Posts

Your #Career : 10 Ways You’re Blowing A Job Interview, and How to Fix…After Interviewing Hundreds of Applicants, Here are a Few Common Mistakes that Damage your Chances of Success.

/in /by

As you know, it’s not always easy to get an interview for a job, but when you do get that call-back for a live interview, it feels great and a little nerve-wracking. When I used to get that all-important call giving me the time to come in for an interview, I know it would start to do a number on my head. I wanted the job so much more once I knew I had a real shot at it. The problem is that mistakes tend to occur the moment you become fixated on how great it would be to have that job rather than focusing on preparation and the best way to approach the interview.

PeopleAwaitingInterview

 

Entrepreneur and investor

Your #Career : What to Say when the Job Interviewer Asks, ‘Why Should we Hire You?’… By Doing your Homework, Paying Close Attention to the Input you’re Given, and Conveying Confidence in Performing to the Employer’s Expectations or Beyond, you’ll Likely Present a Winning Case

/in /by

“Why should we hire you?” is one of the most common job-interview questions out there.  And, according to Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job,” it’s one of the most important ones.

work-interview-job

She says this question is likely thesingle best opportunity you have to seal the deal in the job interview. “But because it’s so broad, it can also lead you down a slippery slope if you’re not concise.”

When interviewers ask this question, they want you to convince them that you’re the best candidate for the job. To ace the response, you must do your homework on the employer and job description so you can align your skills and experience with their specific needs.

“This is an opportunity to say, ‘You need X, and I am the best person for the job because of Y.’ You want to convey that not only are you a safe choice with minimal risk — but also a greatchoice,” says Taylor.

Before you arrive at the job interview, you should have a general sense of how to communicate this, she suggests. “One useful technique is to have three major points in mind on why you’re an excellent choice. This is a default framework you can come back to in the interview to sell yourself. It will become more refined as the interview proceeds.”

Here are five tips for answering the common “Why should we hire you?” interview question:

1. Listen for real-time cues

“As you hear the finer details of job requirements, jot down some key words from your background that will help you provide a targeted response once the hiring manager asks this question,” Taylor says. “If, for example, organizational skills are paramount, you may jot down certain related software programs you use.” As you make minor notes, still try to maintain good eye contact and stay in an active-listening mode.

“Since you now have more data on the real requirements, it’s time to turn up your pitch a notch,” she says. For instance, know your unique selling proposition. What makes you particularly qualified for the job among your peers? What does the firm present publicly and in the interview? How does your unique background align with their mission?

“If, for example, the company’s advertising tagline is about service excellence, you can address how your customer-service expertise resulted in quantifiable results, such as in expanded business, training you provided, or client recognition you received,” says Taylor.

 

Like this Article ?  Share It !    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing  Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !)   www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K)   http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

2. Focus on key points

Offer the big picture. This is a general overview of the overall match, says Taylor. “You’re setting a general comfort zone here.” For example, you’ll want to talk about how long you’ve been doing X at what types of companies, your applicable specialty areas, technical skills, training, and education. “Maybe you’ve been promoted frequently or have been given increased responsibility or staff — which objectively attest to your big picture value,” says Taylor. “Share that information.”

Discuss your accomplishments. This is your opportunity to talk more specifically about a couple of specific projects that showcase your related skill sets and experience. “Results are what count, however, so be sure to mention how the contributions helped your company, and how your expertise could similarly make a significant impact for them,” says Taylor. But remember to be concise!

Communicate that you have excellent people skills. If you have a few soft-skill attributes that you feel would be an asset to the position (such as team player, motivational leader, strong work ethic, reliable), tell them.

“By addressing the low turnover in your department, for example, you underscore that you have strong management potential,” says Taylor. “Oftentimes, slightly stronger people skills trump minor weaknesses in technical expertise. Unlike technical skills, it’s virtually impossible to teach attitude.”

3. Prove you’d be a great investment

“Every manager wants to be assured that you’d offer a good return on investment,” she says. “They want to mitigate risk and avert being in the hiring doghouse. This is your chance to use bottom-line examples of why the company will benefit from hiring you. What are some specific, applicable accomplishments that illustrate this? Where possible, give dollar percentages or raw numbers (sans inflation).”

