Surf through the interview process

To some extent, the format of an interview is the creation of the interview, therefore; no two interviews are exactly the same. Individual personalities are bound to influence the conduct of an interview. Also, since there is a great deal of mutuality in an interview, you may directly or indirectly influence its course. The basic structure of a job interview is quite standard. A typical interview has four parts but you must take note that all four parts may not be clearly cut as to be easily discernable. Watch out in the next posts, the four parts unvailed one after the other.

Learn the golden tips for winning at job interviews

1. Research the job and the organization 2. Prepare yourself by having at least one practice interview which anticipates all the obvious questions 3. Dress appropriately 4. The interview is a social occasion. Handle it so that you make the interviewer feel comfortable with you 5. Handle all the questions by offering evidence of how your experience fit the job 6. Limit each answer to not more than 2-3 minutes 7. The interview is a two- way process; use it to get more information and to decide whether you still want the job 8. Don't negotiate salary and conditions at the interview, keep it for later when you have actually been offered the job 9. Write a thank you letter after the interview even if you did not get the job.

Be Conscious of Your Personal Grooming, Be Completely Honest, Attitude is a Major Factor

Be pleasant and easy to talk to. Don't be afraid to tell an interviewer about yourself. Be enthusiastic without being loud. Keep your voice modulated. A "Yes" or "No" is usually an inadequate answer to a question. Take the opportunity to tell the interviewer about your goals and strong points. Perhaps an important attribute will come out that you had not previously considered. Misrepresentation is usually an attempt to hide some problems that might get in the way later. It is better to deal with a potential problem immediately, in a straightforward manner, than to have it become a major issue later in the interview and perhaps result in making your entire interview suspect. If it is a matter of being unable to answer a question say so. DO NOT BLUFF. There is no substitute for neatness. Dress in a professional manner. During interview, always keep the primary objective foremost in your mind. If you are qualified for the job and feel you can handle it, say so. SELF-CONFIDENCE IS REWARDED INITIALLY BY EMPLOYER'S CONFIDENCE IN YOU -AND LATER ON WHEN YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL ON YOUR JOB.

First impressions are important, act natural and be yourself

Arrive just on time and walk gracefully in as soon as you are invited at the place of interview. * Bring a copy of your Resume and certificates in case the interview did not bring a copy. * Be certain you know the interviewer's name and find out how to pronounce it. * Be alert, friendly and courteous-but not casual. * It pays to look and act confident. * At the end of the interview, thank your interviewer using his/her name. * Leave your interview as gracefully as you entered. Do not try to "role play". You will not be able to continue to role play once you start. Better to have them hire you, for you and not for someone else.

Learn the right approach to a successful interview

Your ability to market yourself your education, potentials and interests is in direct proportion to your level of preparation. With the type of competition you will face, it is your responsibility to convince the employer that you are qualified. We have established that the purpose of an interview is to exchange information between the interviewer and you so that a preliminary decision can be made as to whether you are among the persons best qualified for the job. This decision probably hinges on what you say and how you act within the time frame of the interview.

Learn the ability to market yourself

Be prepared to tell an employer why you should be hired. You might have to compete with several candidates for just one job, so if you are not prepared to tell the employer why you should be hired, then do not expect to be hired. The cardinal rule to bear in mind for interview preparation is be prepared, confident and positive about yourself. Preparation for job interview should also involve knowing the prospective employers. Who they are? What do they do? Know their services, the type of job available, training programes, and business locations. Read the firm's brochures, annual reports, evaluations and visit their website. Investigate job trends and business forcasts for the firm and its industry. Keep current by getting information on current news regarding the industry . It may also be useful to find out what led to the job being created. You need to know what specific challenges the employer is expecting a prospecting employee to solve.

Success in life occurs when opportunity meets preparation

The job interview is the means by which the employer and you come together and communicate to determine common interests. It gives the employer an opportunity to look you over and ask for additional information that may not appear on the application form or CV. It also might be the first time you and the employer are meeting. For these reasons,the first interview is the most critical and should be the focal point of ýour job search. The key to a successful job interview is a sound presentation. So begin with yourself. This should have been attained if you have carefully followed through the suggestions in the previous posts. The next thing is to be prepared to express your qaulifications and abilities in an organized, logical and convincing manner. Keep in mind that the interviewers have been trained to ask questions designed to reveal your strong and weak points.

The advice useful when sending a cover letter with a resume

1. Your name, address, phone number and email address. 2. Date 3. Contact and address 4. Salutation 5. Introduction Paragraph 6. Body Paragraph 7. Closing Paragraph 8. Signature 9. Name 10. Enclosure. The following advice is useful when sending a cover letter with resume: * Your resume/CV and cover letter should match in both style and appearance. * Fold them together and mail in a matching envelope. * If you are e-mailing resume as an attachment, it's not necessary to also attach a cover letter. The e-mail message itself serves as a cover letter. Write it accordingly. * Address the letter to a specific individual. * Keep in mind that your cover letter is also a writing sample, just like your resume. Use it to demonstrate your best "simple and direct" writing style. * Cross-check your information before final submission. * Make a copy for your file.

