Just be calm. I always think "they have called me, so what I said I know in my resume is what they need me for, therefore they are interested in me" and that calms me down.
Do your research and have a couple of questions of your own prepared for the interview - it will show that you have interest in the job and the company.
I know i can do the job but my nerves always get the best of me in interviews. I've been out of work since December and i know they're gonna ask me what i've been doing. Do i tell them i've been looking unsuccessfully for work or that i haven't applied for many jobs? Neither of which makes me look good.
Unemployment has worked out perfectly for me this time. Managed to get in the whole world cup and all the test matches and then start back tomorrow. Still got loads of work to do at home though so I might need another couple of months off when this contract finishes.
The best advice I can offer for interviews, and being a contractor I have a lot because I average about 4 different jobs a year in recent years, is to be relaxed which I know is easier said than done but the more interviews you do the easier it gets, try and act as if the interviewer is your friend rather than your inquisitor. Don't bullshit the interviewer, if you don't know something be honest and say so rather than trying to fudge your way through it, you will be found out. When they say "do you have any questions" unless you genuinely do then use that as an opportunity to say why you are the best person for the job. ~(So the job is based at X, thats good because it's only 15 minutes to get there. - It sounds as if what's required from this post is very similar to what I was doing at X so I should be able to hit the ground running. - That sort of thing, adjust to suit)
If you have been out of work for any length of time have a good cover story why and try and show you have been doing productive things with your time. (I've taken up growing my own vegetables, learnt "C", taught myself car maintenance). Doesn't matter what it is so long as you know what your talking about.
A lot of places now rely on bullshit phrases so make sure you have them covered. (I am a good team player but can show individual imitative when its required sort of thing).
Do a google on whoever is going to employ you and have a relevant question ready you can drop in to show your interested.
1) Look smart, shave, a clean shirt, trousers, shoes and a tie. It really doesn't matter what the job is, its always better to be overdressed for the interview than to be under dressed, it makes it look like you can get your shit together.
2) Get to the interview 15-20 minutes early, this gives you time to end up where you need to end up when you are onsite, if you arrive on the dot and find the interview is in the another building by the time you get to to the actual door you look like you are late even if you weren't. Being late is probably the single greatest cardinal sin, if you can't even make it to the interview on time then it really raises doubts about how you would manage other things if they were to hire you. Its far better to get there an hour early and sit on a park bench than to rely on the last bus, or get stuck in traffic.
3) Know the name of who you are supposed to be meeting. Be pleasant to the first person you meet, don't assume they are just a receptionist, you never know who they are. Shake hands with people when you meet them. Take copies of your CV with you in a folder, people dislike running interviews so often they leave it to the last minute and forget your CV, or only one person in the group has a copy. If you have copies with you and you can help them out it makes you stick in their mind, it also makes you look very organised, and having a folder with you gives you something to do with your hands.
4) If they offer you a drink of something its best to refuse it, its very hard to avoid looking like a plonker if you end up sat with nowhere to put the cup and so have to have it sat in your lap.
5) Don't be too chummy, keep it professional but friendly.
6) The interview should be "inter" i.e. both ways, you are as much interviewing them as they are you, even if you are desperate for the job you really should line up some questions for them but DO NOT ask about the money. Not having any questions looks more like "doesn't give a sh1t" than "really doesn't have any questions". Find out a bit about the company, the classic question "so why do you want to work for us?" is likely to come up. Whatever your circumstances are you should have a professional response lined up, avoid at all costs comments like "I need the money" or anything else that might suggest you don't have "your shit together" elsewhere in your life. Everyone goes through rough patches but they wont get to know the full reason for it all, all they will be left with is a question mark about your ability to manage things.
Common questions you should have prepared for are...
Why do you want to work here?
Why did you leave your last job? - Don't slag off the last place, or mention anything unpleasant about why you left. If there are cracks then smooth them over.
Where do you want to be in ten years time? Don't say "in your job" ;)
What is your biggest weakness?
7) Avoid telling any major lies in the interview, if you are stressed about the interview it can be hard to pull it off, but also don't be afraid to say "I don't know" to any questions you really can't answer. Try to answer as much as you can but you can make yourself look foolish if you make stuff up. No one expects you to know everything, also admitting you don't know something is actually an honest answer which may win more favour than a tonne of bullshit.
At the end of the day an interview is stressful, you know it, they know it, so they will expect you to be on edge, its natural. If you come across as too cool you just look cocky.
Don't think of it as a competition with the odds stacked against you, you have made it to stage 2 so you are making progress and will have made it further than a lot of people. It is highly likely that all they want from the interview is...
