- Aug 8, 2011
- 1,981
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it's ok, you can come out from under the chair...
there's a lot to absorb here, so read it over and ask if you've got questions! I've been on probably 150 interviews over 35 years, and I usually get to pick between offers, so I know how to do this, and I'm *happy* to coach you. besides, I think interviewing is kinda fun!
interviewing scares a lot of folks,
but it doesn't have to be scary. it's a chance for you and the company to get to know each other a bit and to find out if you're a good fit.
it's a little like dating - you talk about yourself, they talk about themselves, they tell you what's expected, you help them see you've got what they need, and you get to know each other.
remember, you have the knowedge and skills you have, and with that and a great attitude, you can get hired.
you don't have to know how to do everything they want you to do, they already know they're going to train you. what you want to bring to the mix is your good attitude, your willingness to learn, your eagerness to be helpful, your personaltiy that is suited to the job, your confidence that you can learn what they teach you and become a contributing member of the team.
what you don't want to bring is massive fear or anxiety, desperate need of a job, doubt that you can succeed, wild overconfidence, or an attitude that you're entitled to a good job with high pay.
basically think about the people you like working on a project with, respect, and find to be helpful and confident... that's what you want to try to bring to the interview. you don't have to know everything, but you have to be willing to learn and deliver your best.
it may help to think of it this way... it's not just that they're interviewing you, but you're also inteviewing them. you want to find out if this is a good job for you where you can be successful and contribute, just like they want to find out if you're a good person for them to hire.
ok, so now for mechanics...
go online and search on "job interview skills", there are TONS of sites that will give you an idea of what kind of questions to expect, how to answer them, what to wear, how to behave... you can search on "interview questions for xxxx job" too, there are some pretty good lists of questions that will give you details about specifics for the job you're looking for as well. job search sites like jobs.com and monster.com have links on their home pages that give you lots of info. you might also try searching youtube for some videos on job interviewing skills... I know I always do better if I've seen some examples, it helps me be calmer and feel more prepared.
once you've got a list of likely questions, get your answers together, then sit with a friend and have them ask you those questions so you can practice answering them out loud. then ask for feedback on how you did, refine your answers, and try it again. might seem silly, but this REALLY helps. the interviewer might not ask you just those questions, but if you practice, you'll be more comfortable with whatever questions they ask.
remember that you want to present your best self in the interview, just like on a first date. that means don't stretch the truth, but don't hide your light under a bushel either. say what you can do. say what you know. if you don't have specific experience, say that, but also say what you've done that might apply, or could be similar. don't be modest, but don't inflate either.
be sure you think about what you have to offer before you go... they will ask you what your strenghts are, as well as what your weaknesses are. tell the truth, but select what you will tell. when asked for strengths, I say I'm a quick learner, a hard worker, love getting things done, am easy to work with, and have xxxxxx experience. when asked for my weakness, I say I'm not an early morning person and I don't enjoy having to be in at 8am on the dot... in my business that's not a big deal so it's a "safe" weakness to discuss. you'll want to consider what your acceptable weaknesses are and have that ready to go as well. in your case, it might be that you don't have any experience yet.
often they'll ask you if you have any questions... have a couple prepared... I often ask what the most important trait they are looking for is, or what their biggest difficulty is right now, or what they struggle most with. if that's something I have some experience with, then I can talk about that. it also gives me some insight as to if I will be a good fit for them. if they've managed to answer all my questions already, I say, "I did have some, however you've already answered all of them."
at the very end of the interview, thank the interviewer for their time and tell them you appreciate the chance to speak with them. you can tell them the job sounds appealing / exciting / interesting and that you're looking forward to speaking with them again.
try to find out as much as you can about the company you're interviewing for, or the industry they're in. being knowlegable about their business shows you did your homework and speaks well of your proactive behavior and eager attitude.
remember that the job is not about the company giving you what you need, but you giving the company what they need. if you go in with the attitude of "what can you do for me" you won't get the job. if you go in with the attitude of "how can I be of service" and "how can I contribute to the company" you'll have a much better chance at getting hired.
you do need to know what the price range is for the job you're interviewing so you're prepared, should you have the opportunity to discuss it. check the job sites above for "wage survey" information. the interviewer will have a range in mind, and may have a fixed rate for the position. at the end of the interview, if you think it went well, you can ask about wages and benefits, but it's the thing to do last unless they bring it up first. if you don't discuss it during the interview, when they offer you the job you'll have a chance to discuss that before you accept the position.
dress professionally, be conservative, and dress at least as well as someone in the job would be expected to. I'm an engineer, so I always wear a suit or dress slacks and a professional jacket. my hubby is in construction management, so a suit is overkill and would be odd, but he wears nice slacks and a sport coat with a tie. and highly polished black cowboy boots...
you want the interviewer to know that you know how to dress appropriately, and that you are taking the interview seriously. I've seen people show up for interviews in tshirts and I think "don't they know this is important?"
use your best go-to-church or dinner-with-important-people manners.
be early. there may be paperwork for you to fill out, and you want to show the interviewer that you know how to show up on time.
prepare a resume, even if you don't have job history to put on it. do a search on "first job resume" or "reentering the job market resume" and you'll find lots of helpful info and examples. please spellcheck it before you print! if you have any friends who have been in multiple jobs, or who do hiring, have them look it over. you're welcome to send me a copy and I'm happy to help you make it your best. print it on good quality paper. every little bit of positive impression helps.
after the interview, send or drop off a hand written thankyou note. it's old fashioned, but it shows manners that most folks don't have anymore, and it *will* make you stand out from the crowd.
really, inteviewing can be fun, it's like getting to know somebody new.
and trust me, if you go in relaxed and feeling like, Hey this is going to be FUN! you WILL stand out from the rest of the folks interviewing!