For instance, did you:

• reduce expenses by a certain percent or dollar figure?

• streamline certain processes?

• develop new programs that increased revenues?

• reduce turnover?

• secure new accounts or expand on existing business?

“This is not to downplay your overall awards, recognition, kudos, soft skills, and overall success; they still support your market value in a credible way,” says Taylor. “A combination of the two is ideal.”

4. Be enthusiastic

“Once you’ve made a solid argument for your skills being a good match, there’s one more factor needed in the mix,” says Taylor. “Show your excitement and enthusiasm for the position. No matter how good you look on paper or present facts, illustrating that you’re genuinely motivated and want the job is a key contributing factor.”

After all, this is a good reason to hire you, too. Just make sure your zeal doesn’t slip into the category of desperation. You should convey that you want the job, not need it.

5. Be as specific, but brief, as possible

In selling your great attributes for the job, a few words of caution: When given a sweeping question like this, it’s easy to go into long-winded tangents — or wax on about the time that you developed the equivalent of the Internet of Things for your employer. “Be conscious of brevity and don’t exaggerate,” Taylor suggests. “One, it may be highly transparent; two, it may be deflated in a reference check; and three, if not caught (and you’re eventually hired), you could find yourself in over your head.”

By doing your homework, paying close attention to the input you’re given, and conveying confidence in performing to the employer’s expectations or beyond, you’ll likely present a winning case, she concludes.

Businessinsider.com | October 6, 2016 |  

Your #Career : 11 Interview Questions That Trip Everyone Up…As Someone who Hires, Throwing you Off your Game is How I can See How you Might Perform Under Pressure in the Workplace.

/in /by

According to a small business report, 50 percent of companies in 2016 say that hiring is the toughest challenge they face. With 50 percent of business hiring, this means your dream job awaits. Now, it’s time to prepare for the interview questions that trip up even the best of interviewees.

Male hands holding pen in working environment

You can do this. Keep going and don’t give up.

Despite all of your preparations, a job interview is a nerve-wracking experience. To make matters worse, interviewers have numerous questions that can easily trip up the interviewee. These questions are not meant to be malicious. They’re used to get a better understanding of the candidate to make sure that they’re qualified for the job and can be a solid fit for the company’s culture.

Over the years I’ve hired hundreds of people and interviewed thousands of job candidates. As someone who hires, throwing you off your game is how I can see how you might perform under pressure in the workplace.

No matter how experienced or prepped you are, at times, these questions are bound to trip anyone up. If you want to prevent any fumble, large or small prepare a few responses to tricky questions like the following 11 examples.

1. “Can you tell me about yourself?”

This sounds like an innocent and straightforward question. But, it can trick you into diving too much into your personal life. Even though great interviewers use conversation to determine culture fit, you want to focus more on your educational background, career, and recent job experiences.

How to answer: Don’t discuss your family or hobbies. Stay on-track by sharing how you can bring value to the organization.

Related: How to Fire Someone So They’ll Thank You For It

2. “Are you the type of person who checks their email during vacation?”

On one hand you want to convey your dedication to your work, as well as assuring the interviewer that you’re available and reliable. On the other hand, you also want to make it known that you know the value and importance of work-life balance so that you don’t get burned out.

How to answer: Let the employer know that you are 100 percent committed to your work. However, let them know that you also need time away from the office. Make it clear that you will have all of your responsibilities completed before you leave for vacation and that you may be contacted if there is an emergency.

Keep in mind, if you’re like Elon Musk or myself… the answer I’m really wanting may be a little different as I’m running a startup and really want my team working 24/7. If we’re not working harder, faster and longer than everyone else, we will lose the race.

 

Like this Article ?  Share It !    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing  Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !)   www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K)   http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

3. “How did you prepare for this interview?”

This question is intended to find out whether or not you really care about this job or if you’re just going through the motions.

How to answer: Demonstrate that you took the time to research the company and industry prior to the interview by sharing information like the company’s background or mentioning the trends occurring in the industry and noting how you can make a positive difference.

