Key Factors for Successful Interviewing

1. Researching the Organization. It is very important to research and identify as much information as possible about the selected organization and the desired position. Obtain as much corporate literature including job descriptions and even an organizational chart to help in the preparation process. Information is power and the more information you have, the more powerful you can be in the interview. 2. Reviewing Anticipated Questions. To prepare yourself for any possible questions you may encounter during an interview, check out the list of 30 questions employers ask provided on this web site. This exercise will help you organize your thoughts and develop appropriate responses that will communicate enthusiasm and show the interviewer your interest in the position. Get "psyched up" for the interview and feel comfortable with your answers. Be prepared for technical interview questions. Review your resume, know what the employer is focusing on, and be prepared to discuss all of your technical skills in detail. Take the time and complete a thorough preparation for an interview. It will help calm your nerves! 3. Body Language and Presentation. In addition to having good responses to questions, you need to be aware of such things as posture and the non-verbal aspect of your presentation. Elements you should incorporate into your interview techniques:

Maintain good eye contact Always smile and be congenial Be positive about yourself, past employers and the future Make sure the interviewer knows you are excited about the position and the organization

4. Some things you should avoid in an interview:

Answers that are too short or answers that are too long More detail or information than is necessary Becoming frustrated or uneasy when asked stressful questions Making derogatory or negative statements about previous employers Frequently touching your mouth or biting your nails Folding or crossing your arms frequently Swinging your foot or leg Discussions regarding politics, religion and company problems

30 Sample Technical Interview Questions Employers May Ask You In A Job Interview... 1. Tell me what you know about our company? 2. What are 3 to 5 adjectives that would describe you professionally? 3. What are your short-term goals?

4. What are your long-term goals? 5. What are your strengths? Weakness? 6. What can you do for us that someone else cannot do? 7. Tell me about yourself? 8. What is your philosophy of management? 9. How do you stay current with technology? 10. What kind of salary are you worth? What are your salary expectations? 11. What are your five biggest accomplishments in your present or last job? In your career so far? 12. How long would it take you to make a contribution to our firm? 13. How long would you stay with us? 14. Why are you leaving your present position? 15. If you could start again, what would you do differently? 16. What is important to you in your next position? 17. If your previous Manager were in the room with us, what would he say about you? 18. How would you describe your personality? 19. Are you a problem solver? Give me an example. 20. What do your subordinates think of you? 21. Have you hired and/or fired people before? 22. Why do you want to work for us? 23. What other types of jobs are you considering? What companies? 24. How do you deal with negativity? 25. Do you work better in a team environment or by yourself? 26. What motivates you? 27. What are your best technical or computer related skills? 28. Tell me why your skills fit our job requirements? 29. Why should I hire you? 30. What can I expect from you in your first 30 days? 90days? First year? Practice answering these sample employers interview questions and know how you would respond when you are in an interview for an Information Technology job.

Remain calm
How do I answer questions I havent prepared for?
Interview questions can sometime catch you off-guard. Whilst you cant know every question that you will be asked at interview, you can still prepare for the likelihood of unexpected questions by being thoroughly honest with yourself even before you go to the interview.

Firstly, make sure your CV doesnt contain any inconsistencies. Check your CV with honesty. Ask yourself what a person that doesnt know you would wonder if he was going through your resume. Make sure you know what your motivations are. Why did you want to leave your last job; are you seeking a career move or do you want more money? Not knowing exactly what you want will put you in a problematic situation if the recruiter asks you questions about your futur. The more honest you are with yourself, the less likely it is that you will encounter a really tough question. If you have no interview experience, conduct a mock interview with a friend. Its a good exercise. If you can practice answering simple questions, you have the confidence to answer the more difficult ones.

Staying calm is a prerequisite

The key to dealing with though questions is to remain calm. Take a deep breath and put yourself together. Ask the recruiter to repeat the questions or to explain you better what he means. That will give you a little bit more time to think of your answer.

A few tips:
Dont be late Take deep breaths and dont panic Get into the habit of collecting your thoughts before speaking, you will feel more confident about your answers and less likely to say something wrong. Even if your interview is going great, the interviewer can still catch up your guard with a out of ordinary question. Dont feel threatened. It isnt personal. The question may have been put to you to see how you think on react under stress. Be yourself and give the answer you believe is the most appropriate.

Questions you may want to ask a recruiter

The interview is a two-way process. Most interviewers will give you an opportunity to ask questions after theyve finished grilling you, so be prepared to make the most of it. Try to concentrate on issues that are important to you and combine an interest in the company with an interest in the job. Regarding role specific questions, look through the job description to see if there are any areas that you would like more information about.

