Cv for Interviews

Posts Tagged ‘Personality’

There are two main types of skills, hard skills and soft skills. Hard
skills are tangible in the sense that these are things that you do like:
knowing how to operate different kinds of machinery, knowledge of a
specialized computer program, ability to type fast, skills on using
many types of tools, credentials regarding special crafts, etc. Soft
skills are skills that are rather abstract in nature like personal qualities.
This may include the following: being a good team player, having the
ability to work on your own, being enthusiastic or organized and
decisive.

The steps to follow:
Making a list of your previous jobs and experience acquired
First thing to do is to make a list of all the companies that you have
worked for and the things that you learned from these jobs. There will
be a lot of things to list and you should be careful not to forget even
the smallest things or activities that you were part of or organized. It
is also a good idea to list the volunteer activities that you participated
in.

Include a list of your hobbies
Although it might sound trivial at first, it is also very helpful to list all
your hobbies. There are a lot of abilities that your prospective
employer may get from your hobby list. This will also give an idea of
your personality. For example, if you were part of the school’s
debating team, then your employer may deduce that you have good
analytical skills. If you were a champion chess player, then your
employer will have the impression that you are good at making critical
decisions. Think of your daily routine and the things that you do and
often take for granted. Are you an organized person who always keeps
your things in proper order? Are you an extrovert that can easily make
friends in a matter of minutes? These may seem ordinary to normal
things to you, but your future boss might think otherwise.

Most applicants fail because they lack confidence in themselves. A job interview should never be treated or compared to an interrogation. This wrong notion of what an interview should be actually adds to the fear mounting inside. This fear usually hinders you from effectively expressing yourself during interviews and worst, too much fear may cause some applicants to blank out during the interview.

A good way to prepare for a job interview is to research the company; practice answering the most commonly asked interview questions, and then gather information about the employer. This will not only provide helpful information for the interview but will also boost confidence knowing that you are well prepared to answer any questions during your job interview.

Aside from conducting researches and familiarizing yourself with various questions for the job interview there are still some things you need to know in order to ensure that you get the job you want.

Present the best and most sellable side of your personality

This can be achieved only if you to possess confidence in yourself. It is important that you trust your own abilities and believe that you have the qualifications required for the job that you are applying for. Self-confidence will help you feel at ease during your job interview.

Learn the different types of questions in order to sell yourself effectively

A job interview is all about questions. There are various types of questions used, for instance, questions that probe, questions that put you on the spot and questions that you may find hard to answer. It is important that you know how to easily recognize questions so that you will be prepared on how to effectively answer those questions.

Prepare question topics in advance

Nothing beats preparedness especially referring to job interviews. Since a job interview is all about questions, prepare in advance and practice answering some of the commonly asked questions your potential employer may ask. Practice makes perfect, and doing this will help get you accustomed to the questions thus boosting your confidence during your actual job interview.

Improve your personal grooming

Image and appearance is really important especially during actual job interviews. Your image and appearance tells so much about the type of person you are. Likewise, it is important to choose properly the clothes that you are to wear during your job interview since your clothes reflect just how much you value yourself.

Give a polished interview performance

Try to remember interview dos and donts to avoid mistakes and help swing the interview in your favor.

Carefully assess the job offer

It is also important for you to carefully assess the job offer. Determine whether the job is really the type you want and never be afraid to ask questions. Since it is only through asking that you will be able to know how solid the job offer really is.

Communicate and build rapport with the interviewer

You can achieve this by being an active interviewee, meaning be enthusiastic in answering questions. Show them that you are really interested in getting the job. Develop rapport with the interviewer this will help in ridding you of some of your fears, and will provide you with more confidence.

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.