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Interview Success: Be Prepared!

 Interviews  1 Response »
Oct 152008
 
An interview

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Going for an interview can be a stressful proposition – especially if you go in unprepared. By taking a few steps to get yourself ready before attending the interview you can reduce nervousness, improve confidence and project a more professional image.

Here are just some of the things you can try before an interview to help settle your nerves and improve your chances of success:

  • Know your CV and Application Form inside out: you did keep a photocopy of that application before sending it in, didn’t you? Your interviewer is likely to use your application and CV as a roadmap for the interview. You need to be ready to answer questions and elaborate on everything contained in those documents.

  • Put yourself in the interviewers shoes: imagine yourself in the interviewer’s position. You’re looking for the best candidate for the job – what questions would you be asking? Make a list of all the questions you can think of and try to come up with viable answers for each of them. Write your answers down and read them back to yourself several times to commit them to memory.

  • Focus on awkward or uncomfortable questions: Think about the questions you would you least like to answer. These will often relate to your weakest areas, so it’s worth spending some time honing and polishing your answers to them.

  • Practice delivering your answers out loud: even better, do it in front of a mirror or a video camera so you can read your own body language and adapt it accordingly. You may feel a bit silly at first, but this can do wonders to improve your delivery. Aim for confident, but not cocky – you want to project an air of enthusiastic but measured competence.

  • Arrange a mock interview: if possible arrange a practice interview. Ideally this should be with an experienced interviewer. If you’re a recent graduate ask your college careers advisor about this service. If you applied for the job through an agency they may be able to help, or ask somebody that you know. Remember that you need objective feedback on your performance – so it may be better to steer clear of family and close friends.

  • It’s a two way street: although the interviewer(s) will be directing the interview, remember it’s a two way process. It always pays to have a few well thought out questions about the job or the company to ask at relevant points in the interview. These questions should reflect the research you’ve already done and as a rule of thumb you shouldn’t ask about salary or benefits. Make sure you steer clear of questions whose answers are readily available on the company website or literature (remember you’ve already done your research…).

The more prepared you are, the less nervous you will be and the more confident your interview performance will appear. Just remember that some nerves on the day are normal – even beneficial. A bit of tension will help to keep you alert and will work with your preparation to strike that elusive balance between poise and enthusiasm that is the interview ideal.

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 Posted by Calvin at 10:48 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

Starting over: going back to work….

 Adult Education, Back to work  No Responses »
Oct 152008
 
“Adult Education” cover

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Taking an extended period of time off work isn’t that unusual. People do it all the time, for all sorts of reasons. Some of the most common situations are parents staying at home to raise a family, caring for relatives at home, recovering from illness or injury, studying, spending time overseas or taking early retirement.

Whatever your reasons for taking time out from work, over time your circumstances will change and you may find yourself wanting to re-enter the workforce. The thought of returning to work after a period of absence can be simultaneously daunting and exciting.

Sure, work will throw up a slew of new challenges, give you the opportunity to test yourself, to channel your talent and ability in new directions – but it will also bring additional responsibility, and after so long out of work you may find your confidence flagging. Will you be able to cope with the transition….

It’s important to remember that while some of your work-related skills may have dulled over time, you can always re-hone them. You are still the same person, and have all the same strengths that you had before – only now you have a suite of new skills and experiences that you’ve picked up along the way. A lot of those skills will transfer seamlessly to the workplace, so essentially you have more skills and experience behind you now than you ever had before.

If you feel your skills are outdated consider retraining. Many community colleges run adult education courses that can help you pick up the skills you need to broaden your employment horizons. State organisations like FAS (www.fas.ie) can also help, and offer courses specifically tailored to help people get back to work. Talk to your local FAS office for advice on identifying and acquiring the skills you need.

As well as examining your skills you’ll also need to consider what sort of employment you’re looking for. Do you want to work part time or full time? How will your work fit in with your family arrangements? Do you need flexible working hours? Do you want to work in the same field as before, or are you looking for a change? It’s important that you have a clear idea of the kind of job you want before you start looking.

Once you decided on the type of job, do some background research on the industry. Even if you’re re-entering familiar territory, you may be surprised by how much has changed. Read a few trade magazines, look up industry websites and familiarise yourself with current trends.

When it comes to searching for a job, while tried and tested methods like scanning vacancies in the local press can yield results, it’s often easier to go through recruitment agencies. Recruitment consultants are employment specialists, and generally have a good understanding of the current employment market in their field. Many will also be able to offer valuable advice on things like polishing your CV and improving your interview technique. And don’t forget the internet recruitment sites. There are literally thousands of jobs just a mouse-click away – and you can often apply instantly online.

