Saturday, April 12, 2008

Be Prepared for Your Job Interview

There are two equally important steps to getting hired in a casino, passing both your audition and your interview.

It is virtually guaranteed that there will be more applicants for the job than positions available. For this reason you need to be prepared to ensure that you outshine your competition with a healthy balance of demonstrable skill, outgoing personality, confidence and humility.

Two questions you should be prepared to answer are, "why is diversity in the workplace important" and "why should we hire you?"

How to Prepare for the Job Interview

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
What if someone has a better credential than yours? Nothing compares when one is prepared. Preparing for the dreadful job interview will give you the confidence that every prospective employer sees during that first impression.

Steps

  1. Research about the company's profile and background. Arm yourself with the knowledge about the industry to impress your employer.
  2. Set your mind to why you can be the best candidate for the job, and explain what you can do.
  3. Prepare your questions too. Participating actively during the interview gives a good impression of interest on the job.
  4. Learn to listen when needed.
  5. Know your resume especially your weaknesses. Prepare to defend them.
  6. Be aware of your posture - to stand straight without slouching.
  7. Mentally prepare for the interview taking deep breaths. Focus on a positive result which will work better for you.
  8. Don't munch on junk food while waiting for the interview. You wouldn't want to shake hands with crumbs with the employer.
  9. Don't play with your chair while awaiting being called.
  10. Secure your clip-on tie so it won't fall off during the interview.
  11. No lunch bag please.
  12. Dress smart and professional. A must.
  13. Practice, practice, practice your script to boost self confidence. You will shine. It will show.
  14. Go to bed early the day (or the days) before the interview. Showing up at the company looking fit instead of sleepy leaves a much better impression.

Tips

  • Preparing for the job interview should be taken seriously. The competition against another candidate with a better qualification is fierce. Preparation helps you keep what's in your mind, and not slip it when you're in a most uncomfortable position. An interview is the key before a company hires you, so you better discover how to sell yourself before meeting with the prospective employer.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Prepare for the Job Interview. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Go to an Interview

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Going to interviews can be nerve-wracking. With these tips, rough seas soon become smooth sailing.

Steps

  1. Arrive in the area 30 minutes early. Find a quiet cafe, relax and take your mind off of the commute. Iced mint tea is always nice.
  2. Keep your cool. You probably will not get the job if you let the employer see how nervous you are.
  3. Answer only the questions that the interviewers ask you and do not offer other information.
  4. Be polite and don't insult the employer. Know that he or she could have many more people to interview.
  5. Do not take offense to anything the interviewer says. If they do not give you the job, do not let it stop you from trying to get another job.
  6. Be very forward in everything you say and in your actions.
  7. Try not to confuse the employer. Be careful of what you say and realize that your employment is on the line!

Tips

  • Be confident
  • Sit straight
  • Look up and at the interviewer

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Go to an Interview. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Stop Yourself from Chattering Nervously

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Do you often feel like you have said too much in an interview/at an audition/among new people? Here's how to stop yourself from revealing too much about yourself within seconds of a first meeting.

Steps

  1. Visualize yourself in a certain situation. If you know you will have a job interview or you will attend a party, imagine yourself there. Go through different situations in your mind.
  2. Make a list of questions you might be asked (in an interview, if that's what you're practicing for) or of topics you may be discussing at a social event. Select appropriate topics for social conversations from your list.
  3. Research the topics. More background information will make it easier for you to contribute to the conversation. Research good answers to interview questions.
  4. Mark interview questions/topics on your list that may make you share more than you'd like or that may aggravate you because you feel strongly about them.
  5. Take some time to come up with good answers or things to say that may steer the conversation in a different direction. Look for diplomatic ways of stating your opinion or answering a question.
  6. Breathe properly. A correct breathing technique will decrease tension in your body and make you feel more relaxed. Practice it before your event. That way, you will have enough oxygen going to your brain to make wise decisions in your target situation.
  7. Observe yourself in a mirror while talking. Do you look confident, calm and friendly? If you are too tense, use a relaxation technique to loosen up or do some role-playing. It will brighten your mood and take away the pressure.
  8. Practice smiling even when you don't feel relaxed. Use your mirror again. It will make your conversation partner more comfortable and make you feel better quickly.
  9. Affirm that you will be successful in your target situation. State it out loud to yourself in a convinced tone of voice or write it on a piece of paper and place it where you will look at it often, like the door of your fridge, your bathroom mirror or your desk.

