Knock 'em Dead Job Interview
What's a good line to use:
"That's an excellent point, Mr. Smith, I couldn't agree more that the attention to detail you describe naturally affects _. My track record in this area is _. "
What are some of the things that bother you? What are your pet peeves? Tell me about the last time you felt anger on the job.
Dealing with clock-watchers and people who regularly get sick on Mondays and Fridays really bothers me, but it's not something that gets me angry.
Collect 6-10 job postings for the job you are best qualified to do and save them in a folder (digital and hard copy). The location of the job doesn't matter; what's important is how employers are PRIORITIZING and expressing their needs.
OK
Comments like "uh-huh" "that's interesting" "okay" "great" and "yes, yes" are verbal equivalents of the body language techniques we'll discuss further on.
OK
Could you help me with that question? If you give me a brief outline of the performance requirements, I can give you a more accurate answer.
OK
Do you like routine tasks and regular hours?
OK
During the interview, you can review the list of questions you developed, but it helps to get your HEAD IN THE ZONE to review them now.
OK
Emphasize that, having analyzed the situation and reached a logical conclusion, you act.
OK
Explain your role as a group/team member
OK
Familiarity with industry-specific considerations has considerable impact on the person's ability to do a satisfactory job.
OK
Good I'd be interested to hear about a time when you experienced pressure on your job.
OK
Have you ever had to make an unpopular decision?
OK
How did you get your last job?
OK
How do you feel others involved could have acted more responsibly?
OK
How have you successfully worked with this difficult type of person?
OK
How have your career motivations changed over the years?
OK
How many interviews typically occur before a decision is made? Who else will be part of the selection process and what are their roles within the department or company?
OK
How would you evaluate me as an interviewer?
OK
I have _ years' chronological experience, but if you could give me a brief outline of the performance requirements, I can give you a more accurate answer.
OK
I recently completed an _ project just like that. Would it be relevant to discuss it?
OK
I'd be interested to hear about some things you learned in school that could be used on the job.
OK
Show interest in the company and the conversation. Sit straight, look attentive, make appreciative murmurs and nod at the appropriate times until there is a pause. When that occurs, comment that you appreciate the background on the company, because you can now see more clearly how the job fits into the overall scheme of things and how valuable this or that skill would be for the job.
Could the interviewer please tell you some of the other job requirements?
If you can tell me about specific work assignments I'll be involved with early on, I can show exactly how I can make real contributions in the job.
OK
If you can, quantify the solution in terms of money earned, money saved, or time saved or productivity increased. Specify your role as either a team member or a lone gun.
OK
In hindsight, what have you done that was a little harebrained?
OK
It also helps you advance your candidacy if you have questions prepared.
OK
Itemize the logical steps you take in analyzing the problem to help you reach the right decision.
OK
Learning to use positive body signals and control negative ones during an interview can have a significant impact on your ability to turn job interviews into job offers.
OK
Make the necessary adjustments to your appearance, review any notes and put on your game face.
OK
Never wear a sleeveless blouse to an interview.
OK
Nine out of 10 of today's employers will reject an unsuitably dressed applicant without a second thought.
OK
Offer an unforced, confident smile as frequently as opportunity and circumstance allow, but avoid grinning idiotically, as this indicates that you may not be quite right in the head.
OK
Put a smile on your face (it improves the timbre of your voice) and pick up the phone again.
OK
Rather than looking at the speaker straight on at all times, create a mental triangle incorporating both of the eyes and the mouth; your eyes will follow a natural, continuous path along the 3 points.
OK
Recall the solution. How did things turn out in the end? Who benefited and how?
OK
Recall your commitment to the profession and the team, and the transferable skills and professional values that help you succeed.
OK
Remember to add contact numbers to your interview kit, so if you are delayed on the way to the interview, you can call and let the interviewer know.
OK
Someone who really enjoys his work and is engaged in his profession will be easier to work with, and that will be a positive influence and a welcome, happy addition to the team.
OK
State the problem. What was the situation? Was it typical of your job, or had something unusual occurred?
OK
Tell me about a time things didn't work out well.
OK
Tell me about a time when you put your foot in your mouth.
OK
Tell me about the problems you have living within your means.
OK
The "committed professional" is willing to do whatever it takes to get a job done, whenever and for however long it takes to get the job done, even if that includes duties that might not appear in a job description and that might be perceived by less enlightened colleagues as beneath them.
OK
The "determination" you display with the travails of your work speaks of a resilient professional who does not back off when a problem or situation gets tough.
OK
The "intelligently enthusiastic" candidate will work harder and will turn in a superior work product.
OK
The correct professional appearance won't get you a job offer but it will lend everything you say that much more credence and weight.
OK
Then my experience in _ should be a great help to you.
OK
What are the biggest challenges the department faces this year and what will be my role as a team member in tackling them?
OK
What are the major responsibilities in the job? What will be the first projects I'l tackle? Which projects will I be most involved with during the first six months?
OK
What are the most important skills for making a success of the job on a day-to-day basis?
