These days, phone interviews are an unavoidable part of the job interview process, and for good reason: They save everyone involved time and effort. But that doesn’t mean that phoners require zero energy on the part of the candidate. Yes, you should spend more time preparing for an in-person interview, but many companies treat phone screens as the official first round of the hiring process. That means candidates are expected to go into them prepared with as much information about the company, position, and their own skills and strengths as possible.

We asked HR pros about their top phone interview pet peeves, they had no shortage of advice to offer. Apparently, it’s quite easy to mess up your phone interview. But here’s the thing; it’s also not hard to come across well if you keep some key things in mind.

1. Never Take The Interview Somewhere Noisy
It might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised what interviewers say they can hear in the background of their phone interviews—everything from barking dogs to screaming children. “Prepare for the interview by securing a quiet space in advance, even if it means escaping to your car parked in the garage,” advises Chere Taylor, founder of Fulcrum HR Consulting. “If you can lock your home office door, by all means, do it. We’ve all been there and sometimes things just happen, but the more time spent anticipating what could go wrong, the better prepared and organized you will appear to the interviewer and the greater likelihood of success.” That doesn’t mean that if your washing machine beeps once in the background all hope is lost, but the more effort you put into being in a quiet place, the more focused you’ll be.

2. Don’t Talk About Your Personal Life
…Unless you’re directly asked a question about what you like to do in your off hours. “The point of a phone interview is to focus on getting to know a candidate’s professional experience and goals,” says Mckenzie Roark, campus talent specialist at Lithko Contracting. “A recruiter is trying to qualify them to see if they are the best fit for a role, and learning about their personal life doesn’t help. For example, when asked where you see yourself in five years, we don’t want to know that you hope to be married or that you want to buy a new house. That is nice but that isn’t relative to anything professional.”

3. Resist The Urge to Multitask
It might be tempting to cross something off your to-do list while on a phone interview, but recruiters and hiring managers can easily tell if your attention is elsewhere. “My number one pet peeve is people who decide to multitask while on the phone interview,” says Dan Krupansky, Talent Acquisition Manager at PrimePay. “I have heard candidates washing dishes, making lunch in the microwave, going for walks, letting their dog out, and grocery shopping during the interview. I even had one person use the bathroom and flush the toilet while speaking with me.” Needless to say, this doesn’t reflect well on your level of interest in the position you’re interviewing for.

4. Skip The Money Conversation
To put it bluntly, it’s simply too early in the process for you to be the one who brings up salary expectations. “Chances are if a candidate is participating in a phone interview, this is the first time they have talked with the company, and the first call isn’t the appropriate time to talk about ‘what’s in it for you,’” says Justina Strnad, the Talent Acquisition Manager for Shiftgig. “Trust me, if you are a great candidate and make it to the next steps, the hiring team is going to be very transparent about what’s in it for you later on!”

5. Never Put Your Interviewer On Hold
Phone interviews don’t take that long, and there probably isn’t anything else going on that is really truly so urgent that you need to pause your interview. “Do not put me on hold to take an important call that just beeped in,” advises Jeremy Payne, head of people operations at Remote Year. “I am your important call. If you are expecting extremely urgent news (like information about a family illness), be sure to preface that in the early minutes of the interview, so the recruiter is aware of the situation and so you can work with them to reschedule if that interruption does occur,” he says.

6. Never Skip The Q&A
“After wrapping up a phone interview, it is typical that the interviewer will ask the candidate if they have any questions. I can’t stress this enough: ALWAYS ask questions,” says Roark. “If we have had a great phone interview and then we wrap up and they don’t have any questions for me, it pretty much ruins the whole interview. It tells me that the candidate is uninterested in the role, which in reality, might not be the case at all,” she notes. But surely, if you’re interested in a job, you can think of something to ask your interviewer.

7. Don’t Be Late
It seems basic, but surprisingly, many people are late to phone interviews. “About a quarter of the people with whom I schedule phone interviews aren’t on time,” says Sophie Cikovsky, who handles the U.S. recruiting for Infinite Global. “While this bothers me personally, it’s also indicative of someone who isn’t very detail-oriented,” she explains. “In order to identify this early in the hiring process, I started asking all candidates a few years ago to call me as opposed to calling them at an agreed-upon time. That way if I hear from them at 1:13 pm or 12:49 pm instead of our planned 1:00 pm interview time, I have an early indicator that they might not be a great fit.”

