5 Interview Strategies for Introverts

 5 Interview Strategies for Introverts

 Interviewing for your dream job can be intimidating. To get the best outcomes, there are some steps you must follow. Being you is all that matters, but you cannot walk in with a braggy attitude and except to be nominated for the position; and you cannot keep your head down and avoid conflict either. There are some lines that should not be crossed and some tips to be aware of when interviewing.

Introverts have a hard time making a long-lasting impression. Overthinking might become unbearable and for some, even intolerable. Some people might get lost during the interview and blackout. Being nervous and stressed out about God knows what reason does not help either. If you are an introvert, here are some techniques that might help you focus.

 

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You can book an interview coaching session and/or a Mock Interview with an interview coach by e-mailing employmentking@gmail.comjob interview1. Map Out a Plan Beforehand

Before the day of the interview, map out a well-designed plan. Being in control of what happens will make everything easier for you. Focusing on a strategy is a good method to get rid of unwanted stress. Here is an example (of course, you can plan your days as you want, but that’s how I’d do it!):

• For at least one week before the interview, practice speaking. I know that this sounds terrifying for an introvert, but trust me – the more you practice, the better you become. When shopping, talk to a random person at the supermarket; when a colleague asks you something, ask them out for lunch and conversate; become inherently interested in what other people have to say.

• Two days before the interview, research the company well and come up with specific questions – make phone calls, stalk them on social media, ask a friend, do whatever you find necessary to have as much info about them as you can (nothing must surprise you when interviewing!).

• One day before the interview, try to relax. Even if you have work to do in the morning, take 20 minutes right after you wake up to meditate. Then work! In the afternoon, leave some time for yourself again to do what you like – go for a run, bike, or have a chat with a close friend.

• One night before the interview, read the questions you’ve prepared again. Meditate again if it fits you. Then sleep tight and wake up smiling!

• The day of the interview: BE CONFIDENT. You are prepared. You’re going to nail it!

2. Be Opened to Small Talk

Us, introverts, hate small talk – why would people talk randomly about random stuff? I totally understand your concern. But we must accept society as it is, and most of the times, do what’s required. A little bit of small talk won’t kill you. Here are some tips on how to survive it:

• Remember that the anxiety you’re feeling is not a threat, it’s an experience!
• Don’t force yourself to be in the spotlight – if you are an introvert, you are an introvert, full stop. Accept it, embrace it, love yourself!

• Try to answer questions integrally – when someone asks, “how are you?” tell them! Don’t say “good, how are you?” Tell them about your day, about your night, about your lifestyle – anything that pops up into your mind.

• Ask questions in return – after you’ve opened up to one person, ask them about their life. How are they doing? How was their day? How was their night? Be interested in others! You got the point?

• After ending a conversation, take mental notes of what could’ve gone better and improve your small talk skills with every dialogue you have!

 

3. The First and Last Impressions Matter

Clara Johnson, writer at a professional assignment writing service and life coach, shares her opinion. “Studies have shown that people who look confident become confident! If you have a strong hand shake and a straight posture as soon as you walk into the room, the recruiter will definitely notice your self-assured attitude.”

Another thing to remember is that you want to end the interview in a pleasant way. Show them you are made for the job until the end! Leave the room keeping the same straight posture, smile, and let them know you are truly interested. Shake hands again, be formal, but keep it natural.

4. Keep a Casual Tone

Your tone should match your recruiter’s. If you have a high-pitched tone, you’ll seem exhaustingly nervous. If you have a low-pitched tone, you’ll seem bored and unenthusiastic. Try to keep it somewhere between! I must highlight again: if you cannot figure that out on your own, match your interviewer’s voice.

 

Interview questions and answers

 

 

5. Tell Them the Truth

I know you might not consider this the best choice right now but trust me: admitting that you are an introvert will make them like you more. Not everyone has the courage to own up to their weaknesses. Many people brag about their qualities when interviewed, yet when they’re asked, “what’s your biggest weak spot?” they freeze and have no answer.