OK
What are you looking for in the candidate you hire?
OK
What do you feel is a satisfactory attendance record?
OK
What do you think determines progress in a good company?
OK
What do you think of your current/last boss?
OK
What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work?
OK
What have you done that shows initiative?
OK
What is the most challenging aspect of the job?
OK
What is the success profile for each characteristic?
OK
What is your general impression of your last company?
OK
What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you? (2)
OK
What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in this field?
OK
What skills did you bring into play to tackle this problem.
OK
What type of position are you interested in?
OK
What was the cause of the problem? Isolate relevant background information.
OK
What was the desired outcome.
OK
What would you say if I told you that your presentation this afternoon was lousy?
OK
What's your idea of how this industry works?
OK
Where have you found candidates or failed employees lacking?
OK
Where in the chain of command could steps be taken to avoid that sort of thing happening again?
OK
Which of the jobs you have held have you liked least?
OK
Who fails in this job and why?
OK
Who hold the responsibility for this situation?
OK
Who succeeds in this job and why?
OK
Why do you think this industry will sustain your interest over the long haul? Why do you think you will shine in this profession?
OK
Why do you think this situation arose?
OK
Why do you think you would like this type of work?
OK
With hindsight, how could you have improved your progress?
OK
Would it be of value if I described my experience in _?
OK
Wouldn't you feel better off in another company?
OK
You can also talk about how you used other transferable skills and applied "professional values" in whatever work you were doing, noting that these skills are fresh, current and needed in every job.
OK
You could also talk about the general difficulties in keeping up with all the deliverables of the job and use it to talk about what you are doing to develop your "multitasking skills."
OK
You created behavioral profiles of the person everyone wants to work with and the person nobody wants as an employee.
OK
You don't need to be uptight or stiff; Try to relax and become the friendly, competent, outgoing person you are on your best days. Just don't be a wise-ass.
OK
You identify your weakness as something that is only of concern to the most dedicated and forward-looking professionals in your field.
OK
You will be able to connect real-world experiences to the problems "anticipated, prevented, and solved" in each area by the intelligent application of the appropriate "technical and transferable skills."
OK
Your display of a deep understanding and respect for your work and its challenges, and your obvious relish in tackling those challenges every day reinforces your understanding of the problems that lie at the heart of your job and your ability to handle them.
OK
If there are no more interviews, ask when the decision will be made. Then repeat the steps above, but instead of asking for the next interview, ask for the job
OK; You have everything to gain and nothing to lose; showing MOTIVATION and INTELLIGENT ENTHUSIASM for the job now could be the decisive factor.
Why don't you send me a resume?
Of course, Mr. Grant. Would you give me your exact title and your e-mail address? Thank you. So that I can be sure that my qualifications fit your needs, what skills are you looking for in this position?
Do you think grades should be considered by first employers?
Ok
Jobs have pluses and minuses. What were some of the minuses on your last job?
One repetitive, mindless duty
How would you define a motivational work atmosphere?
One where the team has a genuine interest in its work and desire to turn out a good product/deliver a good service.
Define a Target Job Title
Open a new Microsoft Word document and save it as "TJD." Add a subhead reading "Job Title," then copy and paste in the variations from each of your sample job descriptions. When "employers are hiring people like me, they tend to describe the job title with these words."
Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten
Say 8, you always give your best which includes ongoing personal and professional development and in doing so, you always increase your skills and therefore always see room for improvement.
How do you reschedule?
Say: "I'm heading out the door for an appointment, Ms. Bassett. Can we schedule a time when I can call you back?" Beware of overfamiliarity.
What is the first step in fixing interview performance problems?
Self-awareness.
For your job, mention 2-3 transferable skills and professional values that help you deliver on these crucial responsibilities.
So my multitasking, communication and critical thinking skills help me to do this everyday.
Why do you feel you are a better _ than some of your coworkers?
Some of the qualities that make me an outstanding _ are... demonstrate specific technical skills and transferable skills
What does the headhunter want to find?
Someone who CAN do the work, WANTS to do the work, and can GET ALONG with others.
All an interviewer really wants to find is what?
Someone who can do the job, wants to do the job, and can get along with others.
What are multitasking abilities built on?
Sound time management and organizational skills.
Some of your technology skills will only be relevant within your current profession, while others (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, to name the obvious) will be transferable across all industry and professional lines.
Staying current with the essential technical and technology skills of your chosen career path is the keystone of your professional stability and growth.
What is the fifth secret?
Teamwork and Manageability
What are Key Transferable Skills?
Technical; Critical Thinking; Communication; Multitasking; Creativity; Teamwork; Leadership
I look at what happened, why it happened, and how I would do things differently in each stage should the same set of circumstances appear again.
That way, I put disappointment behind me and am ready with renewed vigor and understanding to face the new days' problems.
What is the most important skill you can possess?
The ability to turn a job interview into a job offer.
