Why should the interviewee research the company?

You may very well be asked, "What do you know about our company?" And even if you're not asked that question, you should express your knowledge of the company to the interviewer.

Does it really matter if youre just a few minutes late to the interview?
Surveys reveal that if youre even a few minutes late, youre usually eliminated. Always strive to get to an interview early, thus protecting yourself from unexpected delays. Getting to an interview a bit early also allows you time to collect your thoughts and observe people (and corporate culture) while waiting.

How should you greet and shake hands with your interviewer?
Greet your interviewer enthusiastically. Stand up and extend your hand for the handshake. Medium-to-firm handshake -- no dead fish. Ultra-warm smile "Good morning, Im glad to meet you" and "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a candidate for this position."

Extremely important! Dont look up at walls and ceiling for answers. Dont cast eyes downward. One expert, recognizing that eye contact is hard to maintain in a one-on-one situation, says to look at interviewers NOSE.

What other nonverbals cues are important in a job interview?

Facial Expressions Posture Sit up straight. Sit on edge of seat to appear eager. Smile!

Gestures Personal Space

What kinds of bad habits and inappropriate body language create problems in job interviews?

Ums Speaking too softly Fading out at end of response Touching face, mouth, scratching head Sweating Smoking Chewing gum Twiddling thumbs Tapping a pencil or fork Humming Whistling Nose picking Stretching parts of the body Staring Cleaning finger nails Using slang or profanity Calling the interviewer by his or her first name (unless asked) Touching things on the interviewer's desk Fidgeting Twirling in chair

What kinds of hand gestures are appropriate in job interviews?

Gestures should be subdued. Smaller than for a presentation and not distracting. If you cant keep from talking with your hands and using big, distracting gestures, keep hands in lap or hold pen.

Whats the best way to show ENTHUSIASM in a job interview?

Big, warm, consistent smile.

Whats the best way to show CONFIDENCE in a job interview?

Strong, forceful voice.

Handling frequently asked interview questions

Tell Me About Yourself Dont give the story of your life. Give a very brief rundown including education, previous job titles targeted very specifically toward how your experience and/or education will be useful in the position for which you're applying. Read Brian Kruegers 30-second elevator pitch technique.

What are Your Strengths? Talk about strengths that are very specific to the job youre interviewing for.

Handling frequently asked interview questions

What are Your Weaknesses? Choices for responding to weakness question: Give a negative thats really a positive: "I am sometimes impatient, which drives me to work excessively." "If I start on a project, I sometimes forget to go to lunch." "Since Im such a perfectionist, I sometimes find it hard to delegate because Im concerned others won't do the job as well as I can."

Caution: The perfectionist response is overused. Give a negative that is really inconsequential and has little to do with how well you would perform the job: "I am not a good speller, so I keep a dictionary handy."

More choices for responding to weakness question: Simply reassure the interviewer that you know of no weaknesses that would stand in the way of your performing this job. Reveal a trait that once was a weakness, but explain how you overcame it and learned from it.

Handling frequently asked interview questions

Where do you want to be in 5 (or 10 or 15) years? What do you want to do with your life? Strike a delicate balance when responding to this kind of question: Honesty/ambition/ Your desire to be working at this company. Avoid responses like starting your own business, running for Congress. Not totally inappropriate to mention the personal (marriage, family), but focus on professional goals. Response could be: "Im here to let you know that I am the best person for the job. If in the future you feel I would be a candidate for a higher level position, I know I wouldnt be passed up." OR: "I hope to stay at the company and expect that in five years, Ill make a significant advance in the organization." OR: "I would like to become the very best ______ your company has."

Handling frequently asked interview questions

Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor?

Employer may want to see whether you will trash a professor or former employer. Don't fall into the trap. And if you truly have NOT had a conflict, tell how you would handle it if you did. Why should we hire you? The unspoken part of the question is: . . . above all other candidates? Tell what sets you apart -- your USP, among other things. Be specific about how your qualities match the employer's needs. What are Your Strengths? Talk about strengths that are very specific to the job youre interviewing for. Would your rather work with information or with people? Ideally, both, but tailor response to job and describe strengths in each area. Dont make yourself sound weak in either area. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have? The question has a twofold purpose: How you will get along with management. How you see yourself as a manager.

