Loud make up

Females are frequently tempted to put on heavy mask of makeup, coats of loud make up base, dark eye makeup and lip color. Trust me, world is not a dance floor all the time. You should not wear any loud or dark or too much of make up to the interview, instead of enhancing your personality it may make you appear bad. Keep it bare minimum, soft and subtle. Don’t wear dark colors, unconventional shining make up, or the color which doesn’t suit you.

Unkempt hair

Women are generally seen more careful about their hair, but men are not. They often reach the interview with messy hair. While your recruiter is talking to you and looking straight into your eyes, your hair is not missed either. Keep your hair tidy, nicely combed or brushed and preferably tied if long. Men should keep it short. Women should tie it up neatly or keep open while making sure hair doesn’t fall on face or cover it partially.

Glossy jewelries

Not only women, but men are also often seen flaunting heavy shiny metallic bracelets, ear rings, finger rings, neck pieces. They are absolute distracters. Women can wear light and simplistic ear rings or neck pieces to the interview. But keep it bare minimum. Avoid shiny jewelries, they are highly distracting. Don’t let your jewelries draw attention of recruiter more than yourself.

Informal clothes

Interview demands formal attire, neat shirt, trouser, and neck tie or business suit. Girls may opt for formal trouser or skirt, with neat shirt. Don’t forget to combine your dress with neat pair of socks and shoes.

You need to appear sober in your interview, and instead of attracting attention to your looks, you will like your interviewer to see your talent, as this is what will get you a job.

Don’t talk just for the sake of talking

It’s often noticed that people talk during the group discussion session, just for the sake of grabbing attention. It makes one look stupid and also shows lack of depth of knowledge. Talk only when you know enough about the topic in hand and you are confident. If you are not sure of yourself, wait for others to start, find clues from their conversations and then raise your voice. Don’t talk pointlessly, trying hard to prove a point.

Don’t shout to make a point

Just to get heard among many heads often participants end up shouting on top of their voice to prove a point. Wait for the right opportunity, raise your hand and state your point. If someone interrupts in middle, ask the person to wait and let you finish first. Shouting just to get noticed and beat others will create sheer confusion and chaos.

Stick to the point

Often we deviate from the main issue and stretch the topic too far. Don’t go far away from the main topic in hand. If the topic is controversial and raises lot of discussion, talk either in favor or against the topic in hand. Don’t keep switching between the two. Make sure you stick to your point and don’t go stretch it too far. Maintain the time limit.

Good start, great end

We often think it’s important to grab attention in the beginning only and thus put maximum energy in starting the group discussion rather than concluding nicely towards the end. Never commit this mistake. First impression is definitely the last impression, but an end moment fuss or ambiguity can tarnish the whole thing. So make sure, you are not only noticed in the beginning, but also equally heard and noticed towards the end. When time comes towards end, nicely wrap your message in an impressive conclusion. It will help you to leave a long lasting impression.

Why?

Because an interviewer has only so much time and attention for one candidate, and even that time and attention shrinks down to bare minimum, for the candidates are too many. As a result, what an interviewer gets is a nearly suitable candidate for the job, and an average interviewee, who is street-smart, gets the job.

A street smart person knows the art of survival. He knows that not the best but the swiftest wins the everyday battle. He also knows what to say in which situation because he can intuitively tell what others want to hear. The tips I am going to share are the ones a street smart job searches usage to convey the interviewer how qualified he or she is.

The goal of this article is to do the same, to help you become and street smart and succeed in an interview, even if you are not the sharpest.

Experience

Your interviewer is interested in knowing about your experience in doing the job you have applied for, so instead to beating around the bush come directly to the experience part during your interview. And tell them some details of the work using jargons.

Expertise

You need to show you expertise in your domain while talking about the experience. Talk of the details tells your interviewer that you know nuisances of the job, which only the experts of the field can hope to know. And use of jargon suggests the depth of your understanding of your field. Use acronyms for “3 or more words” jargons.

