Second Job Interview Preparation

It's becoming increasingly common to have a second job interview these days and sometimes even a third or fourth!

Since it can be very costly to train new hires, companies want to prevent wasting money on employees who are less than suitable for the position. They prefer taking more time in the selection process than hiring the wrong person!

Many companies will put prospective employees through as many as three interviews routinely, reducing the number of applicants in each round, down to as few as two or three jobseekers for the final round of interviews.

For government positions, this may be far more complex, consisting of as many as 7 interviews!
The first round will be a very typical sort of interview. Applicants who do not meet the criteria of the employer will not being asked back for the second job interview.

The second round of interviews and all interviews which follow will examine the qualifications of applicants in more depth, with the following areas being assessed.
o Intellectual capacity - the intelligence of the applicant will be evaluated, generally by using aptitude tests which are relevant to the position.
o Personality or psychological summary - This is meant to assess the professionalism and suitability of the applicant for the position.
o Motivation - the determination of the candidate needs to be evaluated.
o Management ability - this is to determine the capabilities of the candidate to cope with the workload of other employees and their ability to delegate.
These are the criteria which will you will usually be evaluated on in multiple interviews. Fortunately, you can prepare for most of these ahead of time.

Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Tips And Strategies For Passing Any Job Interview

In this careers article we are going to take a look at some important elements of preparing for a job interview.
Personal appearance
This carries far more weight than people think. First impressions are so important. It says a lot about who you are. Remember that you only get one opportunity to create a first impression. Unless it is specifically not required you should always dress in proper business attire such as a suit and tie or equivalent if you are female.
Your shoes must be clean too, and if you need a haircut, then get it done a few days before. I always advise people to prepare the night before the interview and lay everything out pressed and ready for the morning. Even down to your underwear, which sounds ridiculous, but it is all about limiting the stress that you will already be under on the day of your interview. The last thing you want to be doing is rushing around for your clothes or shoes on the big day only to find you threw away those smart shoes months ago!
Travelling to the interview
- How are you going to get to the interview?
- Do you know where you are going to park?
- Are the trains or buses running on time?
- Do you need a congestion charge ticket if in London?

These are all obvious questions but important nonetheless.
Again it is all down to preparation. Remember to take a contact number with you just in case you are going to be late for the interview. Then you can call them well in advance to tell them you will be late due to a breakdown or traffic congestion. If you are travelling by car, don't wear your jacket. Hang it up on a coat hanger so that it is not creased when you arrive for the interview.

Punctuality
This can be related to the above subject but is still just as important. Make sure you leave with plenty of time to spare before your interview. It's far better to arrive an hour early than 5 minutes late! I usually arrive 30 minutes before my interview and sit in the car and re-read the job description for the role or information about the company that I am applying to join.

The interview format
Just by virtue of the fact you have been offered an interview indicates that the employer believes you have the potential to work for them in that particular role. They will have already carried out a screening process based around the qualities and attributes relating to the post that you have applied for. The interview is designed so that the employer can see you in person and look at your demeanour, presence, personality and appearance along with the opportunity to ask you questions based around your application form and the role that you are applying for.

You may be competing against up to 30 applicants, so it is important that you stand out in a positive way and not for the wrong reasons. The basics of interview etiquette are key to your success, and you need to prepare for these as much as you do the interview questions themselves.
Most interviews will follow the following format:

Introduction and icebreaker
The interviewer should give you a brief overview of the interview and possibly the role that you are applying for. De pendant on the interviewer, you will be given the opportunity to tell the panel about yourself. Your response should be prepared beforehand and you can use this as an opportunity to sell yourself. You should cover brief topics relating to your experience, qualifications, outside interests and ambitions. If you tell the panel that in your spare time you are working towards a qualification that can relate to the role you are applying for then this can only be a good thing. Try to keep your introduction as brief as possible and don't go over two minutes in length.

