In the midst of technological advancement nowadays, the "back-to-basics" rule still applies when it comes to getting hired for a job. It does not matter if you are planning to apply for a million-dollar company or a small, independent firm. When you face an interviewer, it all boils down to how you present yourself. This is the deciding factor whether you will get hired or not.
So you have distributed your resume to prospective employers and you have determined the correct job to apply for. The next step is to schedule the job interview.
You can make the acquaintance of the assistant or the receptionist when you schedule for the interview, either by phone or personally. Be friendly and polite, as these people might provide information that can be essential to getting that job or, even just give you a background of the company or your prospective boss.
Finally, you show up for the interview.
The basic traits of being prompt, how you speak and carry yourself and even how you dress are all factors that contribute in making a lasting impression that will eventually get you hired.
Here are 7 easy steps on how you can improve your interviewing skills:
1.) Prepare for the interview.
First, dress appropriately. Once the interviewer walks into the room, or once you walk into the room to be interviewed, your appearance will be the first thing to make the impact. Dress appropriately, check your grooming and mind your posture.
Second, practice basic courtesy. Know where the interview will be held and be there with ample time to prepare yourself before the scheduled interview. Turn your phone off to avoid unnecessary distractions.
2.) Research.
Use all your resources to make sure that you know the basics about the company. You would not want to be caught unprepared when asked about how you heard or what you know about the company that you are applying for.
Learn about your potential employer. In your mind, develop a clear picture of the company profile.
Make sure that you prepared answers to a few basic questions, but do not sound scripted. This happens when you rehearse what you will be saying word for word. It is enough that you have an overview of what you will impart to the interviewer, and it is better to be spontaneous.
3.) Be cool.
Step forward so that you are now seated and the interview is about to begin. Make a great first impression by maintaining eye contact, giving the interviewer a firm handshake, a friendly smile and a polite greeting. Sit only when you are asked to do so and do not forget to thank the interviewer for taking time off of his or her busy schedule to interview you.
Make sure to start on a positive note and set the proper expectations.
4.) Do not sell yourself short.
In the course of the interview, answer the questions briefly and accurately. The key is to be honest.
Make sure that as a prospective employee, you impart to your future employer what you really are and what you can do for the company, not the other way around. Stay positive and do not give a bad impression about your previous employer.
If you are applying for your first job, do not let your lack of experience hinder you from gaining the advantage against more experienced applicants. What you lack in experience, make up for in confidence and eagerness to learn.
You may also put yourself in the employer's shoes. Ask yourself, if I were on the other side of this desk, what qualities should I look for in a potential employee? Would I profit if he works for me and can he contribute to the development of the company?
Do not be afraid to sell yourself but do not be overconfident. Just project an air that you are sure of yourself and your capabilities.
5.) Ask questions.
Should you encounter a difficult interviewer, do not be intimidated. One who does not let you put in a word edgewise should be lightly reminded that you should do most of the talking since he is the one who needs to learn more about you.
6.) Wrap it up.
As you near the end of the interview, make sure that all bases are covered. Now is not the time to discuss or even ask about the salary and the benefits that you will receive once employed. There is ample time for that once you do get the position and you are discussing the job offer.
Wrap things up by summarizing your strengths and pointing out your positive traits. Finally, as you end the interview, make sure to thank the interviewer again for his or her time, thus leaving a lasting impression.
7.) Follow up.
Send that all-important thank you note after the interview. Thank the interviewer for the time that he took with you and for giving you that opportunity. Make sure that you know who to contact for follow-up of the results.
A lot of research has been made about the interviewing process. Here is a brief run-through:
First, you make a schedule for the interview.
Then, you are there in the office and you are seen by the interviewee.
The interview itself then transpires.
Next is the closing, then you follow-up with a thank-you-note.
You eventually get accepted and you discuss, negotiate for and sign-up the job offer.
You may notice that the interviewing takes up a great deal of the getting-hired process, so you might as well polish up your interviewing skills on your way to getting that dream job.
Once the application has been sent and the resume received the next thing that should happen is that the employer will be calling to test communication skills by means of an interview. Allowing yourself to be given the option on which employer is best fitting the applicant is one characteristic of being pro-active. Consider being called by multiple employers for a job interview in a day a good sign. This means that they were really impressed with the documents you submitted, therefore, deserving a personal communication on how most likely an applicant would land the job.
