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Interview Tips

Malice

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Interviews, we all have them (most of us hate them) and some of us just have absolutely no damned luck with them. Help fellow forum-members out and post your tips/techniques which may aid in making them a successful candidate for their future employer(s)!

Topics to get us started:

- What helps make you feel secure when entering a job interview?
- What types of questions do you feel uncomfortable answering? (What do you anticipate to be the 'correct' answers?)
- What are some good questions to ask?
- Do you follow up?

etc. :)
 

Udog

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1. Make sure you have all the tools necessary for the job. Like a car. (J/k!)

2. Become an expert in the company, and choose 3 questions to ask them. Base your questions on your research - especially if you find something that aligns with a personal goal of growth for yourself.

And yes, it's a good idea to follow up. Better yet, send them a card before the interview. It'll differentiate you.
 

jimrckhnd

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Think through the interview from their POV – think of the questions you would ask, then how you would answer them.

Take charge of the interview. Start to ask questions about how you would fit into the team, what your responsibilities would be, offer suggestions about what you could do. Get THEM thinking of you working there.

If you get a question you can’t answer – ask them to clarify, expand the topic.

Technical interviews are different of course. About all you can do is know your stuff and hang on.
 

Udog

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Technical interviews are different of course. About all you can do is know your stuff and hang on.

...and if you don't know the answer, explain to them how you would go about finding it and solving the problem.

I do think that "taking charge of the interview" needs to be done with some care. I agree that turning the subject to how you'll fit in the company is a good idea though, and much better than just letting them ask you cookie cutter questions. You are giving them a preview of the rapport they can expect from you as an employee, and if it's smooth, they'll feel more comfortable with you.
 

violet_crown

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Goldman Sachs has a pretty solid Interviewing 101 presentation. They different types of interviewing formats, approaches for each and general interview etiquette.
 
R

ReflecTcelfeR

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The three L's. Lie. Lie. Lie.

No... Be honest. I've never had an interview at an extremely important corporation, where decisions matter, but I imagine dressing the part is a great deal of it all. Then I'd research the job requirements and understand what questions they could ask and have some answers and promote how well you'd be able to accomplish the researched requirements.
 

swordpath

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Find something you like about the company, that integrates your own ambitions and convey that to the interviewer along with your reasons... For instance: the opportunity for advancement, special assignments etc. A company not only wants to see that you're excited about joining their team, but that you have drive.
 

Fluffywolf

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As someone that's done some interviews on the other side of the table, I'd say the following points make or break interviews.

- Dress well, depending on the job it might not have to be all suited up and all, sometimes it's even prefered not to suit up, but at least look presentable when going casual. Don't come to an interview wearing the pants you wore when painting your house. Don't be a bum.

- Don't talk too much. Be succint, let it be known you want the job and can do the job. Let the interviewer come up with questions as much as possible. Overpresenting yourself is not a good thing. You're more likely to say dumb crap that will put off the interviewer. You're there to do a job, not to make friends.

- You have what it takes to do the job, you don't doubt this, you don't question it. Treat this fact as if it is the most normal thing in the world, like waking up in the morning. Don't -try- to prove yourself, but create the illusion you don't -need- to prove yourself, because it is obvious you got what it takes. Be confident.

- And imo most important, BE POSITIVE! For example, don't focus on the negative aspects. If you're looking for a part time job, 15 hours a week, but you can't work on tuesdays, wednesdays and thursdays, then tell them you're looking for a job for weekends, mondays and fridays. Focus on when you can work, not when you can't. You want to work, those are the days you want to do the job, nobody cares about the days you don't want to work. Always adress the bright side of things. Keeping the interview positive is the best way to get the job.
 

Malice

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Goldman Sachs has a pretty solid Interviewing 101 presentation. They different types of interviewing formats, approaches for each and general interview etiquette.

I found that video pretty helpful actually, especially the part about what types of questions to ask in an interview and what not to. :) thanks for the link!
The following questions usually throw me a bit of a curve ball, I'm curious how you guys would answer them:

- Tell us a bit about yourself, hobbies etc. (What are 'good' hobbies to mention? How in-depth should you go with analyzing yourself?)
- Why should we hire you?
 

Fluffywolf

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I found that video pretty helpful actually, especially the part about what types of questions to ask in an interview and what not to. :) thanks for the link!
The following questions usually throw me a bit of a curve ball, I'm curious how you guys would answer them:

- Tell us a bit about yourself, hobbies etc. (What are 'good' hobbies to mention? How in-depth should you go with analyzing yourself?)
- Why should we hire you?

I never really understood the hobbies question. Like it would matter what people do in their spare time.