How has your education prepared you for your career? Describe your educational preparation as very specific to the job. Provide concrete examples, when possible. How much training do you think you'll need to become a productive employee? Key word is productive. You can be productive immediately. Make sure you express confidence in your ability to make an impact immediately. Why is your GPA not higher? Dont whine or make excuses. Response should enhance your value as employee. You were very involved with sports, extracurriculars that may have hurt your grades, but made you more well-rounded. You held a job while in school, which hurt your grades but gave you great experience. You made some mistakes early on, but youve worked hard to improve and have learned from the experience.

YES or NO Questions: Are you a team player? Are you a goal-oriented person? Do you handle conflict well? Do you handle pressure well?

Never respond with just "yes" or "no." Always elaborate and be prepared to give specific examples. Use fairly current examples. Examples from high school and before are probably too old. Use a variety of examples. Not all from sports, or being an RA, or fraternity/sorority.

Questions that require knowledge of the company: What do you think it takes to be successful in this career? Do you enjoy doing independent research? Do you have any plans for further education? Why do you want to work in the _____ industry? What do you know about our company? Why are you interested in our company?

If youve researched the company...youll have no trouble with this kind of question. What goals do you have in your career? What motivates you? What changes would you make at your college? What were your favorite classes? Why? Who were your favorite professors? Why?

These questions require: Thoughtful responses Responses that are not self-serving Responses that are specific to the job, if possible

Money questions: Is money important to you? How much money do you need to make to be happy? What kind of salary are you looking for?

Answering money questions: Strike a balance. Moneys important, but so are other things, such as job satisfaction and the total compensation package. Dont talk about needs such as student loans. They are not the employers problem, and you should be paid based on what youre worth, not what you need.

Delay salary talk as long as possible and try not to give specifics until after an offer is made. If you do talk specifics, be sure you know what youre talking about. Know your competitive market value. See the Quintessential Careers Salary Negotiation and Job Offer Tutorial.

Questions that target your decision-making skills: Why did you choose this career? How do you plan to achieve your goals?

Be sure your responses demonstrate sound decision-making processes. Answering "off-the-wall" questions: Example: If you had to live your life over again, what would you change? Example: If you were a color, what color would you be -- and why? Example: If they were making a movie of your life, who should be hired to play you in it? "Off-the-wall" questions -- also referred to as Wild Card questions -- are asked by interviewers to see how well you think on your feet, whether you will get flustered. The trick is to keep your cool and your sense of humor. Generally speaking, there are no wrong answers. Read more in our article, Don't Get Stumped by Off-the-Wall Job Interview Questions. Why did you choose to attend this college? Tell what makes your college experience worthwhile from the employers point of view? How will the employer benefit from your specific education at your college? Show thoughtful decision-making skills.

How should you respond if you are asked about technical expertise that you lack? "With my experience and background, I feel certain Ill have no problems getting up to speed." Failure to ask questions is a major interview flaw. Your success in obtaining a job offer depends significantly on the quality of your questions and how you ask them.

Questions You Can Ask at the Interview

Toward the end of most job interviews, the interviewer will give you the opportunity to ask questions. You must ask a least one question; to do otherwise often signals the interviewer that you don't really have any interest in the job or the company. On the other hand, do not ask questions where the answer is obvious or readily available -- or when the topic has already been

thoroughly discussed in the interview. And never ask about salary and beneift issues until those subjects are raised by the employer. So what follows are just some examples of the types of questions you might ask at a job interview: Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position? What is the top priority of the person who accepts this job? What are the day-to-day expectations and responsibilities of this job? How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? And by whom? How often? Can you describe the companys management style? Can you discuss your take on the companys corporate culture? What are the companys values? How would you characterize the management philosophy of this organization? Of your department? What is the organizations policy on transfers to other divisions or other offices? Are lateral or rotational job moves available? Does the organization support ongoing training and education for employees to stay current in their fields? What do you think is the greatest opportunity facing the organization in the near future? The biggest threat? Why did you come to work here? What keeps you here? How is this department perceived within the organization? Is there a formal process for advancement within the organization? What are the traits and skills of people who are the most successful within the organization?

Have you seen all our interviewing resources

What kinds of questions should you NOT ask in interviews?

Me first: What you can do for me instead do what I can do for you. Questions that reveal insecurities, such as questions phrased in terms of job security. Questions that reveal weaknesses. (Will I have to meet a lot of deadlines?) Questions asked in a confrontational tone. Questions demonstrating you failed to listen to earlier information.

What are some of the newer types of interviews?

