Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Contents
1. What is an interview? 2. How to avoid interview nightmares ... 3. Preparation is the key to success 4. Rest and relaxation 5. Help and support 6. Getting advice 7. Your workspace 8. Planning 9. Tools of your trade 10. Your To Do list 11. Dealing with paperwork 12. Stationery 13. Letters 14. Filing information 15. Screening 16. Telephone interviews 17. Telephone Tips 18. Accepting the offer of an interview 19. Doing your homework 20. Research 21. Informational interviews 22. Using your network 23. The job advert 24. The job description 25. The person specification 26. Buying interview clothes 27. Dress general 28. Formal dress women 29. Formal dress men 30. Your CV 31. Your career history 32. Your portfolio 33. Your household budget 34. Your job targets 35. What does the interviewer want to know? 36. Selling yourself 37. Features and benefits 38. Practice answering questions 39. Multiple interviews 40. Tests and tasks 41. Making presentations 42. Group tasks 43. Psychometric testing 44. Assessment centres 45. Panel interviews 46. Personal hygiene 47. Dealing with nerves 48. On the day of the interview 49. What to take to the interview 50. Aim to enjoy the interview
Teaching-you Job Interview Skills Tips Peter Brown and Jose Ros 2004
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Contents
51. Travelling to the interview 52. Arriving for the interview 53. Where the interview starts ... 54. Believe in yourself 55. Body language 56. Structure of an interview 57. What not to do in an interview ... 58. Making notes 59. First impressions 60. Food and drink 61. Think before you speak! 62. Answering questions 63. Building rapport 64. Breaking the ice 65. About interviewers ... 66. Types of questions 67. Classic questions 68. Closed questions 69. Open questions 70. Hidden questions 71. Multiple questions 72. Hypothetical questions 73. Difficult questions 74. Illegal or unprofessional questions 75. Speaking 76. Listening skills 77. Dont criticise 78. Tell the truth! 79. Back-up what you say 80. Be calm and professional at all times 81. Are you the best person for the job? 82. Will you fit in? 83. Can you take direction? 84. Your strengths 85. Your weaknesses 86. Management and leadership skills 87. Time management 88. Your computer skills 89. Communication skills 90. Customer care 91. Salary 92. Your benefits package 93. Promotion 94. Asking questions 95. Second (and third!) interviews 96. After the interview 97. Negotiating 98. Accepting a job offer 99. If you dont get the job ... 100. The future ...
Teaching-you Job Interview Skills Tips Peter Brown and Jose Ros 2004
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1. What is an interview?
* * * An interview is simply a conversation between 2 or more people.
Tips
Unlike conversations between friends, the interviewer is in control of the conversation, but you can have some influence on the direction it takes and how it develops. The interviewer is trying to find out if you: - can do the job - will fit in with the organisation - can be given instructions and respond positively
You should be trying to find out: - if you would like working for this organisation - more about the job and the organisation.
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4. Rest and relaxation
* * * * *
Tips
If you do it thoroughly, preparing for interviews is hard work. And, when you have a full-time job as well, its even harder. Although you cant avoid the work you need to do to prepare for interviews, you must also get plenty of rest and relaxation if youre not to become exhausted or burnt-out. So, relaxation is an important part of your preparation. Get some exercise, do some DIY, take the kids to the park, go to see a film, dig the garden, cook a great meal. Try to get a good nights sleep - preparing properly for interviews, will stop you having sleepless nights through worrying. Managing and planning your time will help you juggle interview preparation while you also get some rest and relaxation.
* *
6. Getting advice
* * * * Adults dont ask for advice as often as they should, so they keep making the same mistakes. Dont fall into this trap! We can help each other by sharing our experiences of job interviews - that way, we learn more about what works in job interviews and what can go badly wrong. Use your network - friends, family, current and ex-colleagues - to get more advice about how to tackle interviews. You may be surprised what you can learn. For more information and tips about interviews, use the internet. Youll find lots of advice on the web sites of recruitment agencies as well as the job sites of national newspapers, eg http://www.guardian.co.uk * Dont forget to act on the advice you get!