8. Don’t Assume Reception Is Good
“Make sure you test your headset and connection before dialing in,” recommends Payne. “There is nothing more frustrating for a recruiter who has a structured interview guide in place having to repeatedly ask the same question over and over because they could not understand your answer due to static or dropped signals.” Test call a friend beforehand or even call yourself from a landline if necessary; it will take less than a minute.

9. Never Talk Over The Interviewer
You might be eager to get your point across or talk about your experience, but interrupting the interviewer is awkward and rude when you’re speaking on the phone, even more so than in face-to-face interviews. “Interviewing can be stressful and sometimes that stress manifests itself in speaking too fast, speaking too loud, talking over the interviewer, or attempting to answer the interviewer’s question before they have actually finished asking the question,” says Taylor. “Don’t do this.” There’s a big difference between being assertive and being aggressive, and interviewers can always recognize it.

10. Skip Filler Words
It’s tough not to say things like “um,” “uh,” and “like” in everyday speech, but these verbal habits become much more pronounced when speaking on the phone, says Chris Dardis, a recruiting expert and HR professional with Versique Executive Search. “In face-to-face interviews, they’re not as noticeable because there are other things like your hair, suit, or body language to distract people,” he explains. But in a phone interview, the only thing you have to go on is what you say and how you say it. “That’s why it’s so important to eliminate these words from your speech when doing a phone interview.”

11. Don’t Go In Blind
Not knowing anything about the company or job you’re interviewing for is way more obvious than you’d think. “Many people think that a phone interview means they’re getting away with something, that they don’t have to put as much effort into researching the role or company,” says Steve Pritchard, HR Consultant for giffgaff. And if you have your laptop in front of you during the interview to do a few quick searches, they won’t know the difference, right? Not exactly. “Seasoned interviewers will know whether an interviewee is researching while on the phone; they will take too long to answer the question and punctuate their answers with a lot of ‘ums’ and ‘errs’ as they type. The interviewer can often even hear the typing as they ask the question,” he adds.

12. Nix Long-Winded Answers
“The key to success during a phone interview is clear and concise answers,” says Dardis. “People’s attention spans tend to be shorter over the phone. You don’t want your future employer to lose interest in the conversation.” He recommends practicing answers to questions you know will be asked ahead of time in order to be clear on what you’re going to say. That way, you can prevent rambling before it starts.

The post 12 Things to Never Do During A Phone Interview appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

The call or email comes in – the company you were hoping would contact you wants you to come in for an interview. The recruiter or hiring manager asks, “When could you come in to see us?”

While you may think to immediately turn to your calendar to throw out a few dates and times that work, remember your interview is a chance to a give a presentation that influences and persuades an employer as to why you’re right for the job. Recently, writer Kate Parham, after reviewing an Accountemps 2008 survey and Andrew Bradbury’s book, Successful Presentation Skills, determined that the best time to give a presentation is Tuesday morning around 10:30 a.m. Considering that the “best” presentation times and interview times are likely similar, then Tuesday morning could be a great time to set up your interview.

But how do you know what date and time is the best to interview? While a time that works for you may sound like the “best” option, the “best” time is really the time that is best for the interviewer. So before you quickly respond, consider these tips before locking down a date and time for your next big interview:

1. Avoid early morning meetings
Early mornings are great for holding someone’s attention, but you may want to avoid the first meeting of the morning because the interviewer may be preoccupied since she/he still has home stuff and all the things that need to happen throughout the day on their mind. In that vein, first thing Monday morning would not be ideal.

2. Avoid the last meeting of the workday
The same can be said for the last meeting of the day as by then there are surely many things on the mind including priorities for the next workday, dinner plans, kids’ homework, etc. And, don’t even think about the end of the day on a Friday.

3. Avoid pre or post-lunch meetings
Just before lunch or the first time slot after lunch is also problematic. Before lunch can leave you with a good interview being cut short and after lunch can find you waiting and waiting.

4. Weekend and Holiday bookends are not ideal
First day back after a three-day weekend or the Friday before will only get you running behind or rescheduled. The same can be cautioned about Mondays and Fridays.  They both have their problems and you don’t want to be the victim if you can help it.

5. Get the inside scoop on days/times that work well
Unless you have an inside connection at the company like the hiring manager’s assistant, there isn’t any way to know what meetings the interviewer is coming out of or going into. However, it doesn’t hurt to lightly ask the assistant, “How is the day going?” or “How does the rest of the day look?”  Any clues you can pick up about the mood, the schedule, or the pressures on the interviewer are to your advantage.
You certainly can’t always pick your time, but you can definitely take just a few moments to find out when may be ideal so that you can best present yourself.

