Job Interviewing Techniques

Learning effective job interviewing techniques is critical to be successful when you sit in front of a perspective employer.

Finding the right job is a challenge especially in today’s tough economic environment. This is true even if it is for part time or summer work.

When you find something that you are interested in pursuing, it is critical to know some key job interviewing tips to help you stand out from the crowd.

It takes some work to prepare for an interview. Anything worth while always does. But the payoff is finding a job that you enjoy and your employer is equally happy. Here are some ideas to “WOW” potential employers.


Preparation

Do your Homework
Study any information that you have been given on the company (sometimes it is given before an interview or picked up at a job fair). Also, study the company you are interviewing on the web. Go to their website and invest some time understanding what they do. Also look for any information in the area that you will be interviewing for. The more you know the better.

First, knowledge is power. It will help you ask insightful questions about the company and how you might best fit in. Second, interviewers will be impressed if you have some basic knowledge about the company. It is surprising how few people do this. You will definitely stand out from the crowd when you use job interviewing techniques like this.


Bring Your Resume
Creating an up to date resume shows professionalism, organization and thoughtfulness. Many times the resume is what got you the interview in the first place. It is frequently used by the interviewer to ask probing questions to see if you and the company you are interviewing for are a good match.


Dress for Success
Looking sharp, carrying yourself confidently and professionally are all important tips on interviewing. These things will put you in the top 20% of the other applicants. Jeans and a t-shirt don’t cut it today for an interview. Even in the most relaxed environments this is usually the case. There are rare circumstances but it isn’t worth the risk. Dressing well never hurts, it can only help.

For men, always dress in nice conservative slacks and a button down shirt…or higher. For women, conservative dress or slacks and a nice blouse are appropriate.

A rule of thumb is always dress one level above (or equal) the people who you are interviewing with. For example, if you are interviewing at banking or financial firm then a business suit is probably appropriate. If you are interviewing at an engineering firm then nice slacks and a button down shirt for men and a conservative dress or slacks and a blouse for women might be appropriate. Even if you know the interviewer will wear jeans it is not advised for you to wear them at an interview.


Job Interviewing Techniques during an Interview

The following job interviewing techniques are provided to improve your opportunities of getting a great position.


Ask informed questions
You are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. Use your pre-investigation to ask questions of the interviewers. Ask about the availability for advancement, reasons to work for their company instead of other similar companies, and so forth. Employers like confident people who ask well thought out questions.


Provide Examples of your Problem Solving Skills
Companies are starved for people who are good at problem solving, critical thinking and decision making. In other words, they want people who have the willingness and ability to think through a wide array of work problems.

These are the people that will become the future managers and leaders of the company. Before going on your interview think of two to three examples on how you handled a work problem with great success in the past. Use these examples during the interview. Learning these skills are paramount to mastering job interviewing techniques.


A Question to Ponder
Here is a question for anyone looking for a long term position. Most people work around 40 hours a week (sometimes more) for 50 weeks a year. That’s 2,000 hours a year. If you stay at a job at least 3 years that’s 6,000 hours of your life.

Is it worth investing a few hours of time to prepare yourself so you can “WOW” a potential employer and get the job you really want?

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