| 8 Quick and Easy Steps to Having a Winning Job | | | | crisis in your life or job and how you responded or |
| Interview | | | | recovered from it, how you contributed to the team to |
| Job interviews can be cause for all types of "jitters" | | | | complete a crucial project or company goal. Your |
| arising from everything from performance anxiety to | | | | stories should all piece together as answers to the |
| traffic jams. You can greatly minimize your anxieties | | | | questions above. |
| and increase your chances for a winning interview by | | | | 4. Have a list of questions YOU want answered |
| realizing that all job interviews really come down to | | | | beforehand. See #1 above. At the job interview don't |
| only a few basics. Here is a quick checklist of the 8 | | | | ask questions you should already have answers for, |
| most important elements that you need to have | | | | however, you DO want to demonstrate interest by |
| covered. (And number 8 is after the interview). | | | | having a few questions for the interviewer that are |
| 1. Research before you go (before you even apply). | | | | more specific about the job, the projects, the |
| Well before your first job interview, before the phone | | | | immediate needs and the challenges the person filling |
| screen, before you even call or send a resume, ask | | | | this job might be facing. |
| this question: Is this a company you would want to | | | | 5. Dress for a job interview not a date. See John |
| work for? Know exactly why it is. If not, then why are | | | | Molloy's Dress for Success. It's dated but still the best |
| you there? This also reduces the possibility of stupid | | | | there is. If you're not sure, call ahead to either your |
| and embarrassing phone screen or job interview | | | | interviewer or the HR department and ask. When in |
| questions on your part. You should already know what | | | | doubt, dress more conservatively. You want to fit in |
| products or services the company is in the business of | | | | and not feel self conscious about your clothing choice |
| providing, their size and their annual revenues (if they | | | | during the interview. |
| are a public company). You should also go to their | | | | 6. Watch your body language. Don't fidget, play with |
| website and check out their current press releases. | | | | your pen or keep adjusting your collar or your hair. |
| Granted, most of this is PR fluff, but you can extract | | | | Remember body language sends a strong signal to |
| some good nuggets here by finding out what products | | | | others about your inner feelings, your intentions and |
| they've just introduced, what success stories they're | | | | thoughts. Bad body language usually stems from |
| promoting and their most recent stock performance | | | | nerves or low confidence. You can reduce your jitters |
| and growth projections. Many challenges the company | | | | and raise your confidence by preparing well in |
| may be faced with are couched in these little releases | | | | advance of your job interview. |
| and it's good for you to know and use this to your | | | | 7. End the job interview with an answer to this |
| advantage during the interview. | | | | question "what is our next step?" You've gone this far, |
| 2. Make sure you can and do answer these 5 job | | | | you have a right to know exactly what is going to |
| interview questions: | | | | happen as a reult of this meeting. You need to take |
| Why are you here? What can you do for us? Will you | | | | responsibility for asking this simple question at the |
| get along with our values and culture here? What | | | | conclusion of the meeting. Don't wait for the |
| makes you different from everyone else that we've | | | | interviewer. You deserve an answer before you leave |
| talked with, i.e., will you go that extra mile? How much | | | | the room. |
| will you cost us? (Save your answer for this one at | | | | 8. Send an Interview Thank You letter. Do this within |
| the time of an actual job offer. Never talk salary at | | | | the first 24 hours of your interview if at all possible. A |
| your first interview unless they press you and then be | | | | handwritten note will really separate you from |
| general at most.) | | | | everyone else that's interviewing for this position. |
| 3. Have your "stories" in your head, in your heart ready | | | | Summary |
| to go. At the job interview, the company wants to find | | | | Rather simple yet effective. Eight simple job interview |
| out what kind of employee you would be. The best | | | | actions to keep track of. Since you have been |
| way for you to show them is to take the initiative and | | | | preparing weeks ahead of time for this moment, much |
| have several personal stories that you can tell, taking | | | | of this work has already been completed. Keeping |
| maybe a half minute to 90 seconds each during the | | | | track of these eight steps for your job interview will |
| job interview to tell. By this I mean, you'll develop stories | | | | greatly increase the chances in your favor of walking |
| around specific examples of your career. For instance | | | | out a winner and one very large step closer to landing |
| tell how you either made money or saved money for | | | | the job you really want. |
| your current or previous company, how you faced a | | | | |