To give you an example of the last person I hired. When I asked this person, he began to describe our ecash product. He went into a level of detail that even I didn’t know. He also pointed out three potential problems that neither I nor my team had thought about. That is being very prepared for the question.

Related: The Strategy Behind Weird Interview Questions

4. “What’s your dream job?”

This is another question that’s used to determine how serious you are about working for this specific organization or if you’re just applying for each and every job opening.

How to answer: Keep it simple by responding with “This is the place I’d like to work.”

5. “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

I personally fell into this trap when I was younger by responding that I would like to continue my education so that I could move onto to a better position…in a completely different industry. After six months, I was let go. Not because of my job performance. But because the organization felt that I wasn’t going to be around in the long-run.

How to answer: Companies don’t want to invest in an employee who isn’t planning on staying around, it’s not typically in their business plan to hire people short term. While you don’t have to lie, answer this question honestly by saying that you’re looking for a job that is challenging and that you’re passionate about, along with your future goals. If you believe that this position fits those needs, then explain how the organization can help you reach those goals.

Related: 10 Online Careers You Can Start Today With Basically No Money

6. “What’s your biggest weakness?”

Responding with the cliché answer of, “I’m a perfectionist” is a phrase that interviewers hear all the time and are usually turned off by. Not only that, it doesn’t explain how you take the steps needed to become a stronger employee or how you overcome obstacles.

How to answer: “Instead of saying your one flaw is that ‘you’re just too committed to excellence or ‘you’re just a perfectionist,’ dig a little deeper,” suggests Randle Browning on Skillcrush. “The key to divulging a weakness is following up immediately with your solution. For example, respond with, “I tend to want to do simple tasks first and more complex tasks later, but I know that the reverse is better for my productivity.”

7. “Why do you want to work here?”

Again, this is a question that shows your interest in the job, as well as showing that you’ve done your homework and are a fit for the company’s culture.

How to answer: Arnie Fertig has five possible answers on U.S. News that will impress your potential employer. These include;

  • “I’ve known several colleagues over the years who have worked at your company, and they have all said great things.”
  • “I was excited to see on your website that you feature employees talking about how great it is to work for your company.”
  • “Your company’s Facebook page is really engaging. I love how you [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fill in the blank].”
  • “Your company is known for making great products that help people do X. But on top of that, I know of your company’s leadership role in our community through your support of X, Y and Z events or causes. Your products and philanthropy show you to be a company that cares about both the bottom line and about giving back to society.”

8. “Do you like to work alone or as part of a team?”

If you state that you like to work alone, then you may come across as too much of loner that does their own thing. But, if you respond by saying that you prefer working only in groups, then you may seem like an individual who can’t make independent decisions.

How to answer: This may sound like a co-opt, but you should state that you enjoy both types of work relationships. List the pros and cons of each kind of work. For example, working in groups allows you to learn new skills and exchange ideas. However, you also like the freedom to work independently so that you can get tasks done more quickly and without interruption.

Related: Getting Fired Was Step 1 to Increasing My Pay 1,000% in 3 Months

9. “Why did you leave your last job?”

Don’t use this as an opportunity to badmouth your former employer or company. That will raise red flags when the interviewer contacts your references.

How to answer: Be truthful and honest. Don’t focus on the negatives. Instead, detail what your learned from your previous employer or how the experience helped you grow. The reason that you left, however, was that it was time to explore new opportunities or push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Related: How One Couple Saved $1 Million in 4 Years to Retire by Age 43

10. “Have you ever been asked to compromise your integrity by a colleague or supervisor?”

This is a question that is intended to test your ethics and morals. The reason that it can get tricky is because it could lead you down a path where you could badmouth your former employees or employers. Even worse, you could accidentally share sensitive information, such as the internal practices of your former company or parts of a private investigation.

How to answer: Be honest, clear, and concise. Most importantly, remain a professional by not sharing any private information regarding your former employer.

11. “What are your salary requirements?”

This question can make both parties feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, the interviewer may not have the power to negotiate or discuss your salary. The reason that this question is asked is because the company wants to be sure that they can afford you.