And think about it: we are all anxious about being interview! That means we are all introverts in a way or another. Some people prefer to put on a mask and pretend they are completely unaffected by the situation, while others have the nerve to confess their uneasiness.

A complex employee knows his or her qualities and weaknesses and can always admit his or her mistakes. That makes them trustworthy, honorable, and reliable in any situation.

Wrapping Up

Map out a plan before the interview, be opened to small talk, make a good first and last impression, keep a casual tone, and be honest – these are the rules to getting your dream job!

AUTHOR BIO

Looking for an article full of depth, yet easy to comprehend? Barbara Mitchell has been involved in writing for a good amount of time. Being a part of media marketing on the net has also impacted on her life.

 

 

Interview Preparation Resources

 

 

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Footwear Designer Job Interview Questions

 Footwear Designer Interview Questions

Working in a creative industry, footwear designer interviewers will ask job interview questions on innovation, idea formation and how to take an idea to market.

The footwear industry is massive, with footwear designers working for high street brands; Nike, Adidas, Ecco or specialising in, as an example mountain footwear working for companies like Northface or Alpkit.

Some designers also work designing trainers and shoes for catwalks, the sports profession or for the Army.

Depending on the sub-sector footwear industry, the job interview will have specific questions related to the field the job is advertised in.

All footwear designer interveiw, do, however, ask questions relating to:

  • Working with design teams to review styles, trends and materials.
  • The design process.
  • Quality checks and overseeing production.

Footwear Designer Job Interview Questions and Answers

Tell me about your experience as a footwear designer?

  • First state the length of industry experience you have and what industries you have worked in; fashion, sports, mountaineering.
  • Explain what duties you have performed. Have you been involved in just the design phase or overseeing production?
  • Highlight any key successes and talk about designs that become popular – where you part of the team that designed the ‘Nike Air’ brand?

How is technology developing the footwear design industry?

  • Prior to the job interview, research footwear technology as some job interveiwers will ask questions to test your knowledge of technology that currently use.
  • List different footwear technology widely used in the industry, stating the pro’s and con’s of each of them.
  • Finally, give an example of you using technology in your business as usual duties.

Give me an example of using computer-aided design (CAD) software and graphics packages to create a strong product that creates buy-in from a client?

  • When answering this interview question, give a detailed description of the whole process:
  • Talk about receiving the client brief, and the creation of ideas – what was on the brief that helped to shape the footwear you designed?
  • Discuss which technology you used to create a sample shoe or trainer. If designing a specialist shoe IE for a disabled person, what did you take into consideration?
  • Explain how the shoe sample was presented to the customer and anything you said to encourage the order.

What factors do you take into account when designing footwear?

  • Link the factors to the position you are applying for. IE, for mountain shoes, you would consider waterproofing, grip and ankle support.
  • Talk about the project cost, materials and timeframe.
  • Discuss how you look at the design to the production project plan.

What considerations do think about when a client asks you to design footwear based on a theme (ready-to-wear, high street)? 

  • State how you first discuss the design with the client to ensure the specifics are correct – as this saves time.
  • Next, explain how you review older designs and market research to help ensure the new design will be popular.
  • Finally, list the common factors; cost, material, timeframe.

What questions do you ask when reviewing the project brief with a client?

  • What is must or desired
  • Materials and quality vs cost
  • Is the project for design only or does it include production?
  • Timeframes
  • Any project risks.

Give an example of collaborating with a design team?

  • Answer this interview question with a real-life example;
  • Discuss the project brief and any discussions with the client
  • Talk about sharing ideas with the design team, and how a final idea was chosen.
  • Explain the process for creating a sample shoe and how the design team looked for faults.

Interview questions and answers

Share a time when you worked on a product to improve the design?

  • Explain the original problems with the current design and what the show wasn’t selling
  • Discuss how you look at the fault to find possible solutions
  • Talk about sharing ideas with the design team and quality check measures you undertook
  • Finally, give a positive outcome to the -redesign. This could include how the new shoes sold well.

How do you handle stressful situations, especially when having to meet deadlines?

