Saturday, June 11, 2011

Interviews: Insider Tips & Tricks

The recruiting process: nobody loves it.  But while interviewing for a job is neither easy nor relaxing, there are a few things you can do to feel more comfortable throughout the process and improve your chances of success. We've reached out to several recruiters at top professional firms to share their tips:

1. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Interviewing is awkward. Difficult moments are bound to happen, and there's no way around it. The more you prepare yourself for not being perfect, the better you will handle tough situations.

2. Stick to a one page resume. Your resume serves as your first introduction to the person you are meeting.  Going over one page makes you look like you can't prioritize what is most important about yourself; in addition, it may indicate to an interviewer that you can't be concise.

3. Lean forward to physically signal engagement in the conversation. Your body position will informally signal your interest in the position. When you sit down in your conversation or more formal interview, make sure to lean forward to show active listening.

4. Use concrete examples when you discuss yourself. Don't be general and elusive. Make sure that when you are speaking about yourself and your accomplishments you avoid being general or elusive. Examples are the best bridge between your world and the interviewers.

5. Make clear, confident, and concise statements by ending sentences definitively, eliminating fillers, and using appropriately formal statements. When it comes to what you say, communication is half the battle. End sentences definitively (without upward inflection at end of sentence), get rid of fillers (e.g., um, you know, like), and use appropriate language (obviously no expletives, no informal language).

6. Build relationships with the people interviewing you. Ask them questions about their professional path and why they are passionate about the place they work.

7. Be open to coaching and feedback. Most, if not all, people interviewing you will want to see you succeed and do well in the interview.  Actively taking feedback and improving your performance and being open to coaching will show that you will be able to fit into an organization and learn quickly.

8. Don't have a weak handshake. Leave your interview with a bang, not with a bow out. A weak handshake will not cut it – you want a firm handshake, with eye contact.

Above all, remember: this is your time to shine.  Take a deep breath, and let the interviewer know why you would be an asset to their organization.  Confidence is the key to success!

Thanks to Pretty Young Professional
http://www.prettyyoungprofessional.com/work/interview-tips.html

 

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