What is TJD (Target Job Deconstruction) Part 2
The challenges associated with each aspect of the job; How you handle the challenges associated with each aspect of the job; Relevant examples with which to illustrate your answers; A behavioral profile for getting hired and for ongoing professional success; A behavioral profile for NOT getting hired and for ongoing professional FAILURE
What is the 2nd type of interviewer?
The competent interviewer who knows exactly what she is doing and has a plan for the interview.
Skilled interviewers use this walk through the resume as a qualifying round. If you pass, they'll take the interview to...
the next level.
Assuming my resume matches your needs as I am confident it will, can we pencil a date next Thursday or Friday?
OK
How is this interviewer going to go underway?
"We're looking for a _, and I want to find out about your experience and the strengths you can bring to our team." This is the time to offer a nicely formatted version of the resume printed on decent paper, because next the interviewer is going to glance down at the resume and say: "So tell me a little bit about yourself..."
Multitasking is based on what 3 things?
(1) Being organized (2) Establishing priorities (3) Managing your time
Bad breath, dandruff, body odor and dirty, unmanicured nails have the potential to undo all your efforts at giving a good first impression.
OK
A good interview wants to limit her contributions to about 20% of the interview, leaving you to talk what % of the time?
80% of the time.
As a team player, you must do what?
>>Always cooperate >>Always make decisions based on team goals >>Always keep team members informed >>Always keep commitments >>Always share credit, never blame.
You are most likely to win an interview when you turn a one-way examination of skills into a two-way conversation between professionals with...
A common interest.
Wearing a standard business uniform instantly communicates that you understand one of the paramount unwritten rules of professional life, and that you have what?
A confident self-image.
Managers want to hire what?
A problem-solver who knows the job.
Sales is a profession of what?
A profession of communication, determination and resiliency.
What's the thought of the interviewer?
All I want is someone who "gets" the job, can do it and wants to do it, comes to work on a regular basis, and gets on with people. I just need to hire someone and get back to the emergencies on my desk.
What aspects of your work do you consider most crucial?
All jobs exist to support profitability; you need to examine whether your job is chiefly concerned with generating revenue, protecting assets, improving productivity or perhaps a combination of these imperatives. Once you have determined this, you have the framework for an answer.
The "Eight years' experience" becomes less valuable than what you have learned to do in these years.
An accountant's job is primarily concerned with protecting cash flow, so if this were your target job, you would be thinking about: The ways you execute your duties to prevent accounts payable going over 30 days; What you do with 30-day accounts to get the money in, and what you do to prevent these accounts going to 60 days delinquent; and so on
How do you want to present yourself?
As an appealing, self-respecting and enjoyable professional to be around.
How should you treat every interview?
As an opportunity to build the most critical survival skill of converting job interviews into jobs.
I'm the VC _. I oversee all aspects of marketing to acquire and retain basic, digital, and online customers through tactics such as ___. I launch new products/services like _. I have a team of _. I rose to this position over _ years, climbing through the ranks based on my performance, achievement, and an ever-growing frame of reference for my profession and our business."
As we get into the nuts-and-bots discussion of the job, I hope to show you that I have a real understanding of the challenge faced by my direct reports, a steady hand, and the managerial skills required for a motivated and productive department.
I'm not sure you're suitable for this job (too inexperienced), Part 1
Ask: "Why do you say that?"
What is the "Plan, Do and Review Cycle"?
At the end of the day, review what you've accomplished: >>What happened? >>What went well? Do more of it. >>What went wrong? How do I fix it? >>What projects do I need to move forward tomorrow? >>Rank each project. A= Must be completed tomorrow. B= Good to be completed tomorrow. C= If there is spare time from A and B priorities; Make a prioritized To Do list. >>Stick to it.
What does pride in your work mean?
Attention to detail and a commitment to doing your very best.
Hiring managers hire candidates based on what?
Based on credentials not potential.
Breath deeply and slowly for a minute to dispel your natural physical tension.
OK
How do you go about solving problems in your work?
Define the problem; Identify why it's a problem and whom it's a problem for; Identify what's causing the problem; Seek input from everyone affected by the problem; Identify possible solutions; Identify the time, cost and resources it will take to implement each option; Evaluate the consequences of each solution; Decide upon the best solution; Identify and execute the steps necessary to solve the problem.
Subtly exposing your palms now and then as you speak can help what?
Demonstrate that you are open, friendly and have nothing to hide.
How do you handle rejection?
Do you take rejection as rejection of yourself or temporary rejection of a service or product?
Does the candidate remain calm and analytical under pressure?
Does her mind still process effectively when under pressure? Can she express herself effectively, and is she in control while managing stressful situations?
Describe to me how your job contributes to the overall goals of your department and company.
Every company is in business to make a profit. Every company depends on individual initiative being harnessed to "teamwork" to perform the complex tasks that result in corporate profitability.
What is every job about?
Every job is about problem anticipation, identification, prevention, and solution.