To see if you are a likeable guy
To see how your personality would fit in
To see if what's on your CV is really you
To see if you have "your shit together", i.e. dress, punctuality etc etc
About the unemployment question, to be honest I would have no problem with someone who said they have been out of work, the GFC has hit a lot of good people hard, just be honest about it. The fact you haven't applied for many jobs can work in your favour, it may look like you are committed to your field, as to why you haven't applied for many.. well just say there haven't been many around.
The main thing is to do things to help yourself be as relaxed as possible, research the company, think of some questions ahead of time, sort you a decent outfit and don't be late. All give a good impression to them and also it removes a lot of potential stress for you, if you are less stressed you come across as a better candidate.
I know i can do the job but my nerves always get the best of me in interviews. I've been out of work since December and i know they're gonna ask me what i've been doing. Do i tell them i've been looking unsuccessfully for work or that i haven't applied for many jobs? Neither of which makes me look good.
tell them youve unsuccessfully been looking for work and mention cos theres been a recession on and a lot of people going for each job
Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
tell them youve unsuccessfully been looking for work and mention cos theres been a recession on and a lot of people going for each job
Which, in effect is saying there's loads better people than me out there and your being left with the dross. Looking for work, yes, Recession and the markets tight, yes, but not other people are better than you. It might be true but that's not the point.
Which, in effect is saying there's loads better people than me out there and your being left with the dross. Looking for work, yes, Recession and the markets tight, yes, but not other people are better than you. It might be true but that's not the point.
no its bending the truth slightly and giving them a reason youve unsuccessfully not found work rather than just...........dunno just couldnt get a job, its not always others better than you get the jobs..........if theres 200 going for 1 job there could be 50 that are at a similer level..............but they still need to choose only 1
Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
Sit up straight, appear relaxed, appear confident, appear friendly, radiate keeness and attentiveness. look in your rear view mirror every ten seconds.
Sit up straight, appear relaxed, appear confident, appear friendly, radiate keeness and attentiveness. look in your rear view mirror every ten seconds.
wont he look a bit......odd with a rear view mirror attached to his head?
Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
I had an interview last week, which was successful, and the main thing I tried to do was be honest.....
I told the interviewer that I'd been unemployed for a while, and had been trying to find work but was finding it difficult to get any replies...I told her I'd spent the free time travelling and pursuing my hobby of collecting videogames, and that if I was being honest I spent a little too long playing them...
She asked me what my ideal job would be, and instead of kissing ass and saying "Oooh! Phoning people up and asking them questions during their tea!" I just told the truth and said it would be working on a tropical island in a bar or little shop or something....
Just be honest, as if you're not it'll be noticeable....but have restraint when it's needed! :D
Unfortunately in my case, after actually getting the job, I had to then turn it down during training, because they neglected to tell me at interview that although I would be guaranteed shifts in the first month, if I failed to hit targets I might not get the shifts I wanted after that! I need something a bit more reliable than that, as last time I was working I got into a lot of debt because of a similar situation....
Now I have to go back to the company the Job Centre has put my jobsearch into the hands of, and explain why I didn't take the job, meaning that my dole money could be stopped because I refused employment when it was there for the taking.....
Maybe you should have been obnoxious during training and got yourself sacked instead. I'm sure they can't stop your money, get down to Citizens advice cos they take this piss until you start quoting the law at them.
It's months since I had an interview but I'd suggest taking the following on board:
* As many have said, dress well (and try and look classy rather than as though you've stuffed yourself into a mothballed interview suit, put on a nice tie and go for a shirt colour other than white if you can) and try and be relaxed.
* Be early, as someone said. About ten minutes should do. If you arrive half an hour early it'll look like you're trying too hard or that you've messed your timing up.
* Ask questions about the job.
* Clock the interviewers. Usually, they'll just be interested in what you're like as a person and if this is the case then they'll be friendly, talkative and probably just ask you a few questions regarding your CV. Sometimes, though, you'll get interviewers who'll throw weird or unexpected questions at you to "test" you and try and catch you off-guard so be prepared for that.
* Don't tell anything other than white lies. Be as honest as is practical.
* Watch your body-language. Maintain eye contact for most of the interview but don't stare at them, try not to scratch your nose, rub your chin or rub the back of your head when answering questions as it'll make you look nervous and awkward and they might think you're lying.
* Be friendly but formal, as someone said. Don't be too stiff or they'll not like you and don't be too chummy or they'll think you're being disrespectful or are too full of yourself.
* Avoid hackneyed "correct" answers. Don't say "I'm too much of a perfectionist" if they ask what your weaknesses are; don't declare yourself as "striving to do everything to the best of my ability". If you can, say positive things in a way that they haven't heard trotted-out hundreds of times before. Any fool can learn these cliches by heart and quite a few have.
* When giving them your positive aspects, give examples of this in action, not necessarily in a working environment. Give them an example of how you communicated effectively/worked hard/managed time well.
* Sound enthusiastic.