The post 5 Tips: Best Times To Schedule An Interview appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Companies aren’t created equal, nor are their interview processes. But for job seekers interviewing at a startup, the differences are great compared to doing the dance with an established company.

“At a startup, we look for hackers,” says Greg Skloot, co-founder and CEO of startup Attend.com, the event planning software maker. “We want to see people that can get a lot done quickly, and with very few resources. A startup might not care as much about formalities like GPA, attire, etc. Startups champion the underdog.”

Whether you are a senior executive or someone fresh out of college, nailing an interview with a startup company is going to take work on your part. After all, these companies are looking for people who are nimble and aren’t afraid to wear multiple hats. Most importantly, they are looking for people who are passionate not only about what they do but what the company does, all of which can be hard to convey. It also means you have to be able to thrive in an environment where the rules are being made on the fly.

“Job seekers should honestly expect a little bit of chaos, less structure, and lots of enthusiasm for the enterprise, because you have to keep in mind that something new is being formed,” says Nell Merlino, chief executive of Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence. “One of the biggest differences between interviewing at a startup is that at an established company, you will be expected to try to fit into the pre-established culture of the company, whereas in a startup, you will be a part of creating the culture.”

If you think you’ve got what it takes to be part of a startup, follow these three tips to ace the interview process and get hired.

1. Do your homework.

Preparation is key for all interviews, but with a startup you’ve got to prove you know a lot about the company, its mission and the industry they are playing in. But it’s not enough to know the company makes x,y, or z; you also want to be able to bring something to the table, even during the interview. That’s is why Matt Trotter, a director at Silicon Valley Bank, which works with a lot of startups, says job seekers should choose a startup that they are passionate about instead of just applying to any startup. If you take the latter approach, your passion won’t come through because it isn’t real. “You want to come in with an idea of the general space, what the company does and ideas on how to improve what they currently have,” says Trotter.

2. Be prepared to think on your feet.

Startups are exactly that, companies at the early stages of development, which means they want to hire people that can think on their feet. Skloot says interviewees have to be prepared to handle direct and bold questions. “Why are you here? How specifically will you help push our company forward? How will you add value from day one? Why are you better than everyone else that wants to join the team?” are some of the questions likely to be thrown your way, says Skloot. “Getting a job at top startup is competitive — we really respect recent grads that understand that and demonstrate extra effort to stand out.”

3. Refrain from asking about salary, benefits and bonuses.

Unlike an established company where there are processes in place at a startup, there will be very little hand holding. You’ll be responsible for making your name and helping the company grow. One of the easiest ways to convey that is to refrain from asking what the company can do for you during the interview. Leave questions of salary, benefits, vacation time and other perks for a later conversation. “Startups are looking for someone who can take some direction, but you will have to figure many things out on your own, so looking for hand-holding during the interview will not go well,” says Merlino. “The best thing you can do during the interview is express your genuine enthusiasm for working at that startup, and emphasize how you will help them grow.”

The post How to Ace a Startup Interview appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Fantastic resume submitted.

Check.

Now, get ready for the phone to ring! Acing the first contact from a recruiter or hiring manager is just as important as the in-person interview. Here are five easy steps to make sure you shine.

1. Be Prepared

Track each and every opportunity you submit your resume for with the following information:

• Company name and brief details on the company about what makes it an attractive place for you to work.
• Position title and summary. Paste the position description into your notebook, and highlight what in the description spoke to you and what makes you the right, qualified candidate.
• Know your resume. Know why your skills align with this particular job, and be ready to talk to it.

Have this info in a place that’s handy — you never know when a call will come in. Don’t be caught off guard: there are few things that’ll set a recruiter off more than a potential candidate who doesn’t remember the job.

2. Time to Talk

When the call comes in, evaluate your surroundings. If it’s not a clear, comfortable place for you to talk, let the call go to voicemail or answer the call and respectfully let the recruiter know that now is not a good time to speak, but you’d like their name and number and will call back in 15 minutes.

It’s much better to delay for a few minutes, get somewhere quiet, and collect your thoughts than it is to muddle your first impression with background noise or distractions. When you quickly return the call, be ready to talk in a quiet, disturbance-free environment. Of course, have your information in hand to be ready to speak about the company, position, and your fabulous experience and qualities!

