Interview Preparation Tips - Impress Employers and Win the Job

Congratulations on getting the interview! Only the strongest candidates make it to the interview stage, and that means you have a terrific chance of moving forward with the employer.
Preparing for the interview will improve your chance of success. In fact, studies show that candidates who prepare for interviews have a 41% higher likelihood of getting an offer. Many candidates, however, will walk into their interviews without preparing. Can you guess the most common excuse? They say they just do not have the time. By reading this, you are already a step ahead of that competition.
Here are five quick tips to get you started:

Arrive on time. Make a test run to see how long it will take you to get to the office. Build in a 10-minute cushion to cover any unforeseen delays. Your perfect resume writing skills cannot save you from the consequences of a late arrival.

Research the company. An interviewer will likely ask you what you know about their company, or at the very least ask questions that give you the opportunity to display your knowledge about their business. Be able to articulate why you have a genuine interest in the company and the position.

Dress up. Appearance is another important part of the process. You do not need to have movie star looks, but you and your clothes should be neat and clean. It is better to be more professionally dressed than the interviewer is, so if in doubt lean more towards business rather than casual attire.

Practice answers to common questions. Think about what questions to expect, and practice the answers. Review your resume again so that you are prepared to give detailed descriptions of achievements mentioned on your resume.

Bring your resume. Your resume writing skills opened the door to this interview, and you can continue to use your resume to get the offer. Often interviewers use an email copy of your resume, and stare at the computer screen while asking questions. Offer the interviewer a hard copy so that you can better build rapport.
Before you get to the interview, you have to make it possible with convincing resume writing. To do this, enlist the help of a professional resume writing service.

Article Source: ezinearticles.com

How to Prepare for an Effective Telephone Interview

Hiring managers have high expectations from you once you get to the interview stage. Unfortunately, all too often, Job Seekers fail to do the research necessary to be fully prepared for an effective interview performance.

The following recruiting tips will assist you in better preparing for that coveted interview.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPANY
The most important recruiting tip I can ever give you as it relates to preparing for your interview is:
You should never participate in any type of interview with an HR Rep or Hiring Manager without having researched the company.

Hiring managers want to make sure you have specifically chosen to apply and interview for this position. They do not want to believe you are applying to hundreds of jobs and will take the first offer you are given! Keep in mind that the Hiring Manager is ultimately responsible for your success if you are hired, so if you have not spent any time learning anything about the company and how working for that company will enable you to grow in your career goals, you can pretty much expect to be rejected from the position immediately.
You may be asking where you can go to conduct such research.

•Start at the company's website. Review the various pages of the website to understand the product or service they offer, their company mission, the company's history, their management team, and anything else you can get your hands on.

•Explore LinkedIn to review both the company profile as well as the profiles of some of the employees who work there. This will give you a great idea as to the company culture, education and background preference of their employees, as well as locations of their workforce.

•Do a straight Google search for the company name. I find a ton of information on companies by just searching "Company ABC News" in the Google Search Bar. You can do a similar search to better understand the company's financial situation. Just simply search "Company ABC Finances" or similar term in the Google Search Bar to see if there are any issues you should be concerned about.
•Additionally, always take a look at industry specific websites such as ClinicalTrial.gov for the Clinical Research arena or the Information Technology Industry Counci for IT, etc.

Knowledge of the Interviewer
When someone calls or emails you to set up a phone interview, always ask the name of the individual to whom you will be speaking and their role in the company. If you have a good rapport with the individual who is coordinating the interview, ask him or her about your interviewer's personality and hot buttons so you know what to expect.

Knowing the name and role of the interviewer will enable you to research that person. Is he/she on LinkedIn, Facebook, or other Social Media sites? Are you able to see the individual's education or work history? Are you able to find the individual on the Internet anywhere (local news articles, volunteer programs, etc.)? Knowledge is power and the more you know about your interviewer the more likely you will be able to build a relationship with him or her.

Also, a critical recruiting tip is that you must have interview questions prepared for your interviewer so knowing the individual's role as well as some of their education, work history, and personal background will give you a better idea on what types of questions to ask.