Exceeding Expectation

Cracking an interview is an art of understanding the requirement and over delivering on it. There is no way that an interviewer can know about you, in any detail, in the limited time he has for you. You should, therefore, serve them what they want the most. Blow them away by showing them what they need, and more.

Follow these three advices, and you will end up getting every job you will ever apply for.

This is where this blog post figures in. The 3Cs (creative, commitment, and confidence) that we are going to discuss in this article will help you convey the message an interviewer wants to hear from an interviewee.

3 Cs of job interview

Be creative

You should be creative in your approach. Do not just give a rotten answer to each of the question asked. It sounds boring, it looks mechanical, and no one wants a non-creative, mechanical person because they already have more powerful machines to do the job.

Do not deliver a premeditated answer. Take a chance, offer something innovative. This will impress your interviewer.

Commitment

The second C of job interview is commitment. Convey your interviewer your desire to stay with his company as long as things does not fall apart. Tell him that you are not the “job hopper” kind and believe in staying with a company and delivering result. Your interviewer needs to know whether you will go out of your way to solve a customer’s problem or not. Tell them you will do it. This will put the interviewer at ease, and he will lower his guard, which will provide you entry into his organization.

Confidence

You do not have anything, if you do not have confidence to move ahead, despite all the odds. No product is perfect. Your interviewer, who is also your prospective employer, knows this, and you should also know this. And if you have the guts to sell the product, despite its several short coming then are in the team.

Show your employer your level of confidence and belief in what you do. Do not shy away from this.

This brings us to the end of 3Cs of a job interview. In the next article will see what the 3 Es of a job interview are, and how each one of them will help you crack a job interview.

Attire should be apt for the job profile and the kind of industry you are going to join. In industries where your profile deals directly with customers or clients, your attire will be judged even more critically.

If you aren’t confident about interview attire, follow the given tips while going for your next interview.

Men’s attire

• A well-fit suit in dark, mono color never goes wrong
• A long sleeve button-up shirt, preferably white or coordinated with the suit
• Wear a conservative tie. Avoid too bright color or patterned ones
• Belt
• Dark shoes paired with dark socks
• Professional looking short hairstyle and conventional hair colors (brown, black, blonde)
• Little or no accessories
• Neatly trimmed nails
• Portfolio or briefcase
• Light aftershave or perfume

Women’s attire

• A well-fit suit (dark blue, black, grey, white) or a dark colored pant or skirt, just above or below knee, along with matching blazer or coat
• A well coordinated blouse, which has a proper fit, neither too body hugging nor loose
• Conventional, closed-toe shoes, matching your skirt or pant. Either go for flat shoe or heels not more than 2 inches high
• Wear limited jewelries. Danglers, flashy gold, silver are to be avoided
• Keep a neat, professional hairstyle. Go for the regular hair colors
• Subtle make up and light fragrant perfume are fine
• Neatly trimmed, medium sized nails with formal nail colors look professional
• Portfolio or bag

Tips for both men and women

• Clothes should be laundry clean, crease-free
• Clothes should fit well, neither too loose nor too tight
• Shoes should be polished
• Fresh breath is must
• Clothes should have no missing buttons, no lint; no stains, no external tags
• Laptops, folders, small briefcase look professional

Now you know what it means to dressing up to the occasion. Get ready, and blow the interviewer away with your professionalism.

Question 1: How performance is measured

You need to ask your interviewer about the criteria on which you will be judged when taken for the job. It will give you a target to match in order to get promoted or rewarded. A good company will have a set practice for employee evaluation, and HR people will not shy away from telling you that.

Question 2: Why previous employee left the job

This is a tricky question, but you need to know why the place became vacant. There could be a genuine reason for the previous employee to leave, and office politics or unfair boos could also be a reason, which you can only find by asking about it. The answer to this question will give you good idea about the existence and complicacy if office politics.

Question 3: Remuneration

You need to know about your salary, perks, performance bonus, etc. After all, it is the money that you are working for. You also need to ask about the salary date, deductions, etc. You will not want surprises here, so do not hesitate in talking about your remuneration. If you find the package offered below your expectation then tell the interviewer what you were expecting. Interview is the best place to talk about your salary and other benefits.