3. Voicemail

You may not always get to your phone when the recruiter calls. In that case, your voicemail becomes your first impression. Make it a good one. Voicemail often gets overlooked, but it can make the difference between the recruiter leaving a message or passing you by. Things to avoid:

• Music as your message. A recruiter doesn’t care that you love Beyoncé’s latest single. (I do, but a recruiter won’t!)
• Too casual. “Hey, you know who it is and what to do!” They don’t and they won’t.
• Family greeting. While your daughter’s voice can melt your heart, in a career search, try a more polished approach. Stick with a concise, professional message. Try: “Hello, you’ve reached Sarah Smith. I’m sorry I’ve missed your call. Please leave me a detailed message and I’ll return your call as soon as possible. Thank you.” Short. Sweet. Professional. Love it.

4. Gum

This one is easy. No gum. No food. Nothing in your mouth to distract from your message.

5. Name and Number

Before you even start the conversation, get the full name and contact information of the recruiter or hiring manager you are speaking with. Don’t wait until the end because:

• If you’re on a cell phone and get disconnected, you’ll want to have their information to call back immediately.
• In the course of the conversation, you may get excited and forget to ask at the end. Get it out of the way.
• If you don’t immediately schedule the interview during the call, you’ll want their information to follow up in a few days. But, do wait at least two days before calling back. And when you do, remind the recruiter of the day and time you spoke and for what opportunity.

Follow these tips, and you’ll land the interview without a doubt!

The post 5 Tips to Acing Your Phone Interview appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

They say that you have to write 100 resumes just to get one interview. So what happens when you finally land one? With any luck, you’ll be blowing them out of the water. After all, it’s been going great. You’re building rapport, crafting a strong narrative for your years of experience and the hiring manager’s head seems to be nodding in tune with your responses. You’ve been thrown a couple of softballs to get warmed up and a couple of tricks ones to show how you think on your feet.

And then, all of a sudden, you get thrown a pitch from left field: that’s a nice engagement ring, comments your interviewer. Are you getting married this year? If alarm bells aren’t sounding in your mind already, they should be – this was a classic example of a no-so-innocent, seemingly-benign, and entirely illegal interview question. While no one is going to burst in and read your interviewer their legal rights before making an arrest, this and many other types of questions can be grounds for filing a discriminatory complaint.

But, before we even get there, let’s avoid getting there, shall we? If this is a position you really want, then you might not want to burn bridges so quickly. Here are five illegal interview questions and how you can field them in the right way:

1. Are you comfortable working for a female boss?

Hiring decisions should be based on behavioral evaluations and your past experience. In this case, while the interviewer is not exactly asking you to identify with a particular gender, they’re inserting the theme into the question in general. Whether your boss is female or male is not relevant information so take that position in your mind when crafting your response.

Your response can focus on “management” instead, keeping it gender neutral: “I’ve worked well with all my previous senior managers and I’m a team player who has been part of multiple projects at a time.”

2. Your potential team members and you would have a significant age gap. Would this be a problem for you?

Once again, this illegal interview question is phrased in such an indirect manner that it seems perfectly innocuous. While it doesn’t directly ask you to disclose your age, it certainly does put you in the uncomfortable position of having to evaluate how your age rather than your experience would fare in a team.

The discrimination inherent in this question can go both ways. If you’re a younger person with relevant experience, you could feel intimidated by members of an older team not because you think you have anything to worry about but because this question suggests that it’s a point of concern. Or, if you’re older, with the relevant experience that would otherwise make you the right candidate for this position, it could be uncomfortable thinking about fitting in to a team of younger people.

So how do you handle this one? With grace and ease, once again bringing the spotlight back to you (where it rightly should be!) instead of your age: “I would feel very comfortable working in a team of experienced and like-minded individuals because it is an environment I have thrived in before, as evidenced by my previous positions.”

Round one, You!

3. Where are you from?

Questions regarding your nationality, or that require you to reveal any ancestry are strictly discriminatory and, regardless of how it’s phrased, you should keep your ears open for them.

Only respond to questions that are relevant to the job or that have been specifically advertised in the job description. For example, if an interviewer asks, “Do you speak any language other than English?” that is not allowed. But if the job you’re vying for requires bilingualism, interviewers are well within their rights to ask if you’re fluent in both languages required.

4. When was your last credit check performed?

This is an interesting one because, unlike the previous examples, it’s quite direct and yet wouldn’t automatically register in our minds as an illegal interview question. You may think that the nature of the job might be an exception – financial positions in a bank, for example – but you’d be wrong.

The only time you should be asked about your credit history and rating, up front, is when getting a loan of any type. Other than that, this has no real-world relevancy. And the best part? Large corporations that hire for senior positions often have the practice of performing a background check on a candidate anyway. Which means they have the resources to find the answer themselves and you should not be put in the position of revealing it.