The question "Why should we hire you?" is pretty simple though. The answer should always be that you want the job for the job, whichever way you word or arguement that depends on the job in question. But out of all jobs that may be available to you, it should be that one that you really want. Answering with things such as "Because I'm unemployed and need the money" don't really shine. The employer knows that people need jobs to get money, that's the same for everyone. They just want to know 'why this job, why not another job?' when asking that question.
 

Such Irony

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- What helps make you feel secure when entering a job interview?


Going in prepared with a good knowledge of the company I'm interviewing for and the position I'm interviewing for. Having well thought out answers to why the company should hire me and I what I have to offer.

- What types of questions do you feel uncomfortable answering? (What do you anticipate to be the 'correct' answers?)

What are your weaknesses? I really want to be honest but always wonder if what I say will work against me? Not sure what the correct answer is. I think its good to be honest but don't name a weakness that could truly be determental to doing the job.

That and the "where do you see yourself five years from now?" question. I think the 'right' answer is growing the developing your skills in the company and staying in the company but honestly that's not always what I want.


- What are some good questions to ask?


Interviewers should ask questions like what skills do you have offer and why you would be a good fit?



- Do you follow up?


Yes. After I interview, I send an email to the members of the hiring committee thanking me for my time.

I do call back later to ask about the status of the hiring process and when a decision will be made but not so often as to pester them.
 

paperoceans

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The best tips that I can give.

Pretend to be extroverted if you are not. Be bubbly and super positive in the interview. Smile and try to joke a little with the person who is interviewing you. But remember to show them that you are a dedicated and hard worker--but you also enjoy teamwork. When they ask you why you want to work for the company, try to insert something about how the company effects people or the environment. If it is retail, say you always loved the customer service and how the company strives to make the customers the number one priority.

So basically, just BS your way through the interview. This may require some acting skills and you need to be a good liar. Lie your way into a job. I do it all the time.
 

redcheerio

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I'll think about this more later, but the first thing that comes to mind is to make sure you have good answers to questions like what are your strengths and weaknesses.

For your weaknesses, be honest, but put a positive spin on it by showing how that characteristic is also a strength, and explain how you cope with it in cases where it might be a concern. And make sure you have a quicker answer to what your strengths are.
 

OrangeAppled

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I have a lot of issues with job interviews.

- What helps make you feel secure when entering a job interview?
When I get the impression the interviewer is sincere & asks relevant questions to the job, not asking loaded, trick questions or working off some script of questions they think they're supposed to ask. if I get the impression they are trying to scare me by making the job/environment/themselves sounds tough, then I don't especially want to work for them. I want someone who shows they can treat employees/coworkers well, not like robots.

- What types of questions do you feel uncomfortable answering? (What do you anticipate to be the 'correct' answers?)
The weakness question is annoying because it's a trick question. They know you are going to put a positive spin on it. They're basically asking "how well can you BS us?". If I were honest, then I'd say that I may be 10 minutes late but it makes no difference in my efficiency or productivity and no employer I've ever had in the past cared because the bottom line was I worked faster than others with higher quality output. If I actually ever said this, I know I would never get a job. Instead I'm supposed to lie about being a perfectionist or some other "weakness" that translates to good for employer & bad for my personal life.

Less than questions, I feel uncomfortable being asked to do "tests" which amount to work without pay. In design, this unfortunately pretty common. If prerequisites for the job include a resume w/references, a degree & portfolio of sample wok, then giving "tests" is not only insulting, but it's borderline unethical. You're getting ideas for free, basically.

Employers need to learn to extrapolate the given information about the person to see how it would adapt to the position they're hiring for. Few will come to the job having done EXACTLY what it requires in past positions. I think a good question may be, "how would you apply your past experience in this position?". I have never been asked this & it seems extremely relevant to me. What you have done/learned is not the same as how you'd apply it in a new situation.

- What are some good questions to ask?
Questions that are relevant to the actual work being done. Think about if you were the interviewee, and how you would honestly answer a question. If you know you'd have to BS to answer the question yourself, then it's not a good question. If you want to get a feel for their personality, then just ask! Ask them how they interact with others in past jobs, ask them what their personality is like. Those roundabout loaded questions just push people to say what they think you want to hear. That's why so many who say they get jobs easily & interview well also say they LIE. If you want honesty, then you have to be honest with yourself about the kinds of questions you're asking & what their purpose is.

- Do you follow up?
I used to and it made no difference. It simply made my humiliation more acute; it's like sending flowers after a first date & never hearing from the person again. It seems desperate & needy, IMO. Although I've heard of people nagging an employer into hiring them, but I can't stomach such tactics.

