HOW to Answer Job Interview Questions

Do not worry when people tell you an interview is a “selling exercise”. All they mean is that the interviewer needs to fill his or her position and you just have to show how you meet this need.

You know what the need is - The interviewer advertised it in the vacancy! And you already showed you met the need via your CV or job application form!

So, in the interview, you simply demonstrate, through answering interview questions, how well you meet this need and leave the decision to them.

  • Be confident when answering interview questions. You may be nervous and you won’t be completely sure that your answer is the one the interviewer is expecting, but still say it with conviction.

  • Listen to ALL the question before answering.

    Sometimes, people only hear the first bit of a question because they are already thinking about the answer. They then miss the next bit.

    For example: “Talk to me about two of your strengths and give me examples for both”.

    Some people here the word “strengths” and off they go……. They list 2 strengths then stop, and wonder why the interviewers are looking like they expect more!

  • Think before you speak. What might seem like ages to you, really isn’t. Too many people jump in as soon as the question ends. Don’t.

  • If you don’t understand the question, ask for clarification. Confidence is about being able to say you don’t understand without feeling stupid.

  • If you can’t think of an answer, ASK to come back to it. This is far better and shows more confidence than saying nothing, stammering or talking rubbish (people do). Just say “I need a little more time to think about that one. Can I come back to it later?”

  • Use persuasive language when answering interview questions. By which we mean this:

    Don’t say, when asked what you’ve done in your current job:

    “In my current job I did X and Y. Then I did Z”.

    Instead, use words like “project led”, “volunteered”, “was asked” “successfully”.

    “In my current job, I was asked to implement X. After this, I project led a team to implement Y. After that I volunteered to take on X and completed it successfully before the deadline”.

    Can you see that this is much better? You sound active in your own successes, not just passively doing tasks given to you.

  • And Be Positive when answering interview questions. Don’t use negative words or say anything bad about your current job, boss or Company. Instead talk about what else you are looking for. Say “I genuinely enjoyed my last job, but I’m eager to move onto a different challenge and use the skills I have gained”, or something similar.

  • Back up statements with examples. If you describe an ability, skill or experience, follow it with an example.

  • Take the initiative. If you’re not asked about something which you feel is important, raise the subject yourself. After all, this is your one chance to sell yourself, so don’t waste the opportunity. You can do this at the end by adding “I’ve not had the opportunity to tell you about X. Do you mind if I take a few minutes to tell you?”.

  • Be consistent with your answers. Sometimes, interviewers may ask you the same thing twice, phrased slightly differently as a way of checking you out. Listen to yourself as well as to them. If you feel you’ve made a mistake, put things right by saying, “going back to what I said earlier about…what I really meant was”…

  • Be careful not to talk TOO much. When you’ve finished answering interview questions, don’t be tempted to fill any awkward silences with nervous chatter. Sometimes, silence is used as a technique to see how you’ll react. You can always pass the lead back to them by pleasantly saying “does that answer your question?”

    http://www.job-application-and-interview-advice.com/answering-interview-questions.html

  • Discover the Best Online Teen Job Ideas and Honest Work From Home Opportunities

    Every day more people including students are looking for new
    ways to make money. Online teen jobs ideas is a vast world. On
    the online market you can find a great variety of online teen
    jobs ideas. There are many different types of honest work from
    home opportunities available on the work at home market.

    Freelance online jobs are a new trend that is getting more
    popularity day after day between all kind of people, therefore
    many students and teens are searching for honest work from home
    opportunities. With freelance online jobs you can make money in
    your free time with something that you enjoy. Here are some online
    teen jobs ideas.

    Freelance Photography Jobs

    If you are the kind of people that enjoy taking pictures, you can
    make money working as a freelance photographer. There are many
    types of freelance photography jobs that you can do. It will be
    easier for you, if you choose any special field like, family photographer,
    animals photographer or wedding photographer. When you search for
    freelance photography jobs, the first thing that you need to do, is
    to make a portfolio of your work, and then you can look at the major
    freelance photography jobs websites, there you can sell your pictures
    or you can join some online photography forums and get more information
    about how to find a the best freelance photography jobs.

    Freelance Writing Jobs

    If you like to write then, freelance writing jobs is the best option
    for you, there is so much to do in writing. You can start by writing
    articles, but you can also write resumes, e-books, etc. There are
    great freelance writing opportunities available on the network market
    that you can work from home. You can find them at the main freelance
    online jobs websites such as elance or monster, but there are more. Many
    companies and people are looking for freelance writers, they post their
    projects on these main freelance online jobs sites.