You can politely decline to answer or even ask the interviewer to clarify which part of the job this would pertain to. It will get your point across – without teeth.

5. Are you willing to make arrangements for childcare to cover any potential overtime?

This question turns your personal and family status into a liability. While it seems like the interviewer and company is watching out for your commitments and, it could be argued, warning you that overtime is often a possibility with the position, it’s benign outer cover is wrapping a more distasteful center: the idea that parents who have commitments outside of the workplace will be discounted.

You want to work for a company where merit counts first: your work, behavior and performance as directly related to deliverables are the only things that should count when it comes to hiring, firing and promotions.

To field this one, try to put your own spin on a variation of this: “I’m very excited about the potential for long-term growth in your company and I am open to staying flexible and doing what I can to give the position the best of my abilities. My past experience shows that I’m more than capable of performing the duties this position calls for.”

When you’re faced with illegal questions, often it’s the phrasing that will set you off. Interviewers can ask questions in a certain way that do not automatically seem like the question has any illegal dimension and yet you have to be on the lookout for factors related to demographics. So if it in any remote way requires you to disclose information about political and/or religious affiliations, gender, age, marital status, and any of the examples listed above, steer clear.

You can always maintain your boundaries and control with a polite but firm response such as, “There is nothing in my past/present circumstance that would affect my ability to perform my duties related to this job.” This kind of response is succinct and cordial.

And, lastly, never feel cornered, as though you don’t have options. If you face illegal interview questions at any time you can either re-pivot and choose simply to not pursue the discussion, answer with a polite “no,” like in our example, or reframe the question, bringing it back to the job at hand, the position in general and your experience as it relates.

If all else fails, remember: there are plenty of other fish in the sea!

The post 5 Super Sneaky Illegal Interview Questions and How to Answer appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

How to Answer Some of the Toughest Questions to Get the Job

There are the basic interview questions that almost every hiring manager asks. There are also interview questions that are more of a challenge to answer. These tougher questions give the interviewer a deeper sense of who you are and whether you’re a good fit for the company.

Some are trick questions and others are designed to put you on the spot to see how you react. There are also those that don’t have a right or wrong answer.

With those, how you respond is as important as what you say when you answer.

Here are some of the toughest interview questions that employers ask, along with advice on how to respond and sample answers.

Personality Questions

Preparing for an interview is a good chance to reexamine yourself because the interviewer wants to see what type of personality you have. These questions get to that core and dig into who you are on a personal level.

• Are you nice?
• Do you have any pet peeves?
• How do you handle stress?
• If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do?
• What motivates you?

The “Weakness” Questions

Ah, the “What is your greatest weakness?” questions! They are painful but interviewers love to ask them and you need to be ready with a good answer. They want you to be honest, but you don’t have to dig into your dark past or reveal everything.

There is a good and a bad way to answer these questions.

One thing is for sure, you should never say, “I don’t have any.”

• Have you learned from your mistakes?
• Interview questions about weaknesses.
• What do people most often criticize about you?
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
• Interview questions about handling problems at your last job.
• What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
• What was it like working with your supervisor?
• Who was your best boss and who was the worst?

The “Why Are You Leaving” Questions

Questions about why you are looking for work are among the toughest you will face, particularly if the circumstances are less than positive. An honest, well-thought out answer can get you through this round of questioning.

Ending on a positive note or showing a new direction in your life can turn a negative experience around. Be confident in this answer.

• Termination interview questions.
• Why are you interested in a lower level job?
• Why do you want to change jobs?
• Why have you been out of work?
• Why were you fired?

Tough “On the Job” Questions

This round of questions is trying to probe for how you would work in the company’s environment. Each workplace is different and they have expectations of their employees, but honest answers can help bridge any gaps.

• Are you overqualified for this job?
• How would you handle it if your boss was wrong?
• How much do you expect to get paid?
• What do you expect from a supervisor?

Tricky Interview Questions

You will need to put a little thought into answering these and they’re just a few examples of tricky questions. Many times, the interviewer wants to see how well you respond to changing environments and how fast you can think on your feet.

Be prepared with a few answers to the most common questions but be ready for something totally off the wall. If you need to, repeat the question as you come up with an answer. It’s a great trick because it gives you time to think.

• Brain teaser interview questions.
• Questions without right or wrong answers.
• Tell me about your dream job.
• Where else are you interviewing?
• Why should we hire you?