The TJD exercise helped you identify:
Exactly how employers prioritize, think about and express the responsibilities of the job; The way your job fits into and contributes to company goals; The problems your job is there to identify, prevent, and solve; The ways you execute your responsibilities to identify and prevent problems from arising; The ways you handle problems when they do arise
What do you do when there is a decision to be made and no procedure exists?
Explain that the first thing you'll do will be to discuss the situation with your boss or- if time is tight and this isn't possible- with peers.
What is your greatest strength?
First talk about a must-have "technical skill." Second, talk about one or more of the "transferable skills" that help you execute this critical part of your job; for example, you could talk about the roles that "communication, critical thinking, and multitasking skills" play in helping you execute your "greatest strength."
Consciously remove any perceived intimidating verbal infleciton
For example, depending on the tone of voice used the question: "I'm not sure you are right for the job" can be heard as: "I'd like to hire you but I'm not SURE you're the one, so please convince me."
If I hired you today, what would you accomplish first?
Gear your answer to first getting settled in the job, understanding how things are done, and becoming a member of the team.
Can you work under pressure?
OK
How do you get along with different kinds of people?
Give a quick, honest illustration of working productively with a person who is different from you in terms of personality or in terms of the demands their job places on them.
What would your references say about you?
Good thigns
What are the four supportive communication skills?
Grooming and dress; Social graces; Body language; Emotional IQ
In what areas do you feel your supervisor could have done a better job?
He has really brought me to the point where I am ready for greater challenges. That's why I'm here.
What should I say:
Hello Ms. _. I am __. I've been looking forward to meeting you.
What determines whether or not you get the job offer?
How effectively you pitch your product and differentiate it from others.
What is TJD (Target Job Deconstruction) Part 1
How employers prioritize their needs for this job; The words employers use to express their needs; The skills you bring to every need; Where the focus will be during interviews; The interview questions that will be heading your way and why
How you dress sends signals about:
How seriously you take the occasion and by extension, how much respect that you have for your interviewers; How well you understand the confidence a look of traditional professionalism gives clients, customers, peers and superiors.
How do you manage your work deadlines?
I Prioritize, Do, Review. At the end of every day you review the day's activities and plan tomorrow's. You prioritize all the planned activities and stick to those priorities to make sure the important work is attended to first.
What are some of the things your supervisor did that you disliked?
I always thought our role was to get along together and get the job done.
What is a good answer for: "What can you do for us that someone else cannot do?"
I bring to this job a determination to see projects through to a proper conclusion. I listen and take direction well. I am analytical and don't jump to conclusions. I understand we are in a business to make a profit, so I keep an eye on cost and return. End with: "How do these qualifications fit your needs?" or "What else are you looking for?"
Do you make your opinions known when you disagree with the views of your supervisor?
I come from an environment where input is encouraged when it helps the team's ability to get the job done efficiently.
What was present in your last company that you didn't particularly like or agree with?
I didn't like the way some people gave lip service to the "customer comes first" mantra but really didn't go out of their way to keep the customer satisfied.
What difficulties do you have tolerating people with backgrounds and interests different from yours?
I don't have any problems working with people from different backgrounds. In fact, I find it energizing.
You know that the interviewer you are facing hates to interview.
I guarantee that secretly she is thinking: Please god, let this be the one, so I can get back to that pile of work on my desk. You just have to help them make the right decision.
Why should I hire you?
I have the qualifications you need, I'm a team player, I take direction well, and I am committed to success.
What are you looking for in your next job?
I know I will have fulfillment, experience from a job well done, with a team similarly committed, working for a company with a solid reputation.
How interested are you in sports?
I like spinning and running.
What do you think of your current/last boss? (Part 2)
I liked her as a person, respected her professionally, and appreciated her guidance.
How do you regroup when things haven't gone as planned?
I pause for breath and reflection for as long as the situation allows- this can be a couple of minutes or overnight. I do this to analyze what went wrong and why. I'm also careful to look for the things that went right, too. I'll examine alternate approaches and time allowing, I'll get together with a peer or my boss and review the whole situation and my proposed new approaches.
What do you know about the company?
I read that _ and wonder how this is affecting you.."
How do you take direction?
I take direction well and recognize that _.
What are your future vocational plans?
I want to get ahead.
What kinds of things do you worry about?
I worry about deadlines, staff turnover, tardiness, backup plans for when the computer crashes, or that one of my auditors will burn out or defect tot eh competition- just the normal stuff.
Do you consider yourself a natural leader or a born follower?
I would be reluctant to regard anyone as a natural leader. Hiring, motivating and disciplining other adults and at the same time molding them into a cohesive team involves a number of delicately tuned skills that no honest person can say they were born with.
Do you prefer working with others or alone?
I'm quite happy working alone when necessary. I don't need constant reassurance. But I prefer to work in a group - so much more gets achieved when people pull together.
What would you say about a supervisor who was unfair or difficult to work with?
I would make an appointment to see the supervisor and diplomatically explain that I felt uncomfortable in our relationship- that I wanted to right matters and ask for his input as to what I must do to create a professional relationship.