    These are just two online teen jobs ideas, but there are more honest
    work from home opportunities for teens like, freelance typing jobs,
    painting, jewelry design, art and crafts, web design, translation,
    cartooning, programming, architecture, website marketing, SEO jobs,
    data entry jobs, etc. It is very important to make a deep research
    before choosing any freelance online teen job.

    Claim your free Report on how to earn passive income online and how to contact the best freelance networks in the next five minutes, visit:

    http://www.howtogetridofyourjob.com

    Maria Luisa Ayuso

    How to Get Ahead in Your Career Without Burn Out

    For many people career progression is really important. Career success builds your confidence and self belief. You might aspire to:

    • Become a team leader

    • Manage a department

    • Managing a division

    • Be a director or partner

    As people progress along the career path it is all too easy to lose sight of other things and get out of balance. You know the situation. There is never enough time for exercise, socialising with friends, important family events. You might start to notice a deterioration in your health.

    So what might you do about it? Here are 10 tips, based on my own experience, of how to get the balance right:

    1. Decide the maximum amount of time you want to spend at work each week and stick to it. Remember work will expand to fill the time

    2. Get a good team of people to support you so that you do not end up carrying all of the load

    3. Be bold, delegate tasks and responsibility. Not only is it good for motivation, it’s also great for personal development

    4. Set yourself sensible targets on what you can achieve

    5. Take a break at lunchtime

    6. Avoid back to back meetings whenever you can

    7. Make time in your schedule for regular exercise

    8. Eat regularly and properly

    9. Set aside time in your schedule for fun

    10. Set weekly goals for your whole life, not just work related goals

    As Richard Carlson says in his book Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, when you die there will still be things in your in-tray. There is a lesson for all of us in that statement.

    Duncan Brodie is a Leadership Development Coach and Management Trainer at Goals and Achievements http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk

    He specialises in helping accountants and professionals to make the transition from technical expert to manager and leader.

    How to Earn Your Boss’s Respect and Get That Promotion

    1. Don’t ask you boss questions you can answer yourself

    Yes, it is comforting to ask your boss when you lack confidence or feel you need their approval. However, you’ve been employed because your boss believes you’re capable of getting on with the job in hand. Take a step back and look at the problem from another perspective, ask a colleague for help, be resourceful and check the internet or any other resources available.

    2. Provide solutions, not problems

    Spend at least 10 minutes thinking of possible solutions to a problem before going to your boss. It will impress your boss if you go to them with a difficult problem (not something easily solved)… but then pull the rabbit out of the hat and suggest ways to resolve it.

    3. Never apologise

    OK, we know, it is somewhat drastic but here is a right way to approach this. To start with an apology could get things off on the wrong foot and might show your weaknesses. Instead impress your boss with what you have learned rather than your mishaps: “Perhaps, looking back I would have… “, “If we were to do this again I would recommend…” and so on.

    4. Keep it professional

    There are times under stress when it’s easy to get emotional or uptight. E-mails can easily be misinterpreted - the tone, or perhaps what the sender was intending to say. Write your response but stop! Don’t send it straight away. Leave it for at least 30 minutes, even an hour and then re-read the original mail and your response. It’s a safe bet you’ll have calmed down and can then send a much more productive and considered response. You don’t want to run the risk of sounding like a spoilt brat! Remember, your professional diplomacy will score you points with your boss.

    5. Go that extra mile

    Don’t be a ‘job’s worth’. There are times when we have to act outside our line of duty for the sake of the team. Embrace any new challenges as a chance to add to your job skills and improved CV. This is something a boss will take note of and will bear it in mind when promotions are happening.

    http://www.utalkmarketing.com

    Job Interview - Remain Relevant and Enthusiastic

    Interviewing well is an art and yet I find so many people pay very little attention to this aspect of the job search process. It is in fact likely the single most important step.

    If you are called for an interview, the assumption must be that it is your job to lose. If you have been called, you have many of the skills needed for the job and your qualifications are enough of a match that if the fit is right, they could hire you. People are busy and companies value their time. They are not going to spend the time and resources to have you come in for an interview if they don’t think you can do the job. So, your job at this point is create rapport, show how you can contribute to their bottom line, determine if the job and company are a fit for both of you and then express your enthusiasm. The question is, how?

    Building Rapport

    This happens from the moment you receive a call to set up an interview. Be aware that every contact you have is evaluating you. They are paying attention to how you talk on the phone, your tone of voice, your energy, etc. When you first meet in person they are looking for eye contact, your presence, and how you speak. Interviewers, whether HR personnel or decision makers, are looking for a connection and your personality and personal presentation will make a huge impression. Look at it from their perspective. You are much more than your skills and abilities and they want someone on board with whom they will enjoy working and who they think will fit with their staff. Respect their status but let them see who you are and be sure you are projecting the image you intend.

