Feb 27, 2006


Interview questions.
Questions may be asked during an interview:

Why did you decide to seek a job interview with this organization?

Tell me about a problem you had in your last jobs and how you resolved it?

What led you to choose your field or major, your career?

Tell me about yourself.

What are your career goals, and how are you preparing to achieve them?

What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

If you would have interview with a former job employer, would he rehire you?

How do you determine or evaluate success?

Outline the contributions you believe you would make to our company.

If you would be asking questions on this interview, what qualities would you look for?

What has been your experience in presenting the results of your research or other job?

How do you work under pressure?

What salary do you expect?


Those comes less during interview:

What languages do you speak?

What programs on PC do you know?

Have you got driving license?

Have you got a car?

Are you married or have a girlfriend? Do you expect to have a baby?

What a book are you reading now?

What newspapers, magazines do you read?

Why should I hire you after this interview?


Questions which you can be asked

Interview question: Why have you chosen be interviewed for this job (company, area of science)?

Answer: Here you’re expected to give ponderable arguments like opportunities of professional development, useful experience.

Interview question: Have you received other job proposals?

Answer: If yes, tell about it, it may raise your value in the eyes of your potential employer, but don’t forget to mention that this position is more interesting for you.

Interview question: Have you attend any other interviews?

Answer: Say yes or no, but you don’t have to specify where and when it happened.

Interview question: Will you be able to stay long hours and go on business trips?

Answer: Be honest, if you have children or you’re studying, you will hardly be able to meet such requirements, so you’d better clarify it from the beginning.

Interview question: What are your strong points?

Answer: Emphasize those qualities which can be important for this particular job, communication skills are irrelevant if you’re applying for the position of PC operator, but they do matter if you want to be a sales manager. Prove having such qualities by giving examples from your previous job experience or studies.

Interview question: What are your weak points?

Answer: Use the question to make an accent on your strong points, say something like “Oh, people say I’m a workaholic…”

Interview question: Why do you want to get this particular job? Why should we choose you?

Answer: This is the moment when you are expected to use all the information you gathered about the company and industry, the applicants are often rejected because they don’t show any interest in company’s activities.

Interview question: Why did you leave your previous job (or decided to leave it)?

Answer: It doesn’t worth mentioning a conflict with superiors, or criticizing them. You’d better give such reasons that you don’t see any more opportunities for yourself, or the company you worked for was closed and you were made redundant, or you don’t have a possibility to obtain new knowledge, or use your expertise in full…

Interview question: What do you want to become in, say, 5 years?

Answer: Here you should give rather give an evasive answer, for instance – I would like to stay in this company, but holding a higher position.

Interview question: What salary and benefits you’d like to get?

Answer: I would advise to avoid a direct answer, saying that it’s not the question to be discussed in the first place, then try to find out how much the firm can propose. If the interviewer insists, give an amount average for your field or a little bit above it.

Interview question: What will be your first steps if you are given this job?

Answer: Applicants to managerial positions are often asked such question, try to show that you are familiar with the situation and ready for initiative. But don’t exaggerate saying you’re going to completely demolish working process and redevelop it from the very beginning. This can be interpreted as lack of respect to those who managed the company before you.

Interview question: What are your major accomplishments?

Answer: Give examples of your accomplishments during last 5 years, proving them with figures if possible. You may say something like “I managed to increase sales by 25%” or “I developed 5 new machines’.

Interview question: What a boss should be like?

Answer: The real intention of the interviewer is to find out whether to you’re inclined to come up against superiors, so suitable answer could be “a competent strong leader, who can teach me and would give me a chance to work on my own”


Questions you might consider to ask during job interview.

What characteristics do you look for in interviewed applicants?

What training and supervision is provided?

Company oriented interview questions :

Can you tell me about the history of this job and why it is opened for an interview?

What are your company’s greatest challenges?

What are the strengths of the organization or department I'm interviewed for?

What is the management philosophy of this company what are the career opportunities in this organization for position we have interview for?

What kind of on-going training is available after interview? Can you clarify your professional development philosophy?

What are the long range planes for this organization?

What are prospers for promotion in the future?

In what areas of the organization do you expect growth?

How and when will be evaluatuation of interview results? What criteria will be used?

What are your expectations for the first six months of this job?

What is the job ethic of this organization?

What percentage of time will be devoted to individual responsibilities versus team-oriented functions?