Here are some good examples of the questions you could ask about the role:
Why has the position become available? What are the main objectives and responsibilities of the position? How does the company expect these objectives to be met? What are the measures used to judge how successful I am in the role What obstacles are commonly encountered in reaching these objectives? What is the desired time frame for reaching the objectives? What can I expect from you in terms of development and support? What aspirations do you have for me at the company Where will the job fit into the team structure? Good interview preparation should have given you an insight into what its like to work for a company, but its good to get answers straight from the horses mouth in case youve misinterpreted anything.

These questions are a good place to start:

Whats the best thing about working at your company? What is the main thing the organisation expects from its employees? How do you build good relationships within teams? What is the turnover of staff like throughout the company? Are there any plans for expansion? How would you describe the company culture and management style? To show your interest and knowledge of the industry the company operates in, its also a good idea to have a question ready regarding a current event or issue in the market. For example, How do you think the recent merger between your two main competitors will affect the future of the industry?

Body language
Be conscious of how you look and what youre doing, the body language is the first thing the interviewer will be analyzing.

Stay calm
Speak deliberately more slowly than you would normally. Concentrate on pronouncing your words and incite on some of them, youll be sure to be speaking at a normal speed. Think of good speakers youve experienced throughout your education. Youll remember the ones who were more engaging. They were certainly the ones that knew how to make interesting the

information they were giving to you. Concentrate on what you want and what your strengths are. You should be able to show your motivation and energy using a good speech.

Be professional
Dont go to the interview with wet hands. If you tend to perspire under stress, run your hands under cold water before going in and if stress makes your skin cold, do the opposite. Dont slouch in your chair. The interviewers will think you dont care and dont look professional. Sit up straight. If youre worried about your posture, sit naturally in front of a mirror at home and see how you look to find the best posture. Look the questioner in the eye. Dont stare at the floor or glance around he room. Be confident. If you are in front of several people, be sure to look at all of them. Be aware of the general impression youre giving out. Dont forget to smile. That will show you are enjoying the conversation youre having with the recruiters.

Job Interview advice

How do I prepare for a job interview?

You are certain to be asked specific questions about the company youll have the job interview with, so make sure you know the basic facts and figures such as the last years profits and latest product launches.Try to find information about the corporate culture and values. The employer will expect you to be able to talk about his company and explain him why you are interested in working for him. Here are some pieces of advice on how to get ready for your interview.

An online search
Log you on to the companys website. This is the best place to start. You will find plenty of information about the products or services they offer. Keep in mind it shows the company as the

directors want it to be seen. Use what they say and the way they see their business in your interview to explain why you fit the company. If they have a press page, take advantage of it to check the news. Try to filter the information to keep the ones that are related to the job offer. For instance, if you apply for a marketing position, emphasize on the marketing strategy and communication actions the company is taking. In the case you know the names of the people who will be interviewing you, use the sites search facility to discover more about them.

Industry knowledge
You not only need to have information about the company, you should also have a good background knowledge of the industry. Browse through business publications and websites to see what they are writing about the industry news and get some general information.

Preparing yourself
This is an important point. We advice you to spend some time preparing the interview and the questions the employer may ask you. This is like going into an exam, you feel more confident if you studied hard enough before. Dont get caught out by basic questions you havent prepared. Preparing yourself is a good way to be more confident. Here are a few tips: Have a mock interview with a friend based on the common interview questions youre likely to face. Be sure you know the time, date and location of the interview and the name of interviewers. Prepare what youre going to wear the night before. If you are asked to bring certificates, references, etc, get them ready well in advance to avoid having to chase around on the morning of the big day.

Be sure of what you want

Sit down with your CV and analyse what you have achieved. What have you done? How do you see yourself in 5 years? What are your ambitions? Do this out loud, even if it makes you feel weird. Try to relate specific areas of your CV back to the job description. It will make it clear to the interviewer why they should hire you.

Top 30 Job Interview Questions

Although there is no set format that every job interview will follow, there are some questions that you can almost guarantee will crop up. Heres a list of the most common questions and a guide to the kind of answers your interviewer wants to hear. The responses below are only suggestions. Personalise your responses as much as possible and avoid giving generic answers. Keep it brief and to the point. Remember to stay calm if youre facing a difficult question and take a moment to think about it before answering.

Question: Tell us about yourself

Answer: This is usually the opening question and, as first impressions are key, one of the most important. Keep your answer to under five minutes, beginning with an overview of your highest qualification then running through the jobs youve held so far in your career. You can follow the same structure of your CV.

Q: What would you say are your strong points?

A:Pick the three biggest attributes that you think are the most important for this job and explain how these strengths are useful in work situations. They could be tangible skills, such as proficiency in a particular computer language, or intangible skills such as good manmanagement. If youre not sure where to start, take a look at the job description. There is usually a section listing candidate requirements, which should give you an idea of what they are looking for. w

Q: What would you say are your weak points?

