Cv for Interviews

Posts Tagged ‘Interviewees’

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.

You have all the qualifications and you have great references, so why dont you get
the perfect job you so desire? It may be the way you conducted the interview that
has prevented you from getting the job. Certainly many people become nervous at
an interview but failing at the interview goes beyond just being nervous. In fact,
there are things that some interviewees do that go beyond the scope of acceptable.

Do not smoke during or before the interview
Although in todays world, smoking during the interview is likely to be impossible
unless you are outside, you also want to avoid smoking right before the interview
and bringing the strong odor of smoke into the room. If you do smoke, have the
courtesy to use breath spray or mints afterward. Nothing detracts from a
conversation quicker than the smell of cigarette smoke.

Turn off your cell phone
Under no conditions should you have your cell phone on during a job interview.
Unless the interview process is extremely long, there is nothing that cannot wait
until you are finished and then only an emergency might be acceptable such as an
extremely sick child or a potential life and death situation with a family member.
Cell phones should only be in the silent mode and used as stated above for extreme
emergencies. If possible, arrange with a family member or friend to take
emergency calls and handle them while you are at a job interview.
Stay focused

Another mistake people make at interviews is failing to remain focused on the
interview. Instead of maintaining eye contact with the interviewer they look around
the room, look out the window, daydream or any other number of things including
looking in a purse, making notes unrelated to the interview, playing with a cell
phone and twiddling of thumbs. All of these show signs of boredom and will put you
in a negative light when it comes to getting the perfect jobor any job as far as
that goes.

Choose appropriate discussions
The interviewer may ask a few things about your personal life such as whether
family issues will affect your job and the like but dont discuss your husband or
boyfriend beyond those issues that directly relate to the job. The interviewer does
not want to know that youre getting ready to buy a new house or that your church
is having a bazaar.

Career advisers tell jobseekers to send a thank you note after an interview. To address the most frequently asked questions on how
and what to send in a thank you note, here are some give aways. Won’t the employer think that an applicant is desperate and a sissy
applicant if he sends a thank-you letter?

Of course not. Rarely does an employer not pleased to receive a thank-you letter. It is considered as a common way of showing
politeness, a gesture of courtesy, one way to outshine the rest of the interviewees, and a way to keep your name upfront.

Will it not jeopardize the possibility of getting the job? Not in most cases, but it could in some point of time. So why take the
chance? (so they ask) The answer: Most bosses wavers between the last two most promising applicants, a student and experienced officer
for example, after the final interview for a certain position. But when the boss gets a thank-you letter from the student, it made all the
difference. Because of that simple well mannered gesture, the student lands on the job.

Can it be handwritten or should it be typewritten?
Actually, it does not matter. What’s important is the thought of doing it. It must be tailored to your prospective company and the officer
who made the interview. Thus, respect is further established. However, if the company, interviewer or the position being applied
calls for a formal business letter, then do so. Mostly, a handwritten note is okay if the interviewer and the applicant have built rapport.
Will it be okay to e-mail the thank you note?

First thoughts indicate that this is a big NO. However, it depends on the company’s culture. If the people in the company use e-mail in all
of their communication and correspondence, then it should be acceptable. This will also apply if the company is into fast decision
making when hiring applicants. Always remember that even if e-mails fit in with the culture of the company, it’s still a better idea to follow
up the email with a hard copy of your thank you.

So you can just save yourself from trouble since “anything goes” right? NO. On the other side of the previous story, there are prospective
applicants who were almost on the verge of being hired but suddenly hit the skids after sending in a sloppy, ill-fixed thank you letters, with
many typographical errors and misspelled words. A part of having a good communication skill is being able to write effectively and
companies do not need employees who have to be taught simple writing skills.

Will a borrowed thank-you letter do?
Yes, borrowing is one thing. But make sure to look at the basic structure of the letter. Never plagiarize the whole letter as it may be
applicable to the one person but not for the other. Surely, there are employers who can distinguish a thank-you note that has been copied
or not.

If it was a panel interview should thank you letters be sent to all interviewers? Frankly, that’s the best. The same letter to each is as essential as
making one for each. All you have to do is edit some phrases for individuality in case the interviewers would bump in to each other and
compare the notes they received.

How soon should a thank-you note be sent?
The golden rule is to send thank you notes within 24 hours after the interview.

Will it still be okay to mail the thank you note if the hiring decision will be made sooner than when the mailed thank you note is received?
Come to think of it, if the mail is too pre-historic for the hiring decision makers, then find a much speedy way: it can be via e-mail, fax, express delivery or personal delivery. In fact, if you have hand
delivered the thank you note, it can leave a great impression. What if there’s already an offer before even sending the thank you notes?

It’s still better to send the thank you notes as this can be used to accept or decline the offer. This could also be a confirmation of your
agreement andor understanding of the offer they have given (salary, benefits, other compensation, starting date, vacations, etc.), this way
any discrepancies can be straightened out before even starting for the job.

Always find a way to make it as personalized as possible. Try to think out of the box, you may even adapt what you have observed the
interviewer has in the office during the interview. Sending an article that you think the interviewer could be interested in is also another
suggestion. Whatever method you use, make it fast and professional

You have all the qualifications and you have great references, so why dont you get
the perfect job you so desire? It may be the way you conducted the interview that
has prevented you from getting the job. Certainly many people become nervous at
an interview but failing at the interview goes beyond just being nervous. In fact,
there are things that some interviewees do that go beyond the scope of acceptable.

Do not smoke during or before the interview
Although in todays world, smoking during the interview is likely to be impossible
unless you are outside, you also want to avoid smoking right before the interview
and bringing the strong odor of smoke into the room. If you do smoke, have the
courtesy to use breath spray or mints afterward. Nothing detracts from a
conversation quicker than the smell of cigarette smoke.

Turn off your cell phone
Under no conditions should you have your cell phone on during a job interview.
Unless the interview process is extremely long, there is nothing that cannot wait
until you are finished and then only an emergency might be acceptable such as an
extremely sick child or a potential life and death situation with a family member.
Cell phones should only be in the silent mode and used as stated above for extreme
emergencies. If possible, arrange with a family member or friend to take
emergency calls and handle them while you are at a job interview.
Stay focused

Another mistake people make at interviews is failing to remain focused on the
interview. Instead of maintaining eye contact with the interviewer they look around
the room, look out the window, daydream or any other number of things including
looking in a purse, making notes unrelated to the interview, playing with a cell
phone and twiddling of thumbs. All of these show signs of boredom and will put you
in a negative light when it comes to getting the perfect jobor any job as far as
that goes.

Choose appropriate discussions
The interviewer may ask a few things about your personal life such as whether
family issues will affect your job and the like but dont discuss your husband or
boyfriend beyond those issues that directly relate to the job. The interviewer does
not want to know that youre getting ready to buy a new house or that your church
is having a bazaar.