Resumes can present an individual very well. Seventy-five per cent of employers say that applicants with resumes passing their standards would definitely be invited for a job interview. Allow two or more interviews. How? Here are some resumes tips that would give you not only one but more calls for interview:
1. The position that an applicant is interested in should be placed right at the start of the resume. Having this as an objective shows that an applicant is really focused and career oriented tells that he or she knows what is exactly the perfect career for him or her.
2. One of the best significant ways to get the employers' attention is by using words that are really powerful that denotes strong capabilities of the applicant. An example of this is, instead of writing, "assigned to be", write instead "in-charge of," indicating that the applicant has active leadership skills that can be a step to the management position if there is any.
3. A bullet catches the eye of an employer at one look. Use these in itemizing achievements, career highlights, recognition, qualifications, and skills and interests. Words in bullet form forces the employer to read the information provided. These also create more clear space on the paper making the application form or the resume very neat and outstanding.
4. Make sure that the resume is very selective. Only apply for a certain position in one company or organization one at a time. Do not submit resumes with different job interests and positions applied for at one time. This will be a complete waste of time.
5. Ask a pro. Resumes are written with the help of experts who can actually see the applicant's strengths and opportunities.
Aside from preparing an impressive resume carefully follow and read all the special instructions like how many spaces are provided for a specific answer or the number of words for the answer. Keep in mind that this is also a test to see how well an applicant can follow simple rules. Not only does it have to follow the steps, the application form should also be neat. Handwriting is also being considered and using a black pen will greatly add to the formality of the answer. As much as possible, never use a liquid paper or fold and bend the application form and paper.
When answering, be careful not to leave blanks unless it really does not apply. Use N/A only if necessary. Be truthful with all the answers but this does not mean that you have to provide a complete or thorough answer for every question. Always adapt the answers to the job being applied for. Only provide the skills and recognition received that will be beneficial to the new company or employer. However, see to it that the answers provided indicate the reason of being more qualified than the other applicants.
Choose references that can provide the applicant an objective description and information. Teachers, friends, and previous employers can be willing and honest enough to provide that information. The application form must be consistent with the resume.
"How to be Invited for Interviews"
Once the application has been sent and the resume has been received the next thing that would possibly happen is that the employer will be calling to test communication skills by means of an interview. Allowing oneself to be given the option on which employer is best fitting the applicant is one characteristic of being pro-active. Consider being called by multiple employers for a job interview in a day a good sign. This only means that they were really impressed with the documents submitted, therefore, deserving a personal communication on how most likely an applicant would land on the job.
Resumes can present an individual very well. Seventy-five per cent of employers say that applicants with resumes passing their standards would definitely be invited for a job interview. Allow two or more interviews. How? Here are some resumes tips that would give you not only one but more calls for interview:
1. The position that an applicant is interested in should be placed right at the start of the resume. Having this as an objective shows that an applicant is really focused and career oriented tells that he or she knows what is exactly the perfect career for him or her.
2. One of the best significant ways to get the employers' attention is by using words that are really powerful that denotes strong capabilities of the applicant. An example of this is, instead of writing, "assigned to be", write instead "in-charge of," indicating that the applicant has active leadership skills that can be a step to the management position if there is any.
3. A bullet catches the eye of an employer at one look. Use these in itemizing achievements, career highlights, recognition, qualifications, and skills and interests. Words in bullet form forces the employer to read the information provided. These also create more clear space on the paper making the application form or the resume very neat and astounding.
4. Make sure that the resume is very selective. Only apply for a certain position in one company or organization one at a time. Do not submit resumes with different job interests and positions applied for at one time. This will be a complete waste of time.
5. Ask a pro. Resumes are written with the help of experts who can actually see the applicant's strengths and opportunities.
Aside from preparing an impressive resume carefully follow and read all the special instructions like how many spaces are provided for a specific answer or the number of words for the answer. Keep in mind that this is also a test to see how well an applicant can follow simple rules. Not only does it have to follow the steps, the application form should also be neat. Handwriting is also being considered and using a black pen will greatly add to the formality of the answer. As much as possible, never use a liquid paper or fold and bend the application form and paper.
When answering, be careful not to leave blanks unless it really does not apply. Use N/A only if necessary. Be truthful will all the answers but this does not mean that you have to provide a complete or thorough answer for every question. Always adapt the answers to the job being applied for. Only provide the skills and recognition received that will be beneficial to the new company or employer. However, see to it that the answers provided indicate the reason of being more qualified than the other applicants.