  • Answer this question with a real-life example;
  • State the situation; the design brief, timeline and any pressure the design team was under.
  • Talk about how you prioritised tasks based on urgency and importance, and how this process keeps you calm and under control.
  • Give an outcome – how the shoe was designed on time to a high quality

Do you have any questions for me?

  • Ask about company expansion
  • Ask if the company is looking to enter a new shoe market
  • Ask about training and development
  • Ask about company culture.

4 Questions To Ask On Your First Day Of Work

What 4 Questions To Ask On Your First Day Of Work

The first day of a job may be intimidating, but it is also an invaluable opportunity for learning. This is the perfect chance for you to meet and stand true to the expectations of your employer. In order to prove that you were indeed the best candidate, you have to ask the right questions. These questions are what could help you smoothly transition into your new work life.

If you’re confused about which question to ask for the best impression, we can help you out. You would find a list of questions below that can help you greatly as well as impress your boss and coworkers:

1. What To Focus On

When you and your manager start working together, you need to know what his expectations are. Don’t just start working on assumptions, even if you’ve been in a similar position before. Every workplace operates differently. Being a newbie, you may not be given certain responsibilities until you prove yourself as a reliable and trustworthy worker.

On the other hand, you need to take some initiative and ask what you’re supposed to do. Sitting like a robot waiting to be given instructions is again not the best way to meet expectations. Show that you can be part of a team to both the HR department and your manager. Stay active, alert, and on the go.

2. Who To Meet

Being in a workplace means you have to go to certain people in order to get certain jobs done. You hence need to know whose signatures are required on documents; whom you need to see about your schedule, and so on.

Additionally, you could also ask HR or your manager about the main people you need to know in order to stabilize your position. There are always a few key players who can best guide you around your new job, even if they’re not in the senior most positions. At this point, you can foster the relationships that would best help you advance in your new workplace. This would spur your career to new heights much more quickly than otherwise.

   

3. The Second In Command

There may be days, weeks, or even months when your manager is not on duty. Times like these could be a hassle, especially for the new person. Even if the manager is present for the day, he would have several meeting or conferences to attend. In such cases, who do you report to? You may run into a problem at any time or have to take permission for something. Doing it your way when the manager is not there may cause a lot of snags and conflicts later on.

Plus, having someone to guide you in the first few weeks at least is a huge way of relieving the stress upon you. This is the time when you have to get your bearing, so the more support you have the better.

This would help you to remain in a clear and calm state of mind, and not become disorganized in the beginning. Hence, the rest of your time with this company would be smooth sailing by consequence.

4 How To Communicate

Your office network may have its own LAN, or they may prefer to use a more generic form of an email. Whichever the case, you need to ask around and find out how to get your voice heard. It may or may not be appropriate to reply to an email from your manager at times. For instance, if you have a problem with the meeting time, you may have to take it up in person. Then again, many offices rely on electronic communication for the best and most inclusive discussions.

Interview questions and answers

Wrap-Up…

You may have a chance to ask these questions on the first day of your job. Even if you don’t, ask your manager or a superior for a few minutes of their time. Jot down any other burning question you may have so that you can get your answers all in one go with wasting too much time.

Author Bio

Teresia Clark is an Educator, Career Counselor, and a Blogger. In addition, she is known as a credible source for students who think “Can anyone do my assignment for me?” In her blogs, she discusses various topics related to education, career management, and professional life. She is a technology buff and has a collection of gadgets that she uses for different purposes.

4 Insightful Tips To Get Hired When You’re Over 40!

4 Insightful Tips To Get Hired When You’re Over 40!

As we get older, our skills and mindsets generally tend to get a little old-fashioned. This, along with several other reasons, is why companies don’t usually prefer hiring older candidates. While their reservations are not unfounded, it’s a pity if one is held back in their career due to their age.

Age discrimination, however, is just as dangerous and almost as nonsensical as the racial and gender kind. If you’re facing this situation or in fear of facing it, here’s how to bag a good job at the age of 40 or over:

1. Show Your Tech Literacy

One of the major excuses employers give for not hiring older workers is that they’re not too good with technology. You know that you can learn all about the latest updates and social media trends. Hence, brush up on your knowledge and practices related to technology before you go in for that interview. Add your acquired skill to your resume, and show your potential employers that they’ve got nothing to worry about.