Does job have any daily, weekly, monthly or annual deadlines? Are deadlines negotiable?

Does the organization have a process for sharing creative ideas?

How will the selection process proceed after interviews?

When might I hear from you regarding interview decision?

Preparation for the job interviews requires learning about the organization and its products and/or services. Try to find out on interview what the position pays. Further, assess your skills, abilities, experiences, and accomplishments, so you can “sell” yourself effectively during the interview.

Salary questions you should not bring up on interview. Also interview questions such as vacation and what are benefits can't be raised until the interviewer has done so or has let you know that he/she is interested in you.


Write down the interview questions and find what you aren’t prepared for and information about the job itself, salary and benefits helpful for you to choose between jobs.

Within a day or two after the interview, your question about the result may be answered by sending the interviewer a brief thank you note. Use a standard business letter format and express thanks and desire to hear from the organization soon.

Feb 26, 2006

General interview advise.

The situation on the trade market has seriously changed today. Each
employer wants to apply not only the employee but also a good
professional, which is able to help the company develops and compete with other
companies with the help of its skills and experience. Is the employee good
and suitable for the position? This question is very difficult that's
why every company has a special staff called the manager of personnel.
He tries to ask such questions which would help him to understand
whether the person is right or not. First of all the main tip for the
employee is to sleep well before the interview. Your mood should not be
changeable. Try to remain confident and cheerful. Do not arrange parties the
evening before the interview. If you caught a cold try to postpone the
meeting in a good time not 5 minutes before it.

Preciseness is a courtesy of Kings.
It is not true for the important interview. The time of the interview
is usually known before hand. Being late is really bad but any way you
should not come 20-30 minutes before the meeting. You should come 5-7
minutes before the set time. Your coming long before the arranged meeting
makes the manager of personnel either shorten the time of the interview
with the previous candidate or put off the tasks he has planned to do
before interviewing you. Such situation makes him nervous and may spoil
his mood before your interview. And we all know that the first
impression is very important and it is difficult to change it during the
interview.
People meet you and look at your clothes.
The first impression is always made by your appearance. And your
clothes play a very important role. The impression you make on your future
boss will help you to improve your career. You clothes depend on the
position you apply for. It is not suitable to come to the interview in the
uniform if you want to get the position of a clerk but it is not
suitable to put on jeans and sweater if you apply for the position of a
top-manager. You should put on comfortable clothes because you may spend
much time being interviewed by several representatives of the company. Not
only your clothes but also you emotional state is important. You should
try not to look miserable and look like a slave. Your appearance should
specify your goodwill and readiness for partnership. But it is
important not to overdo with it because the employer may feel or notice that
you are too self-centered and self-sufficient. All you boasting will
vanish when you come to the point of you professional successes and skills.
Some of the employees, especially girls try to behave in a flirty way.
It is not admitted. Make up and deodorants are suitable but it should
not be unlimited.
Briefness of the speech.
The interest of the interviewer depends on you ability to express your
thoughts briefly and correctly. Remember that his role is a role of a
leader. Do not try to catch the initiative. Your complete biography with
each fact is interesting for the employer but this interest is limited.
He does not need the information about your childhood or your pets. He
wants to find out whether you previous experience is suitable for this
very position. As a rule the interviewer has already received your CV
and made certain questions which are interesting for him. Do not be shy
to answer and do try to natural. Nowadays there are plenty of books
which you can read and find out all possible information about the way of
behavior, pose, and gestures during the interview but do not try to
copy these books because any experienced interviewer will feel your
unnatural behavior.
You were invited for the interview. It means that your previous
experience was interested for the employer. And now your task is to develop
this interest. You should be ready that the dialog will not only be about
your last job position. You may be asked to describe your family,
hobby, and reasons for choosing the career, reasons of firing and at last
about the weather. You should not answer only Yes or No" because if the
interviewer asks you he wants to get a complete answer to his question.
Describing your previous successes try to exaggerate it, speak about
the things you yourself succeed in. mind that if you get the position you
should be ready to show the things you were talking about during the
interview. Sometimes your words on the interview may not follow your
deeds. In that case the result may be pitiable and miserable for the
company and for you personally.
Tests.
Before the interview you may be asked to do several types of tests.
They may be different (psychological, professional and many others). You
should not panic because it is just a first step towards the new job
position. Tests are common because they help the employer to control your
emotional state and you professional skills. And it is not so bad that
tests are arranged before the interview because if you cope with the
test it gives you an additional extra chance to get a job. The results of
the test are not extremely important. The manager of personnel looks
through your results and sums up all the information. Tests are not
obligatory for anyone but I would not recommend you to reject it. The main
thing is the attitude of the employer towards the results. He should not
think they are more important that the interview itself. The interview
is the best opportunity to talk to person and set a good emotional and
professional contact.
It is very important to listen to your partner. To make an impression
is the first task. The second task is to show your interest of working
in that company with these people. I know some people who were asked
where they usually spend their free time or what do they prefer to drink.
During the interview those people were informed about the rules of the
company or as you wish, the rules of the game. This game needs some
expenses but these expenses are not as big as you future salary. At the
end of the interview it is very important to remember about it! What for?
I will tell you about it a little bit later. At the moment I would like
to tell you some ordinary questions for the interview. Firstly your
previous position is important and your duties and all the successes. The
reasons of leaving the last working place are interesting for the
employer. You should remember that you maybe asked about you relationships
with your colleagues. Be ready to answer the question: Why have you
chosen that company (career, sphere)?" think of your professional
ambitions before the interview. Do not exaggerate because it is important for
you to get the job and it is not less important for the company to find
a suitable candidate.
As a conclusion+.
Maybe after the first interview you will be asked to talk to another
person for example a top-manager (it depends on the position you apply
for). Even if your professional lever is higher then the professional
level of the top-manager does not show this. Do you remember an old
proverb: When in Rome do as Romans do"? At the end of the interview you may
ask some questions which are interesting for you. You may ask about the
structure, culture and motivations of the company. Do not try to talk
about you salary and do not give your advice about it. Before asking any
question, analyze the information you were given during the interview.
I have already mentioned the situation when the employee is asked about
his personal tastes. This man was nearly given the position but at the
end of the interview he asked about an average salary. The interviewer
was a little bit embarrassed because he had already mentioned the sum
of money but the candidate was not very attentive. He answered but the
candidate did not get a job. The company has lost its interest in that
man. If you find out that the position is not suitable for you during
the interview you should not interrupt the employer. But do not waste
your time. Use all your professionalism and eloquence.

