Interview Tips

1. Dress for the interview, not the job.

First impressions are lasting.

2. Take with a notebook and a pen or a pencil to write with.

Also take with you any certifications or letters of recommendation and a few fresh copies of your resume.

3. Be 10-15 minutes early.

Better to be early than late.

4. Give a nice firm handshake when first meeting a hiring authority.

5. Establish rapport and make chemistry.

Statistics say that 60-70% of a hire can be based on chemistry.

6. Make sure that you have good eye-contact with whoever you're interviewing with.

Listen to them, then speak when appropriate.

7. Before you go into everything that you've done in your career...

...Ask what the hiring authority is looking for, then tailor your background skillsets around to what they're looking for.

8. Ask open-ended questions.

These are the Who's, What's, When's and Where's of the position. For example, "What's expected of me in this position?" or "Who will I be working with?" These types of questions will give you information about the opportunity - not just "yes or no" answers.

9. Before you leave the interview, ask this question:

"Based upon my qualifications, do you have any concerns about my ability to do this job?"

If they do, address the concern and get an agreement that it really shouldn't be a concern. Focus in on 2 or 3 of your strengths to minimize any weakness that they may see in you.

10. If you haven't done so, give whoever you're interviewing with a fresh copy of your resume, and

Thank them for the interview and let them know that you're interested in the position.

11. Ask them," Where do we go from here?"

Behavioral Interview Questions:

What was the last project you headed up, and what was its outcome?
Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.
Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?
Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?
What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?
What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?
If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do?
What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?
Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?
Tell me about a time where you had to deal with conflict on the job.
If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you well done, what would you do?
If you found out your company was doing something against the law, like fraud, what would you do?
What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?
What's the most difficult decision you've made in the last two years and how did you come to that decision?
Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.

Make a Better Resume

For reasons completely unknown to me, people like to reference the things they are responsible for rather than the results they obtained!

Again, this document is an important marketing and sales tool. The examples of what you have done with the corresponding outcome are paramount to ensure that your résumé is considered! If you don’t reference how you drove productivity, revenue, profitability, or added value – some type of value, you will not be successful! Make sure you provide the reader with the juicy details of how you added value for your employer.

Here are a few examples to help you get started:

Drafted a full business plan, including the financial forecast to open a new profit center for the company, resulting in a 40% revenue increase in year one.
Conceptualized and implemented a team training concept, which reduced production downtime by 35% and increased employee productivity by 50%.

You Still Have An Objective Statement

Aside from being completely outdated, objectives tell the reader what you want, not what you offer. A résumé is a marketing and sales tool about YOU.

You need to offer up information about what you bring to the company – not what you want them to do for you.

Instead, start your résumé off with a compelling summary. This is 6-7 sentences about what you offer. Since you don’t have a lot of time to make an impact, reference things that are unique – things where you made a sustainable impact. You can even show metrics in your summary to quickly demonstrate the value that you offer. Your summary is your overview about your key attributes peppered with an example or two to make a swift impact.

Sample Copy of a Letter of Resignation

Company Address

Dear Mr./Mrs. Manager

Please accept this letter as my two weeks notice of resignation. My last day of work will be (last day of work).

While I have been very satisfied at XYZ Company, I have decided to make this move to advance my career. I have enjoyed working with you and appreciate the opportunities that I have been given here.

I will do my best to hand off my current projects prior to (last day of work).

Please let me know if you need my help in any other way.

Sincerely,

(sign here)