Interview Tips

Well, your resume worked and now you have an appointment for the all important job interview. You have done your homework. You are confident that you can answer anything the interviewer throws at you. Finally the big day arrives and the final important choice must be made.It is no secret that how you look has everything to do with the first impression you make. A first impression is made in the first 27 seconds. 

Interview Tips

Interview Tip 1: Plan Ahead - Do a little homework! Research the company and the position if possible, as well, the people you will meet with at the interview. Review your work experiences. Be ready to support past career accomplishments with specific information targeted toward the companies needs. Have your facts ready!
Interview Tip 2: Role Play - Once you have finished studying, begin role playing (rehearsing). Use the general questions provided below in the Interview Preparation Area. Write down answers if it helps to make your presentation more concise. Try to keep your answers to the information your new employer will want to know.
Interview Tip 3: Eye Contact - Maintain eye contact with your interviewer. Show you want the job with your interest.
Interview Tip 4: Be Positive - In particular, avoid negative comments about past employers.
Interview Tip 5: Adapt - Listen and adapt. Be sensitive to the style of the interviewer. Pay attention to those details of dress, office furniture, and general décor, which will afford helpful clues to assist you in tailoring your presentation.
Interview Tip 6: Relate - Try to relate your answers to the interviewer and his or her company. Focus on achievements relevant to the position. 
Interview Tip 7: Encourage - Encourage the interviewer to share information about his or her company. Demonstrate your interest. Some suggested questions to ask the interviewer are provided in the "Questions You Could Consider Asking the Employer" section.

Below are questions you may be asked in the interview

1. Tell me about yourself? (try to hold your response to 2 minutes) 
2. What do you know about our company? 
3. Why should we hire you? 
4. What can you do for us that someone else can't? 
5. What do you look for in a job? 
6. What skills and qualifications are essential for success in the position of ______? 
7. How long would it take for you to make a meaningful contribution? 
8. How does this assignment fit into your overall career plan? 
9. Describe your management style. 
10. What do you believe is the most difficult part of being a supervisor of people? 
11. Why are you looking for a new career? 
12. How would your colleagues describe you? 
13. How would your boss describe you? 
14. How would you describe yourself? 
15. What do you think of your present or past boss? 
16. What were the five most significant accomplishments in your last assignment? 
17. What were the five most significant accomplishments in your career so far? 
18. Can you work well under deadlines or pressure? 
19. How much do you expect if we offer you this position? 
20. Why do you want to work for us? 
21. What other positions are you considering? 
22. Have you kept up in your field with additional training? 
23. What are your career goals? 
24. What are your strong points? 
25. What are your weak points? 
26. How did you do in school? 
27. What position do you expect to have in 2 to 5 years? 
28. If you took the job what would you accomplish in the first year? 
29. What was wrong with your current or last position? 
30. Do you have your reference list with you? (Remember don't give it out unless it is asked for). 
31. What questions didn't I ask that you expected? 
32. Do you have any question for me? (See Questions for the Interviewer that you might want to ask below).

Questions to ask employers during interviews

Always prepare questions to ask. Having no questions prepared sends the message that you have no independent thought process. 
Some of your questions may be answered during the course of the interview, before you are offered the opportunity to ask. If so, you can simply state something to the effect that you were interested in knowing about ..., but that was addressed during the interview. You could ask for additional clarification if applicable. 
Do not ask questions that are clearly answered on the employer's web site and/or in any literature provided by the employer to you in advance. This would simply reveal that you did not prepare for the interview, and you are wasting the employer's time by asking these questions. 
Never ask about salary and benefits issues until those subjects are raised by the employer. 

Below are questions you may want to ask the Interviewer 

1. Why is this position open? 
2. How often has it been filled in the past five years? What were the main reasons? 
3. What would you like done differently by the next person who fills this position? 
4. What are some of the objectives you would like to see accomplished in this job? 
5. What is most pressing? What would you like to have done in the next 3 months. 
6. What are some of the long- term objectives you would like to see completed? 
7. What are some of the more difficult problems one would have to face in this position? 
8. How do you think these could best be handled? 
9. What type of support does this position receive in terms of people, finances. etc? 
10. What freedom would I have in determining my own work objectives, deadlines, and methods of measurement? 
11. What advancement opportunities are available for the person who is successful in this position, and within what time frame? 
12. In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms of products and services over the years? 
13. What significant changes do you foresee in the near future? 
14. How is one evaluated in this position? 
15. What accounts for success within the company? 
16. These questions are presented only as interviewing guidelines. They are meant to help you prepare for the interview. Some questions may or may not be appropriate for your interviewing situation. 
17. By practicing your responses to some of these questions, hopefully you will not be taken off guard if asked one of them. Most importantly, relax, go with the flow, and before you know it, you'll be in your next job. 

Dressing for an Interview

The following ideas can never be neglected:
Look clean and neat. Make sure that your hair is done appropriately. Women - do not wear wild hairdo's Men - get a trim of head and facial hair.
Do not wear a perfume or cologne as many people are allergic. Bathing with a good quality bath soap will leave a light scent. You will be nervous and a gentle scent can mask the perspiring you may be doing. An unscented antiperspirant can be used.
Cover any tattoos and avoid gaudy jewelry. Definitely limit pierced jewelry to ears only. Do not wear nose or tongue jewelry.

MEN                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Wear a suit or sport jacket with color coordinated trousers .   
The color should be neutral or dark - blue, black or gray is best .
Wear a tie - even if you will never wear one after you get the job .
Shoes should be leather - clean and polished - black is best.
Make sure your nails are trimmed and that they are clean.

WOMEN     
Wear a classic suit or a simple dress with a jacket. This is not a time , to be provocative or sexy. Some appropriate colors are navy blue, i black, dark green, dark red, burgundy, or gray.
Dress in a higher style that the position calls for but do not attempt to out dress everyone there.
Avoid wearing clothes that are tight, revealing or trendy. It may be the very latest fashion but it will not impress the interviewer .
Fingernails should be trimmed to a length that doesn't leave an observer wondering how you keep from stabbing yourself. The polish should be closer to a color your mom might wear that to a color that your kid sister would go for. Even after you are successful in getting the job, you should continue to pay attention to your wardrobe. 

Download the document to know more about the Interview Types and Questions.