Teaching-you Job Interview Skills Tips Peter Brown and Jose Ros 2004
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7. Your workspace
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Tips
Job interviews involve a lot of preparation. So you need a quiet place to work. A home study is best, but you can improvise - for example, a spare bedroom. Make sure your workspace has room to store your job files, and has useful equipment such as a stapler and a hole-punch. You also need a desk (a small table will do) and a chair which will support your back properly. Libraries: If you dont have a quiet place to work at home, try your local library. Many libraries stay open quite late, so you may be able to use them after work. In any case, you may need to use the library to do your research about the employer. And you can use computers and the internet free at the library.
8. Planning
* If you have several job interviews around the same time, you must plan your timetable carefully to fit in all your preparation for each job interview. Use our timetable and to do list to make sure you cover everything. Plan your journey to the interview - if its practical, do a practice run to time the journey and make sure you dont get lost! Plan how youll sell your achievements, skills and experience to the employer. Use the job ad, job description and person spec to find out what the interviewer is looking for. Check your To Do list every day. If youre already in a full-time job, you may need to do all your preparation in the evening. So, plan how youll fit it in to your family or social life.
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Teaching-you Job Interview Skills Tips Peter Brown and Jose Ros 2004
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10. Your To Do list
* * * * *
Tips
Preparing for an interview involves different tasks to be done at different times. So, a checklist or To Do list is essential to make sure you dont overlook anything. Our programme contains a sample To Do list to help you cover all your tasks. Add your own items if you need to. Check your To Do list at least once a day before the interview, and more often if you need to. Check your To Do list carefully on the day of the interview to make sure you take everything with you. Pin-up reminder notes in places where you ll see them (eg on your front door) if your To Do list isnt enough to help you remember things.
12. Stationery
* * Youll need to write letters to confirm you can attend an interview, or to thank the employer after the interview, so youll need some stationery. Make sure you have: - white, A4 paper (copier paper is ok for your own use, but buy better quality paper to send to employers) - A4 envelopes - folders for copies of application forms, CV, job ad, person spec, job description, details about the employer, your research log etc. Use one folder for each job youre applying for. - some first class stamps, for example to send a thank you letter immediately after an interview.
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13. Letters
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Tips
Youll need to write a number of letters in connection with job interviews. For example to: - accept the offer of an interview - thank the interviewer after the interview - accept the job if youre offered it.
* * * *
Use our letter templates to help you write word-perfect letters. Always check letters carefully at least 2 or 3 times before you post them. Make sure you post letters immediately. For example, always post your thank you letter on the day of the interview. Keep copies of all letters you send to employers.
15. Screening
* Screening is a kind of pre-interview sorting of people whove applied for a job. In many cases these days, hundreds of people may apply for a job, so screening is used to reduce the number who have to be interviewed. CVs are often screened using a computer. The machine scans CVs to look for key words which the employer wants to see in an application. So, make sure your CV is always word-perfect. Another way of screening is by interviewing you on the telephone. So, keep details about your job applications near your phone. If youre applying for jobs when you already have a full-time job, remember to tell employment agencies when (and if) they can call you at your workplace.
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16. Telephone interviews
* * * * *
Tips
These can catch you off-guard. They might come at work, or in the evening when youre at home. Theyre used as a second screening before people are selected to go for interview. Ask the caller to ring back if youre not prepared or youre at work, or ask when its convenient for you to call them back. Keep details about your job applications (copies of CVs, application forms, your research notes etc) close to your phone in case someone phones you. When a call comes in, dont be afraid to ask for a few moments to get your notes about the job. You might be called by a recruitment agency, the employer, or the company personnel department. Whoever calls, treat it as though youre in a real job interview.
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19. Doing your homework
* Before you go to an interview, you need to do some homework: - Research - find out all you can about the employer and the job.
Tips
- Re-read the advert, job description and person specification - theyll give you valuable clues about what the employer is looking for. - What do you want from this job? - make a list of your job targets. - What did you tell the employer in your CV or application form, and covering letter? Re-read these documents several times to check what the employer might ask you. Compare your application with the job description, person spec and advert to see where you have gaps. - try predicting which questions you think youll be asked and practice giving excellent answers.
20. Research
* At interview, youll almost certainly be asked what you know about the employer. So, find out: - what the organization does (products it makes or services it provides) - how many people it employs, where its offices are, where it sells products and services - how well its doing: is it making profits or expanding? * * Use the internet to look at the employers web site - most employers have web sites these days. Make notes about what you discover. Check at your local library for information about the employer ask the librarians for help.
