Interviewing

How to Dress For an Interview

March 3, 2009 By Terry Leave a Comment

The more effort you put into dressing the part, the higher your chances of getting the job. This is one of the most fundamental and basic rules of impressing during an interview. This may be an old rule but even in this modern age, dressing to impress continues to play a major role in helping interviewers select the right candidate.

When you put a lot of effort into your clothing for the interview, it tells the interviewer that the job is important to you or that you are serious about getting the job. While you might impress your interviewer with your attitude and guts by turning up in shorts, sneakers and t-shirt, you probably will not get the job. At the first point of introduction, you would have been mentally sized up and then struck off the list of potential candidates!

Sadly, even in this modern era, it is better to err on the side of being conventional and conservative rather than trying to dress according to the work that you are required to do. Stick to conventional rules and you cannot go very far off the mark.

Right now, you are probably thinking to yourself – “How do I dress to impress my potential employer during an interview and STILL keep to conventional rules?” It’s hard to impress with your dressing when you look just like everyone else.

That is not entirely true though. You see, for women, keep to solid colors (preferably a suit), well coordinated blouse, corporate-looking shoes (sandals are out of the question), tone down on the jewelry, and groom your hair neatly – you will not go far wrong. As long as you do not go overboard with the makeup, wear too much perfume, or have unruly hair, you will be quite safe.

Dressing for an interview does not mean that you have to shock your interviewers, try to keep things relatively simple, and combine your proper dressing with proper etiquette, attitude and qualification; there is little doubt that your potential employer will be impressed!

This does not mean that men do not have to dress to impress the interviewer. In fact, it has been shown that interviewers can be stricter and more stringent on men’s dress code during an interview. One small mistake and the first impression may be ruined, and we all know that the first impression is very hard to reverse – if not impossible.

Men should also keep to solid colors and also preferably a suit. A colorful and fancy tie design will not impress your interviewer. And, although teaming a high quality professional suit with a sports shoe might leave a lasting impression on the interviewer, it may not be the kind of lasting impression you want them to have.

As you can see, what you decide to wear to your job interview continues to be one of the biggest influencing factors that determine if you are ultimately successful or otherwise. If you do not want to be struck off the list the moment you walk into the interview room, keep to the norm and impress them with the effort you’ve put in to look right for the part.

Job articles for teens and students

Filed Under: Interviewing Tagged With: how to dress, interview, interviewing, job search

Interview Tips For The First Time Job Seeker

March 3, 2009 By Terry Leave a Comment

If this is going to be the first or second time you have interviewed and you are a bit nervous about it. Even for those of us that have been interviewed a number of times over the years we sometimes tend to make the thought of it much more nerve racking than it should be. Here are a few tips that will increase your confidence, put you at ease and make the interview go much smoother.

You must remember that the world of business is a people oriented job no matter what the job is. By attending multiple interviews you are gaining contacts in your field, and presenting yourself as a possible co-worker. When you are starting interviews be prepared to meet and greet people from many companies. All of these new faces can help your career down the road even if you aren’t hired by them. You want to become familiar with all the players in your profession that you can. It always helps to have key players from other companies who know you and trust you.

Hopefully, you will find a match with a company that meets your needs and also wants your skills over other applicants. The process of matching yourself with the right company starts with an interview and the submission of a resume. A cover letter and several recommendations are usually required also.

An interview with a company official should be approached with careful preparation. The outcome of the interview is the most important factor in determining whether you will be hired or not.

A job interview is your first contact with a prospective employer. You definitely want to be well dressed, prompt and as relaxed as possible for the interview itself. Remember first impressions will last throughout the relationship you have with your employer.

When you arrive, the interviewer will have some specific things that need to be answered by you. You can help yourself get hired by simply following the cues of the interviewer. Be polite and answer all of the questions honestly. Let the interview flow as smoothly as possible by waiting for the interviewer to prompt you for your answers. Be professional in your responses and show a caring attitude along with a genuine desire for employment. Let the job interviewer run the interview. Try your best to come across clearly when answering the interviewer’s questions.