How to answer: Do your research and know what the salary is in your industry and market. After that Payscale recommends these two answers to the following questions;

  • Question: What salary range are you looking for? “Let’s talk about the job requirements and expectations first, so I can get a sense of what you need.” That’s a soft answer to a soft way to ask the question.
  • Question: What are you expecting to make in terms of salary? “I am interested in finding a job that is a good fit for me. I’m sure whatever salary you’re paying is consistent with the rest of the market.” In other words, I respect myself and I want to believe the company is respectable.

When answering any of these questions above, be yourself and don’t try to be something your not. It’ll come out eventually. Be true to the person inside yourself. If an interview doesn’t go as well as hoped, maybe it’s not meant to be. I once interviewed 26 times with 17 companies before I got a job. I was about to break but kept going.

You can do this. Keep going and don’t give up.

 

Entrepreneur.com | August 30, 2016 | John Rampton

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Your #Career : How To Tell If You’ll Fit Into A Company’s Culture Before You Take The Job…An Interview isn’t Always the Best Place to Learn What it’s Really Like to Work in a New Office, But There are Ways to Find Out.

/in /by

Jocelyn Greenky really hates fluorescent lights, so when she started a new job years ago, she showed up with a floor lamp a few weeks in and dragged it over to her desk.  “It did not go over well,” she says. That’s how Greenky discovered that every office has its own culture—and as a result, how sometimes even the smallest acts can look like a rebellion.

portrait of Young pretty business woman work on notebook computer in the bright modern office indoors

Now with more than 20 years of experience as an office culture and politics expert, Greenky says you should always understand a company’s norms and no-no’s before you accept a job there. “As the new employee, you have to adapt to the culture rather than the culture adapting to you,” she adds.

Previous research has shown that our coworkers and managers have a big impact on our productivity and job satisfaction. And workers surveyed by Glassdoor reportedthat company culture was more important than compensation and work-life balance.

So if you like chit-chat and a background hum, you probably won’t be happy in the tomb-silent office where you just interviewed. Or if you love coming up with new ideas and taking big risks, you may not like a place that doesn’t embrace change.

But how accurately can you pinpoint a company’s culture before you’ve actually worked there? Here’s what Greenky and other experts recommend asking and observing before you show up with your own lamp—or even take the job.

START READING

Bouvier Williams, PhD, president of Your Personal Brand Solution, says to read through the organization’s annual reports, find any articles about it in popular publications, and of course, scope out its own website—all before your first interview there.

“You’re trying to get the flavor of the organization,” Williams says. “Does it come across as bureaucratic? Is it an organization that really believes in and fosters innovation?” And, most important, “Does it line up with the things you believe?”

Like this Article ?  Share It !    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing  Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !)   www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K)   http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

NOTICE EVERYTHING

Greenky says that as soon as you step into a prospective office, you should start observing. What are people wearing? Are their desks messy? Do they have earbuds in or are they talking to each other? Is there an open floor plan? If people work in individual offices, do they keep their doors open?

Pay close attention to body language, too, Williams says. See whether people are smiling, if they seem engaged, and whether they look happy to be there. “Not everybody in the company can happen to be having a bad day at the same time,” he adds, so if you’re surrounded by frowns, that should be a red flag.

FIND THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Asking about summer Fridays or dress code may turn off a hiring manager during the interview process. Even questions about expected work hours can be shaky ground. But Greenky says you can absolutely ask your would-be boss to define their office’s culture. “See what they have to say,” she adds. “If somebody says it’s very corporate, for example, that means they play by the rules—that it’s more formal.”

Williams also recommends asking some of these “subtle but revealing” questions as the interview progresses. For example: How are employees developed in the company? What happens when someone makes a mistake around here? How is risk-taking rewarded? How can people share their opinions about the work environment? What are some of the things that might get under your skin about working here? How does the organization deal with managers who manage poorly?

READ THE HANDBOOK

Yes, people really do read the employee handbook. No, it’s not weird to do it before you even have the job. If the hiring process is cruising forward and you’re seriously considering a position, Greenky suggests asking for a copy of the handbook. The rules and regulations inside can tell you a lot about a company’s culture—including how much it likes rules and regulations.