* Remember that we're in a recession and hundreds of people will have applied for the same job, the fact you've got this far is a good sign and, despite what is usually assumed, most employers will be sympathetic to the fact that it's hard to find jobs at the moment.
Also be honest, seen way too many people talk so much BS during interviews (Sadly 'sometimes' it works).
In my experience if you come across as a decent team player and someone with good experience you should be okay. Coming across as quite selfish or quiet/doesnt work well with a team isnt good at all.
Company i used to work for turned down a few people who might have had the right skills but just wouldnt have been able to mix well with the current team.
Be yourself,and usually they ask you what do you know about the company,what did you do in last job and why you no longer there,other stuff like,why should they choose you of all people.
@mel-how did you support yourself,you a millionaire :???:
Nice to hear that it went fine! Was it like you expected or prepared for?
It was how i hoped it would be. I've had some good interviews and some really horrible one's but the people at this one were nice and were talking to me about the job rather than trying to trip me up with stupid questions.
Comments
i never used to get barely any job interviews during my 18 year stint of unemployment so i cant really offer advice lol
Don't do any speed beforehand...
:p
Do your research and have a couple of questions of your own prepared for the interview - it will show that you have interest in the job and the company.
The best advice I can offer for interviews, and being a contractor I have a lot because I average about 4 different jobs a year in recent years, is to be relaxed which I know is easier said than done but the more interviews you do the easier it gets, try and act as if the interviewer is your friend rather than your inquisitor. Don't bullshit the interviewer, if you don't know something be honest and say so rather than trying to fudge your way through it, you will be found out. When they say "do you have any questions" unless you genuinely do then use that as an opportunity to say why you are the best person for the job. ~(So the job is based at X, thats good because it's only 15 minutes to get there. - It sounds as if what's required from this post is very similar to what I was doing at X so I should be able to hit the ground running. - That sort of thing, adjust to suit)
If you have been out of work for any length of time have a good cover story why and try and show you have been doing productive things with your time. (I've taken up growing my own vegetables, learnt "C", taught myself car maintenance). Doesn't matter what it is so long as you know what your talking about.
A lot of places now rely on bullshit phrases so make sure you have them covered. (I am a good team player but can show individual imitative when its required sort of thing).
Do a google on whoever is going to employ you and have a relevant question ready you can drop in to show your interested.
"I see your company works in green technology so is that a big growth area for you"
Make up something like that, it shows you have done some research and "care" about the company.
Edit - Don't forget that in an interview your a salesman and the product your selling is yourself.
2) Get to the interview 15-20 minutes early, this gives you time to end up where you need to end up when you are onsite, if you arrive on the dot and find the interview is in the another building by the time you get to to the actual door you look like you are late even if you weren't. Being late is probably the single greatest cardinal sin, if you can't even make it to the interview on time then it really raises doubts about how you would manage other things if they were to hire you. Its far better to get there an hour early and sit on a park bench than to rely on the last bus, or get stuck in traffic.
3) Know the name of who you are supposed to be meeting. Be pleasant to the first person you meet, don't assume they are just a receptionist, you never know who they are. Shake hands with people when you meet them. Take copies of your CV with you in a folder, people dislike running interviews so often they leave it to the last minute and forget your CV, or only one person in the group has a copy. If you have copies with you and you can help them out it makes you stick in their mind, it also makes you look very organised, and having a folder with you gives you something to do with your hands.
4) If they offer you a drink of something its best to refuse it, its very hard to avoid looking like a plonker if you end up sat with nowhere to put the cup and so have to have it sat in your lap.
5) Don't be too chummy, keep it professional but friendly.
6) The interview should be "inter" i.e. both ways, you are as much interviewing them as they are you, even if you are desperate for the job you really should line up some questions for them but DO NOT ask about the money. Not having any questions looks more like "doesn't give a sh1t" than "really doesn't have any questions". Find out a bit about the company, the classic question "so why do you want to work for us?" is likely to come up. Whatever your circumstances are you should have a professional response lined up, avoid at all costs comments like "I need the money" or anything else that might suggest you don't have "your shit together" elsewhere in your life. Everyone goes through rough patches but they wont get to know the full reason for it all, all they will be left with is a question mark about your ability to manage things.
Common questions you should have prepared for are...
Why do you want to work here?
Why did you leave your last job? - Don't slag off the last place, or mention anything unpleasant about why you left. If there are cracks then smooth them over.
Where do you want to be in ten years time? Don't say "in your job" ;)
What is your biggest weakness?
7) Avoid telling any major lies in the interview, if you are stressed about the interview it can be hard to pull it off, but also don't be afraid to say "I don't know" to any questions you really can't answer. Try to answer as much as you can but you can make yourself look foolish if you make stuff up. No one expects you to know everything, also admitting you don't know something is actually an honest answer which may win more favour than a tonne of bullshit.