Choose reference that can provide the applicant an objective description and information, teachers, friends, and previous employers can be willing and honest enough to provide that information. The application form must be consistent with the resume. Since many of these employers standardize and gauge the information the applicant is providing in his application form and resume, these must be full of complete and honest information. This will be their basis when considering to have a one on one interview to see if what they read is true enough. Arm oneself with positive strategies and knowledge to get those invitations for interviews come after you. Remember that this will also be a marketing tool that any applicant can use for other future job hunting experience.Since many of these employers standardize and gauge the information the applicant is providing in his application form and resume, these must be full of complete and honest information. This will be their basis when considering having a one on one interview to see if what they read is true enough. Arm yourself with positive strategies and knowledge to get those interview invitations coming to you. Remember that this will also be a marketing tool that any applicant can use for other future job hunting experience.
If you are seriously searching for a local job, but you have no idea where to look, you may be just one of the thousands of unemployed people in the country. However, finding a job is easy when you know where to search.
Where can you find employers? How can you find your desired local job?
Before anything else, you should determine your skills and abilities, update your resume and be ready to face the employment process. There are several options on where to find employment.
1) Job Center: Job centers provide numerous vacancies for different kinds of work. Majority of job centers update their employment board frequently.
Originally, these career centers cater to young jobseekers up to 21 years old. They arrange for appropriate job interviews, which they believe, would match your skills and abilities. Some job centers also process training vacancies and apprenticeships to young people. Today, these centers also cater adults’ need of employment.
2) Newspapers: Local and national newspapers, non-profit papers and job hunting newspapers provide advertisements on current job vacancies. You could find all the existing newspapers in libraries and check all the recent job postings.
Majority of newspapers today have their content available online. You could browse through them one by one and list all the jobs you prefer.
3) Journals and magazines: Every industry has their own periodicals, magazines or journals. Most employers go to these publications for employing professionals. Some could be bought in magazine stands and others come by subscription. Therefore, if you are hoping to establish your career based on your finished field of study, you could subscribe to a professional magazine and increase your local job prospects.
4) Agencies: Employment agencies handle most of vacant local work. Covering all kinds of work for various industries, these agencies are listed in local directories and Yellow pages.
5) Employer grounds: Many companies have job vacancies on their premises. Since these companies such as food retailers make use of internal notice boards, they do not advertise in newspapers and agencies. You could walk into these companies and ask the front desk for employment vacancies.
6) Internet: The most cost-effective way in finding local jobs is through the internet. Majority of employment agencies, newspapers, top companies, magazines and job centers have their own website. You could save time by searching through them one by one and apply for the job you prefer the most.
Making use of all these options could save you a lot of time searching for your desired local job. You could use all of these methods simultaneously to increase your chances of employment.
Skills refer to the things you do well. The key to finding the most appropriate jobs in the industry is recognizing your own skills and communicating the significance written and verbally to a probable employer.
Majority of the most viable skills are those that are used in a variety of work settings. What are these skills? Would matching your skills to find the right job be successful?
* Determine your skills. This would help you in becoming the lead candidate of landing the job. A skill does not necessarily mean it was adapted in a work environment. If this would be your first job hunt and you have no job experience to date, you still have a chance in the industry.
Majority of skills, including knowledge-based and transferable, could be absorbed and developed as a volunteer, a student, a homemaker, or in your other personal activities. The skills you have used for these activities can still be applied to your desired jobs.
Organizing and listing your personal skills could help you easily fill out job applications, provide useful information for job interviews, and prepare quality resumes.
First, you should categorize the skills by separating your interests and aptitudes from your work experience.
1) Aptitudes and interest. These include all of your hobbies, activities you have been involved in the past, and all the things that interest you. By listing all of these down, you could examine the skills it takes to achieve each item.
Skills from aptitude and interest may be homemaking, playing basketball, fixing cars and many more. All of these items could determine if you are capable of working with a team, able to handle multiple tasks, have viable knowledge of human development, knowledge of electronics and ability to diagnose mechanical and numerical problems. The list goes on, but make sure to consider the skills that would be beneficial for a working environment.
2) Work history. This includes volunteer, part-time, freelance, summer and full time jobs. Once you have listed all your past employment, examine the skills you do work each work duty.
* Ask for help. As soon as you have your list ready, you could now go to job services that could help you acquire your desired job. You could also search job yourself. However, always remember to match your skills and abilities in your list to the needed skills and abilities of various jobs.
In most cases, people who seek jobs are threatened with job titles. This should not be the case. As long as your skills and abilities could meet the requirements of the workload and job title, your possibility of acquiring your desired job increases.