Put yourself above the money
I'm looking for an opportunity that will give me the opportunity to make a difference with my efforts. If I am the right person for the job. I'm sure you'll make me a fair offer. By the way, what is the salary range for this position?
Customer service and sales jobs are prone to situational interviewing strategies more than most.
If you face one of these, you'll panic a little, but the situational role play is going to recreate a task or situation that is at the core of your work, so try to relax.
Is it ever necessary to go above and beyond the call of duty in terms of effort or time to get your job done?
If you hope to get ahead in your professional life, any job you ever hold will every now and then deliver opportunities to reschedule your personal life and otherwise mess up your weekends. But these invasions of personal time are nevertheless opportunities to show your commitment and team spirt, so you always step up when these sometimes unwelcome opportunities present themselves.
Always take the time to visit the restroom.
OK
What is "intelligent enthusiasm"?
It is expressed by your deep understanding and respect for your work and its challenges, as well as your obvious relish in tackling those challenges everyday.
What is the true gist of a job?
It is to "identify, prevent, and solve problems" that occur within you area of expertise, and in the process to "help your employer achieve and maintain profitability."
You have a doctor's appointment at noon. You've waited 2 weeks to get in. An urgent meeting is scheduled at the last moment, though. What do you do?
It is unlikely that you would understand unless the visit was for a triple bypass.
I don't have time to see you
It seems like a competent, dedicated and efficient analyst could be of some assistance.
OK
It sounds like a very interesting opportunity and a situation where I could definitely make a contribution. The most pressing question I have is when can we schedule a meeting.
I realize this is well below industry norms, but it does not reflect on my expertise or experience in any way.
It speaks of the need for me to make a strategic career move to where I can be compensated competitively and based on my skills and accomplishments.
How long will it take to make a contribution?
It takes time to understand "systems and procedures" who the power players are, and why things are done the way they are. You might ask, "Where are your greatest areas of need right now?" You give yourself time to think while the interviewer explains priorities.
What does body language tell you?
It tells them whether you like and have confidence in yourself, whether you are pleasant to be around, and whether you are more likely to be honest and deceitful. Like it or not, your body carries these messages for the world to see.
What personal characteristics are necessary for success in your field?
It's a brief recital of your "transferable skills" and "professional values"; Drive, motivation, energy, confidence, determination, good communication and analytical skills. Combined with the ability to work with others.
Failure profile
Jerome Mulhallan, Passive aggressive, never listened, poor communications, never on time with projects or for meetings, never smiled, critical, no manners.
Print out any information you have about the company and its dossier.
Keep it in your padfolio!
Any answer longer than 2 short sentences is too long for "Why did you leave?"
OK
LAMPS
Location; Advancement (You weren't able to grow professionally in that position, either because there were others ahead of you or there was no opportunity for growth); Money: You were underpaid for your skills and contribution; Pride or Prestige: You wanted to be with a better company. Security: The company was not stable.
How did you get your summer jobs?
Looking for initiative, creativity and flexibility.
Tell me about a time when an emergency caused you to reschedule your workload/projects
Make points when you explain how your planning and time-management skills help you to stay on top of your regular responsibilities even when emergency priorities throw normal scheduling off.
In closing, review the job's requirements with the interviewer.
Match them point-by-point with your skills and attributes. Express interest, recap why you feel qualified and ask for the interview: Is now a good time to schedule our next meeting?
Tell me about an event that really challenged you. How did you meet the challenge? In what way was your approach different from that of others?
Morale was an especially important factor: You can't let outlying offices feel defeated. I reapportioned my budget and dramatically increased telephone contact with the offices and instituted weekly sales-technique emails and monthly training webinars.
What are The Professional Values?
Motivation and Energy; Commitment and Reliability; Determination; Pride and Integrity; Productivity; Systems and Procedures
How well do you feel your boss rated your job performance?
My boss said I was _ because...
When do you expect a promotion?
NO
Should I sit down until invited?
No
Should you drink alcohol the day before an interview?
No, it affects your wits and appearance, especially eyes and skin tone.
Are leaders born?
No, they are self-made. And just like anything else, it takes hard work.
Do you need to exaggerate or fabricate?
No, what you have to say is going to capture their full attention; besides, they can tell fact from fiction and truth from dreams.
"The areas of expertise you require sound like a match to my experience, and it sounds as if you have some exciting projects at hand. What projects would I be involved with in the first few months?"
OK
Always double check interview gear at least one day in advance of the interview.
OK
Always take copies of the resume you customized for the job and perhaps an executive briefing that clearly defines how you match the job's requirements
OK
What kinds of people do you like to work with?
People who are engaged and have pride, honesty, integrity and commitment to their work.
How much experience do you have?
Performance requirements and deliverables are more important than ever.
Use mirroring techniques to reproduce the positive signals your interviewer sends. Say the interviewer leans forward to make a point; a few moments later, you too, lean forward slightly, demonstrating that you don't want to miss a words.
Perhaps the interviewer leans back and laughs; you "laugh beneath" the interviewer's laughter, taking care not to overwhelm your partner by using an inappropriate volume level.
