Check whether your perception of the selection process matches the idea of the interviewers:
Before the interview you…
Go to the hairdresser to have the most fashionable hairstyle made to you. (See answers.)
Go shopping: you get yourself a new suit and shoes in order to be able to impress the employer from the very beginning. (See answers.)
Rehearse in front of the mirror what you will say and how you will stand on the chair. (See answers.)
Try to recall all things you have recently heard or read about the company. (See answers.)
Call all your acquaintances that might have some contacts in the company in order to get some additional information on the person you are supposed to meet. (See answers.)
Wondering what salary to expect from your future employer? (See answers.)
Take a shot in order to have all your courage back. (See answers.)
Make a list of all things you would like to know about the company before coming on board. (See answers.)
Take a walk to the place you are supposed to go at the next day and check how easy it is to get there. (See answers.)
Try not to think about the interview because there is no use: it is too early you cannot do anything; it only makes you feel anxious. (See answers.)
Now let’s check out your answers:
If you are the kind of person who would go to a hairdresser before an interview you should know you are risking a lot if you would not be reasonable. You are right that you should look presentable, however, presentable does not mean you should make the interviewer looking all the time at your hair rather than listening to what you say.
Your dress should correspond to the style of the company you are applying to:
If you are going to see a representative of the creative department of an advertising company it is quite improbable that your interviewer wares suit, therefore you would look funny in a tight business outfit. On the other hand if you are to be interviewed by a member of an auditing company you will be looked upon critically if you go with a t-shirt and blue jeans.
Women should not try to impress their interviewers with short skirts and tight shirts, as well as the men should not attempt at being original by putting up light socks and sport shoes.
When you put on new outfit make sure you have already worn it for at least a couple of hours otherwise you might find yourself hardly breathing because of the fact that it is too tight.
It is highly recommended to try to see yourself from aside and evaluate the adequacy of your own behavior during an interview.
Due to the fact that during the interview the applicants are concentrated mainly on what the other party says and does they often fail to observe their own performance hence they can't spot their weaknesses and strengths.
A possible remedy is the self-monitored monologue in front of the mirror: it will not be an indication of a troubled mind but an attempt to look at your mirror image and assess it in terms of expression, gestures and stand.
You should also pay attention at your approach to starting conversation: be critical to the way you greet the other party, as well as to your ice-breaking words.
Mind your motivation for to apply, as well as to your personal presentation. Try to list the reasons for which the employer must hire you, define your strengths and be prepared to quote your weaknesses (but only if you are asked) in a way that will make them advantages.
Before going to an interview make sure you are acquainted with the basic information on the company.
Gather information on the company’s origin, ownership, field of business, product/services, image, trends of development and general strategy. Today it is far easier to have access to such kind of data taking into account that the most of the companies are developing own web-pages or are referred by other sites.
If you have come upon an article about the company or an interview with some of its executives, find it, re-read it and be prepared to make some flattering comments on it during the interview. This will be valued as keen interest in the potential employer.
If you have the name of the interviewer who you are supposed to meet, try to get the impressions of people who might know him/her:
You would be more focused and assertive if you are prepared for the interviewer’s approach to interacting with people. Furthermore, it might appear that you will have a panel interview or a series of sequential interviews. In this case it is better to know this in advance but not to be caught in unease.
Talking to friends, however, does not mean trying to make them put pressure on the interviewer or tell him/her a good word for you. The professional will immediately become suspicious and irritated by the fact you are trying to influence his/her decision.
If you don’t know the name of the interviewer, well, you should have asked for it when you have been called and invited to an interview. So, don’t forget to do this the next time you have a call from a potential employer.
It is also important to know the language, which will be spoken during the interview.
At Zaplatomer.bg you can compare for free the salary you receive or expect with colleagues in the same professional field. This is done by filling in a few short fields here. Here you can look at the average net salaries by sector, as well as see the minimum and maximum salaries for specific positions.
Intuitively you know that it is totally unacceptable to drink alcohol prior to an interview. The clear mind and assertive behavior are indispensable and none of them is function of the alcohol.