* *
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22. Using your network
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Tips
Your network is the list of people you know - your family, friends, professional contacts (bank manager, doctor, solicitor), your current colleagues, teachers, lecturers, ex-colleagues, customers, clients etc. Use your network to find out as much as possible about the employer who will be interviewing you, and jot-down everything you find out in your research log. Check your notes carefully before the interview. Keep contact details for your network up-to-date. Keep in touch with people in your network regularly because you never know when you might need them. Remember that networks only work for you if you reciprocate - that means helping people in your network, as well as asking for their help.
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* *
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25. The person specification
* * * *
Tips
This is a description of the kind of person the employer is looking for. Its used as a checklist to make sure you have the right qualities for the job. The employer may send you a person spec, a job description and information about the organization when you apply for a job. Person specifications list qualities as essential or desirable. Make sure you show at an interview that you meet all essential qualities, and as many of the desirable ones as possible. Use the person spec to give you clues about the questions youll be asked in the interview. Remember the interviewer will be checking your qualities match the ones listed on the person spec. When you dont have a person spec, use the job advert for clues about the qualities and skills the employer is looking for.
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28. Formal dress - women
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Tips
Business suits: theres a wide choice, but grey, black and navy are best. Pinstripes and checks will be fine too, but aim for a professional, well-cut look. Avoid material which creases easily. Blouses: prefer long sleeves and choose white, cream or light but plain colours. Shoes: black or brown are probably best, but you can also wear navy or burgundy. Make sure shoes are clean and not scuffed. Take an extra pair of tights or stockings to the interview in case of ladders. Jewelry: keep it simple and prefer a few items. Engagement and wedding rings are fine as are simple earrings and necklaces. A bracelet is OK for the wrist, but dont wear anything round your ankle. Bags: go for a smart, plain-coloured briefcase rather than a hand bag.
30. Your CV
* * * * * * Always re-read the CV you sent to the employer who will be interviewing you. This is particularly important when youve tailored your CV for this job application. Know your CV inside-out. Check your CV carefully for things which the interviewer may ask you about, for example your achievements and any gaps in your CV. Review our category lists to see which questions you might be asked about your CV. Compare your CV with your career history to make sure you havent overlooked anything. Take 2 clean copies of your CV to the interview one for you and one for the interviewer.
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31. Your career history
* * * * *
Tips
Your career history is what youve done in your career up to now. Youll almost certainly be asked questions about the jobs youve done, and why you decided to take them. If you havent put your career history together yet, use our template to write it now (see the Documents menu). Keep your career history up-to-date, and read it through before an interview to remind yourself of why you did certain jobs, and the responsibilities you had. Most important of all, remember your key achievements in each job. Use them to sell yourself to the interviewer. You might be asked why you left jobs - so have your answers ready.
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34. Your job targets
* *
Tips
What do you really want from a job? Promotion? 50,000 salary? A car? Travel? An expense account? A pension? Commission? Or what? Your job targets are the things which youre hoping to get from a job. Most of us have a good idea of what they are, but its best to write them down so youve thought about everything a job might give you. Use our job targets template to help you consider everything. Once you have your job targets listed, it will help you negotiate your salary and benefits package when youre offered a job. Remember its unlikely that a job will meet your targets in full. So think about which you would be prepared to change when negotiating salary or benefits.
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37. Features and benefits
* * * * *
Tips
An interview is a selling exercise - to get the job, you have to sell yourself to the employer. Sales people use features and benefits to sell goods or services, and you can use this technique too. Features are the qualities of a product or service. For example a kettle might boil very quickly, or may save energy. Benefits are what a user really gets from features - in the case of a fast-boiling kettle it can save the user time and money. You need to present your qualities to the interviewer, and show how these will benefit the organization. For example, if youre good at organizing, you may be able to change procedures and save the employer money. Give examples of how youve done this before, to back-up what you claim.
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40. Tests and tasks
* * * *
Tips
Some job interviews involve tests or tasks. For example, you might be asked to give a presentation about something, or you might be asked to plan an event, or write a short article. Youre not always told in advance if youll be required to do a task, so be prepared. In some situations, youll be given instructions about tasks when you get the invitation to the interview. If the instructions arent clear, call the employer, and ask them to explain. If you have to prepare something in advance, dont leave it til the night before the interview. Do it well in advance. And show it to a trusted friend, or do a practice run with a coach or colleague to get feedback about your performance. Add tasks to your To Do list so you dont overlook them.