Describe a situation where your work or an idea of yours was criticized?
Put your example in the past, make it small and show what you learned from the experience. Show that you go through these steps to become maximally productive: Listen to understand, confirm the understanding, ask for guidance, confirm the desired outcome, show a satisfactory resolution, address what you learned and how the experience helped you grow.
What college did you attend, and why did you choose it?
Question is trying to examine your reasoning process.
When employers are hiring people like ME, they:
Refer to them by these job titles; Prioritize their needs in THIS way; Use THESE words to describe their prioritized needs.
How do you stay current?
Refer to: courses you have taken or are planning to take; Books that you have read or are reading; Membership in professional associations; Subscriptions to professional journals or online groups you belong to
What is Economy?
Remember the word "frugal"? It doesn't mean miserliness. It means making the most of what you've got, using everything with the greatest efficiency. Companies that know how to be frugal with their resources will prosper in good times and bad, and if you know how to be frugal, you'll do the same.
What are your qualifications for this job?
The interviewer is interested in your experience and your possession of the "technical skills" to do the job, your academic qualifications and the "transferable skills/professional values" that enable you to do any task well.
What do you think determines progress in a good company?
The interviewer needs to see that you understand progress is earned over time and does not come as a result of simply showing up to work on a regular basis.
Tell me about a situation that frustrated you at work.
The interviewer wants to know how you channel frustration into productivity.
Tell me about the most difficult project you've tackled.
The interviewer wants to know: If you have experience relative to current projects; How you handle them. When possible, discuss projects that parallel work you are likely to do at the new job. State the project, then identify its challenges, your critical thinking process to isolate causes, the story of your implementation of the solution, and the value it delivered to your employer.
What is Trait #1 of an untrained interviewer?
The interviewer's desk is cluttered, and he can't find the resume or application that was handed to him a few minutes ago.
What is the job about?
The job is about problem identification, prevention and solution.
How well you perform in job interviews determines what?
The jobs you are offered, the money you earn and to a degree, the life you enjoy outside of work.
The interviewer keeps asking closed-end questions- questions that demand no more than a yes-or-no answer and offer little opportunity to establish your skills.
The key is to treat each closed-ended question as if the interviewer has added: "please give me a brief yet thorough answer." Closed-ended questions are often mingled with statements followed by pauses.
What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
The most difficult decisions always relate to the most crucial responsibilities of your work. The employer is looking for people who can make decisions and solve problems, not those who'll dither instead of do. You want to position yourself as someone who's decisive but not precipitate, who considers the implications of decisions, any side effects they might have on other activities, and whether the decision conflicts with existing systems and procedures or other company priorities.
Armed with the TJD and your understanding of the...
Transferable skills, professional values, and secrets of the hire, you can now dive into the interview process with confidence in your product. We'll start with the telephone interview, a frequent screening tool.
What are the things you should know?
The technical skills of your current profession- these are the technical competences that give you the ability to do your job: the skills needed for a task and the know-how to use them productively and efficiently.
What are you trying to sell?
The underlying "transferable skills" you used to get it done and the "professional values" that helped you make the right judgment calls.
What is the 1st type of interviewer?
The untrained interviewer who doesn't know what he is doing, and worse, doesn't know he doesn't know what he is doing.
Why have you been out of work so long?
Then move the conversation forward to what's most important to the interviewer what you can dod and how long it will take you to be productive; you might finish with a question of your own, asking about the most difficult and/or urgent responsibilities of the job and why people fail in this job.
Define "cooperation."
Through hard work and good will, to make the team something greater than the sum of its parts.
What are "transferable skills that apply in all professions"?
These are the skills that underlie your ability to execute the responsibilities of your job effectively, whatever that job may be. They are the foundation of all the professional success you will experience in this or any other career you may pursue over the years.
What are "critical thinking skills"?
They allow you to think through a problem, define the challenge and its possible solutions, and then evaluate and implement the best solution from all available options.
There is a set of transferable skills and professional values common to all jobs, which help you do your job well.
They are the foundation of all professional success, informing your actions, judgment, ethics, and interactions with others.
What are the plans of competent interviewers?
They know what they are going to ask, when they are going to ask it, why they are asking it, and what they hope to find.
The technical skills of your job are the foundation of success within your current profession: without them you won't even land a job, much less keep it for long or win a promotion.
They speak to your ability to do the job, those essential skills necessary for the day-to-day execution of your duties. These technical skills vary from profession to profession and do not refer to anything technical.
What bothers you most about your job?
Think about those aspects of your work that EVERYONE in your profession agrees are an annoying but important part of the job. Use one of these as the basis for your answer and end on a positive note about how you deal with them.
What is your role as a team member?
Think about why the job exists. It is there to contribute to the bottom line in some way. Your department, in turn, has a similar but larger role in the company's bottom line. Your ability to link your job's role to that of the department's larger responsibilities, and then to the overall success of the company, will demonstrate your sense of the importance of TEAMWORK. The department depends on teamwork, so describe yourself as a team player.