The application or cover letter

When applyiny for a job vacancy, or making a speculative application to a company where you would like to work, your CV must always be accompanied by an introductory letter. If you are sending a hard copy of your CV, the letter will be printed out and sent along with the CV. When e-mailing your CV as an attachment, the latter will form text part accompanying the e-mail. The quality of the letter should be high as it provides an opening shot; it creates the first impression about you. An impressive letter can sometimes overcome the odd weakness in a CV; conversely, a poor letter might cause a perfectly good CV to be thrown into the trash can.

Guidelines for writing a winning CV

1.Be careful to avoid errors, typos and poor grammar. 2 Ensure that the right dates are included in appropriate places. 3 Spend a bit extra to ensure that your CV is in an appropriate envelope, so that it looks as good as it did when you printed it out. 4 Avoid long resumes. The majority of CVs are prepared on three A4 pages, except when you have some comprehensive amount of information. 5 When using on-line application, ensure that you use a format that your recipient specified and can easily retrieve. 6 When using a CV Bank, ensure you paste your CV in the appropriate box on the website. 7 Avoid including personal information that are not relevant to the job. 8 Avoid poor formatting; Boxes, templates, tables, use of headers and footers. 9 Keep things simple and honest. Aggrandizing your job experience makes you sound silly. 10 Make sure the name of the company you worked in is clearly listed as well as the position you held there. One doesn't work without the other. 12 Use a few figures to put your accomplishments in context. If you helped grow sales, by what percentage? If you slashed operating costs, how much did it save the company? 13 Avoid being misleading about your education. If you attended business school but did not earn an MBA, make sure it doesn't look like you're implying that you did. 14 You want your resume to convey your solid character. Omit anything that might smear it, such as dubious awards, memberships in controversial organizations, or an affiliation with a political party(unless, of course, you work in politics).

The Application or cover letter

The design of your CV should ultimately reflect your personality and your suitability for the job for which you are applying. Your CV Should be typed on a computer using appropriate fonts and style. It is advisable that you keep a copy on a compact disc so that you can always adapt it to each occasion. When applying for a job vacancy, or making a speculative application to company where you would like to work, your CV must always be accompanied by an introductory letter. If you are sending a hard copy of your CV, the letter will be printed out and sent along with the CV. When e-mailing your CV as an attachment, the letter will form the text part accompanying the e-mail. The quality of the letter should be high as it provides an opening shot; it create s the first impression about you. An impression letter can sometimes overcome the odd weakness in a CV; conversely, a poor letter might cause a perfectly good CV to be thrown into the trash can.

Applying for a job

A good CV or Resume should have the following descriptive headings: 1 Name and Address: There should be name, email, telephone and contact address on the CV which should be current and in line with other documents. 2 Career Objective: This is a brief description of your career expectations. 3 Work Experience: Past work with various employers, functions/responsibilities, dates, special projects undertaken. 4 Training: Relevant training attended and dates. 5 Educational Qualifications: Institutions attended with dates, qualifications and awards 6 Membership of professional bodies: Indicate membership of relevant professional associations. 7 Skills: Indicate special skills that may aid the employer's decision about you. 8 Interests: Indicate special hobbies or recreational interests 9 Bio-data: Names, Age and Marital Status 10 Referees: Make mention of people that can give an objective and best appraisal of your abilities.

The packaging of your abilities

The term CV is commonly used in united kingdom, while Resume is widely used in the United State of America and many other parts of the world. They both communicate the same idea about the applicant and are often used interchangeably. However, while a resume tends to be more detailed about the personality of the applicant, a CV tends to focus on just the qualification and job history of an applicant. Resume or CV can be written in Chronological or Functional formats. A combination of the two descriptions is most widely used. 1 Chronological ¡. Lists your work history in reverse chronological order(most recent first) ¡¡. This is the format preferred by many employers. ¡¡¡. Works best for those who have progressed in titles and have a good work history. 2 Functional ¡. Centers around skill areas that relate to the position for which you are applying. ¡¡. Works well for those with limited education, significant employment gaps, lack of work experience, or experience in a different field. This format can be used by both recent graduates and career changers.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

The application procedure for a job will vary depending on how you learnt or got information about the job; it is therefore necessary to plan for various approaches. A job search file should be maintained and it should contain updated documents about you. This ensures a better organization and ability to react to any and all job leads that may come to your attention. Applying for a job is usually done through two major important documents: 1. Resume or Curriculum Vitae(CV) 2.The Application or Cover Letter. RESUME OR CURRICULUM VITAE(CV) Resume or CV is a document that helps you to package yourself for prospective employers. This is a critical aspect of a job search process because it is the first impression you will make to an employer, and there is never a second chance to make a first impression. Your CV or Resume is the packaging of your abilities in the market place. It is the powerful impression you radiate when a prospective employer meets and discusses with you. Your CV should be a concise, factual and attractive document.