What to Do if You Don’t Have an Answer

Sometimes, despite doing all the preparation you can for an interview you just don’t have an answer or can’t think of something to say right away. Don’t panic! Here’s what to do when you can’t answer an interview question.

The post 29 Tough Job Interview Questions and Answers appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Preparing for an interview takes a lot more than Googling a list of common interview questions. You have to make a great first impression appearance-wise (no wrinkly suits here!), have a great knowledge of your target company and its product, and, of course, know exactly how to convey that you’re the perfect fit for the job.

So to help you get prepared, we compiled a list of our all-time best pre-interview tips. From strategizing about how to tackle the toughest questions to packing your purse or briefcase, we’ve got you covered – with 30 ways to make sure you bring your A-game.

Pack (and Dress) Accordingly

1. Plan the perfect outfit. For companies that have a business or business casual dress code, keep your look basic and conservative for the first interview. Not sure what to wear? If you have a contact or friend who works at the company you’re interviewing with, see if he or she can give you a heads up as to what people wear. If you don’t have that luxury, hang out at a coffee shop across the street, and try to get a glimpse at what people are wearing.

2. Make sure you get your suit cleaned, pressed, and tailored (a modern fit is best). People often have their “interviewing outfit” that’s been sitting in their closet for the past couple of years, and they dust it off for the occasion – you don’t want to be that guy or girl.

3. Don’t forget about the little things: Shine your shoes, check for loose hems, and make sure your fingernails look manicured. This is the stuff that you don’t always think people notice – but they do!

4. Do a little pampering, because looking your best helps you feel your best. If that means you need a facial, haircut, razor shave, or even a new interview outfit, then by all means do it! Feeling good about yourself will boost your confidence – and we probably don’t have to tell you that confidence is key to landing your dream job.

5. Print out five copies of your resume. You never know who you’ll be meeting with, and you want to have your resume ready to go in case you’re asked for it.

6. Prepare a reference list, whether you think you’ll be asked for it or not. For each reference, include a name, title, organization, division or department, telephone number, and email address, as well as a sentence briefly explaining the relationship (e.g., “Carlton was my team leader for two years, during which we collaborated on four major product launches”).

7. Prep a go-to interview kit for your purse or briefcase. It should be large enough to hold your everyday essentials, plus your interview musts, such as extra resumes and a notepad, as well as a special emergency kit stocked with what you might need in an unexpected situation (think: Band-Aids, a stain stick, an umbrella, and breath mints).

8. Clean out your bag! If you have to dig past candy wrappers, phone chargers, and old receipts to get that resume, you’re going to look a little unorganized. Everything you need should be neatly organized and readily accessible. The less you have to rifle through your bag, the better.

Know Your Audience

9. Spend a few hours learning everything you can about the company – from as many sources as you can. Talk to friends and contacts, read current news releases, and, yes, spend some time on Google. Often, candidates just look at the information a company is pushing out via the website and social media, but fail to look more in depth at what others are saying. By doing so, you’ll get the larger picture about the company (along with any negative press).

10. Get a sense of “who” the company is and how to embody a similar personality during your interview. Start by reading the company’s blog and Facebook page – the tone of the company’s content on these sites will speak volumes. Or, try reading individual employees’ blogs to figure out what type of people work (and excel) there.

11.Twitter can also be an excellent resource because you can see what the company and its employees are talking about. Are they sarcastically bantering with each other? Feel free to throw a few jokes in as you’re meeting with people. Are they tweeting up a storm about an event or product launch? Use it as a conversation starter.

12.No matter what role you’re interviewing for – engineering, sales, marketing – you should always use the product before your first interview (and ideally, a few times). If hired, your goal will be to create value for the people who use that product, and being a user yourself is the first step.

13. Check out Glassdoor for company reviews from current and previous employees – but take them as a guide, not fact. Reading enough reviews can reveal some common themes, which can help you come up with insightful questions to ask (and get a sense for whether the answers you get are legit).

14. Before your interview, get a list of the people you’re meeting with from the company. Then, make sure you know their background and reputation to the extent possible – including what type of behavior might intrigue them or turn them off. Finally, prep some questions that are specific to each interviewer: Ask for details about her focus at the firm, discuss current events on his specialty, or bring up a common interest you know he or she has outside the office.

15. Different firms use different interview formats, so ask what you’ll be faced with. For example, some companies will ask case questions or brain teasers while others will give a standard set of typical interview and leadership questions. Asking the recruiter or HR contact about the interview format ahead of time is totally fair game. And once you know, investing time to become familiar with this style can make a huge difference.