Putting It All Together
This TJD process also tells you what your interviewers will be asking about. You know how employers prioritize their needs for your job, and you have thought through the issues that complicate your job every day. You have examples of the ways you execute your duties to prevent typical problems from arising, and you have examples of you tackling the problems that everyone in your job has to face every week. You understand the behavioral profile of the person employers want to hire and the profile of the person they want to avoid at all costs.
What types of decisions do you make in your work?
This examines the extent of your authority and how CRITICAL THINKING enters into your work. The interviewer will certainly follow up with a request for an example.
What should you ask as you exit?
This has been an exciting meeting for me. This is a job I can do and I feel I can contribute to your goals, because the atmosphere here seems conducive to doing my very best work. When will we speak again?
The more open your body movements during the interview, the more you will be perceived as open yourself.
Understanding and directing your body language will give you added power to turn interviews into cooperative exchanges between 2 professionals.
What are the Building Blocks of Job Offers?
Understanding how your customers make buying decisions; Understanding what your customers want to buy; Identifying what you have for sale that they want to buy; Tailoring your sales pitch to your customer's needs; Selling what you have to offer
In working with new people, how do you go about getting an understanding of them?
Understanding that everyone likes to give advice is the key to your answer. You have found that the best way to understand and become part of a new team is to be open, friendly, ask lots of questions, and be helpful whenever you can.
What achievements are you most proud of?
Use an example of something that is at the core of your job and central to its success, where you were part of a team working on some larger project beyond the scope of individual contribution, or where you accepted responsibility for some dirty/ignored project that nevertheless had importance to the success of your department. Share the success and be known as a team player.
What are the primary "communication skills"?
Verbal skills- what you say and how you say it; Listening skills- listening to understand, rather than just waiting your turn to talk; Writing skills- clear written communication creates a lasting impression of who you are and is essential for success in any professional career; Technological communication skills: your ability to evaluate the protocols, strengths, and weaknesses of alternative communication media and then choose the medium appropriate to your audience and message.
What area of your skills/professional development do you want to improve at this time?
Well from what you told me about the job, I seem to have all the necessary skills and background. What I would really find exciting is the opportunity to work on a job where...
"Put me to work and I'll get right back to doing what I do best: identifying, preventing and solving problems."
What are some of the recurring problems your people have to deal with in this job. This interviewer's answer should give you ammunition to talk about how well-suited you will be for the position.
What is the most difficult situation you have faced?
What do you consider difficult and How did you handle it? You should have numerous examples from your TJD with which to illustrate your answer.
A review of your TJD will remind you:
What is important to interviewers; The areas they are likely to question; How you execute your job to prevent problems from occurring; Examples of your achievements and the problems you dealt with to accomplish them; The behavioral profile of the person everyone wants to work with; The behavioral profile that spells career failure.
If you could make one constructive suggestion to management, what would it be?
What matters here is less the specific content of your answer than the tone. Suggest what you know to be true and what your interviewer will appreciate as a breath of fresh air.
X
What would be a good time of day to follow up on this?
For real-world examples, you should have example explaining:
What you did and why you did it; The underlying transferable skills you used to get it done; The professional values that helped you make the right judgment calls; What you learned and how you grew professionally from the experience.
As a rule of thumb and especially in a tight job market when competition is fierce, you need about 70% of a job's requirements to pursue that job with reasonable hope of landing interviews and a job offer.
What you need to do in this instance is pull your title goals back one level and pursue a job where you have the majority of the required skills. Then you can subsequently use this TJD and the missing skills it identifies as a professional development tool: You'll need to develop those skills to warrant a promotion.
What are some of the problems you encounter in doing your job, and what do you do about them?
Whatever your title, at its heart your job is about problem identification, prevention, and solution. Make this statement with details of the problems you area specialist in preventing and solving.
Remember to breathe.
When we are nervous, we can forget to do this, which leads to oxygen deprivation and obviously screws up cognitive processes.
Your challenge in a job interview is to show how your efforts support these goals.
You can start work on this by creating a comprehensive list of the typical problems you tackle on a daily basis. Then for each item on your list, identify: (1) The ways you execute your responsibilities every day (2) Early warning signals you look for (3) How you tackle the full-blown problems that arrive on your desk every day anyway.
Do you have any questions?
Who succeeds in this job and why? Who fails in this job and why? What are the major projects of the first six months/ What will you want me to have achieved after ninety days?
When an interviewer brings up job requirements, you can say:
Would it be of value if I described my experience with _? Then my experience in _ should be of great help to you. I recently completed an accounting project just like that. Would it be relevant to discuss it?
What interests you least about this job?
X
Are you willing to take calculated risks when necessary?
Yes
Can you take instructions without feeling upset or hurt?
Yes
Have you ever had difficulties getting along with others?
Yes
Should you accept a beverage?
Yes, always accept the beverage and ask for water. You ARE nervous, your throat is more prone to dryness and water is the best remedy.