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43. Psychometric testing
* * * * * These tests measure your personality to see whether youre suitable for a job.
Tips
There are no right or wrong answers in psychometric tests, and youre not being tested on your knowledge or skills. You might be asked to take a psychometric test before your interview, or at different times during the selection process. Other kinds of tests might be used together with psychometric tests, such as aptitude or personality tests. Its usually possible to get feedback from the employer about tests you take, including psychometric ones. Ask for some feedback if its not offered to you.
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46. Personal hygiene
* * * * * * * Get a haircut. Trim finger nails, as well as any nasal and ear hair. Only wear freshly-washed clothes. Dry-clean your suit or dress. Use a deodorant rather than strong-smelling perfume.
Tips
When you get to the location for the interview, pop into the toilet and wash your hands and tidy your appearance. Women - use make-up sparingly. Remember to take a handkerchief or tissues with you. Never eat strong-smelling food, smoke or drink alcohol before a job interview.
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49. What to take to the interview
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tips
The letter which you were sent inviting you to the interview (check it contains the 'phone number of the place where the interview will be held). Directions to get to the employers offices (or your own map). Railway or bus timetable. Mobile phone, or change/card to use call box. Money for bus or train fares; bus/train tickets; travel passes or season ticket. Credit or debit cards for train tickets, hotel bills or food. Change of clothes if youre staying overnight. A notepad and a couple of pens or pencils. Comb or brush, plus make-up for women. Spare pair of tights. 2 clean copies of your CV. A briefcase or bag to put all your things in (not a carrier bag!). Your portfolio (examples of your work - for jobs such as graphic designers, web designers, etc). Handkerchief or tissues. Umbrella. And dont forget your brain!
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51. Travelling to the interview
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Tips
Plan your journey to the interview in detail. If it involves an overnight stay, check the hotel arrangements including the arrival and check-out times. If its practical, do a dry-run to the place where the interview will be held and at the time youll be travelling on the day of the interview. Take your mobile phone with you (remember to charge it the night before), so you can call the employer if youre delayed. If you dont have a mobile, borrow one from a relative or friend, or use a call box to let the employer know youre going to be late. Remember to take the employers phone number with you to the interview! Plan to arrive about 10-15 minutes before the time of the interview, or the time you were asked to attend.
* *
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54. Believe in yourself
* * * * *
Tips
If youve got a job interview you should congratulate yourself. Youve been selected (maybe from hundreds of people) as being suitable for the job. Now its time to believe in yourself and what you can do. Because if you dont believe in yourself, how will you convince the employer to believe in you and give you the job? So, believe you can get the job. Say to yourself: I will get this job. Thinking positively can have surprising results. Before the interview, close your eyes and imagine yourself at the end of the interview being offered the job. But dont be over-confident. If you think the employer needs you more than you need them, your body language will show youre not really interested in the job.
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57. What not to do in an interview ...
* * * * * * * * Never get angry or annoyed with the interviewer or criticise them. Dont raise your voice or adopt a threatening manner. Dont wave your arms around, but dont fold them either.
Tips
Dont fidget, scratch yourself, pick your nose, or fiddle with your clothes or anything else you have with you. Dont slouch in your chair. Never criticise your current boss, an ex boss, or any of your colleagues whatever they might have done in the past! Dont speak without thinking what youre going to say first. Dont swear or use bad language, even if the interviewer does!
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60. Food and drink
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Tips
Youll often be asked in interviews if youd like something to drink. But think about how youll deal with it and where youll put it. If youre sitting on a chair in the middle of a room, it will be hard to balance a cup and saucer on your knee! Unless youre really desperate to top-up your caffeine level, ask for a glass of water so long as you have somewhere safe to put it. If youre invited to have a meal or go to a pub for a drink with the interviewer, avoid alcohol. Stick to soft drinks so you dont say anything you might regret. Never drink alcohol before the interview, and preferably not the day before either - it stays on your breath! Make sure you have something to eat before the interview to avoid a growling stomach!
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63. Building rapport
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Tips
An interview should be more like a conversation than an interrogation (though it might not always seem like that). This is because the interviewer wants to know all about you, and you need to know about the employer too. Rapport is where there is some trust or understanding between 2 (or more) people which allows them to communicate effectively. In job interviews, you need to try and build rapport with the interviewer so you can show youre the best person for the job. You show rapport by being open, friendly and warm towards someone - not by being cold and aloof. Your body language helps to build rapport - being attentive, smiling, nodding, saying Yes, I see as the interviewer speaks, and laughing at the interviewers jokes.