Tips

  • These steps are meant to make you feel more confident. Don't put a lot of pressure on yourself when practicing, that will only make you more nervous when the practiced event comes around.
  • If you are practicing to resist nosy questions from co-workers or people you don't care for, remember that they cannot hurt you and some things are none of their business. They should accept if you don't want to talk about them. Don't feel guilty for not answering to rude questions.
  • It can be very helpful before a job interview to hand your list of questions to someone you trust and go through the interview situation with them. They can give you feedback on how you did and maybe give you some helpful pointers.

Warnings

  • Don't latch on to someone else's story - for example by saying "that's exactly the same as when....." and going into your own narrative.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper and pen
  • A mirror
  • Time
  • A positive attitude

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Stop Yourself from Chattering Nervously. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Eclipse Your Competition at a Job Interview

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Have you ever experienced that feeling of overwhelming uncertainty when you are waiting to hear back from a company after your second interview? You know that it is between you and one other person. Both of you have the same skill set and background experience, and the employer is making a decision at this very moment.

Steps

  1. The Custom Resume Portfolio: Design a customized resume 'portfolio' for each person interviewing you. Spare no expense here. Build each of your portfolios with a dynamite cover page and tailor it to the specific interviewer. You want it to look like it was made especially for that person, so you will have to find out their names in advance. Your portfolio should contain the 'deluxe' version of your resume, accompanied by all of the necessary documents your future employer would need. Include copies of your degree, combined with duplicates of any special certificates and awards you may have received. Enclose any additional material, such as diagrams, drawings or any project summaries. Use professional style formatting, line art and the appropriate fonts to make your portfolio look like it was designed to sell a new BMW. Lastly, crown your portfolio with a sharp looking professional report cover. Now, imagine the contrast. At your interview, you will slide this personalized portfolio across the table to the person sitting on the other side, while your competition will offer up a stapled xerox copy of their two-page resume.
  2. Remember and use the names of the people that are interviewing you. This is very powerful. You'd be surprised at the number of people that forget a person's name just after meeting them. Forgetting someone's name is basically telling that person, "You are not important enough for me to remember." Remembering and using someone's name has the exact opposite effect, where instead you are telling that person, "You are very important to me, so important, that I will make it a point to remember your name." It's a psychological fact that people love to hear their own name. Use this to your advantage to create a positive anchor about you in the mind of your interviewer. The tactful use of first names during a job interview shows that you are a person who will go above and beyond.
  3. Research the Company! Before you go in for your interview, put in some extra effort to research and discover some key facts about the company. Memorize the company's mission statement. Learn all you can about what they do. Seek information from their public press releases as a means to ask your interviewer intelligent questions. Use this information in your answers, weaving in what you know about that company when appropriate. What happens next is amazing! Your potential employer will pick up on your genuine interest in them, and your sincerity will tip the scale in your favor! It takes some intense homework and memorization to do this, but it will pay you back. Remember, while your competition is asking the interviewer about vacation pay, you'll be asking about the write-up you saw in Forbes on their most recent innovation.
  4. The Premier Thank You:To top off your interview with class, immediately after your interview, mail a thank you note to your interviewer(s). Not just any plain old thank you note will do, because that is what your competition is doing. Write your thank you note on a professional high quality card and be sure to write it in your finest penmanship! Make the body of your message effective. Write something that relays your sincere gratitude for the interview opportunity that was just given to you.

Tips

  • The strategies above represent one grain of sand of an entire beach of potential ideas. There are so many things you can do to demonstrate your willingness to serve on a higher level. Tap into your imagination and brainstorm more ways through which you can clearly demonstrate that you and your work are indeed a cut above the rest. This is crucial in not just the interview process, but long after you have been hired. The willingness to go above and beyond not only gives you exactly what you need to completely eclipse your competition during an interview, but it will create an impenetrable LayoffShield for you in the long run!

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Eclipse Your Competition at a Job Interview. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Get a Job for Which You Are Not Really Qualified

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Have you ever seen a job posting you really wanted, but for which you may not be entirely qualified? Here's how to convince a potential employer--and yourself!-- you are perfect for a position.

