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The Day of the Interview

To make a good impression on interview day, use these tips:


Get there on time Check your appearance Use appropriate waiting-room behavior Be prepared if the interviewer is late. Be particular about your dress and appearance Give a firm handshake and maintain good eye contact. Act interested. Eliminate annoying behaviors Pay attention to your voice. Use the interviewers formal name as often as possible. Play the chitchat game for awhile Comment on something personal in the interviewers office Ask some opening questions

Use Control Statements to Your Advantage


Here are some other control statements and questions to ask early in an Interview: Id like to know more about what your organization does. Would you mind telling me? I have a background in _________ and am interested in how I might be considered for a position in an organization such as yours.

Ask Good Questions


What obstacles the organization anticipates in meeting its goals How the organizations goals have changed over the past three to five years

Close the Interview Properly


Thank the interviewer by name. While shaking their hand, say, Thank you (Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. __________) for your time today.

Chapter 2

Identify Your Skills


WHAT MAKES YOU A GOOD WORKER? Adaptive Skills
Am hardworking, productive Team player Creative

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Using computer or othertechnology appropriate for my job objective Accepting responsibility Supervising others Motivate yourself Be competitive

Identify Your Job-Related Skills


Describe situation and skills used: Specific things you learned or can do that relate to the job you want:

Chapter 3
Searching the industry Searching the company Essential Questions Your Research Must Answer What is the prospective employer and what does it do? What has the organization done in the last three years? Where is the organization headed? What new products or services are on the horizon? What/who is the competition? Where is this organization at an advantage or disadvantage? What are the success factors? How can the job you are pursuing contribute to the organizations success?

Researching the Job


If you became aware of the job opening through an advertisement in a publication or online, start with the job posting that led you to it. Study it well and become aware of the skills, keywords, buzzwords, and concepts it uses. If any are unfamiliar to you, do your research and find out what they mean.

The 10 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questionsand How to Answer Them


Question #1: Why Dont You Tell Me About Yourself?
If you answered the question as it was asked, you might say something like this: I grew up in the Southwest and have one brother and one sister. My parents both worked and I was active in sports growing up. I always did well in school, and by the time I graduated from high school I had taken a years worth of business courses. I knew then that I wanted to work in a business setting and had several part-time office jobs while still in high school. After high school I worked in a variety of business settings and learned a great deal about how various businesses run. For example, I was given complete responsibility for the daily operations of a wholesale distribution company that grossed over two million dollars a year. That was only three years after I graduated from high school. There I learned to supervise other people and solve problems under pressure. I also became more interested in the financial end of running a business and decided, after three years and three promotions, to seek a position where I could have more involvement in key strategies and long-term management decisions.

Question #2: Why Should I Hire You?


The best response to this question provides advantages to employers, not to you. A good response gives proof that you can help them make more money by improving efficiency, reducing costs, increasing sales, or solving problems (by coming to work on time, improving customer service, organizing one or more operations, offering knowledge of a particular software or computer system, or bringing a variety of other talents to an organization).

Question #3: What Are Your Major Strengths?


One of my major strengths is my ability to work hard toward a goal. Once I make a decision to accomplish something, it gets done and done well

Question #4: What Are Your Major Weaknesses?


I need to learn to be more patient. I often do things myself just because I know I can do them faster

and better than someone else. This trait has not let me be as good at delegating tasks as I want to be. But I am working on it. Im now spending more time showing others how to do the things I want done and that has helped. They often do better than I expect because I am clear about explaining what I want and how I want it done.

Question #5: What Sort of Pay Do You Expect to Receive?


Im very interested in the position, and my salary would be negotiable.

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