Posts Tagged ‘Job Interview Tips’

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Interviews: Five Types of Nightmare Interviews (and How to Survive Them)

December 8th, 2010

By Tracy Hall

When you’re getting ready for a job interview, you can be sure it will go one of three ways: fantastically, normally, or horribly—a total nightmare. Here are five nightmare interview situations, and how you can best deal with them to turn them back around in your favor.

1. The Interviewer with Sky-High Expectations

This interviewer doesn’t give you any of the easy questions that you’re used to: “Where do you see yourself in five years?”, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”, etc. Instead, the interviewer with incredibly high expectations will ask you more difficult questions that will come off as borderline rude such as:

  • You say that your salary requirement is $XX,XXX. Is this just wishful thinking?
  • Why didn’t you stay with your retail job for longer than three months?
  • You’re from a small town—do you think you’ll be able to deal with the big city?

While these questions may give you a bit of a shock at first, there is a way to deal with them. The first thing you need to do is stay calm. Take a deep breath before answering each question, and be sure to answer in an assertive, confident fashion. The biggest tip, though, is to be sure that you don’t take your interviewer’s attitude personally! » Read more: Interviews: Five Types of Nightmare Interviews (and How to Survive Them)

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Interviews: 10 Common Questions

June 27th, 2010

And What You Should Not Say

By Fernando M. Tarnogol

Fernando M. Tarnogol

Every manager has employed them at some point in their lives. Either because they are  beginners and don’t know better, because they’ve used this questions for so long that it’s become second nature to them or for simple laziness. Expect to hear some of them in 95% of your job interviews.

A job interview is like a first date. The impression you make during the first 10 minutes will determine the rest of the night. The same thing happens when you get interviewed. This is the analogy made by Professor Allen Huffcutt, who has studied job interviews for more than 20 years, when he was interviewed by Ori Brafman for his book “Sway: the irresistible pull of irrational behavior”.

First impressions are what matters. If you fit a specific physical profile (more on this soon), if you can establish a good rapport, if the interviewer hears what we wants or expects to hear; then the interview is considered a success and you are hired.

Malcolm Gladwell gives a perfect example of how people are hired for reasons that have nothing to do with logic or reason in his bestseller book “Blink: the power of thinking without thinking”: Fortune » Read more: Interviews: 10 Common Questions

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Interviews: Tips for Those with Less Than Perfect Backgrounds

May 3rd, 2010

By Susan B. Posluszny, OPTIONS for Career & Life Planning

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Research studies indicate that close to two-thirds of all job hunters intentionally or unintentionally list inaccurate information on their employment applications and resumes.  Yet, employers today look for truthfulness, character, and value when making hiring decisions.  So, how do you honestly discuss your work history if there’s one or more potential ‘red flags’ in your background?

Just What Exactly is a ‘Red Flag’?

Well, to begin, it’s important to understand what is meant by the term ‘red flag’.  A red flag is a clue or a negative sign that tells an employer someone is a potential ‘problem employee’.  Red flags come in all shapes and sizes.  A small sample list of common red flags includes:

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