A: The dreaded question, which is best handled by picking something that you have made positive steps to redress. For example, if your IT ability is not at the level it could be, state it as a weakness but tell the interviewer about training courses or time spent outside work hours you have used to improve your skills.

Q: Why do you want this job?

A: Think carefully about it. Your answer is very important for the interviewer. Quote the aspects of the job that you like and explain why it matches with your career path and your expectations. Do not mention the negative aspects of your current job or the job you are being interviewed for.

Q: What do you know about this company?

A: This is your chance to impress the interviewer with your knowledge of their company. Give them a run down of their products/services, news, customers, etc. This shows that you are interested in the company and have done some research.

Q: Why do you want to work for this company?

A:The interviewer is waiting for an answer that indicates youve given this some thought. If youve prepared for the interview properly, you should have a good inside knowledge of the companys values, mission statement, development plans and products. Use these information to explain why you like this job and why it matches your career ambitions. You can conclude telling the interviewer what you would bring to the company.

Q: You have not done this sort of job before. How will you succeed?
A:Show your qualities that will enable you to be successful in this position. That can be your capacity for adaptation or your strong interest for the field for instance.

Q: Why should we hire you?

A: What makes you special? You should be able to find out what they are looking for from the job description. Stress the similarities between your profile and your experience and their requirements. Explain what you would bring to the company and why picking you and not someone is will be strategic for us.

Q: What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing?
A: Explain why you are interested in the job and ask questions about what you possibly dislike. Stay positive about it.

Q: Why did you choose a career in ?

A: Be positive about your reasons. If you have changed careers make a logical argument as to why you did so.

Q: How much does your last job resemble the one you are applying for? What are the differences?
A:The interviewer is trying to see how well you would fit in to the position. Point up the similarities rather than the differences.

Q: What do you think of the last company you worked for?

A: You should stress ONLY the positive aspects of your last company. Tell them about the training you received or the work related experience you gained.

Q: Do you prefer to work in a small, medium or large company?

A: Remember why you applied for this role! You can explain what you like about small, medium or large companies, and put a focus on the type of company you are applying to for this role.

Q: Why are you looking for a new job?

A:Explain your reasons for moving. Do not say negative things about your current employer.

Q: What would your ideal job be?

A:Again, remember where you are! Describe the job with the help of the job description. Quote things such as challenging projects, interesting career opportunities, good team atmosphere, learning and mastering new skills etc.

Q: Did you feel you progressed satisfactorily in your last job?

A: If you progressed faster than normal you should say so. If growth was not as good as expected then be careful how you phrase this.

Q: How do you handle criticism?

A:Mention the positive aspects of criticism and think of an experience you had where it was useful to get criticism. Your answer should be along the following lines: I always think that it is important to get feedback on how I am performing so that I can improve my work.

Q: Can you act on your own initiative?

A:Think of an example where you have had to do something on your own initiative in your current job.

Q: What motivates you?

A: List your motivations such as: career growth, opportunity to learn new skills, good coworkers etc.

Q: Can you work under pressure?

A: Think of when you have had to work under pressure and how you reacted to it.

Q: How many hours are you prepared to work?

A: You should be prepared to work the necessary hours to get the job done on time.

Q: What are your career goals?

A: Link in all your goals and the ones that are relevant to the company who is interviewing you.

Q: What interests do you have outside work?

A:Your hobbies and interests can tell an employer a lot about you, including whether you are sociable or solitary, and whether you can take on leadership roles. Think about which interests can be a plus for the position you want.

Q: Are you prepared to relocate?

A: If you are, say so. If its maybe, then you have to explain that it could depend on location, salary, etc

Q: What did you earn in your last job? What level of salary are you looking for now?
A: You should know what the average salary is for the position you are being interviewed. You can find surveys on internet that will enables you to have an idea of the salary braket. Once you have that information, decide of a salary you think is fair for the experience and skills you have.

Q: What will your referees say about you?

A:Include one thing that shows your ability to do the job, one thing that shows your commitment to the work and one thing that shows you are a good person to have in a team.

Q: Do you like working in a team environment or do you prefer working alone?

A:Think about your experience in a team environment and about a time where you had to be autonomous. Describe both.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 2 years time?

A:Its best to talk about both short-term and long-term goals. Talk about the kind of job youd eventually like to do and the various steps you will need to get there, relating this in some way back to the position youre interviewing for.

Q: Why would you want a position like this?

A: List your goals and interests

Q: If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?

A:Interviewers use this type of psychological question to see if you can think quickly. If you answer a bunny, you will make a soft, passive impression. If you answer a lion, you will be seen as aggressive. What type of personality will it take to be successful in this job?