    Your Contributions

    This is one of the most difficult parts of the interview but it will make a big impact on the outcome. Interviewers are trying to figure out how you plan to contribute to their bottom line and your ability to apply your unique gifts, talents, and skills to their particular situation. So, one way to do this is to remain relevant at all times and be as specific as possible. When someone says “tell me about yourself” what they are really saying is “tell me about the parts of you that matter to me and my company”. So, make your answer relevant. I recommend that everyone create a 60 second commercial of themselves that they can easily adapt to any job. Assume that they want a summary of your work-related qualifications; so, focus on your academic degrees that relate to the position (if you are freshly out of college) and highlight a few of your specific skills that relate to the job requirements. For example, “I just finished a course in such and such which will allow me to apply these new skills to your work in such and such.” Remember that every question should be answered with an eye on their bottom line.

    Is it a Fit?

    This question means is it a fit for you and for them. Pay a lot of attention to the culture of the office or company when you are there. Ask questions of the receptionist or even ask the interviewers what attracts them to working there. If you are given a tour, ask to see the cafeteria (if they have one) or the break room. Pay attention to the mood and imagine yourself walking in those doors every day and see how that feels. Ask if you can meet the people you may be working with. Remember, no matter who writes the paycheck, you are the CEO of your own personal services corporation and how you feel about them is just as important as how they feel about you. One of the most common complaints I hear from clients is that “it is not what I thought it would be”. Make sure that you get your questions answered, do the research, and know what you are getting into. You are deciding on a job and an organization that will play a significant role in your life. Take is seriously.

    Enthusiasm

    This is key and one of the aspect of the interview that stumps interviewees all of the time. Many people are afraid to show their enthusiasm about a job. It makes them feel vulnerable and in a way it does, but imagine that you were looking for someone to join your company. Wouldn’t you want that person to be fired up? Wouldn’t you want that person to show an interest in what you are doing and how much they would like to be a part of it? I have talked to countless people that leave interviews and then don’t follow up and just wait for the company to contact them. Huge mistake. If you want the job, tell them. And, don’t be generic. Tell them that you really want the job so that you can use (insert specific skill) in order to (insert what they need). Tell them what you like about the culture of the company, how you felt during the interview, and that you hope you will be considered seriously as they move forward. You do not have to over indulge. Just a simple 60 second statement that leaves them no doubt as to your interest will be enough. Then, when you leave, immediately craft your follow-up letter and in addition to the brief overview and recap of the interview, end with a final plug about your continued interest. A genuine interest will go a long way when it comes down to decision making.

    Interviewing for a job can be stressful, but it can also be a lot of fun. Imagine it as a game - the winner may not always be the one who looks best on paper, but the one who is able to convince their potential employer that they are an asset worth fighting for. Do this by establishing rapport, being relevant, showing how you can contribute to the bottom line, and showing how you are the type of person they want on their team.

    To find out if your career is aligned with your body and mind go to http://www.coachmelani.typepad.com/. Melani Ward is a career coach and the founder of Career Fitness. She helps people create balance in their body, mind, and work. She works with yoga practitioners and athletes on career discovery and development, resume and interviewing strategies, setting and achieving goals, and uniting who they are with what they do.

    What Not To Do In Your Cover Letter

    When you are looking for a new Accountancy job, along with your CV you must also enclose a cover letter to the company you are applying to. This is what the employer reads before the CV, so it is even more important that this stands out. The following pointers describe the things that should be avoided at all costs.

    Do not have a weak opening, for example, ‘please consider me for this role’. You need to grab the readers’ attention and highlight your most important skills that relate to the accountancy job you are applying to. For example, write ‘I am applying for the newly qualified accountancy role you have advertised in xxx. It would match my excellent 5 years experience in the accountancy industry’.

    Do not make it too short. Pull out your most relevant accountancy related skills and experiences that relate to the job and highlight these in the cover letter.

    Do not make it too long either. By waffling on about your previous accountancy job and the tasks you did in too much detail, the more likely you are to bore the reader. Keep it short, punchy and too the point.

    Do not use “I” too much. The cover letter is not all about YOU but about the accountancy role you are going for and how you would best fit into it.

    Do not regurgitate your CV in your cover letter, as they will read this afterwards. Pull out the most attractive selling points and include these only.