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Teaching-you Job Interview Skills Tips Peter Brown and Jose Ros 2004
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66. Types of questions
* * * *
Tips
Open: where you need to explain something and give more than a simple yes or no answer. Remember to keep your answers between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long if possible. Closed: questions which can be answered with yes or no. Hypothetical: questions which put you in an unusual or imaginary situation to test how you might cope, and to reveal something about your personality or your approach to problem-solving. Leading questions: where the interviewer seems to be trying to make you give a particular answer, eg Youre too young for this job arent you?, or I expect you prefer working in a team, dont you? Problem-solving: eg How many sheep are there in the UK? Youre not expected to know the answer. The interviewer wants to know if you have ideas about how to find the answer.
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69. Open questions
* * * * * These are questions which allow you to describe or explain something in detail. You cant answer these questions with a simple yes or no.
Tips
The danger with open questions is that you might talk for too long. Remember the time rule: keep your answers to between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long if possible. Open questions usually start with How, Why, Describe, Explain etc. Examples: Tell me about yourself. Explain how you managed to deal with an angry customer. How did you get into this line of work?
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72. Hypothetical questions
*
Tips
These are questions about imaginary situations, or unusual tasks or activities. Youre unlikely to have done them before in your work, and you might think they have nothing to do with the job youre applying for. For example, questions like: Imagine youre going to live on a desert island. What would you take with you? or What would you do if you won the National Lottery and didnt have to work?
Questions like these are used to show the kind of person you are, or how you go about approaching tasks. For example, taking perfume to a desert island doesnt show youre very practical or realistic.
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75. Speaking
* * * * * *
Tips
An interview is a conversation. So how you speak plays a very important part in whether or not youll get the job. Speak clearly, dont mumble. Speak a little more slowly than you normally do with, say, friends. This gives you time to think, and helps the interviewer if theyre taking notes. Never raise your voice even if youve been asked an illegal or improper question. Always stay calm and in control, and show it in your voice. If your mouth gets dry, ask for a glass of water. If youre usually a quiet speaker, practice recording your voice to try speaking a little louder than you normally do.
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78. Tell the truth!
* * Never be tempted to lie in a job interview. If you lie you might:
Tips
- be instantly dismissed without notice if youre given the job and your lie is discovered. - get caught-out when references are checked. - contradict yourself when youre asked another question later in the interview. * * If you have periods of unemployment on your CV, or you were made redundant from a job, dont try to cover these up with lies. Check your career history and your CV or application form before the interview to remember everything you told the employer.
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81. Are you the best person for the job?
*
Tips
In most cases, the person who gets the job is not the one whos best qualified, or who has the most experience - its the person who performs better than the other candidates in the interview. To be the best person for the job, you must show you: have the skills to do the job are well-organized will fit in with the organization or the team are keen and enthusiastic want to do well can carry out instructions are hard-working can make a contribution to the organization.
Remember you need to prove youre the best person for the job by giving examples from your previous jobs or work experience.
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83. Can you take direction?
* * * Taking direction means being told what to do.
Tips
Of course you can take direction - its part of any job. Even bosses of very big companies have to be told what to do sometimes! What the interviewer really wants to know is, if youre told what to do, will you react badly? So, you must show that youre not the kind of person to sulk, or argue when given instructions by your boss. And your new boss might be the person whos interviewing you! Along with taking direction, you may be asked if you can take criticism. And of course you can, so long as its constructive. Sometimes, criticism and direction may come at stressful times in a job, and your manager may not have time to explain. If youre asked about this kind of situation, say you would do what youre told by your boss but would expect them to explain in more detail later.
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86. Management and leadership skills
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Tips
Many jobs (even ones which dont carry a lot of responsibilities) can involve some management or leadership skills. So, you should be prepared for questions about these. Almost everyone has to manage a lot of their own time at work, so you need to show you can do this. For example, if you have no work to do, and are waiting for your manager to tell you what to do next, how would you spend the time? You might also be asked about how you like to be managed. For example, do you prefer to be told what to do, or do you prefer your boss to let you get on with the job? Sometimes, you might be asked whether you would be able to stand-in for your boss when theyre away from work. So, its a good idea to have an example of when youve had to do this in other jobs.