Meeting with other managers may follow the interview with a manager of
personnel or the may be postponed. Sometimes it is better to come in
the other time because if you have made a good impression on the first
interviewer he will share his impressions with the pot-manager. The right
to give you the position or not may be given to the boss or manager of
personnel. If you talk to several people try to make a good impression
on all the interviewers. You should assure all your partners that your
are the best person for this position.
At the end of the interview thank the employer for his time and
attention and make all the arrangements. If you were not giving a job do not
be in despair. Treat the meeting as an exam and essential experience for
your life. You should not blame yourself or the interviewer. But it is
important to analyze your errors and mistakes so that not to repeat
them again. Your reaction should be wise and sensible. Try and do it!




What interview questions you should answer in your resume


A very common mistake is designing your resume as a many-pages table questions, consisting of some grades made by the candidate himself.

The main short-coming of such solution is that the sample of the questionnaire is usually taken from the site of some concrete organization which has its own peculiarities and requirements for the candidate.

When you send a question table instead of the resume, it is impossible to evaluate your professional and human status. Only the free form and the list of your previous jobs allow to appreciate your individuality and practical skills, and to differentiate them from your formalized self-esteem.

If the employer has his/her own requirements which questions should be covered in the resume, follow them strictly. If the site has only a table, apply the usual resume to it. This will considerably improve your chances to be hired for the job.


Answers for folowing questions will help you create right resume.

Question: Should one zip the resume?

First of all question the size of resume, the best file, probably, is 100-150K. You should not include into the resume large pictures or big design elements. You should not zip the file making the manager wasting precious time to unzip it.

Question: How to choose the font?

It is good when it is easy to read your resume. Lots of design elements, different fonts are bad for perception. Question each font: is it easy to read? Is it big enough? Does this font installed on HR computer?

Question: What to write in the covering letter?

You should write something like “Dear …” I am looking for the job of …” My resume is attached to the e-mail. Sincerely yours, …

DOes our email answers all questions HR manager may have? You should write for what kind of job you are applying. It might be not clear from your resume. Do not write extra words like “I came across your site and saw that you need new employees and decided to send you my resume”.