Answers to these questions will help you understand whether your personal goals will be met in the company or not. This will help you weigh the job opportunity properly.

I had only this to say, what else do you think should one ask during an interview?

Question 1: Role and responsibility

This seems obvious, but it is not. The exact role of a sales engineer in one company can be slightly or completely different from the roles and responsibilities of the person on similar job in other company. This applies for all kinds of jobs. Therefore, it is imperative to ask about the role you are expected to play and responsibilities you have to take should you get the job. This will remove the blind spot and help you decide.

Question 2: Whom you will report to

Another seemingly obvious question that cease to sound obvious the moment you step through the giant door of your office on the first day. Save the horror of confusion and sounding horribly stupid by asking this question during your interview. This knowledge will also save you from workplace bullies who like to corner every unprepared newcomer.

Question 3: Work hours

Ask your interviewer what is a typical work hour for a person in your position in the company. Ask for a realistic answer. Do not believe when they say is 9 to 5 or 9 to 6 because it is never so. Work may starts from 9 or 10 or whatever, but never gets over at 5 or 6 or whatever is told to you. The world out there is very competitive, so to keep pace people work for long hours. Hence, you need to ask about work hours in real sense.

Could there be any question more important than these? Let me know your view on this subject.

What happened?

They had their job and I didn’t, for long time, and that is how I realized the importance of a cover letter in job search. Do you wish to travel the same path, and have the same experience before you realize the importance of having a nicely written cover letter?

I hope not!

Benefit of having a cover letter

Why do we need a cover letter? What difference does it make to our skills?

None. A cover letter does not make any difference to your skills. But, it helps you present your skills in the friendliest manner using the least possible words. You need a cover letter because:

1. You have to compete with hundreds (if not thousands or tens of thousands) of applicants who have exactly same qualification as you do.
2. You have to make your claim of being the most suitable candidate for the job stand out among the claims made by other applicants through their résumé.
3. You do not want your CV to remain unopened and get thrown in the trash bin.
4. You want to give an idea about who you are, what your qualification is, and what you can do even before your employer reads your résumé.

Let me tell you a HR secret. HR people do not go over all the résumés that they get. They read the cover letter typed in the mail body or sent with the CV and make their mind based on the information they get in the cover letter.

If you are not convinced with what I have said above then reread the entire post and do it until you start believing it because this is important. I am leaving you with this thought, and tomorrow I will tell you about the structure of a cover letter.

The second interview is less about checking your qualifications, and more about seeing if you’re the right fit for the job.  You’ve already been confirmed as a good candidate by making it this far.  In the second interview you’ll face tougher, and more involved questions.  The best way to handle these is to stay true to yourself.  Be the same person you were in the first interview.

The worst strategy you could have is to try and handle the interview differently.  You’ve gotten a second interview because the interviewer saw something in you.  Don’t cover that up by being a different person, or else you won’t make the best impression.  Instead be the polite, confident, and assured person that showed up the first time around.

Whatever research you’ve done about the company before, go over it again.  Know your stuff as well as possible, because the questions are going to be tougher.  Only by having the information can you respond to the best of your ability.  Quick concise responses are key here, showing your comfort and ability just by talking.

Make sure to show how you can contribute to the company, and compliment them on aspects you appreciate.  There’s reason you want this job, besides the paycheck.  Find that and play off of those reasons.  Make your skill set work for what you want from the company.  That makes you into an ideal employee, and helps you shine in your second interview.

Remember that the purpose of this letter is to thank the interviewer for their time, not to try and sell yourself once more.  That part of the interview is long gone, and this is your chance to show your professionalism and appreciation.  Etiquette dictates that after an interview a thank you email should be sent within 24 hours, and a regular mailed letter should be sent within the first 2 days afterward.

