Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Interview Skills


There are five things that every candidate should know prior to setting foot in an interview:
1. The importance of enthusiasm
2. How to open the interview
3. How to sell their strong points and strengthen their weaknesses
4. How to talk about salary
5. How to close the interview

The importance of enthusiasm
Showing enthusiasm and energy at an interview is vital. Currently there are fewer job openings than people looking, so it is quite common that the most qualified individual will not be offered a job because they do not covey the enthusiasm, excitement, or sense of urgency that a company is looking for. Leave an interview conveying strong desire, energy, and enthusiasm to work for that company. You should leave having the interviewer thinking you really want the job.

Selling your strengths and strengthening your weaknesses
No matter how qualified or confident a person is, an interview is a stressful situation. It's filled with questions that can catch a candidate off guard or trick him into providing information that he 
did not wish to divulge. Also, candidates forget their strengths during interviews. Write down and 
learn specific achievements that you are proud of. This will help you verbalize their strengths in 
an interview and they will come across as strong, capable candidates.

Speaking of salary…don’t!
During the interview, when the question of salary arises, try to answer the question in the following manner:
"I'm very interested in this opportunity, and at this time, my salary requirements are open and negotiable."
Putting a price tag on yourself can be potentially fatal. It can lead to two serious problems. First, 
asking for too much money can stop an interview in its tracks. The interviewer might not realize that there is flexibility in that number and negotiation is always an option. Second, by asking for less money than what would be generally offered, a candidate has put a price tag on themselves and negotiating for more money in the future becomes very difficult. By answering the salary question in the above manner, a candidate has left room for negotiation and a better chance at being invited back for a second interview or getting an offer.

Ending the interview: The final question
You will have one last chance to sell yourself and one final question that you need to ask:
"Mr. Smith, I want to thank you for taking time to meet with me today. I want you to know that I am very interested and excited about this opportunity. In your opinion, do my skills meet the requirements that you are looking for?"
This is a very important question, because it allows you to know exactly where you stand at the end of the interview. You ideally want to hear the interviewer say yes. If the interviewer says yes, then you should ask what the next step will be and to let the agency know the feedback. This is their last chance for you to sell your skills and show that you are capable to excel at this job.

I wish You Great Success.

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