The interview itself
This is the area in which you are asked a series of questions relating to your application form and the post that you have applied for. This is where you should do most of the talking and if you have prepared well enough you will be able to answer most questions, although it is not unusual to find yourself struggling to answer one or two. In this situation it is always best not to waffle. If you really don't know the answer to a particular question then just say so.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/

Interview Preparation - How to Create Your Unique Brand

Almost every article - or career coach - will tell you that in order to do well in an interview - and to ultimately get the job offer, you must "Be Prepared." But what if you don't know how to prepare?
- "What does prepared look like?"
- "How do I know what they are going to ask?"
- "How can I make them I hire me?"
- "What if I'm not REALLY qualified or able to do this job?"
These are common concerns and questions - but where do you find the answers?
Tough Job Market
You are more than aware that you are in a tough job market and that you will have to do something to make yourself stand out from the rest of the crowd. You realize that you are competing against the odds.
The question is, "How can you make yourself stand out when there are so many other candidates looking at the same job?"
The answer is: "BRAND YOURSELF."
Branding
This is what companies do when they want to sell something - they use whatever methods necessary to tell the customers who they are, what they do and how they do it - they "brand" the product.
"How do I brand myself? I'm not a product?"
This is one of the main secrets of successful preparation. Begin to think of yourself as a product. What this means is that you have to discover What Makes You Unique - and to begin thinking of yourself like a product.
Effective branding used in the interview is the same as in business. It is telling the customer (in this case the interviewer) who you are; what you can do and have done in he past (your unique qualities); and why they should buy (hire you).
Call For An Interview
Let's assume that you have an outstanding resume and that you make it to the top of the stack of resumes of people to be called for an interview.
First of all, Congratulations on getting this far.
The problem is that You - and maybe nine or ten other equally qualified people for the position will receive that same call.
Because companies have so many candidates to choose from they are interviewing more people so that they can select the "best." Are you the best? You had better be prepared to prove that you are the best by letting the interviewer know what makes you unique and what you can do for them, what you will bring to the position.
When you are lucky enough to be invited to an interview it is essential that you be ready to sell yourself - to let the interviewer know what makes you unique - what makes you a "remember-able" person? What added value you can bring to the position?
In other words, why YOU are the best person for the job?
Your goal is to leave behind an impression of you and your "brand."
Preparation
By doing some basic preparation, you can determine your uniqueness and where you should focus your attention. You can discover your "brand."
The first step in this process is to identify the points you have to offer - the combination that makes you Unique.
This should be a combination of your education, experience and any special training or certifications you may have, as well as your area of expertise, your strengths, and your personal traits.
You can put your statement together by listing all of these qualities and then summarizing them into a concise statement to present to the employer when any of the standard questions come up.
- "Tell me about yourself."
- "What makes you unique?"
- "What can you bring to this position that the other candidates can or can't?
- "What are you strengths?"
- "Tell me something about you that will make me remember you after you leave the interview."

You can develop the answers to these questions by using "5 points" to use during the interview. If you use your five fingers to keep focused you can jog your memory if you forget what you were going to say due to being nervous.

Point #1 - Your education and years of experience. (More experienced persons will talk mainly about experience and not education.)

Point #2 - Your area of expertise - or what you know a lot about. (For less experienced people you will have to rely on classes or courses you've taken).

Point #3 - Your strength - this is usually a trait that you can use in any job. In other words, a general trait. (Communication, Relating to Others, Analytical Problem Solving, Determination, Adaptability).

Point #4 - Your work ethic or work style (This is what coworkers would say to describe you).

Point #5 - Something interesting about you (A hobby, something that you volunteer to do, a sport or arts interest. If you can think of something that relates to the job you are applying for that would be a plus).
By summarizing what you have to offer in a methodical way, you will be less apt to wander or forget what you intended to say.

Regardless of the method you use - you should be prepared. It will make a difference in the way that you present yourself and in your being able to talk openly - without being modest about what you have to offer. You will be able to tell the interviewer why they should hire YOU - and what makes you unique.
In fact, preparation will help you in ALL your interactions - social, business, and your day-to-day life. The more you know yourself and are will to talk openly about yourself the more comfortable you will be in talking about yourself - to anybody.