In the actual formation of your letter you should make sure that it is business standard.  Type it up, make sure to use the interviewer’s name and company address, so as to refer to them professionally.  Then write a few paragraphs of thanks.  Don’t be afraid to re-outline your interest in working for that company.  But don’t get bogged down in mentioning your qualifications once again.  They have your resume, and you’ve given them an interview, they got a feel for you.  This letter is simply about thanking them for the opportunity given.  Don’t forget that, or push it aside to give them another personal sales pitch.

Taking the time to write a thank you letter could even be more effective than you might think.  So make sure you do, many people overlook the thank you letters and emails that they should be sending.  By ensuring you do this every time, you show your attention to detail, and commitment to getting the job.  Both are fantastic characteristics, and ones that you should use to your advantage.

I bet each one of us has faced this situation once or more in our career, but some of us go through this many times in their career, and more often than most of us. I think I know why they go through such ordeal every time they are in there for the interview, and thus I am writing this post. I believe this guide will help them do away with interview syndrome, once and for all.

How to remain confident in an interview

• Do not lie: The major reason why people feel less confident during interview than they actually are because of the lie they tell to the interviewer and the lie they wrote in the résumé. There is no point in lying because even if you get the job by lying, you will not be able to do justice to the work assigned to it, therefore, you will provide poor work, which will translate into bad review followed by firing. Now, what’s better: no job, or a résumé with a small black spot?
• Reach the venue 30 minutes in advance: Not everyone lies in the interview, but most of us are susceptible to another flaw, which is equally harmful. Always reach your the interview venue 30 minutes in advance and familiarize yourself with the surrounding, so that you can feel at home.
• Research the company: You are expected to know a bit about the company you are into. The knowledge shows your interest in the work, and the absence of it suggests that the company you are in at that point of time is just one of the many companies where you just dropped in with a hope to get hired. No one likes to have discarded employee.
• Know your stuff: If you do not know your stuff then you should not go to the interview table. Your interviewer is your prospective employer, so he will ask you all sorts of questions related to the work you will handle in his company. If you fumble in answering to his satisfaction, consider the interview over, and do not wait for any call because there will be no call.
• Be yourself: I will not ask you to put a broad grin or ear-to-ear smile on your face, and I will also not ask you to sit too straight and crush the interviewer’s hand with the sheer power of your palm just to say how confident you are. By doing all this, you will sound nothing but just an idiot who does not know manners. Hence, I will suggest you to forget what you have learned from the success coaches and be yourself. Do not try to be anyone, you will never succeed. Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself, everyone else is taken.”

Work on your body language.  You want to have a good healthy natural posture, and to look positive and upbeat.  Smile, not a ridiculous fake smile, but a genuine smile that shows you are a positive person.  People want positive attitudes in the office, as they make getting work done all the easier.  Nobody wants more negativity in the air, and appearing as though you’d only add some is a very bad thing.  So make eye contact, keep that smile working, and stay relaxed and comfortable.

Make sure that you’re a friendly and fun person through professional, and appropriate joking or laughing, or conversation.  Stay away from politically charged topics that people tend to have strong opinions about, like religion, government, etc.  Stick to more simple ideas or topics, or anecdotes about your own life and experiences.  Anything to show that you’re an open person, and one that is genuinely interested in communicating with others.

Keep your attire professional, and make sure that you match.  You want to choose clothing that’s flattering, as well as professional.  Anything to help you look more positive and friendly.  Pick an outfit that says you’re a friendly open person.  Hardworking, but also a good person to have around, to make the environment more comfortable for everyone around.

So first off, research the company to which you are applying.  Know their practices inside and out, as this will offer plenty of opportunities for you to showcase your knowledge during the interview, and will also let you get a better feel for the company before you even enter the interview stage.  If you were going to attempt to sell someone a product, you’d want to know everything about your potential audience right?  Same concept for knowing the company you’re trying to earn employment from.

Make a list of your strengths and rehearse them so that you can flow throughout the interview with well prepared statements on why the company needs you.  Stay away from terms suggesting that you would be a “perfect fit”, or “perfect for the job”, as these are severe turn offs to any interviewer.  Implying that you are perfect for the position only implies that you are giving a form response that the interviewer has heard a thousand times over, and shows you didn’t put enough thought into your interview to come up with engaging original statements.