I hope you have found these recruiting tips on how to prepare for an effective phone interview very informative. Stay tuned for the next lesson in our email course where I will take you through how to conduct a powerful interview!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Interview Focus - HR Round

Most people tend to take Human Resources interview questions pretty lightly. Believe me, this is the round that can convince people to hire you. Here are some tips on how to deal with the HR round of interview questions.


The Questions

The questions during this round usually tend to revolve around your work experience. You will be assessed on the number of years of experience you have, the quality of experience and if you have the necessary attitude to fit the new job and the company.

The HR round usually takes place in two steps, the first one being a screening round and the second one being the final round before you are made the offer.


The First HR Round

The first round of HR questions usually pertaining to the number of years of experience that you have and the quality of this. Remember to go through the job description in detail and try to fit your resume to show that you will make a good candidate for the job. The job description is really important since the selection criteria are derived from it.

Do not under any circumstances make up a fib about your experience. Remember that most companies will check on references and check with your previous companies and colleges. If you have taken a break at any point in time, ensure that you give good reasons as to why you took it. 
The Final HR Round

This round will check to see that you are a good company fit. You'll be asked behavioural questions and generally checked for attitude. No matter what you think the company culture is, maintain a sense of professionalism.

The big pay question also comes into this round. Always represent the truth as to what you are earning now and what makes sense for you to move.


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Article source: articlebase.com

Learning How to Ace Your Final Interview

It's definitely possible to go through a series of interviews before you will know if you get the job or not. However, of all the interviews, the most important will definitely be the last one, aptly called the final interview.

During the final interview, someone of the highest position will be the one to talk to you. Expect the questions to be more difficult than the previous ones. It's also nerve racking as these managers have been trained to spot errors, inconsistencies of statements, and insincerities in action. The good news is acing the final interview is definitely possible, as long as you stick to the following tips:
1. Still be very much prepared. Never think that you're already clinching the position. Final interviews are not for formality's sake. They are still part of the process. Moreover, unless you receive the job offer or sign a contract, you're still considered an applicant.
It's therefore right to come to the interview fully prepared. There is a bunch of lists you can read online on the possible questions that are going to be asked. You can practice on them, so you have a better idea on how to answer the inquiries.
2. Be honest. There's no other way to it but to be honest in everything you're going to say. Avoid giving false hopes or expectations to the manager. However, for your weaknesses, make sure that you don't end up highlighting them. Instead, you have to downplay them. For example, if you're not that good in certain programs, emphasize that you're easily trained.

3. Ask questions. The final interview is actually the best time to ask the questions that are bothering you. After all, the interviewer may be the best person to ask. Talk about salary, working conditions, more ideas about your job description, etc. You can definitely use the information if you need to assess your possible contribution to the company or if it's worth taking in the first place.
4. Develop a sense of confidence. Even in a tension-filled situation, don't allow your confidence level to go down. You can utilize subliminal messages to help you in this case. The subliminal messages are often called affirmations because they point out to you your inner strengths. Therefore, the subliminal messages have an ability to assist in bringing out the best in you.
While you're waiting for your turn or even a few days before the final interview, you can repeat the subliminal messages as often as you can. You can try "I am eager to get the job," "I am looking forward to sharing what I've got," etc. The more you repeat them, the more you become confident about yourself. The more you are also inspired.
Be careful, though, of being overconfident. As mentioned, this doesn't guarantee a job. There's even a chance that it's not only you who's being considered. If you're asked about how much you want to get for a salary, be honest but don't be too greedy.

Article source: articlebase.com

Application and Interview Process

Whether you are applying for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income, the application process is the same.  It can help to be aware of the general overview of the entire process, so be sure that you understand how applying for either Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income works before you do it.  If you have a general overview of the entire process, it helps for you to know what to expect so that you can better work through the process.  Applying for either Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income can be difficult, but if you have good information, it's not nearly as hard.  Of course, there's little that anybody can do for how time consuming it is!

How It Happens

• Apply.  You can apply at either their website or call 1-800-772-1213.  Here, you can talk with a representative from the Social Security Administration, and they will help you set up an appointment with a representative at your local Social Security Administration branch.
  