    Do not mass produce your cover letter and send the same one to multiple firms. By customising your cover letter to the accountancy firm/accountancy role you are applying, you will stand out from others and impress the reader. By mass-producing it, it will probably end up in the bin.

    Do not end it abruptly. Thank them for reading your letter, say that you will follow up the application by a telephone call and sign off professionally and politely.

    Other articles published by Corinne Dauncey about accountant jobs sites.

    The author writes commentaries about the accounting and finance jobs.

    For more information about please visit theaccountancyjob.com/.

    Telephone Interview Advice for an Accountancy Job

    If you have impressed the reader with your CV and application, you may be invited to do a telephone interview with the company you are applying to for your next Accountancy Job. Companies may decide this is the best first option if you live far away from the offices.

    A telephone interview should be treated in the same way as a normal interview and should taken as seriously. However, it could be seen as being a little easier as you are not sitting right in front of the interviewer. The person you speak to will have a series of questions that they will want to ask you and will certainly want to elaborate on your CV.

    Before you are scheduled in to conduct the interview, jot down all the answers to the most commonly asked questions and have that in front of you so you can then refer to these. Try however, to answer them in a natural way.

    Also note down in a list all your accountancy skills and qualifications that are relevant to the job and keep in mind what they are actually looking for so you can tailor your answers accordingly. Think about the skills required for an Accountancy Job including numerical skills, organisation, presentation etc and make sure you show you can perform these skills.

    Make sure you have your CV and application form that you sent to the company in front of you. You then know what they know and can refer to it if necessary.

    Be professional and do not speak too quickly. Do not use slang and certainly do not interrupt or talk over the interviewer. Keep smiling at all times as there have been studies to show that this has a positive effect on the person who is listening.

    Finally, keep in mind that the interviewer is only human and it is not an interrogation. At the end, if you want to ask questions about the Accountancy Job you are applying for, then do.

    Other articles published by Corinne Dauncey about accountant jobs sites.

    The author writes commentaries about the accounting and finance jobs.

    For more information about please visit theaccountancyjob.com/.

    Job Search, Plan Yours

    Job Seekers looking for a right career are indeed a full scale onslaught. So like a war having objectives but with no clear job searching plan, their endeavours are nothing more than a futile attempt. Today pattern for job searching have changed if comparing that with the past few years. Employers, they are more concerned about their wants. They could care less about what job seekers are looking for. Employers are at all not interested in to read objective statements from job seekers CV, at least it couldn’t not play a catalyst role in hiring decision. Instead, replace objective part with an announcement of what you can add as a value which makes a difference to the organization if they hire you. Job searching is more like a competition. If you haven’t sincerely taken the time out to widen a broad job searching preparation, then you’re wasting your energies to face collapse. So why job searching plan is quite important? It’s because that the distances has narrowed, thus this has also provided an access to a global job seekers to reach world job market. In one line “Global job seeking competition” has started.

    Don’t completely depend on your CV to find you a job and off course don’t absolutely rule out the impact of robust CV. Some important points that should be highlighted things on your CV;

    1. Reason of both CV and cover letter is to provide information. Ensure that it answers to what an employer wants from candidates.

    2. Job Seekers reflection as a professional should be seen and able to market your abilities & skills.

    3. CV should be to the point not including unnecessary details. Avoid grammar & spelling mistakes.

    Recruiter & Employers don’t make hiring choice based on only cvs. With proper job strategy with considerate dialogue between candidate & hiring team can build a ground to proceed. It’s an intelligent job searching plan that can triggered things in candidate favour and chances will increase that job seekers accomplish their job search targets.

    Nawaz is an author for this article. Article Source: http://www.e-cvs.net/cv_articles.html

    Interview Preparation - 5 Steps for a Successful Interview

    Once you get the call for the interview, the next thing that you have to do is prepare for it. Following are a 5 steps for a successful interview:

      (1) Do your research – It doesn’t matter how much knowledge or experience you have about the position that you are trying to get in a company if you don’t have a clue who the company is or what they do. It is disastrous to enter into an interview and not be able to tell your interviewer what their company is about. How else are you going to tell them why you feel that you would be a good addition to their company? A good and less time consuming way to get to know about a company is to look up their website. You can gather general knowledge, including the names of key people and their job titles. You should sift through most of their pages, including the pages that show samples of their work and/or products.

      (2) Know your contact – When called for an interview, ask to whom you will be talking to. It is nice to be able to greet your interviewer by name at the beginning of the interview without first being told who they are. It shows that you are on top of things, and have prepared before hand. You will also want to do some research on the person that will be conducting your interview. Learn what they do for the company and try to get some samples of their work or achievements in the company. If you know what department that you are going to work in you may want to get the names of your potential colleagues and superiors prior to the interview as well. This way you can get some information about their roles in the company and the types of work that they have done. Mention some of the things that you learned about your potential colleagues in the interview and about how much you look forward to working with them in the future. If you can, give an example of their work so that you will appear more sincere.

