Winning the Interview Game
By Peter Fisher
First off, you need to understand that everything
they want to know about you is in just 4 key
areas:
* Why are you here?
* What can you do for us?
* What sort of person are you?
* Can we afford you?
So you must get yourself prepared for
this. Examine each one of these areas
and you can be (perhaps) even better prepared
than the interviewer you face.
Why are you here?
This doesn't mean "why are you in
this room?" it means what made you
apply for this job? You have to show it’s
because you are interested in the job,
the company, the challenge and the chance
to learn and develop new skills. That
and the fact that you are ready to move
for such a great opportunity. Above all
you want the job and you are confident
that you are right for it (but please
don’t be too cocky).
What can you do for us?
An employer is looking to buy results
so you bring your experience, skills and
achievements, as well as your desire to
develop and contribute to a new team or
department. Think back to your achievements
and skills, and the results you got. But
don’t just hark back to what you used
to do - think what you will be capable
of in the future and how you will fill
the role you want.
What sort of person are you?
Someone who has initiative and gets on
well with others and is flexible in attitude
to different ways of working; maybe you
are a great team player, or a strong leader
or you describe yourself as a loyal and
conscientious person. What they really
want to know is: will you fit in, or are
you going to upset the existing team?
Can we afford you?
Salary negotiation is another issue altogether,
but the point is you should have a feeling
for what the remuneration is likely to
be and show them that you bring value-for-money.
If they put you on the spot to name a
figure; shoot a little higher than you
think they are prepared to pay, but say
"the opportunity itself is more important
than the actual salary".
That’s all fine as a general background
but now you’ve got to be more specific.
Put yourself on the other side of the
desk - if you were doing the interviewing,
what would you really want to know that
would convince you to make a job offer?
You’d want to know more about those 4
key areas above wouldn’t you?
So what you have to do now is write out
your list of questions to explore those
4 areas as if you were the interviewer.
This doesn't mean you should go easy on
yourself; the more thorough you are the
easier the interview becomes and the better
your prospects of winning.
Make your list least 25 questions long
and don’t avoid that question - the one
you don’t want to be asked (you know the
one don’t you?) and then work out your
answers.
If you need help with your answers or
even your questions, Peter Fisher has
prepared answers to 58 tough questions
in the "Smart Interview Guide"
which is available by visiting http://www.ebookdownloads.biz/smartguide.htm
Peter Fisher is Managing Director of
Career consulting Limited. More information
about Winning the Interview Game at http://www.your-career-change.com/Interview-questions.html
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