Behavior-based interviews. Case interviews. Longer interviews. Group (panel) interviews. Intimidation (stress) interviews.

Read about some of these interviews in our articles, Types of Interviews and Mastering the Case Interview.

Types of Job Interviews

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. Job interviews are all about making the best matches. Both the company and the job-seeker want to determine if there is a correct fit between them. Job-seekers going on job interviews can basically expect one of two styles of interviewing. While the styles differ, there are some basic activities job-seekers need to do both before and after the interview in order to succeed. This page is organized in the following manner: First, the common aspects of interviewing will be discussed. Second, the two types of interviews will be discussed briefly. Common Aspects of Interviewing: Preparing and Researching: Job-seekers must spend time before the interview conducting research on the type of job, company, and industry they are interviewing. Your knowledge of these factors is critical to your success. You can find some great sources of information by visiting the Guide to Researching Companies. Anticipating Questions (and Preparing Answers): While the types of questions differ depending on the interviewing style, job-seekers must plan and be prepared for the typical types of questions. You should not memorize answers, but script specific responses so that you will be able to remember more details when asked the question in the interview. You should also have several questions ready to ask the interviewer. Here are some Typical Interview Questions. The Guide to Interviewing Resources provides links to other sites that list common interview questions and other preparation suggestions. Follow-Up: It is amazing how many job-seekers skip this crucial step. You must immediately write a thank you note to each person who interviewed you. Not only is this letter part of professional etiquette, but it is often time to reinforce a concept or skill that you have and that the employer desires in the person they will be hiring. See an example of a good thank you letter.

Types of Interviewing: The two styles of interviewing used by companies today are the traditional job interview and the behavioral interview. The traditional job interview uses broad-based questions such as, "why do you want to work for this company," and "tell me about your strengths and weaknesses." Interviewing success of failure are more often based on the ability of the job-seeker to communicate than on the truthfulness or content of their answers. Employers are looking for the answer to three questions: does the job-seeker have the skills and abilities to perform the job; does the job-seeker possess the enthusiasm and work ethic that the employer expects; and will the job-seeker be a team player and fit into the organization. You can find 50 Traditional Employment Interview Questions here. The behavioral job interview is based on the theory that past performance is the best indicator of future behavior, and uses questions that probe specific past behaviors, such as: "tell me about a time where you confronted an unexpected problem," "tell me about an experience when you failed to achieve a goal," and "give me a specific example of a time when you managed several projects at once." Job-seekers need to prepare for these interviews by recalling scenarios that fit the various types of behavioral interviewing

questions. Expect interviewers to have several follow-up questions and probe for details that explore all aspects of a given situation or experience. Recent college grads with little work experience should focus on class projects and group situations that might lend themselves to these types of questions. Hobbies and volunteer work also might provide examples you could use. Job-seekers should frame their answers based on a four-part outline: (1) describe the situation, (2) discuss the actions you took, (3) relate the outcomes, and (4) specify what you learned from it. Read more in these related sections: o Behavioral Interviewing Strategies o Sample Behaviorial Interview Questions o STAR Interviewing Technique for Behavioral Interviews Don't forget to check out our Interviewing Do's and Don'ts -- or for even more tips and suggestions about interviewing, go to our Job Interviewing Tutorial. Finally, test your knowledge by taking our Job Interviewing Quiz.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms. Dr. Randall Hansen is currently Webmaster of Quintessential Careers, as well as publisher of its electronic newsletter, QuintZine. He writes a biweekly career advice column under the name, The Career Doctor. He is also a tenured, associate professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. He is a published career expert -- and has been for the last ten years. He is co-author, with Katharine Hansen, of Dynamic Cover Letters. And he has been an employer and consultant dealing with hiring and firing decisions for the past fifteen years. He can be reached at randall@quintcareers.com. Have you seen all our interviewing resources?

Whats important to know about group or panel interviews?

Make eye contact mostly with questioner, but also scan other interviewers. And certainly do not ignore any of the members of the panel. After the interview, be sure and send thank-you notes to all the members of the panel.

How should you handle it if you are asked an illegal question during a job interview?
If you are asked an illegal question, you can point out that the question is illegal, but you run the risk of alienating the interviewer. Better to try to determine what the interviewer's real concern is and assure him/her that your personal situation will not get in the way of the job.

Why is it important to make sure the interviewer knows you want the job?
Its tantamount to closing the sale.

Make sure you ask about the next step in the process -- or even ask for the job -- before the end of the interview.