The interviewer will ask you for a resume. This document shows the interviewer your qualifications and educational background. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself. You will have to give a copy to each prospective employer.

Prepare a resume that includes your educational background, your prior work experience in the related fields to the job that you are applying for, and all required personal information. This would include your name and address, contact telephone number, and a message phone number also. Keep your resume brief. Most interviewers only read the highlights of the resume anyway. They will spend less than a minute reading it.

Most employers are looking for team players. They want to hire someone who can be friendly and who will integrate well with the office workers that are already there. This is why your first impression at the interview is so important. If you establish a friendly rapport with the interviewer, they will pass this along to the person who makes the final decision on hiring. Every employer wants to hire someone who is highly qualified, has a strong desire to produce results and is friendly.

Some tips to help you land the job you want:

1. Never ask about how much the job pays.

2. Do your research on the company. Talk to some employees before the interview. This will give you a feel for the work environment and job requirements. The more you know the better.

3. Don’t brag to the interviewer. You won’t impress them. Besides the best way to make friends is to listen carefully and interact appropriately. The interview will be a successful one if you simply establish good rapport.

4. Be respectful of the interviewer’s time. Don’t elaborate with unnecessary talk.

5. Thank the interviewer upon leaving. Shake hands and give a warm smile. Give the impression to your interviewer that you like the company and let them know once again how much you are interested in the position. Then exit with grace and purpose. The result will be a win-win situation for all concerned.

By presenting yourself as professional, you will enter the world of business with more allies and a brighter future in your chosen field. People are always happy to accommodate others who are helpful and committed to working for the common good. Be confident of your ability to land that good job that you want. It’s really a matter of making the right connections and following through with honest hard work. Put your best foot forward and look ahead to a great career.

Job articles for teens and students

Filed Under: Interviewing Tagged With: first time job, interview tips, interviewing, job search, jobs for teens

Tips to Ace that Job Interview

March 3, 2009 By Terry Leave a Comment

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t particularly enjoy job interviews. They’re certainly amongst the most stressful occasions that you’ll have in your life. Here are some tips that will help you ace that interview.

The five tips below, if taken to heart and acted upon will probably give you an advantage over about 80% of all job applicants who do little or no preparation for the interview. And that is probably the biggest tip in itself – and a theme that runs through all five tips below – PREPARATION.

The more you prepare beforehand, the more confident you’ll be going in to the interview, and the more confident you’ll appear during the interview.

So, without further ado, here are the five tips that will put you streets ahead of the competition at job interviews:

1. Have all of the basic facts about yourself properly rehearsed in your mind. These include education, hobbies, interests and previous work experience. Try to slant what you say about your education, your interests and the roles you’ve had in your jobs to date to show why you would be the ideal candidate for this job.

Reinforce your job application with real evidence of what you’ve done in previous jobs. Don’t just give a bland one or two word description of your role – elaborate. Give specific descriptions of individual aspects of the work you did. Again, try to emphasize examples of tasks you performed that would make you perfect for the job you’ve applied for.

3. Make sure you demonstrate enthusiasm for the job you’re being interviewed for. Remember, the interviewer is looking for someone they feel will be ideally suited to the role advertised. If you come across as having very little interest in the position, do you think you’ll be offered it? Make sure you do your research on the company offering the job and the job role itself so that you give a good impression of your knowledge at the interview.

4. Work out beforehand the kind of skills and qualities you feel you would need to carry out the job you’re applying for and think of as many good examples as you can of how you’ve demonstrated these in your work and private life to date.

5. Make an effort with your appearance. Remember, first impressions are the only impressions the interviewer is going to have of you, so go all out to make those first impressions count. Think about the kind of character qualities and personality qualities you think someone good at the job you’ve applied for would demonstrate, and try to come across at the interview as having those qualities.

Job articles for teens and students

Filed Under: Interviewing Tagged With: interview tips, interviewing, job search