Question about spelling - is it that important?

No question, many job positions do not require 100% literacy. Experience proves that many grammar and spelling mistakes are loosely connected with the candidate’s skills – practical skills, work capacity, organizing skills, ability to reach the aims and get certain results.

But, mistakes often show the level of the candidate as a specialist and answer a lot of questions about owner of resume – his intellectual potential, theoretical preparation, logical abilities, writing skills in general.

Question: what is the good resume structure?

Never write a coherent text. Don’t turn your resume into a literary work. It is very inconvenient to work with it.

Every part should be formalized – every new information piece should be started with a new line (education, experience). One should not draw any lines. Name each mass of information and type the headlines in capital letters so that it would be easy to find all neccesary answers for questions manager may have.

Job interview questions hints

If you’re calm and self-assured, you have all chances to succeed, but one more important point is to be prepared for job interview questions and take into consideration the following things:

1. First impression the strongest. That little piece of time, may be only shoot you got...
2. Be on time. Answer following question: wold you rather wait in car for 10 min or be late?
3. Let interviewer decide where the interview goes. Answer the questions you are asked, be precise and confident. If you answer qestions with nothing but “yes”, “no” or “I’m not sure”, you can not expect the interview to be successful. All information you tell should be short, but still contain answers on all necessary questions.
4. Be honest. Information could be easily verified during the interview by asking some practical questions. Also, interviewer may contact your former boss with some questions.
5. Provide your interviewer a constructive analysis of your previous activities, don’t be afraid to describe your weak points, surely you shouldn’t emphasize them, but don’t avoid the question at all.
6. When the interviewer is satisfied, it’s your turn to ask questions. You are advised to ask questions about the company you’re applying to, question about your future place in it, questions about career opportunities and so on. The problem of salary and benefits should be mentioned as well, but don’t emphasize it too much.
7. After the interview is over, the employer is most likely to say that you’ll be contacted to inform you on the decision made. You can expect that you will get a call in both cases whether the answer is positive or negative, but you can specify the point and ask question about result timing.

Interview question: changing of jobs?

Even during the very first conversation over the phone your interviewer may want to ask you few questions why you’re looking for a job. The simple answer that you are currently unemployed may lead to next question why you left your previous job. If it was a candidate’s personal decision, then what were his or her reasons, if it was a decision of the employer, then what was it caused by?

First of all we’ll mention some typical mistakes that are made when one is asked that tricky intervew qustions:

1. The applicant refuses to explain what his/her reasons to leave were, saying something like “It was due to some circumstances, it’s so complicated, it’s not a subject for a phone conversation, etc”.
2. Job seeker refers only to external factors, which don’t depend on him, for example, crisis on the labor market, “Many are fired currently…”
3. The applicant refers only to money questions, saying he was badly paid, etc.

Now let’s see what answers are advisable for this questions:

1. “I’ve been with the company for 2 years, I managed to do this and that, but now I don’t see any opportunities of further professional development, so I took a decision to find another job, where I could apply my knowledge and expertise to making company flourish.”
2. “The management of the company I was employed by opted to stop its activities in the field I was busy with, my performance was valued and you can get recommendation if you like.”

If you want to be successful with your career you should avoid frequent changes of jobs. If one changes jobs once in 2-3 years, especially in case it’s caused by getting a higher position or moving to a prestigious firm, it’s ok, but if you have a new job every few months it’s rather questionable.

When resumes are estimated the questions about jobs is one of the most important criteria. So, when choosing a job, always try to assess what are your chances to stay with the company for at least 1 year.

To make a conclusion, almost everybody faces the problem of changing jobs sooner or later, so you’d better be ready for a questions about job history and to prepare a suitable answer why you made such a decision.

Interview questions, is that it? What esle be ready for.

When you attend an interview your main goal is to impress your potential employer with appropriate answers and questions and preliminary preparation.

Preparing for a job interview comprises the following questions:

1. Collect information about the company which invited you;
2. Question your schedule and decide what to wear;
3. Choose appropriate communication style and questions for the interview;
4. Compile a list of questions which you can be asked;
5. Compile a list of questions which you should ask;
6. Decide what to do after the interview.