GET A GUIDE

Both Greenky and Williams say talking to a current or recent employee is essential. Comb your own networks first. If that doesn’t turn up a connection, Williams recommends using LinkedIn to find past employees. He says to let them know you’re interviewing at the company and ask if they have a few minutes to talk about the culture there. “Be prepared to ask some fairly targeted questions,” he adds. For example: Can you describe the office politics? Is there high turnover or constant churn?

Greenky suggests “tell me about your day there” as a good opener with current or former employees. She says it’s also a chance to ask all those questions you may not want to ask a potential boss about dress code, lunch breaks, expected hours—and maybe even lighting. That could shine a light on whether or not you’ve found your dream job, or if you should think twice before accepting their offer.

FastCompany.com | MOLLY PETRILLA  | 08.19.16 5:52 AM

Your #Career : How to Recover from a Bad Job Interview…If you’re Like most People, you’ve Left a Job Interview or Two with that Sinking Feeling in the Pit of your Stomach. You Just Knew you Didn’t Get the Job from the Way Things went During the Interview.

/in /by

If you have ever been in a situation where the interview turned into a runaway train, there are still some things you can do to recover. With some practice, you’ll be able to save your interview from going south.

Male hands holding pen in working environment

 Here are a few tips for how to salvage a job interview gone terribly wrong.

 

Problem: Your hands are shaking and you can’t stop sweating.

Solution: Take a few deep breaths

Nothing can ruin an interview faster than sweaty palms and a bad case of the shakes. One reason you may not be performing well during the interview is because you might be letting your nerves overwhelm you. Job interviews can be incredibly stressful, so it’s not surprising if you feel a bit anxious during your meeting. If you feel yourself getting anxious and jittery, take a few deep breaths so you can calm yourself down. It’s hard to stay focused and relaxed if you can barely catch your breath due to nerves. Once you breathe deeply, you’ll feel calmer and able to think clearly enough to answer the interviewer’s questions.

 

Like this Article ?  Share It !    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing  Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !)   www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K)   http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

Problem: You only catch half of the question because you’re planning what to say next.

Solution: Ask the interviewer to repeat the question and then try to stay present.

Don’t start to answer the question in your head before your interviewer is even finished asking her question. You’ll not only make yourself more nervous but also lose track of the conversation. Concentration is key during a job interview. It’s easy to focus so intently on how you will answer a question that you miss what is being said. Take time to relax and listen to what the interviewer is saying to you. The best way to save face is to say that you want to make sure you answer the question thoroughly, so you’d like her to repeat the question one more time. If the interviewer feels you weren’t listening, that will be a strike against you. Try your best to play it off and then stay present from then on. If you need help staying focused, repeat the question back to yourself (in your head, of course) before answering.

 

Problem: You bombed the job interview.

Solution: Send a follow-up note.

What if you did all of the mistakes mentioned above? (You were a nervous wreck, you rambled through most of your answers, and you didn’t catch half of the questions.) We’ll be honest with you: Your chances of getting the job are quite slim. However, don’t give up hope. You may come across an exceptionally forgiving hiring manager.

If you completely bombed the interview, your best bet is to send a follow-up note. Thank the interviewer for his or her time and then briefly answer the questions you had trouble with. Who knows, the interviewer may have a change of heart and take your updated answers into consideration. Following up shows not only that you’re interested in the job but also that you’re aware of and willing to work on your flaws. Just keep your fingers crossed and look for other jobs until you hear back.

Follow Sheiresa on Twitter and Facebook.

 

CheatSheet.com | August 18, 2016 | 

Your #Career : How to Answer ‘Why Should I Hire You?’…This is Where you Stand Out from the Crowd. Once you’ve Established your Ability to Deliver on Core Competencies of the Job you can Consider yourself at Least as Impressive as the Best Qualified Candidate.

/in /by

It’s one of the most popular questions in interviews, and also one of the most understandable. Why not hear why your future employee is right for the role straight from the horse’s mouth?

Line of young people sitting by wall while waiting for their turn for interview

Why then, does it fill us with so much trepidation? Partly because there’s no way of tricking this question, you’ve just got to believably detail exactly why you’re better than all the other applicants for the job. You’ve got to tell them why what you’ve got is worth having.