Ask probing industry related questions to demonstrate that you know what you are talking about, and to show you are taking a major interest in the job opportunity.  Showing that you are interested in doing the job before you even have the offer will make the interviewer realize that you genuinely want to perform at that company.  And nothing sells your ability and experience like appearing to have the energy and interest to succeed as much as possible.

Being unafraid to get your name out there as much as possible is usually a very good factor to have in your camp when applying to a job.  Work on increasing your online presence as much as possible, even Google your own name to see what pops up, in terms of your past accomplishments.  If you like what you see, why not throw an invitation for your prospective employer to do a Google search on you, to look up past accomplishments.  Nothing tells the truth like sources beyond yourself with nothing but good things to say.

Don’t waste your time writing about responsibilities you had beyond just previous job titles.  Usually any interviewer can discern the information that applies to them from that alone, and your time is better sent describing the difference you made at the company, and what you accomplished.  That’s what your next employer cares about, what you did at your previous job, not just what you were expected to accomplish.

Let your personality shine, so many people just send in form resumes, and that get’s extremely tired for the interviewer, and makes you appear unwilling to devote time and effort to a project.  Write everything as you would speak given the opportunity to have an interview.  This way you come across as a real person, and who you are is reflected as much as the abilities you can offer.

Finally, never underestimate the value of a few good references.  Well earned and picked references can be the difference between getting a losing a job opportunity.  Just like you would read a few film reviews when trying to find which movie you want to see, your interviewer needs sources about you, so that they can decipher what to expect and if you are the right addition to the team for them to choose.  Good references are key, so always do what you can to ensure you don’t burn any bridges on your journeys through the corporate system.

With your cover letter there are a few guidelines you want to follow.  First, stay on topic, an employer only really cares about what you can offer them, and how your experience and past qualities applies to them.  You want to personalize the letter, never send a form cover letter as these can be easily spotted, and your lack of a personal touch will reflect negatively upon yourself.  If you won’t put in the time and effort to write a good cover letter, how much time and effort are you going to put into the job once you are hired?

Never forget that the goal of a cover letter is to introduce yourself and then sell yourself and your unique abilities to the company with which you are applying.  Your cover letter is practically an interview in itself, and you should treat it as such.  Really sell yourself as the best candidate for the job, even if you yourself feel yourself to be under qualified.  Never suggest that you feel that way however, nor should you defend your lack of experience in any way, as that will make you seem to lack confidence in your abilities, and you’ll appear on the defensive about the likelihood that you’ll get the job, and that’s never good.

Express the interests you have in the company that you’re applying to, and outline why you would like to work for them.  Give specific reasons tailored to the company.  But make sure always that your cover letter is in a business tone, shy away from using any humor as that usually doesn’t come off well, and make sure that there are absolutely no grammar mistakes.  Grammar or spelling mistakes are horrifically bad for the first impression of the company you are applying to, and will be a red flag to any employer that you don’t double check your work.

• Screening interview: This is a preliminary stage in any interview process. This is a rather informal and initial step in any formal interview process and it is conducted by the human resource department in any organization. It can be on a one-to-one basis or telephonic or video conferencing as per the norms followed by the firm. In a screening interview, it is determined whether the employee possesses the minimum skills required to undertake the job role.
• Selection job interview: Here the candidate for job interview is called for personal interviews several times by different people in the management cadre to assess whether he possesses the desired personality traits required either to manage a team or to handle stress related tasks on job.
• Group interview: In this form of job interview many job candidates are interviewed at once to assess their leadership skills.
• Panel type job interview: In this form of interview, a single job candidate is interviewed by several employers in the panel at once. This is to check whether the candidate is calm or gets intimidated. The best solution is to stay calm and strive to answer questions of each panel member in a confident, assertive and positive tone while maintaining eye contact.
• Stress Interview: This is the most difficult form of interview. Employees resort to this mode of interview to assess whether the candidate can handle stress situations which may sometimes be adversities of unimaginable nature.