Is it acceptable to have your resume in front of you at the interview?
Yes, it shows you are organized, and it makes a great reference sheet when the interviewer refers to your resume.
Does the interviewer want you to relax?
Yes, that's because a more relaxed you is a more communicative you and the interviewer needs information on which to base her decision.
Of course, crucial to the job is my ability to "identify, prevent and solve" the problems that crop up in each of these areas every day..
You anticipate the ways that problems can arise in your area of responsibility and explain how you execute your work in ways that prevent many of the problems typical to your job from arising in the first place. You have an example or 2 ready. You tackle and solve problems that do occur, because they cannot be prevented in a timely, effective and professional manner. You'll have an illustration ready for this too.
For the duration of your job search you have another job title...
You are a salesperson selling the PROFESSIONAL you, a unique portfolio of skills, experience, behaviors and values wrapped in a living, breathing package that qualifies you to do a specific job particularly well.
You don't need to be phony in your responses...
You are the real deal and the interviewer's questions will give you the opportunities to show it.
What have you done to become more effective in your job?
You can talk about books and professional commentaries you've read, the professional organizations you belong to, the certifications you're earning, the courses you are enrolled in, and the webinars you attend. If you aren't doing some of these things, wake up and start NOW
I'm not sure you're suitable for this job (too inexperienced), Part 2
You can talk about the motivation you bring to the job and you will expect to be motivated for some considerable time because of the opportunity the job offers for your professional development.
As a rule of thumb, when competition is fierce, you need about what percent of a job's requirements?
You need about 70% of a job's requirements to pursue a job with reasonable hope of landing interviews and job offer.
You must demonstrate your SUITABILITY for the job
You possess a body of profession/industry knowledge that helps you understand the "way things get done in banking"
When should you arrive?
You should arrive at the interview on time but at the location early.
Do you ever remember leaving an interview and feeling that you could do the job, but that the interviewer didn't ask you the questions that would allow you to showcase your skills?
You were probably facing an untrained interviewer, someone who doesn't know that he doesn't know how to interview and who bases hiring decisions on "experience" and "knowing people" and "gut feeling."
Add chronology- I spent _ years at _ and this is where I learned...
You'll show the professional development that brought you to the point you are at today.
What have you learned from jobs you have held?
You've learned that little gets achieved without teamwork, and that there's invariably sound thinking behind systems and procedures.
Tell me about a time things went wrong.
Your TJD identified a number of examples you can use. End with how you you solved the problem or contributed to its solution. Get in a subtle plug for "transferable skills". You can go on to explain that the next time you faced the same kind of problem you had a better frame of reference, knew what to avoid, what to do more of, and new approaches you could try.
Teamwork relates to what?
Your ability to function productively as a member of a group focused on achieving large-scale goals.
What can you do for us that someone else cannot do?
Your answer can demonstrate your grasp of the job's responsibilities, the problems that occur in each area, and how you are prepared to deal with them.
What would your coworkers tell me about your attention to detail?
Your answer obviously lies in the question. You pay attention to detail, your analytical approach to projects helps you identify all the component parts of a given job, and your multitasking skills ensure that you get the job done in a timely manner without anything falling through the cracks.
Tell me about an important goal you set recently.
Your answer should cite a goal that relates to productivity or another aspect related to the most important deliverables of your job in some way.
How do you feel about your progress to date?
Your answer should illustrate a commitment to productivity and professional development. I ensure that my work is executed effectively and cite endorsements given by managers.
How have you benefited from your disappointments/mistakes?
Your answer will explain how you treat setbacks as learning experiences: You look at what happened, why it happened, and how you can do things differently at each stage. Edison once explained his success as an inventor by claiming that he knew more ways NOT to do something that anyone else living.
When asked an interview question, your body posture should be what?
Your body posture should be relaxed and open. Many people have a tendency, when under stress, to contract their bodies. This adds to the tension and sends the wrong message.
How do I get the best out of you/did your boss get the best out of you?
Your boss was always available for advice and taught you to take the work seriously but encouraged a collegial team atmosphere.
Creativity springs form what?
Your critical thinking skills, applied within an area of technical expertise; Your multitasking skills; Your communication skills; Your teamwork and leadership skills which enable you to enlist others and bring the idea to fruition.
Your job interviews are what?
Your job interviews are sales presentations.
If the information isn't provided, recap:
Your understanding of the job; What you bring to the table; That you are qualified and very interested; Ask to schedule the next interview
You must demonstrate an ABILITY to do the work: that you are in full possession of the TECHNICAL SKILLS necessary to execute the job's responsibilities, and that you have a clear grasp of the role your job plays in the department
as that small but important cog in that complex moneymaking machinery of the corporation.
Starting with those requirements common to all of your job description samples, identify...
the problems that typically arise when you are executing your duties in this area. How you execute your responsibilities to prevent this problem from arising in the first place. How you tackle such a situation when it does occur, with examples.
It is your duty to turn job interviews into job offers:
whatever happens, you can and must learn from this experience.