The one key thing to remember is that the hiring manager is putting their reputation on the line, whoever they hire. Sell yourself into them with confidence and evidence that you’re the best person for the job, and this question can be the key to unlocking that job offer.

Work out what they want

Your first step, as always, is to do your research. Start by reading the job specification. Then read it again, looking between the lines. It might be that they’re asking for soft skills like flexibility or high emotional intelligence while what they’re really looking for is someone who can adapt to new tasks and be proactive with their work, or someone who understands others and can manage effectively.

Related: Need Help Networking? 4 Rules to Remember.

By decrypting some of the jargon in job descriptions, you can gain an understanding of the kind of experience and skills you need to show the interviewer.

Next up, take a look at the usual avenues, quarterly reports, websites and industry or company news. This way you’ll be able to get a good idea of the kind of needs the company have, gain some insight into the focus of the business, and understand important growth areas across the industry or sector.

After this, explore their social media, blogs and general company output. This is key to preparing yourself to hit one of the most important factors in hiring nowadays; culture fit. You’ll know the kind of work environment you’re stepping into, and how to pull up old experience that is similar so that you can impress.

Once you’ve got a complete understanding, you can then start to tailor your answer to the interview. This is a chance to demonstrate that you’ve researched and care about the company, and you increase your chance that you’re saying what they want to hear.

It’s not about misrepresenting yourself in trying to plug a round hole with a square peg, but about selecting your most applicable qualities and demonstrating a particular problem you can solve.

 

Like this Article ?  Share It !    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing  Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !)   www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K)   http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

Quality over quantity

The key things you want to get across in your answer are experience, skills, accomplishments, training or education and culture fit.

You also want to keep it concise. The chances are that you’ll lose their attention if you use more than three or four examples to cover these areas, and the quality may start to go on. Besides this, you want to keep a few things back for questions later on, even if you’re using your killer answers straight away.

Experience & Training — To start with you want to use your experience to give a general picture of you as a candidate, and make sure it’s understood that you’ve got the knowledge to succeed. Having said that, if they’re hiring a project manager and you have project managing experience, the chances are that’s probably why they’re interviewing you in the first place. This is an opportunity to get specific, and correlate your experience to the specific industry, role or problems that you know the company has.

Related: The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do to Prepare for a Job Interview

Accomplishments — employers love quantifiable accomplishments as they provide proof that you can offer a strong return on investment immediately. Wherever possible, deliver relevant numbers, whether that’s that you’ve managed 24 people, driven sales by 150%, or completed 9 successful projects with client A, B and C.

Skills & Culture Fit — Once you’ve identified the sort of soft skills that are key to the culture of your new company, provide some example of a time you’ve displayed them. Consider things like whether they want someone who is supremely organized, a great leader, or keen to come up with innovative solutions to problems.

React

No matter how much research you do, you might have missed something, particularly if it’s a part of the job that the company aren’t open about for whatever reason.

Think about all of your skills and experience beforehand so that you have bunch of great examples ready. No matter what, the things the interviewer tells you when you meet will be your best resource and you need to be prepared to react.

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in your answers that you forget to listen, but this is probably the most important skill in a job interview. Listen carefully to everything that’s been said and you should get a clear idea of what they want to hear from you.

Save something special

This is where you stand out from the crowd. Once you’ve established your ability to deliver on core competencies of the job you can consider yourself at least as impressive as the best qualified candidate. You’ve demonstrated that you’re safe and there’s minimal risk associated with hiring you.

So far so good. But what sets you above the next best qualified candidate? The answer is in a unique combination of skills. You need to offer something that others don’t.

Related: The 6 Musts of a Cover Letter

Whether this is the fact that you have some coding experience despite coming in under a marketing remit or that you are fluent in a foreign language which could allow the sales team to develop into an emerging market, try to finish your answer off with something impressive, relevant and interesting.

If you can find an answer that wouldn’t be typically associated with the role, but could be advantageous, even better. This question is a great opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest, so don’t be afraid of doing so!