Article Source: ezinearticles.com

Samples of Thank You Letters of Appreciation - No Need to Struggle With Your Thank Yous

Samples of thank you letters of appreciation can help when you're wanting to write an appreciation letter or a thank you note, and you find it hard to express on paper what you're feeling inside.
Perhaps your friend, family member, employee, teacher or colleague has achieved a great accomplishment and you would like to let them know how much they are appreciated for a job well done.
Other reasons for writing thank you letters of appreciation are:
Interview Follow-up
Volunteers
Personal Favors
Recommendations
Sympathy
Helpful deeds or advice
Maybe you've received a financial gift or a substantial contribution of some kind and you would like to show your gratitude, but you need to see samples of thank you letters of appreciation in order to help you express outwardly the thoughts within your mind and heart.
The following are good samples of thank you letters of appreciation:
"Dear Mrs. Mason:
We would like to express our appreciation for your incredible service as a member of the Local YMCA. The contributions you have made to our local branch over the past year have been invaluable to us.
We wish you much success in all your endeavors.
Sincerely,
Mary Jones, Administrator"
Another example of a thank you letter of appreciation would be:
"Dear Uncle Jonathan:
Just a note to let you know how much we are grateful for your lovely card. Your thoughtfulness towards us at this time of sadness in our life has been so comforting.
You will hear from us again once we've gotten through all of this.
With all our love,
John and Samantha"
Basic guidelines for writing appreciation letters are to be always concise, sincere and warm. In other words state what you are appreciative for and briefly state the reason why. Write your appreciation letter within a few days of receiving whatever deed of kindness occurred. Remember, personal notes should be handwritten and business letters should be typed on letterhead stationary.
If you search online, you're sure to find great samples of thank you letters of appreciation for your own personal or business needs - just make sure the interpretation is your own, and that you convey what is real and sincere.

Article Source:EzineArticles.com

Interview Preparation Tips - Impress Employers and Win the Job

Congratulations on getting the interview! Only the strongest candidates make it to the interview stage, and that means you have a terrific chance of moving forward with the employer.
Preparing for the interview will improve your chance of success. In fact, studies show that candidates who prepare for interviews have a 41% higher likelihood of getting an offer. Many candidates, however, will walk into their interviews without preparing. Can you guess the most common excuse? They say they just do not have the time. By reading this, you are already a step ahead of that competition.
Here are five quick tips to get you started:

Arrive on time. Make a test run to see how long it will take you to get to the office. Build in a 10-minute cushion to cover any unforeseen delays. Your perfect resume writing skills cannot save you from the consequences of a late arrival.

Research the company. An interviewer will likely ask you what you know about their company, or at the very least ask questions that give you the opportunity to display your knowledge about their business. Be able to articulate why you have a genuine interest in the company and the position.

Dress up. Appearance is another important part of the process. You do not need to have movie star looks, but you and your clothes should be neat and clean. It is better to be more professionally dressed than the interviewer is, so if in doubt lean more towards business rather than casual attire.

Practice answers to common questions. Think about what questions to expect, and practice the answers. Review your resume again so that you are prepared to give detailed descriptions of achievements mentioned on your resume.

Bring your resume. Your resume writing skills opened the door to this interview, and you can continue to use your resume to get the offer. Often interviewers use an email copy of your resume, and stare at the computer screen while asking questions. Offer the interviewer a hard copy so that you can better build rapport.
Before you get to the interview, you have to make it possible with convincing resume writing. To do this, enlist the help of a professional resume writing service.

Article Source: ezinearticles.com

How to Prepare for an Effective Telephone Interview

Hiring managers have high expectations from you once you get to the interview stage. Unfortunately, all too often, Job Seekers fail to do the research necessary to be fully prepared for an effective interview performance.