At the end of the day an interview is stressful, you know it, they know it, so they will expect you to be on edge, its natural. If you come across as too cool you just look cocky.
Don't think of it as a competition with the odds stacked against you, you have made it to stage 2 so you are making progress and will have made it further than a lot of people. It is highly likely that all they want from the interview is...
To see if you are a likeable guy
To see how your personality would fit in
To see if what's on your CV is really you
To see if you have "your shit together", i.e. dress, punctuality etc etc
About the unemployment question, to be honest I would have no problem with someone who said they have been out of work, the GFC has hit a lot of good people hard, just be honest about it. The fact you haven't applied for many jobs can work in your favour, it may look like you are committed to your field, as to why you haven't applied for many.. well just say there haven't been many around.
The main thing is to do things to help yourself be as relaxed as possible, research the company, think of some questions ahead of time, sort you a decent outfit and don't be late. All give a good impression to them and also it removes a lot of potential stress for you, if you are less stressed you come across as a better candidate.
Good luck with it!!!
tell them youve unsuccessfully been looking for work and mention cos theres been a recession on and a lot of people going for each job
Which, in effect is saying there's loads better people than me out there and your being left with the dross. Looking for work, yes, Recession and the markets tight, yes, but not other people are better than you. It might be true but that's not the point.
I was wondering how i was gonna get my car up the stairs!
I told the interviewer that I'd been unemployed for a while, and had been trying to find work but was finding it difficult to get any replies...I told her I'd spent the free time travelling and pursuing my hobby of collecting videogames, and that if I was being honest I spent a little too long playing them...
She asked me what my ideal job would be, and instead of kissing ass and saying "Oooh! Phoning people up and asking them questions during their tea!" I just told the truth and said it would be working on a tropical island in a bar or little shop or something....
Just be honest, as if you're not it'll be noticeable....but have restraint when it's needed! :D
Unfortunately in my case, after actually getting the job, I had to then turn it down during training, because they neglected to tell me at interview that although I would be guaranteed shifts in the first month, if I failed to hit targets I might not get the shifts I wanted after that! I need something a bit more reliable than that, as last time I was working I got into a lot of debt because of a similar situation....
Now I have to go back to the company the Job Centre has put my jobsearch into the hands of, and explain why I didn't take the job, meaning that my dole money could be stopped because I refused employment when it was there for the taking.....
Fun, Fun, Fun!
* As many have said, dress well (and try and look classy rather than as though you've stuffed yourself into a mothballed interview suit, put on a nice tie and go for a shirt colour other than white if you can) and try and be relaxed.
* Be early, as someone said. About ten minutes should do. If you arrive half an hour early it'll look like you're trying too hard or that you've messed your timing up.
* Ask questions about the job.
* Clock the interviewers. Usually, they'll just be interested in what you're like as a person and if this is the case then they'll be friendly, talkative and probably just ask you a few questions regarding your CV. Sometimes, though, you'll get interviewers who'll throw weird or unexpected questions at you to "test" you and try and catch you off-guard so be prepared for that.
* Don't tell anything other than white lies. Be as honest as is practical.
* Watch your body-language. Maintain eye contact for most of the interview but don't stare at them, try not to scratch your nose, rub your chin or rub the back of your head when answering questions as it'll make you look nervous and awkward and they might think you're lying.
* Be friendly but formal, as someone said. Don't be too stiff or they'll not like you and don't be too chummy or they'll think you're being disrespectful or are too full of yourself.
* Avoid hackneyed "correct" answers. Don't say "I'm too much of a perfectionist" if they ask what your weaknesses are; don't declare yourself as "striving to do everything to the best of my ability". If you can, say positive things in a way that they haven't heard trotted-out hundreds of times before. Any fool can learn these cliches by heart and quite a few have.
* When giving them your positive aspects, give examples of this in action, not necessarily in a working environment. Give them an example of how you communicated effectively/worked hard/managed time well.
* Sound enthusiastic.
* Remember that we're in a recession and hundreds of people will have applied for the same job, the fact you've got this far is a good sign and, despite what is usually assumed, most employers will be sympathetic to the fact that it's hard to find jobs at the moment.
18 years unemployed??? I'd have killed myself by then.
I was unemployed for 13 months once and that was bad enough.
In my experience if you come across as a decent team player and someone with good experience you should be okay. Coming across as quite selfish or quiet/doesnt work well with a team isnt good at all.
Company i used to work for turned down a few people who might have had the right skills but just wouldnt have been able to mix well with the current team.
@mel-how did you support yourself,you a millionaire :???:
and well.. don't worry about it till you hear something back.
"Don't call us, we will call you..." :p
Nice to hear that it went fine! Was it like you expected or prepared for?
It was how i hoped it would be. I've had some good interviews and some really horrible one's but the people at this one were nice and were talking to me about the job rather than trying to trip me up with stupid questions.