Anticipate the Questions You’ll Be Asked – and How to Answer Them

16. Even if you’re a well-oiled interviewing machine, it’s essential to spend time thinking carefully about what skills, accomplishments, and interview answers will resonate with your interviewers most. Your management abilities? Your creativity? The examples you share will probably be slightly different everywhere you interview.

17. Have an answer to “tell me about yourself!” ready to go. Interviewers always ask it, and you want to be sure to nail this first part of the interview.

18. Don’t be thrown off by the classic, “What’s your biggest weakness?” One foolproof method: Think of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve. For example, maybe you’ve never been strong at public speaking, but over the past few years, you’ve taken on leadership roles and volunteered to run meetings to help you be more comfortable when addressing a crowd.

19. You can easily find lists of common interview questions – but don’t prepare by writing out your entire answer; instead, jot down a few notes or bullet points and keep them on hand for the interview itself. You’ll ensure you cover the bases – without reading from a script.

20. Don’t forget about the numbers! Finding some numbers, percentages, increases, or quotas you can use when talking about your responsibilities and accomplishments really sweetens the deal and helps you tell a hiring manager why you’re so awesome.

21. It’s likely you’ll get asked why you’re interested in this particular role and company. (And if you can’t answer this question, you shouldn’t be in the interview!) So to make sure you can, consider why you’re interested in the function and identify a couple of key factors that make it a great fit for you (e.g., “I love customer support because I love the constant human interaction and the satisfaction that comes from helping someone solve a problem”).

22. Don’t just think about how you’ll answer certain questions; practice looking in the mirror and answering them out loud. This prep work will help you clarify your thoughts and make you much more comfortable during the interview.

23. Do as many mock interviews as you possibly can with a friend. You’ll be much better at answering, “So, tell me about yourself!” and “What would you bring to the position?” the 100th time you do it than the first, right?

24. When the interview winds down, you’ll surely be asked, “So, do you have any questions for me?” So, prepare a few smart questions-thoughtful ones that show you’ve been paying attention and have done your homework when it comes to researching the company and the specific job you’re after.

Get Your Head in the Right Place

25. Spend the most time before the interview not rehearsing questions, but reflecting on your career chronology to date. When you know your story inside and out, it’s much easier to apply examples to just about any interview question.

26. Getting ready for a technical interview? Start preparing as early as possible. Working through a prep book or sample questions will not only give you good practice, but it’ll also put you in the right problem-solving mindset.

27. Come up with a go-to phrase that’ll help you avoid dead air if you need time to stall and gather your thoughts. Two strategies that work well are repeating the question thoughtfully before answering or saying (slowly), “Now, that is a great question. I think I would have to say….”

28. Brush up on what certain body language conveys. Be aware of what you’re communicating through your posture and stance – and make sure it’s good. (For example, sitting with your arms and legs crossed sends a message that you are closed-off or feel defensive.) Think your movements through ahead of time so you are not distracted (or distracting) during the interview.

29. Use our all-in-one interview guide to compile all the details you need to remember, jot down notes about what you want to say and ask, and check off all the essentials you need to bring. Print one out for every interview, read it over the morning of, and you’ll be good to go!

30. Oh, and get some sleep. This sounds like something your mom would tell you, but there are few things that will throw you off your game like sleep deprivation.

The post The Ultimate Interview Guide: 30 Prep Tips for Job Interview Success appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

There are a few general interview questions that you are likely to be asked, regardless of what job you are interviewing for. One question you will often be asked is, “What interests you about this job?” The interviewer will want to see that you know quite a bit about the job, what the key requirements are, what skills will help you to excel, and how your experience matches up with those expectations.

How to Answer Interview Questions About Why You are Interested in the Job

To help you prepare to answer a question about what interests you about the job, you should carefully read the job posting, noting the stated requirements, skills, and experience. It is also helpful to see if there is more information on the company website about what is expected in the role for which you are applying. Make a list of your skills that pair well with the stated requirements, and try to think of specific examples of when you used these skills for success on the job.

Best Answers

The best way to respond is to describe the qualifications listed in the job posting, then connect them to your skills and experience, using anecdotes from your previous positions. That way, the employer will see that you know about the job you’re interviewing for (not everyone does) and that you have the qualifications necessary to do the job.

Example #1

For example, if you were interviewing for a Human Resources Manager job where you would be responsible for recruiting, orientation and training, you would want to discuss how you were responsible for these functions in your past positions, and why you are interested in continuing to develop your expertise in Human Resources management.