Usually, at the end of the interview you are allowed to ask questions. Apart from the fact that most probably you will need some more details on the job offered, your questions will evidence for genuine interest in the respective employment opportunity. Ideally, you should jot down some questions you would like to ask to the interviewer; they can refer to the corporate experience and general practice and organization with respect to the position you apply to; you may also think of questions concerning the corporate requirements and idea about the perfect match to the position, etc.
Make sure you know where is the office you should go to and how long will it take you to get there. Otherwise, you are risking being late and this will not make a good impression to the interviewer. Generally, you should arrive 5 minutes earlier at the site. When waiting in the hall you should behave as if you are already at an interview; don’t forget you are observed; very often the impressions of the secretary and the staff passing by are crucial for the interviewers’ final decision.
It is just the time when you still have control over the outcome of the selection. The thorough preparation will save you the anxiousness during the interview as well as will increase your chance for success.
During the interview:
Usually, during the interview the interviewer will aim at getting an answer to three main questions: (1) are you capable enough to perform successfully the job, (2)are you motivated enough to do the job and finally (3) are you going to fit the team you will be supposed to work in.
Therefore, the interviewer will search for evidence on:
your experience with respect to the assignments you will be expected to carry out,
your level of independence and responsibility,
the number and level of subordinates you have had,
the reporting line and obligations,
the extent to which you have been involved in launching new ventures, initiating business actions, etc.
Ideally, you will be expected to quote specific achievements
Very often the applicants do not go into details with respect to what they have done: they take their tasks and responsibilities for granted and suppose they are common sense and the employer should be aware of them. However, it is not always the case: one and the same position may have different content in different companies, and even the personal understanding of the interviewer might be very dissimilar. So, make sure your competencies are explicit to every one.
Your motivation is critical for the employers’ decision to take you on board.
The motivation is assessed not only with respect to whether you are searching for higher salary, better career opportunities, additional benefits, friendly environment, etc. It is also related to your future development plans and how they fit to this potential employment opportunity. It concerns your drive to achieve goals, perform up to specific standards, take initiative, etc.
Most probably, you will be questioned about your specific reasons to undertake a career change at this moment. Whatever you plan to say it should sound credible and open. The skillful interviewer will ask you crossed-questions, which will aim at defining your actual ambitions therefore, you should be sincere enough.
The interviewers will be interested in how you will fit to the environment you will face.
In this respect your social skills and preferred team role will be explored.
As long as handling conflicts and resolving problems are natural phenomena you will be expected to demonstrate with examples from your previous experience how you have handled such situations.
Furthermore, the interviewers will expect you to convince them you will adapt quickly to the culture and the spirit of the organization.
Assertiveness in connection to establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships, overcoming resistance (if the position would require you to implement changes and transform people’s attitude) and coordinating staff efforts should be proved with real life examples and confident statements further to case-studies.
Most frequently asked questions:
What experience and knowledge do you have that make you suitable for the position?
Why do you think you are a good match to our requirements?
What are your specific achievements in this field?
How do you see yourself in the next few years? How do you plan to get there?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
You have 1 minute to convince me you are the kind of person we are looking for …
What would be the major factors that influence your decisions to leave a company / take a job offer?
Can you think of a situation, which demonstrates your abilities to adapt to a changing environment?
What is your preferred role when you work in a team? Can you think of an example, which demonstrates your attitude and style of work in such a situation?
Can you think of the most recent situation you felt pressure at work? How did you cope?
Some tips for success:
Don’t be afraid to demonstrate your strengths. Modesty is not an advantage at all.
Whenever you are asked for your weaknesses try to present them by turning them into advantages.
Never guess and assume what the interviewers have on their mind. Some of the most embarrassing situations, which an applicant can face, are related to improper implications from his/her side in connection to possible acquaintances, origin and believes of the interviewers. The interviewers might find your suppositions outrageously insulting or unnecessarily informal.
Never make comparison to other applicants - you don’t know who they are. Therefore, it will be a sign of poor attitude to underestimate their competencies or refer to them dismissively.