 

Entrepreneur.com  |  June 18, 2016  |  Matt Arnerich

#Leadership : How To Master Your Remote Work Job Interview…A Killer Candidate will Always be One Step Ahead of the Interviewer. The Real Skill is to Take the Time to Prepare for Conversations that Will Allow you to Address the Points Above as You Detail your Work Experience.

/in /by

A job interview is a pretty challenging experience. You have to impress. You have to display a personality that will bring untold value to your potential employer. You have to stand out from an ocean of candidates who want the job as badly as you do.

Free- Iphone with Gadgets

Now imagine having to overcome those hurdles on a Skype call or Google Hangout in an entirely different timezone, and possibly hundreds (if not thousands) of kilometers away. Interviewing for a remote work opportunity presents a whole new layer of challenges that are centered around visibility and autonomy. These are traits that you have to exhibit in an office environment, but they’re much more heightened when management can’t tangibly see you at your desk every single day.

If you’re hoping to secure a remote work position and really want to stand out, consider these tips for giving a killer interview. Here’s what the hiring manager is going to want to see and hear during your interview process:

Before the interview

It’s important to assume that your interview starts the moment you submit a resume, portfolio, or body of work. Granted your work may look good and perfectly fit the organization’s functional need for your skills, but does the submitted content answer questions about your viability as a remote work candidate?

If you have previous freelance or full-time remote work experience, then it’ll be obvious to point that out. If you don’t have that experience but feel you’re a fit for the role, then make sure there’s ample language in your cover letter, resume or portfolio that really drives home your ability to work independently and across a virtual team. You don’t have to go into detail (the next point will explain why), but you will want to show on a high-level that:

  • You will be present despite multiple timezones.
  • You will bring in processes (personal and collaborative) that will be positive to a distributed workforce.
  • You are incredibly organized and accountable for your tasks.
  • You conduct your own quality assurance on deliverables before soliciting feedback from others on your team.
  • You are a clear communicator and fantastic listener.
  • You make use of technology to minimize the feeling of distance.

 

Like this Article ?  Share It !    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing  Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !)   www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K)   http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

During the interview

Your hiring documents will give a taste of what you bring to the team, but storytelling will be crucial throughout the verbal interview process to reassure the hiring manager that you can work remotely.

This is your opportunity to discuss concrete examples of how autonomous and organized you can be. Don’t just talk about your ability to produce great work, be explicit about the production process you encountered or were responsible for designing. When you talk about achievements in projects or initiatives be sure to point out the following:

  • Were multiple people involved in the project? Where they all located in one building?
  • How do you personally organize yourself around new projects? What are your usual run of events to kick-off a new effort?
  • What did you work on individually, and what did you work on in collaboration?
  • What existing processes were used to move the project forward, and what new ones were created as the team progressed through tasks? Be sure to point out team check-ins, status updates, and other communication processes.
  • What tools did you or your team use to capture feedback and track progress?
  • What mistakes were made? No project is perfect, so how did you right the ship?

After the interview

As is customary, make sure you send a note at least 24-hours after the session to thank the interviewer for their time. This is also a chance to attach any new or additional information that display your ability to work well remotely; and in turn, convince the hiring manager to make a much more confident decision on your candidacy.

So what can you send over? Consider the following (and double check you aren’t sharing sensitive information):

  • A quick process map or sketch to outline how a particular project unfolded. This can help to elaborate on how your efforts helped to produce great work, and it’s a tangible way to point out team check-ins and organizational skills.
  • Examples of tools you use individually or in a team to communicate and capture progress. If your employer is considering tools that you have used before, then share your perspective on what makes that particular tool great or difficult to use especially in a virtual work context.

Always prepare to be a step ahead

A killer candidate will always be one step ahead of the interviewer. The real skill is to take the time to prepare for conversations that will allow you to address the points above as you detail your work experience. Employers who hire remotely will be impressed by candidates who bring peace of mind to the organization even if they are physically removed from the rest of the team. Your ultimate goal is to remove any doubt from your candidacy as a distributed team member and show them that you are on top of your stuff.

I regularly write about the Future Of Work. Get in touch with me here: @kaviguppta.

Forbes.com | May 30, 2016 | Kavi Guppta