Collecting information about the company

Here is a list of questions about the company you are advised to find answers to:

* Which products or services does the company provide?
* Where does it sell its products, what is its target audience?
* How long does it exists?
* Is the company state or private?
* Does it provide season products?
* Is the position you‘re applying to temporary or stable?
* How often are top-managers changed?
* Is it developing any new projects currently?


You can find necessary answers on those questions at prospects and leaflets of the company, articles, broadcasts and telecasts, information in the office of the company, its official site, employees of the company.


Some important points to be considered when getting new job

Work out appropriate time-schedule, decide what means of transport you will use, consider the possibility of traffic jams. It’s better arrive to work a few minutes earlier than be late, besides, you can use this spare time to get accustomed to new job environment.

Question yourself, what clothes you going to wear and prepare them overnight. When choosing what to put on for the interview, you should depend on what is the place and the position you’re looking for, the closer your profession is to creative job, the less strict the rules are.


Style of communication and questions during job interview

If no one meets you at the entrance, knock on the door before entering, then introduce yourself, spell your name if necessary, be polite and smile. When your interviewer introduces himself/herself, try to remember the name, don’t be afraid to ask to repeat it if you are not sure that you heard it right, question the name if it wasn't given to you it’s better than to call the person with a wrong name.

Remember that politics, sex, racial problems and religion as well as your personal problems (family, debts) are not the best questions for discussion during job interview. Avoid also criticizing your former boss and colleagues.

When talking with interviewer don’t interrupt him or her with questions, it’s he/she who is expected to lead the discussion, so it is not the best decision to show your overwhelming knowledge, acting this way you risk to seem bore and arrogant.

There are answers which are repeated by every second applicant, for instance, if you apply to a sales manager position, you are sure to be asked questions about your feelings dealing with customers, in this case don’t apply to commonplaces like “I adore working with people”, you’d better describe how exactly you handle customers.

Be ready to answer personal questions about your marital status, children, hobbies, plans for the future, etc. If you are not willing to tell about something don’t be afraid to make a polite question how it is related to the position you are applying to.

The interviewer may ask you questions about salary and benefits you are expecting to get, in this case you are strongly recommended to give a real amount that corresponds to average on the market segment of your profession. In fact you can make such an assessment in advance, collecting some statistics on salaries in your field, so not to seem too modest or v.v. too insolent.

In case you are asked to fill in any forms, it’s advisable to take them home if possible, so to have an opportunity to make a draft version. Keep in mind that everything counts – good spelling, handwriting style, erasures and corrections. And don’t forget to give them back as soon as possible.

After the interview the employer is most likely to say that you’ll be contacted to inform you on the decision made, ask him/her a question when you can expect to get the decision. In case you were good enough and they invite you to take the position, you may ask for a couple of days to think over it.

And certainly you shouldn’t forget to thank the interviewer for the meeting.


Questions which you should ask

The following questions are appropriate:

* About the company’s history and activities;
* About a place of the position you’re applying to in the structure of the company;
* Which responsibilities it involves;
* What the ideal applicant should be like;
* Why a person who held the job before left;
* About working hours, company’s style,
* Rewards: salary and benefits.


What to do after the interview

Write down all necessary information and questions, which you get during the interview.

A couple of days later it’s advisable to send a short letter to the company, where you had the interview to thank them for the time spent with you, it’s also answers your question how to remind interviewer that you awaiting result of the interview.

Interview question about your attitude or character

What is very easy for one person may become a serious obstacle for another, it depends on his/her psychological peculiarities. One can not change psychology, because its mostly innate feature, but having determined special personal qualities he or she can manage difficult situations, such as job interview questions, better.


Extraverts are recommended to:

* Avoid too bright many-coloured clothes;
* Speak more quietly than one is accustomed to;
* Control gesticulation;
* Avoid long emotional talks about personal life, answer only the question asked.

Introverts are advised to:

* Look into the eyes of the interviewer;
* Avoid trifling with any items in hands;
* Smile;
* Keep up the conversation, avoid pauses;
* Train oneself before the interview how to answer typical questions of interviewers;

Feb 6, 2006

Job Interview questions and tips.

Before the interview, you might be asked to pass some tests and questions(psychological, professional, general abilities). Do not worry and try to except it as a kind of trial for getting the job. This trial is for checking your conformity for “the requires” of your feature job. So maybe that is not so bad that you have to go through that checking before you start working and if you passed it well in this way there is a big chance that you will not be fired after trial time. Do not give up and you will succeed in interview questions for your new job!