You should also consider starting a blog and publicize it as much as possible. Keep it updated so that those who interview you could see your technological know-how much more easily. To be an even bigger catch for your future employers, fill the blog with content that is connected to your field. For instance, if you are applying for a teaching job, have your blog full of the subject you are most interested in, as well as some posts on education in general.

   

2. Show Them How Advanced You Are

Being up to date on technological advancements is only one aspect of a job. Employers are looking for workers that are forward-thinking, innovative, and quick to think of new solutions. Show them that you’re a good candidate for such jobs by letting them know how open you are to the modern world. You can do this by being very active on social media, documenting your vast travels, and generally being creative. All this would come together to show how dynamic and exciting an addition you would be to your workplace of choice.

Keep in mind that it’s not just about your age, but also the generation you belong to. There’s a generation gap even between siblings who are less than a decade apart in age. Hence, you should have an open mind and be ready to take on new challenges and new ways of living without judgment.

Interview questions and answers

3. Eat Healthy And Exercise

Being first is not the end of the world, but you simply should not be eating like teenagers do. Your metabolism is slowing down, as well as other functions of your body. Acknowledge this part of your life, but then take the steps necessary for dealing with it. Older employees also prevent more health problems, which is actually a logical reason for employers preferring a younger age slot.

However, if you start leading a healthy lifestyle, you can show your potential employers that you’re not such a huge risk. A wheezing candidate for any job would make interviews and hiring agencies to think twice. On the other hand, an older person who looks to be in the best of health would not give rise to such worries.

You don’t have to make any drastic changes here or even break the bank to get a gym membership. However, running/walking every day, getting fresh air, doing yoga/Zumba, and eating right could do wonders in a month or so.

Wrap-Up…

While older workers may face certain hurdles in getting a job, they can prove themselves worthy of the risk. In fact, most of the objections towards workers over 40 are baseless and unfair. We can’t change the system in the short term, but we can consider working around it.

Author Bio

Jaelyn Arias is a passionate Blogger and an Educator. Apart from being a pro blogger, she is also involved in coursework help UK. In addition, she also guides fresh graduates about career management.

Interview Preparation Resources

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Can You Overcome Job Interview Nerves?

Overcome Job Interview Nerves?

Did you know that the job interview is often voted as the number one fear for Americans and Brits alike?

Do you need to be charismatic to pass a job interview?

You don’t need to be super confident to win the job interview, but having fears and anxieties during the recruitment process will lead to you missing out on the chance to increase your salary, a chance to move up a step on the career ladder, in short, the chance to pass the job interview.

How to overcome interview nerves – Practice and Strategies 

Most people only spend around 45 minutes preparing for a job interview.

Whereas, interview professionals spend around 4-5 hours preparing, as they know that a successful job interview can be life-changing – how long do you, on average, spend preparing for your job interview?

The first way to increase your interview confidence is to use job interview answer strategies. Having a strategy is like having a plan; with a plan, you feel more in control and feeling in control equals confidence.

A job interview strategy allows you to answer those curve ball interview questions with ease. Imagine you get asked one of the most common asked questions in interviews:

The most commonly asked Job Interview Question.

“Tell me about your (add industry; example – sales management) experience?”

This question, normally asked at the beginning of an interview, gives you the opportunity to deliver a short statement about your experiences and skills relevant to the job position you are applying for. But most people struggle to answer this question with confidence (which makes the rest of the interview go downhill) because they have no strategy.

With a simple strategy, you can answer with all interview questions with ease, as you focus on the strategy not what you are saying. The mind shift in focus creates confidence.

The strategy for (most) interview questions is ‘ADS.’

Answer, Detail, Summary – following this strategy,  you will answer the  interview question straight away by using a confirmation statement, next you give detail (often in the form of a story/experience) which highlights either your experience or your unique selling point, before finally summarising your interview answer (reaffirming your selling point)

With all interview questions the employer is looking for a key skill or experience (to check if you are suitable for the position in their organisation) The interviewer with opening job interview questions want to know if you have the generic experience and skills for this role, the following questions will help undercover specific required skills.