so, once you've absorbed all that....
let me know how I can help you feel relaxed, excited, and ready for a Lovely Inteview!
there's a lot to absorb here, so read it over and ask if you've got questions! I've been on probably 150 interviews over 35 years, and I usually get to pick between offers, so I know how to do this, and I'm *happy* to coach you. besides, I think interviewing is kinda fun!
interviewing scares a lot of folks,
but it doesn't have to be scary. it's a chance for you and the company to get to know each other a bit and to find out if you're a good fit.
it's a little like dating - you talk about yourself, they talk about themselves, they tell you what's expected, you help them see you've got what they need, and you get to know each other.
remember, you have the knowedge and skills you have, and with that and a great attitude, you can get hired.
you don't have to know how to do everything they want you to do, they already know they're going to train you. what you want to bring to the mix is your good attitude, your willingness to learn, your eagerness to be helpful, your personaltiy that is suited to the job, your confidence that you can learn what they teach you and become a contributing member of the team.
what you don't want to bring is massive fear or anxiety, desperate need of a job, doubt that you can succeed, wild overconfidence, or an attitude that you're entitled to a good job with high pay.
basically think about the people you like working on a project with, respect, and find to be helpful and confident... that's what you want to try to bring to the interview. you don't have to know everything, but you have to be willing to learn and deliver your best.
it may help to think of it this way... it's not just that they're interviewing you, but you're also inteviewing them. you want to find out if this is a good job for you where you can be successful and contribute, just like they want to find out if you're a good person for them to hire.
ok, so now for mechanics...
go online and search on "job interview skills", there are TONS of sites that will give you an idea of what kind of questions to expect, how to answer them, what to wear, how to behave... you can search on "interview questions for xxxx job" too, there are some pretty good lists of questions that will give you details about specifics for the job you're looking for as well. job search sites like jobs.com and monster.com have links on their home pages that give you lots of info. you might also try searching youtube for some videos on job interviewing skills... I know I always do better if I've seen some examples, it helps me be calmer and feel more prepared.
once you've got a list of likely questions, get your answers together, then sit with a friend and have them ask you those questions so you can practice answering them out loud. then ask for feedback on how you did, refine your answers, and try it again. might seem silly, but this REALLY helps. the interviewer might not ask you just those questions, but if you practice, you'll be more comfortable with whatever questions they ask.
remember that you want to present your best self in the interview, just like on a first date. that means don't stretch the truth, but don't hide your light under a bushel either. say what you can do. say what you know. if you don't have specific experience, say that, but also say what you've done that might apply, or could be similar. don't be modest, but don't inflate either.
be sure you think about what you have to offer before you go... they will ask you what your strenghts are, as well as what your weaknesses are. tell the truth, but select what you will tell. when asked for strengths, I say I'm a quick learner, a hard worker, love getting things done, am easy to work with, and have xxxxxx experience. when asked for my weakness, I say I'm not an early morning person and I don't enjoy having to be in at 8am on the dot... in my business that's not a big deal so it's a "safe" weakness to discuss. you'll want to consider what your acceptable weaknesses are and have that ready to go as well. in your case, it might be that you don't have any experience yet.
often they'll ask you if you have any questions... have a couple prepared... I often ask what the most important trait they are looking for is, or what their biggest difficulty is right now, or what they struggle most with. if that's something I have some experience with, then I can talk about that. it also gives me some insight as to if I will be a good fit for them. if they've managed to answer all my questions already, I say, "I did have some, however you've already answered all of them."
at the very end of the interview, thank the interviewer for their time and tell them you appreciate the chance to speak with them. you can tell them the job sounds appealing / exciting / interesting and that you're looking forward to speaking with them again.
try to find out as much as you can about the company you're interviewing for, or the industry they're in. being knowlegable about their business shows you did your homework and speaks well of your proactive behavior and eager attitude.
remember that the job is not about the company giving you what you need, but you giving the company what they need. if you go in with the attitude of "what can you do for me" you won't get the job. if you go in with the attitude of "how can I be of service" and "how can I contribute to the company" you'll have a much better chance at getting hired.
you do need to know what the price range is for the job you're interviewing so you're prepared, should you have the opportunity to discuss it. check the job sites above for "wage survey" information. the interviewer will have a range in mind, and may have a fixed rate for the position. at the end of the interview, if you think it went well, you can ask about wages and benefits, but it's the thing to do last unless they bring it up first. if you don't discuss it during the interview, when they offer you the job you'll have a chance to discuss that before you accept the position.
dress professionally, be conservative, and dress at least as well as someone in the job would be expected to. I'm an engineer, so I always wear a suit or dress slacks and a professional jacket. my hubby is in construction management, so a suit is overkill and would be odd, but he wears nice slacks and a sport coat with a tie. and highly polished black cowboy boots...
use your best go-to-church or dinner-with-important-people manners.
be early. there may be paperwork for you to fill out, and you want to show the interviewer that you know how to show up on time.
prepare a resume, even if you don't have job history to put on it. do a search on "first job resume" or "reentering the job market resume" and you'll find lots of helpful info and examples. please spellcheck it before you print! if you have any friends who have been in multiple jobs, or who do hiring, have them look it over. you're welcome to send me a copy and I'm happy to help you make it your best. print it on good quality paper. every little bit of positive impression helps.
after the interview, send or drop off a hand written thankyou note. it's old fashioned, but it shows manners that most folks don't have anymore, and it *will* make you stand out from the crowd.
really, inteviewing can be fun, it's like getting to know somebody new.
and trust me, if you go in relaxed and feeling like, Hey this is going to be FUN! you WILL stand out from the rest of the folks interviewing!
so, once you've absorbed all that....
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