Example #2

Another example would be if you were interviewing for a Programmer / Analyst position. In that case, you would mention your interest in learning and excelling at new technologies, your experience in programming new applications, and your interest in and ability to problem solve.

Make sure you convey your appreciation for the opportunity to interview, as well as your enthusiasm for the position and your solid ability to do the job.

The post Job Interview Question: What Interests You About This Job? appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

1. Be informed about the company and its products. This means do homework (research) on target companies BEFORE they call for an interview. Be enthusiastic and positive. “I’m glad you called. XYZ is the best medical facility in the county, and I’m excited about the chance to be a part of your team!”
2. Ask questions in a proactive manner without waiting until the end of the interview to be asked if you have any questions. “What do you see as the major challenge facing your department?” or “What are the most important attributes the person you plan to hire should possess?”
3. Do not ramble. Stay within a few clear and descriptive sentences that address the topic.
4. Provide answers that tell a vivid story, not just vague descriptors of your value. Always try to give a concrete example – who, what, where, when, how, and with what result.

Handling The First 5 Minutes Of The Call

1. Answer the phone with a happy, upbeat voice. Don’t answer sleepy-sounding or grumpy, and perk up upon learning it’s someone calling about a job. Too late, you already turned the caller off.
2. Be in a quiet place with time to talk. Sound composed, confident, and enthusiastic with knowledge of the company.
3. Take the lead in the conversation. Open with a sincere appreciation – “so glad you called,” etc. Show enthusiasm for the company, what you’ve heard, seen, used, etc.
4. Continue to take the initiative after being told who/why is calling. Don’t sit and wait for the assault. Ask questions first to avoid rambling on about details of yourself or sounding desperate. “Before I start telling you about myself, could you describe to me your ideal candidate for the position?”…“What are you looking for this person to achieve?”…“What is the long-term focus of the company?”…”What are your biggest challenges?”…“Is this a growth position?”
5. Be sure to have a notepad, the resume/letter you sent, and the job description at hand from the start.

Ending The Call

1. Ask if there is anything else they would like to know that you did not provide with your answers.
2. Ask what happens next and what you might expect.
3. Thank the interviewer for his/her time and reiterate your interest in the opportunity.

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Hiring managers don’t always say what’s on their minds, and sometimes this results in a less effective interviewing experience for you, the job candidate. But, regardless of how good or bad your interviewer is, you’ll very likely still get this question: “Why are you interested in this position?”

The reason for that is because your answer says a lot about all of the most important things the interviewer will be evaluating: your skills, your cultural fit, and your interest. In other words, this is definitely not a question you want to screw up. Here are four common mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. You Never Talk About the Company

I recently had a conversation with a recruiter, and she shared this great tidbit with me about what she considers to be the kiss of death for interviews. When people answer, “Why are you interested in this position?” with something about being passionate about programming, writing, or some other skill with no mention at all about the actual company, it’s immediately a red flag. Think about it this way: You can bring your skills anywhere. The trick is explaining why you want to use them for this particular company.

2. You Only Say What’s in it for You

This mistake is particularly common because, well, this is what the question is asking for, isn’t it? Maybe this job would give you the chance to learn a lot about marketing, or it’s an opportunity to grow your quantitative analysis skills—that’s great, but it’s not what your interviewer really wants to hear. At the moment, the hiring manager isn’t the most invested in what’s in it for you; he or she wants to know what’s in it for the company. The solution? Align your interests and say something about your enthusiasm for using your skills to contribute to the company’s greater goal.

3. You Bring Up Points That Aren’t Relevant

In the heat of the moment, it can be really tempting to reveal that the office is actually quite close to your daughter’s school or how the company’s flexible hours policy would make it easier to carpool with your roommate, but don’t give in. These are nice perks, but (hopefully) they’re not the only reason why this position is exciting for you. Plus, you’ll be giving up an opportunity to share the more relevant ones.

4. You Answer the Wrong Question

Have you ever gone on a date with someone who wouldn’t stop talking about his or her ex? Well, turns out this happens during job interviews, too. Don’t be that person who can’t shut up about why you need to leave your old job, stat. Even if the reason you’re job searching is directly related to your previous position, focus on the future. Bring up the skills you’ve developed for sure, but no need to dive into the history of how you acquired them.

This seemly innocuous question is a surprisingly tricky one, especially if you try to answer it without first thinking about your audience. Read this to learn more about how to answer this question strategically. Then, get your story straight, and remember who you’re talking to. It’s just one question, but it can completely shape the way an interviewer views your candidacy.

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