• Application filing date.  Generally, the date that you enter the local Social Security Administration branch is considered the date that you file your application. This is very important in terms of keeping track of how long your application will take to go through the system.  In the event that you miss your initial meeting with the rep from the Social Security Administration, you will normally have a period of six months to start the application process in order to use your originally planned start date as your file date.

Generally it takes about 90 days to process a claim on benefits for either Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income.  The reason why the process takes so long as a whole is that many people end up getting denied on their first time through the system and then they end up going back through the system again on appeal.  Appeals can make the process take up to two years, depending on the place in the country where you live.  The states that have higher unemployment rates do tend to have a longer wait time to receive benefits.
The road to getting benefits can be difficult and long, but the more that you know about applying for either Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income, the better your chances are of getting through the process successfully.  Good luck with your application, and don't give up!  Sometimes the process can take a very long time to work through.


Article Source: articlesbase.com

4 Interview Mistakes To Avoid

After holding handfuls of interviews each week, you begin to notice the glaringly obvious and frequent mistakes that candidates make during a job interview. Many times candidates never fully understand the mistakes because they are simply bad habits. Sometimes the most frequent mistakes can actually be the easiest to fix once you take notice. It could mean the difference between landing the job and having the hiring manager pass you up.

We talked to the office here at Hire Priority to build a helpful list of top 4 biggest mistakes candidates make during the interview and followed them up with tips to provide you quick and easy career advice.

Mistake #1: Arriving late or unprepared:
One of the most frequent mistakes is often the most easiest to avoid. Arriving late or unprepared, such as not bringing an updated resume, can indicate that the candidate might not be able to manage the job tasks being offered. Showing reliability is a huge aspect of being hired. Be sure to print out an updated resume, bring a notepad and writing utensils, and map your route to the interview to determine the expected amount of time to arrive (always be sure to add extra time in case you hit traffic or you get lost).

Mistake #2: The resume has errors:
It is very easy to skim past spelling or grammar errors when you have been staring at your resume for some time. Of course, be sure to spell check, but go beyond the computer checking system. Run your resume by a few friends or family members to have an extra set of eyes. A poor resume is sometimes a deal breaker for hiring authorities.

Mistake #3: References are not solid:
Someone's word goes a long way, both good and bad. Ensure you have solid references that will highlight your accomplishments and encourage the new hiring manager to seriously consider you for the job. A smart candidate asks for a letter of reference from their employer before they leave their job.

Mistake #4: Giving too much personal information:
Telling the hiring manager about your date that went sour the night before may not help you land the job. While it's wonderful to be friendly, be sure you are always being professional and not sharing too much personal information. Focus on how your skills and experience can help you perform the job duties, not about how your boyfriend forgot to do the laundry, which is why your clothes aren't clean.
Ensuring you take the appropriate steps to lessen interview mistakes can greatly increase your possibility of landing that job you've been dreaming of.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Tips On How To Dress For The Interview

Once you have landed an interview for a potential job, you want to dress to impress to ensure that you are being considered for hired. Here are some tips on how to dress for the interview which gives a better chance to land that job.

For any job interview, how you dress can determine if you will get the job. First impression says a lot, you do not have to look like you rolled out of bed and went to be interviewed. Dress to impress is a must for any type of job interview no matter what the position is.

If you do not have the proper attire, buy something nice and simple to wear. Make sure that it fits, you do not want to wear something that is too loose or too tight. You will need to cover up as much as possible and make sure that there are no visible tattoo and piercings.

Clothing attire for men could be slacks, a long sleeve shirt and tie, and dark colored shoes. A suit is always a good way to go if you have one. If wearing cologne, make sure it is not too overpowering and best to put less than usual. A fresh hair cut and shave goes a long way.

Women's attire for job interview suggestions could be a knee or below length skirt with a light long sleeve collared shirt. A nice little jacket to match is optional and heels should be a decent size, not too high. Nice hair style and clean nails, as you are being interviewed, these can be noticed.
Always remember that how you dress will also be an important evaluation for any company looking to hire. Once you learn how to dress for the interview, you have already passed that part and have a great chance in landing that job.

Article Source:EzineArticles.com