondering if you are skilled enough for the job, they are often wondering if you would fit in nicely with you co-workers. Your personality is a big part of your interview and can make all the difference. Here are some of the little things that you should pay particularly close attention to during an interview.

You do not want to be chewing gum or breath mints during your interview. You also dont want to speak in slang during your interview either. It is unprofessional and rude.

Show Confidence

You cannot enter into an interview with a defeatist attitude. You cannot mope or exude too much placidity in your manner. It is not inviting, and does not give the impression of a person that you want to face every day.
Be sure of your abilities without appearing cocky or narcissistic. You want to let you interviewer know that you are equipped to perform well at your job, without alienating other workers. You should point out your accomplishments in your field while remaining somewhat humble.

List your accomplishments in a matter of fact way without going into too much detail. I know this sounds repetitive, but you can never get this point too strongly. Understand that body language plays a large part in exuding confidence to others. Sit straight. Practice good posture, and keep your head up.

Keep a Positive Attitude

You should always try to smile and keep a positive outlook during your interview. If what you are hearing something that doesnt sound good to you, dont frown and look disgruntled, just keep a slight smile on your face until it is time for you to say something. Then approach your interviewer with your questions or concerns when the time is appropriate.

Maintain Eye Contact

Keeping eye contact with your interviewer is very important, especially when one of you is speaking to the other. If you are looking around the room or at the items on the interviewers desk, you will appear uninterested. Just imagine what you would be thinking if you were speaking to him and he was looking all over the room. You would probably think that you already lost the interview.

Body Language

Weve touched on this a little bit but you should mind some of the common errors that many people make when they are speaking to others. Ive listed some of the common things that you should avoid when sitting through an interview.

Avoid fidgeting while speaking to your interviewer. It shows a lack of self confidence.

Avoid speaking while using overly expressive hand gestures. It is distracting.

Avoid biting your lips in between sentences. It gives the impression that you are making things up.

Do not sit with your arms crossed because it makes you appear stand-offish.

Do not shrug your shoulders when asked a question that you are unsure of. Take a second to think of your response. Shrugging your shoulders gives the impression that you dont know the answer.

Dont answer with nods and head shakes. Use your words to answer questions.

Get plenty of sleep the night before the interview. You dont want to yawn in front of the interviewer. He will think that you are expressing boredom.