I've found "don't call us, we'll call you" to be the preference of most employers anyway.
 

Giggly

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Recently I heard a recruiter tell a story of a guy who made it through several rounds of interviews and was looking really good to the employer, and was sent to the last interview with the vice-president just to okay him. When asked by the VP how he works under stress, he replied "I'm at my peak badass when I'm under stress".

He was axed and didn't get the job because he said that.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. :unsure:
 

redcheerio

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Recently I heard a recruiter tell a story of a guy who made it through several rounds of interviews and was looking really good to the employer, and was sent to the last interview with the vice-president just to okay him. When asked by the VP how he works under stress, he replied "I'm at my peak badass when I'm under stress".

He was axed and didn't get the job because he said that.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. :unsure:

Wow, why? Because he used the word "badass"? I'm confused.
 

Giggly

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Wow, why? Because he used the word "badass"? I'm confused.

I'm guessing yes and maybe also because he was too cocky around the big wig, regardless of the fact that they want someone who will be confident and productive on the job.
 

Tiger Owl

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The best tips that I can give.

Pretend to be extroverted if you are not. Be bubbly and super positive in the interview. Smile and try to joke a little with the person who is interviewing you. But remember to show them that you are a dedicated and hard worker--but you also enjoy teamwork. When they ask you why you want to work for the company, try to insert something about how the company effects people or the environment. If it is retail, say you always loved the customer service and how the company strives to make the customers the number one priority.

So basically, just BS your way through the interview. This may require some acting skills and you need to be a good liar. Lie your way into a job. I do it all the time.

This advice wouldn't have been half bad if you had left out the last line. Anyone who lies there way into a position then has to maintain their lies indefinitely. More often they will be discovered as disingenuous and will have to be at odds with the hirers while they consider you to be someone ideally replaced by new talent.

Do your research, find out details about the company/school and find aspects that you truthfully identify with or support. They can be talking points as well as showing genuine interest.

Don't chew gum, dress crazy, try out the newest fad hair or accessories, or wear strong deodorant or perfume.

Double and triple check your resume/CV, then have someone smarter than you check it again.

An interview is NOT the time to be trying on a different personality type, acting out a false role, trying to smooth talk and lie your way into a job. Interviewers do this for a job, some liars will slip through the cracks and get hired, many more will not. Be yourself but be prepared. The more prepared you are the less nervous you will be and the more natural you can thus act.

Be on time! And by on time I mean be 15 minutes early, ready to wait with a smile - not finishing your breakfast burrito in front of the receptionist' desk. The extra time will give the impression (hopefully not a lie) that you are punctual, professional and take the interview seriously, as well as giving you time to decompress, de-stress, take a nervous piss etc. and still be on time.

Lots of good tips in this thread.

If you know someone trustworthy that works in the particular company or industry ask them good questions and listen for good advice.
 

Sanctus Iacobus

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- What helps make you feel secure when entering a job interview?
- What types of questions do you feel uncomfortable answering? (What do you anticipate to be the 'correct' answers?)
- What are some good questions to ask?
- Do you follow up?)

1) Knowing that the interview is a win-win situation, since if you don't get the job you won't be any worse off. This allows you the confidence and freedom to see the interview for what it is... a chance for both you and your potential employer to learn about one another and find out if there is a good fit. Don't go into this situation only focusing on how you want or need the job and let all the pressure fall on your shoulders. They want to fill the position with someone who they can look forward to working with... considering all the things co-workers and subordinates do that are negative and make their job harder. Be the opposite of the co-workers they already have that they don't like dealing with.

2) None... be real, because in this situation you're naturally feeling nervous. While you might find the interview a challenge, they do not, so they will see through just about anything you try to do due to nerves. The more real you can be, the more respect you'll get from your hopefully future co-workers.

3) This is your chance to challenge them and show that you're not a passive paycheck-sucker, but someone who will be a valuable component, drive the business forward, and most of all make their job easier or at least not make it harder. I ask something like, "how often are opportunities which will make positive improvements to how things are done considered? is your team driven by proactive choices or by necessity, in other words putting out fires? how do you capitalize on the creative potential of your employees?" A tip: find the company's biggest competitor's strength and leverage that into a question/challenge. For instance the question above would probably work well at an interview with Microsoft, since Google is well known for being driven proactively by the creative ideas of it's employers and Microsoft is more of a programming factory.

4) No, there is no point. They will never let the person they want to hire go because they didn't check back. If you have to check back then you're already in a position of needing something rather than having something to offer them that they want.
 

Giggly

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When you tell a recruiter that you're a little nervous about the interview and they say "AS YOU SHOULD BE" what the heck does that mean?
 
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