      (3) Practice your responses – If you are prone to nervousness, practice giving your responses to the questions that may be asked of you. Practice your wording and tone. Keep your responses as brief as possible but with as much detail as you can. When you are trying to work out the proper responses to the interviewer’s questions, you will also want to practice the art of getting your nerves under control as well as ridding yourself of any other odd habits while talking; like expressing yourself with your hands. Practice answering your interview questions with a friend. Get his or her opinion about your delivery and gestures.

      (4) Dress the part – Pre-select your attire the day before your interview. Make sure your clothes do not have any wrinkles or stains on them. Pick an outfit that best suits the type of job you are applying for. If you are going to work in an office setting, dress conservatively. Soft earth tones are best for women. A nice dark suit is good for a male. Of course if you are planning to work outdoors or in an artistic environment, you can dress a little more casually. Just avoid wearing denim jeans, over-sized or under-sized clothing.

      (5) Get organized – Prepare for your interview the day before. Make a checklist, if need be. Have an extra resume handy during the interview and bring a note pad to take notes. If you have a business card, have one handy since it makes for easy contact later, and it also shows that you are professional and may help the employer to remember your name.

    Use these tips to prepare for an interview as you can never over-prepare for one!

    Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com (http://www.myguidesusa.com), where you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life’s major events. Whether you’re planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you’ll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com. Find employment tips and resources, such as resume and cover letter development, interviewing skills, and information for those considering a career change at http://www.myguidesusa.com/jobs

    Speak Spanish? First Language English? Want a Job?

    Out of more than 42 million people of Hispanic origin in the U.S. there are about 17 million who either don’t speak English or don’t speak it very well. These people are working, making money and buying the things they want and need. There is a huge market here, and all kinds of companies are eager to get their share of the Hispanic market’s dollars!

    To deal with and sell to this large market segment, business companies need employees who can communicate in Spanish. So they are looking high and low for good bilingual (English-Spanish) people to hire.

    Searching through job openings at careerbuilder.com, the largest U.S. employment network, on April 16, 2007, for the qualification “bilingual” in the job title, turned up 12,070 open positions that employers are looking to fill. There were 160 pages of results, listing jobs in 33 States.

    What do you need to qualify for one of those jobs? You need to be able to converse with a non-English speaker in Spanish. Many of the job offers specify that part of the job interview will be conducted in Spanish.

    They aren’t asking for degrees, credentials, tests to see if you know how to conjugate verbs and diagram sentences. They just want to know if you can communicate, understand and make yourself understood in Spanish. Like with swimming, shooting hoops, singing or playing a musical instrument, it’s a demonstrable skill. Demonstrate it and you get hired.

    So where can you get a crash-course in conversational Spanish? There are a number of good learning programs that can be bought and downloaded in minutes. Since they are on digital media on your computer, you can copy lessons to your iPod or CD player, take it around with you and study anywhere, in your spare time.

    With a good learning program you can become conversational in Spanish in 30-90 days. Some say 2 weeks, but that will get you to basic conversation only, with a vocabulary of maybe 1,500 to 3,000 words. To be truly conversational you would need 4,000 to 8,000 words.

    That is not too hard to achieve since Spanish and English have so many words in common or closely related. For example “actor”, “Doctor” and many others are the same in Spanish and English, with minor pronunciation differences. Many words ending in “..ty” in English just change that to “..dad” in Spanish: municipality — municipalidad, tranquility — tranquilidad. This makes Spanish easy to learn and speeds the acquisition of vocabulary.

    In summary then, learning conversational Spanish can increase your value in the job market. Spanish-speaking ability can qualify you for new positions, expand your career possibilities and increase your income. This in addition to a host of other advantages.

    Spanish is easy to learn and does not take long to know enough to be able to converse easily. In view of all that, you might want to pick up a learning course and give it a whirl. It could be a personally profitable move!

    To learn how to get the best Spanish-learning course available visit: Learn Spanish To learn more about learning Spanish, fast and easy, visit: Rocket Spanish

    Jorge Chavez has been an internet entrepreneur and marketer since 2002. He began to learn Spanish after he was 30, now is bilingual English-Spanish. He has monolingual friends, relatives and clients who only speak Spanish and others who only speak English. Read his articles at http://rocket-spanish.ya23.com