The following recruiting tips will assist you in better preparing for that coveted interview.
KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPANY
The most important recruiting tip I can ever give you as it relates to preparing for your interview is:
You should never participate in any type of interview with an HR Rep or Hiring Manager without having researched the company.

Hiring managers want to make sure you have specifically chosen to apply and interview for this position. They do not want to believe you are applying to hundreds of jobs and will take the first offer you are given! Keep in mind that the Hiring Manager is ultimately responsible for your success if you are hired, so if you have not spent any time learning anything about the company and how working for that company will enable you to grow in your career goals, you can pretty much expect to be rejected from the position immediately.
You may be asking where you can go to conduct such research.

•Start at the company's website. Review the various pages of the website to understand the product or service they offer, their company mission, the company's history, their management team, and anything else you can get your hands on.

•Explore LinkedIn to review both the company profile as well as the profiles of some of the employees who work there. This will give you a great idea as to the company culture, education and background preference of their employees, as well as locations of their workforce.

•Do a straight Google search for the company name. I find a ton of information on companies by just searching "Company ABC News" in the Google Search Bar. You can do a similar search to better understand the company's financial situation. Just simply search "Company ABC Finances" or similar term in the Google Search Bar to see if there are any issues you should be concerned about.
•Additionally, always take a look at industry specific websites such as ClinicalTrial.gov for the Clinical Research arena or the Information Technology Industry Counci for IT, etc.

Knowledge of the Interviewer
When someone calls or emails you to set up a phone interview, always ask the name of the individual to whom you will be speaking and their role in the company. If you have a good rapport with the individual who is coordinating the interview, ask him or her about your interviewer's personality and hot buttons so you know what to expect.

Knowing the name and role of the interviewer will enable you to research that person. Is he/she on LinkedIn, Facebook, or other Social Media sites? Are you able to see the individual's education or work history? Are you able to find the individual on the Internet anywhere (local news articles, volunteer programs, etc.)? Knowledge is power and the more you know about your interviewer the more likely you will be able to build a relationship with him or her.

Also, a critical recruiting tip is that you must have interview questions prepared for your interviewer so knowing the individual's role as well as some of their education, work history, and personal background will give you a better idea on what types of questions to ask.

I hope you have found these recruiting tips on how to prepare for an effective phone interview very informative. Stay tuned for the next lesson in our email course where I will take you through how to conduct a powerful interview!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Interview Focus - HR Round

Most people tend to take Human Resources interview questions pretty lightly. Believe me, this is the round that can convince people to hire you. Here are some tips on how to deal with the HR round of interview questions.


The Questions

The questions during this round usually tend to revolve around your work experience. You will be assessed on the number of years of experience you have, the quality of experience and if you have the necessary attitude to fit the new job and the company.

The HR round usually takes place in two steps, the first one being a screening round and the second one being the final round before you are made the offer.


The First HR Round

The first round of HR questions usually pertaining to the number of years of experience that you have and the quality of this. Remember to go through the job description in detail and try to fit your resume to show that you will make a good candidate for the job. The job description is really important since the selection criteria are derived from it.

Do not under any circumstances make up a fib about your experience. Remember that most companies will check on references and check with your previous companies and colleges. If you have taken a break at any point in time, ensure that you give good reasons as to why you took it. 
The Final HR Round

This round will check to see that you are a good company fit. You'll be asked behavioural questions and generally checked for attitude. No matter what you think the company culture is, maintain a sense of professionalism.

The big pay question also comes into this round. Always represent the truth as to what you are earning now and what makes sense for you to move.


InterviewBay provides mock interviews for aspiring MBAs, Consultants, Bankers, General Managers and help them realize their dream of joining top B-Schools, Strategy Consulting, Finance and General Management companies by providing them with all the resources they need to be prepared.
L.E.K. Consulting is an international firm. With 20 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific
It stands out as the only major global strategy consulting firm to have grown from a UK base


Article source: articlebase.com