Going back to work is never an easy step – but it can be an incredibly rewarding and worthwhile one. Good luck!

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 Posted by Calvin at 10:33 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Simple steps to a winning CV

 CV, resume  No Responses »
Oct 152008
 

Whether you’re looking for your first job, a new job, a promotion or a career change, an effective CV is one of the most crucial weapons in your career-development arsenal.

The purpose of your CV is to convince a prospective employer to invite you for an interview. That’s not as easy as it sounds. The average employer’s is swamped with CVs, and will typically spends less than 30 seconds looking at each one. If it’s going to stay out of the rejection pile your CV has to make an immediate impression.

So how do you go about transforming that list of work experience, academic qualification and extracurricular activities into an attention-grabbing, interview generating tool?

  • Put yourself in the employer’s shoes: it is important to remember that you’re not creating a CV for your own benefit or to impress your peers. You’re creating it to convince a prospective employer that you should be on their interview short-list. Before writing your CV put yourself in the employer’s position and consider what you’d be looking for in a candidate. Then make sure you address those requirements in your CV.

  • Provide the most important information first: it’s surprisingly easy to bury important deep in the body of your CV. As you assemble the information in each section, prioritise it and list the most significant and relevant information first (remember to do this from the employers perspective).

  • Don’t try to cram everything in: your CV needs to be a concise summary of your skills, experience and achievements as they apply to the specific position you’re applying for. Keep your CV short and to the point (ideally no more than 2 A4 pages), while making sure you include all of the necessary information.

  • Presentation: your CV is the first glimpse that a prospective employer will get of you. Everything about it should reflect the qualities they are looking for in a candidate. Use high quality white paper, and ensure that your final document is formatted in a way that makes it easy to read. Use no more than two different fonts throughout (one for headings and one for body text).

  • Make it scannable: use clear headings and bullet points where relevant to make information more accessible. With only seconds to impress guiding your reader to the most relevant information quickly will pay dividends.

  • Be confident and don’t sell yourself short: not many people like singing their own praises, but your CV is no place for modesty. Use positive language to highlight your skills, strengths and accomplishments to maximum effect.

  • Tell the truth: while it’s vital to make the most of your achievements on your CV, it’s equally important that you can back up the statements you make. When you get called for interview you’ll be asked to elaborate on the information in your CV – and any falsehoods will come back to haunt you.

Finally, always remember that time spent honing and revising your CV is never time wasted. Think of it as an investment in your future. After all, an effective CV can open the door to a whole new world of opportunity.

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 Posted by Calvin at 10:26 pm  Tagged with: , , , , ,

Interview Success: Do your Homework

 Interviews  1 Response »
Oct 152008
 

They say that knowledge is power. That never applies more than when you’re approaching a job interview, yet it’s surprising how many candidates turn up for interview with only a cursory understanding of the organisation they want to work for.

Don’t fall into that trap. Immerse yourself in as much information as you can on your prospective employer, and use that knowledge to highlight your potential. Find out when the company was established, what its core values are and the sort of people who work there. What products or services does it provide? What markets does it operate in? What challenges does it face?

Here are a few pointers to kick-start your research:

  • Check out the company website: this is the obvious starting point. Most organisations have a website that provides information about the company and the products or services it offers. It may also yield details about the management team and archives of company news and press releases.

  • Search the web: by entering the company name into leading search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN you’ll find other online references to the company. Look particularly for reputable news or business sites that mention the organisation.

  • Study the marketing literature: the company’s marketing material will not only give you insight into the products and services the company offers, but also into their target markets and how they reach them.

  • Talk to people: ask other people about the company. What sort of a reputation does it have? If you can, talk to someone who already works there. If you’re applying through an agency ask if they can put you in touch with a candidate they’ve already placed.

  • Study the industry: look at recent editions of trade magazines and industry websites. Get a feel for the bigger picture, and your prospective employer’s position in it.

  • Know the position you’re applying for: try and find out as much as you can about the job you’ve applied for. What will your responsibilities be? How will your performance be measured? Who will you be reporting to? How does your position and/or department fit into the overall organisational hierarchy?

  • Know your interviewers: this is a trickier proposition, but if you can it’s worth finding out who will be interviewing you, and getting a bit of background information about them. Do you share a common interest, or come from the same place? Is there anything you can use to help build a rapport during the interview?

Remember you can never know too much – and the more you find out the more comfortable you’ll feel. Even if you don’t use all of the information you discover, the fact that you’ve done your homework will boost your confidence and is sure to impress your interviewers.

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 Posted by Calvin at 10:10 pm  Tagged with: , , ,
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