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Interviews
What are the key factors in NAILING an Interview?
The difference between going on an interview
and nailing an interview can be summed up
in one word, Preparation.
Learn about the company, the position and
the general business of the corporation for
which you are interviewing, the better you
can prepare, the more you can impress the
interviewer and demonstrate how you can contribute
to the success of their organization. By the
end of the interview you must answer a key
question in the mind of the interviewer: why
should we hire you above all other qualified
candidates?
Don't Rely on the Interviewer
The person conducting the interview may not
always be a good interviewer; they may never
have been taught how to properly conduct an
interview, they may be having a bad day, or
may be up against a deadline. In the end,
you don't really know so don't leave it up
to the interviewer to ask you the "right questions"
and give you the opportunity to get the vital
points of your career and achievements across.
Instead, PREPARE for your answers (do not
memorize) but review or outline the key points
you want to verbalize during the interview.
Know What Points You Want to Emphasize
This means doing your homework. What do you
want the interviewer to know about you? Make
sure you work those points into your responses.
When asked about their strengths, most candidates
will say the first thing that comes to their
mind; usually something as lame as: "I'm definitely
a people-person and I really work hard." Think
about it: how many people will ever say, "I'm
terribly hostile to others, I take long lunches,
and I really don't like it when my boss expects
much from me."
No one, of course, but if you don't prepare
in advance for this question, you will most
likely say something equally as frivolous
as the "people-person" response. Think instead
of what you definitely want the interviewer
to know: that you successfully developed and
implemented your current employer's IT system
recovery plan...that you achieved 153% of
your quota...that you initiated the recertification
of ISO 9000 qualification process, etc.
It is also recommended that you pursue as
many interviews as you possibly can, even
if you have no intention of accepting the
position. This gives you the opportunity to
polish your interviewing skills and work through
nervousness.
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