Steps

  1. Prepare for the interview. Being prepared is more important than job knowledge, skills and experience.
  2. Tailor your resume. Think creatively about how the experience you have relates to the job you want. Bullet aspects of your previous jobs relevant to the position you seek.
  3. Get an interview. The hardest part of getting a job for which you may not be the most technically qualified applicant is getting an interview.
  4. Conduct yourself professionally.
  5. Be confident. Focus on why you honestly believe you would be good at this particular job. Make a list of reasons beforehand. If you have confidence in yourself, you are more likely to convince the employer of your ability.
  6. Be up-beat. A positive attitude will show the interviewer you are a can-do person.
  7. Be likable. We all want to hire and work with people we like.
  8. Be informed. Know about the company and the business before you go to the interview. Know what they expect you to do for the company.
  9. Ask intelligent questions. There is always more to the job than what can be said in an ad. As you find out more about the job, you may discover job functions for which you are more qualified and you can direct your focus on them.
  10. Be open to training. If the employer is willing to train you for the job, demonstrate enthusiasm about learning new things and a willingness to put extra time and effort into training. If you are a quick study, now is the time to mention it.
  11. Make the interview a starting point. If the job is not something you are qualified to do, ask to leave your resume with the company or ask if there are similar opportunities at a lower level. If you appear enthusiastic, intelligent and committed, your interviewer(s) is more likely to offer suggestions to help you break into the field.

Tips

  • Consider taking training in the particular field you are trying to get into. It's not a good idea to apply for a job you're technically not qualified for, so actually becoming qualified is better than resorting to the steps in this article.
  • Keep trying. You may not get the first job for which you interview. Each interview will leave you better prepared for the next one.
  • Go back to school, get more training or take an entry-level position in the field, etc.
  • Talk with someone who already holds your dream job--after all, they know how they got there!
    • Remember, nearly two thirds of the time, it's not the most qualified candidate who is hired —it’s the one does the best job of promoting himself.
  • Remember: "No" really means "not now", not "never".
  • If it's an option and if you have the means to support yourself, you might offer to work free for the company for a period of time (ie. one week, one month) to prove yourself and your skills.

Warnings

  • Never lie or exaggerate. It is fine to place your experience in the best possible light, but do not say you have experience in an area you don't.
  • Be prepared to handle rejection. Some employers might not consider you for positions you have no experience in.
  • You may get in over your head. Your new employer and colleagues may not appreciate your lack of experience in the job. They may not want to spend extra time getting you up to speed, when they expect a base level of competence and experience.You may be unhappy with the level of extra work required to keep up.
  • This WILL NOT work if you are trying to be a medical professional unless you have an MD, DO, and/or PhD (in a scientific field). Applying to be a physician or researcher without one will get you a polite showing of the door, at best.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get a Job for Which You Are Not Really Qualified. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Ace a Job Interview

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Do you have an important interview coming up for a new job? We demonstrate what you should say and what the interviewer would like to hear to ensure your interview is a great success.

Steps

  1. Put the interview into perspective. Try to think of this as an exchange between two people rather than a one-way interrogation. It's very helpful to think of this in terms of a first date; you want to make sure you present yourself in your best light, while making sure the job is the right fit for you. You should make sure it's the right company for you as well as be on your best form for them.
  2. Be clear. Be absolutely clear about why they should hire you. What are your unique selling points and how can you match them to what they want.
  3. Examples. Make sure you use plenty of examples as proof of your abilities. Be clear about the problem, action and result - making it unique.
  4. Never assume. Don't assume the interviewer has read your CV. Go through it with them.
  5. Never slag off. Be positive about your experiences so far.
  6. Prepare at least three questions. Think about what you want to know.
  7. Listen. Listen and answer the question asked.
  8. Don't talk too much. Don't go into excessive details, but do engage them in conversation.
  9. Do your research. Know the company. Bring snippets about the company up during the interview to show your knowledge.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Ace a Job Interview. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Close the Job Interview

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
The closing of the job interview is key, you need to leave the interviewer with the lasting impression that you are the right canddiate for the job.

Steps

  1. Ask your Questions - Make sure you have asked all your prepared questions about the job, company and management. This is the last opportunity to get your answers, so ask "Can I ask you a couple more questions before we close the interview?"
  2. Reinforce the Positive - This is the time to make a positive closing statement by highlighting why you are the best job candidate. Refer to your strengths and how they make you a good fit for the position.
  3. Make Sure you have Addressed the Interviewers Concerns - You want to be sure that all the issues have been dealt with. Try an approach such as,"Are there any issues or concerns that I need to address?" This allows the interviewer to honestly express any objections and gives you the opportunity to overcome them.
  4. Express your Enthusiasm for the Position - End your job interview on an enthusiastic by highlighting your interest in the position and company.
  5. Find Out the Next Step - you need to know exactly what happens next in the interview process - a second interview, assessments, a medical etc. Establish the timeframe for a hiring decision to be made and who you should get in touch with to follow up the status of your application.
  6. Thank the Interviewer - Thank the interviewer sincerely for the time spent with you. Give a firm handshake and make confident eye contact when doing this.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Close the Job Interview. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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