The first interview is always important; it’s your chance to shine, so you should bring out your best. Below are some tips on how to make your interview a pleasant experience.

Always stay focused on the subject at hand. If the interviewer is asking for your educational background, it’s better if you give the facts and get straight to the point. Interviewers get easily irritated with “around-the-bush” type of answers. It just shows that the applicant is unsure or is hiding something from him or her.

Don’t ask about the compensation yet. Doing so, we’ll make you look too much of a money-centered person. Let the interviewer discuss this in his or her own time. This information is usually provided on the second or third interview. Right now, they’re just concerned if you’re the right person for the job or not.

More interview tips on the next post.

Ever been to a job where everyone seems to fit in except you? They talk about things that neither you get nor even care about. They always go to the same places and do stuff outside of work together. Maybe you have a different set of values and attitudes from the people around you at work. This depressing situation must be avoided at all costs because it will definitely affect your productivity. So how do you avoid this? Ask it on your first interview.

Ask the interviewer regarding the company’s values and attitudes towards its employees. Once the other person answers the question, ask yourself if you have these values in you, and if you don’t, would you like to have them? After you’ve decided, express your thoughts regarding this subject to the interviewer.

The Values and Attitudes of the company and its employees is important in making your choice whether you’d like to continue your application or not.

Yes, they do. Even if it’s just the Recruitment Assistant calling you up for a scheduled interview or if you’re just following up on the resume you just sent. Phone calls to any possible employer can have a large impact on your application.

Always pick up the call with a professional attitude. This applies mostly to those who get calls from their mobile phone, although those on their land line phone should also do these as well. Always say “Hello and your name first. This will help the caller know that they’ve contacted the right person.

State the purpose of your call. If it’s a follow up, state specially what it is. Most Recruitment or Human resource personnel are already up to their necks in things to do: most would rather have you go straight to the point. Just ensure that you’re still cordial and professional.

Remember, always act professional in all your dealings (whether through phone or email) with your possible employer.

I touched on Resume preparation on the last post, but I feel that this is important so I’ll focus on it this time.

Think of your resume as your key to the door of opportunity. Most people, think of updating (or even creating!) their resume at the very last moment. I suggest that you check it even before you apply.

So how do we make our resume better? Check if all the personal information is complete and updated. Most important here is your contact number. Are you still using the same mobile phone sim? The address is next: are you still living in the same place? These need to be current so that the employer knows where to contact you.

Your Work Experience should be more than just a Job Description. Just sum up your JD in six to seven bullet points. Most of it should cover your achievements. Be specific, for example: Saved the company $200,000.00 by implementing new strategy in replacing wooden toothpicks to cheaper plastic ones, etc. Remember to always say the truth in these things, because the interviewer can do a background check.

Lastly, check for any typographical errors. It shows how meticulous and detailed you are if the interviewer sees that it’s all organized and well written.

Once this all done, feel confident and present your resume to the interviewer. Good luck!

Going for that first interview can be highly stressful, especially if this is going to be your first crack at it—however, even those who’ve been at this game for a long time can also feel the same. No one ever gets used to it. Therefore, for those greenhorns about to be interviewed here are couple of things you should do to be prepared for that life –changing experience.

Research for background information on the company. Better knowledge of what the company’s about and its products can definitely help you in forming your answers to questions. Letting the interviewer feel that you know something about their company during the interview can give you good points in the end.

Remember to prepare yourself and your resume. Dress well, be on time and relax as much as much as possible before going in for the interview. Update your resume for any changes, primary examples are contact numbers, addresses, and previous jobs. Ensure that it has no typographical errors in it.

Be open with your past working/educational history. The interviewer is well trained in asking for information regarding gaps in your resume; so you night as well tell the truth. Just ensure that you don’t sound bitter or hostile against your previous company or school.

When the recruiter interviews, he or she not only checks if the data in your resume is accurate nor if you look the part, but he or she also checks out your body language. Sorry folks, these people studied enough about how to interpret non-verbal communication to tell you how you really feel about something.

Here’s a gold nugget we found:

In fact, research also shows that body language makes up more than half of how our communication is perceived. That means that you may be describing your greatest business accomplishment, but if your posture isn’t good and you don’t make effective eye contact, you might as well tell the interviewer about the time you lost your portfolio on the way to a presentation.

Source

An information interview is a meeting between someone who wants to learn more about a particular career or profession and one who is an expert in that particular field. A good example would be a fresh Education graduate interviewing a School Principal.

The goal of the interview is for the person to know the ins and outs of the profession. The discussion will end with the person deciding if he will continue with the profession or not. Keep in mind that the information interview is not a job interview but rather a way to figure out if this job is good for you or not. Although, this MAY lead to a job post if the one interviewing you was impressed.

One of the best resources for looking work opportunities is the internet. Find online discussion groups or forums for your industry though online groups and electronic mailing lists. You can also register in the many and various job search sites online. These sites not only feature ads for job searchers, but they also often offer services where you can post your resume or CV so potential employers who are also registered in the site can view them straight from the site’s database. There are other ways out there and feel free to explore. However, one shouldn’t limit oneself to the wonders of the World Wide Web.

Here are other factors that you need to consider before you begin looking for available job opportunities on classified ads on paper or on the internet:

Qualifications – Are your existing skills and training enough to take on the job? Are you willing to take more training?

Interviewing skills – Are you confident enough to undergo job interviews?

Resources you use to find job openings – What or who will help you easily find work?

Before you set out buying classifieds or hook your computer to the internet to look for available job opportunities, there are some things that you need to be aware of so you can set your expectations appropriately and therefore make a more-or-less fool proof plan on how to actually go about it.

Job market – How many of you are vying for the job?

Location – How far are you wiling to travel to get to work? Are you willing to take on a job that involves a lot of traveling? Are you willing to relocate if necessary?