Never miss the chance to ask questions. By this you will demonstrate your interest in the job. Furthermore, you may ask questions, which are aimed at giving you more precise idea about the terms of any potential offer. Some sample questions are given below:
What makes your company different from others?
What values are sacred to the company?
What are the long-range plans of the organization?
What are the priorities of the XYZ department?
How the position I'm applying for relates to the others?
What is this company’s philosophy towards their employees?
What opportunities for advancement are available for me within the organization?
When I can expect feedback information on my participation in the current selections campaign? Shall I expect I will be contacted even in case my application is rejected?
When it comes to talking about money you should avoid raising the questions by yourself. Wait for the interviewer to ask you about your expectations.
When asked about your expectations one possible strategy is to decline the answer by saying you don’t have enough information on the nature of the job. In this case, however, you might be given the chance to ask questions allowing you to form an idea on this issue.
Answers such as "The money are not the major determinant for me, therefore I would not like to discuss this issue but rather to wait for your offer", or "I feel the salary should be discussed only after I prove in the practice my capabilities" are of dubious validity.
The better strategy is to state your salary expectations.
A person convinced in his/her skills should not be afraid of asking for adequate remuneration.
It is however indisputable that you should be reasonable in what you want. Don’t hesitate to reveal it, but before that make sure that you have all the necessary information to evaluate the job significance and workload. Your quote should be influenced by your own financial needs and current status – from one side, and the relative worth of the job for the company – from another side.
The post-interview strategy: keep popping up
Lately it is becoming very popular to send Thank-you-card (letter) to the interviewer. (See sample Thank You Letter).
By this act you will:
reinforce his/her positive image of you,
make him/her remember you,
re-confirm your genuine interest in the job and serious employment intentions,
flatter him/her about his/her role during the interview,
be original.
Searching for a feedback:
At the end of the interview or even later on (you can call the interviewer) you can ask him/her for a feedback on your performance.
It is helpful to know what has made good impression to the interviewers and what has bothered them. Furthermore, if being open enough, they will provide you preliminary information on your chances for success as well as will help you to improve your future presentation.
Please,note that asking for feedback is appropriate for:
Applicants for low level positions
Youngsters who are in the beginning of their career
Applicants who do not have much experience in attending interviews.
Sample questions:
What are my chances to be appointed to the position?
How do you view my application in the light of the requirements for this job?
Can I have your opinion on my presentation during this interview?
Can you advise me on the improvements I should aim at with respect to my further applications?
Marina Petrova 12 Marta St., Sofia 1111 Tel: 088 767676
E-mail: mpetrova@mail.net
12 Ocotber
Maria Atanassova
Client Service Director
WELL Advertising
Dear Ms. Atanassova
Thank you very much for my interview on 11 October. It has been very useful and pleasant
experience for me. I am impressed with the company and the services it
provides.
The information, which you provided me, gave me a good understanding of the style
of work in WELL Advertising and your expectations for the Account Manager. I am
very enthusiastic about the position and feel confident that my experience in
account management and my skills to mediate between clients and creatives will
be useful to WELL Advertising.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: 088 767676. I look forward to
talking to you further.
Yours sincerely,
Marina Petrova
Video advice
Watch selected video tips about how to prepare for a job interview, in Jobtiger.tv and JobTiger Blog.
Interviews in call centers have special features and this article will discuss the common questions during these interviews. This will help you have a more stable mindset and a lower level of stress during such interviews.
Widely known fact is that most of our communication is nonverbal. Mostly it comes to body language. In this very short video you will remember how important is body language during a job interview.
Dilyana Ilieva “Sales” specialist in JobTiger, advises to carefully read the titles, messages, and key words in a job posting. This will help you determine whether you have the right qualifications for the position or not.
Ivelina Atanasova a digital marketingspecialist advises job applicants how to monitor and manage their online presence and build a positive image online.
„Creative approaches in finding a new job” a lecture of Pavel Hadzhiev, “Recruitment” manager in JobTiger, where he shared specific examples and the latest innovations and approaches in the search for better opportunities.