* *
So, think of examples from your career history which demonstrate these qualities. Show you use the right tools for the job, for example you always: - put important dates in your diary and check it every day - reply to letters, emails and phone calls promptly - use a To Do list to make sure you dont forget things.
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89. Communication skills
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Tips
Communication is about exchanging information with other people. In a job, you need to communicate with customers and clients. colleagues. your boss. people outside the employers organization, eg press.
Communication involves: - speaking (eg to colleagues and customers, using the phone). - reading and writing (eg letters, reports, emails). - listening (which is more important than you may think).
There are very few jobs which dont require good communication skills. So you may well be asked about them in a job interview, eg How do you rate your communication skills?
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91. Salary
* * * If youre asked what your current salary is in the interview, you will have to reveal it - the interviewer may find out anyway through references. The interview is not the time to discuss your salary and benefits package. So, dont ask about these things in the interview. If youre asked what salary youre looking for, try not to give a definite figure. If the interviewer presses you, then give a range (eg 30,000 to 40,000) rather than a single figure. In many jobs, salary is not negotiable any way because the job is paid according to a fixed scale. Use our template to draw-up your list of targets for each job youre applying for. This will help you deal with salary and benefits negotiation if youre offered the job.
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92. Your benefits package
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Tips
This is your total remuneration or pay for a job. It can include bonuses, commission, holidays, pension contributions, company car, life and health insurance, expenses, loans to buy season tickets etc. The job advert may list the benefits which will be included in your remuneration package if you get the job, or it might simply say plus benefits. The job interview is not the place to discuss your benefits package - leave this until youre offered the job. Then you can find out what benefits are on offer and negotiate with the employer. Benefits can add substantially to your salary. So, make sure you think about them carefully when considering a job offer. To prepare for negotiating, use our job targets template to list the benefits youd like to get.
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93. Promotion
* * Most employers will expect you to want promotion in the future. If the interviewer doesnt mention it, you might want to ask them about promotion prospects. Employers spend a lot of money and time recruiting staff, so they dont want to employ people who will only stay a few weeks or months. So dont give the impression that youll want promotion in a few weeks and leave if you dont get it. Dont make the interviewer think youre a job hopper. If youve changed jobs quite a lot recently, you may be asked why. So, make sure you can give good reasons for each move youve made. Always try to give the employer the idea that, as long as prospects are good and you have challenging work to do, youll stay with them.
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95. Second (and third!) interviews
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Tips
You may not always get a job by going to just one interview. Many jobs involve a number of different interviews on the same day, or on different days. Usually, the more responsibility the job involves, the more likely you are to have a second, or even a third, interview First interviews are often conducted to screen out some candidates, particularly when there are a large number of good candidates. So, if you get a second interview, you may be one of the final 5 or 6 interviewees for the job. Its more likely that youll face a panel interview in a second interview, and the questions are likely to be more stressful and more probing. For example, you may often have follow-up questions asking you to explain your answers in more detail.
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97. Negotiating
* Not all job offers involve negotiating. In some cases, jobs are paid at a standard rate, or on a fixed scale. But, always ask if the benefits package is negotiable, and make sure you know what is on offer. Remember negotiation is about give and take. Both you and the employer must feel youve got a good deal in the end. If you ask for too much from the employer, they may back-off and decide to employ someone else! Review your job targets for this job, and decide which of them the employer is going to meet, and which youll need to negotiate about. Dont be the first one to give a salary figure. If you do, youll show your hand, and the employer will know the maximum salary youre aiming for. Instead, say Well, since youre offering me the job, what salary did you have in mind?
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Teaching-you Job Interview Skills Tips Peter Brown and Jose Ros 2004
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98. Accepting a job offer
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Tips
You may be offered a job by telephone, or in a letter. Whatever the case, youll need to be prepared for it. Most important of all, ask yourself if this is really the job for you. Before you accept an offer, you should know exactly what the job entails and what is being offered in terms of salary and benefits. Check to see if the offer matches your job targets and your budget. In some cases, you can negotiate with the employer about salary and benefits. With other jobs the package may be fixed. But, even in these cases, you might be able to negotiate extra training, or time off to study for more qualifications. So always ask. Get the job offer in a letter from the employer, then write to accept. Never resign from your current job until everything is in writing.
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Good luck!
Teaching-you Job Interview Skills Tips Peter Brown and Jose Ros 2004