  • Answer – give the duration of time in this industry “I have worked in X sector for 15 years…” then state several achievements to highlight your competencies “….during this time I have achieved Y and Z…”
  • Detail – start a story or state an experience to create an emotionally based interview answer “….I did by (add story)…” or “an example of this was when I ….”
  • Summarise – sum up the whole interview answer “….This is why I’m applying for the advertised position, with my 15 years experience and my ability to Y and Z, I know I will be asset to your organisation” to reconfirm your unique selling point.

Remember a strategy gives you confidence, a platform and a plan to rely on when feeling nervous.

Job Interview Fear Destroying Technique.

The process of understanding how job interveiw anxiety works can be complicated but put simply;

When you are nervous, your heart beats erratically, this erratic heartbeat sends a signal to the  amygdala part of your brain. This signal fires of the flight, fight or freeze response. In this state your mind works differently, your logical part of your brain shuts down and you respond automatically – this is why you forget your well planned job interview answers during the job interview.

For more information on how you can control your  mind read this book Evolve the Mind  

Control Interview Anxiety.

To control this reaction all you need to do is control your breathing – as this sends the opposite signal to your brain. To be in control you need to breath rhythmically.

  • Breath in for 4 seconds
  • Hold the breath for 3 seconds
  • Breath out for 8 seconds (a long strong breath)
  • Repeat until you feel relaxed

Rhythmic breathing changes your hart rate and sends more oxygen to your brain helping you to create a state of relaxation. This is key because the most charismatic interviewees are those who come across controlled and relaxed.

The Job Interview Power Game 

People become afraid when intimidated by others.

The job interview is often, unintentionally (with some high powered job interviews – intentionally) a power play. In a one to one situation, there is always a power game where one person is more in control then the other; we often take our lead from this power person without being aware of it.

In the job interview you need to be in charge. To become more powerful you can show your authority for your sector by stating information about the sector that other people aren’t aware of (a quick google search can help you uncover some interesting facts about your niche) or become an industry expert. 

The person power play is a barrier to interview confidence, the person power play is when you react differently to different people in the same situation; if you see someone s intimidating you will feel intimidated.

Feel more confident in a job interview.

First, you need to dress to impress, everything about you has to shout power.

Secondly, and more importantly, you need to look for those little things that will show you at the interview is human: look for scuffed shoes, dandruff, loose buttons on shirts or a dirty office. By finding things that diminish the feeling of power from the interviewer you will feel more relaxed – the best state for a job interview

The power game is simple but has a massive psychological impact on your job interview and the job interview outcome

Conclusion 

Many people are afraid of job interviews. The truth is if you prepare for your job interview, by predicting the job interview questions, you can easily prepare your job interview answers.

If your job interview answers highlight your unique selling point, are stated in the positive and are said in a confident manner, then you can influence the job interview to increase job offer.

The techniques stated above are simple and easy to implement. They will help you to control your state creating a state of confidence that allows you to sell yourself while remembering your key selling points.

Interview Preparation Resources

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Are You To Busy To Prepare For a Job Interview?

Do You Fail To Prepare For a Job Interview?

You are offered a job interview for a position you really desire, you have 2 weeks to prepare yourself…two weeks later, with no preparation, the day of your job interview has arrived. Why am I so busy? If I were less busy I could have prepared better

Busy people often find it hard to prepare for a job interview, but here is how you can swap busy to productive

Busy vs Productive

There is a difference between having a busy life or a productive life….the big difference is, productive people, get things done.

Are you busy or productive?
  • Busy people have lots of goals, productive people have priorities  
  • Busy people say yes to everyone, productive people way up the action against the required time 
  • Busy set long deadlines, productive people set short deadlines
  • Busy never finish anything, productive people finish one task before moving onto the next task
  • Busy people keep starting new task/goals, productive people are focused on what they are doing

   

To-Do List

How big is your to-do list?

Even when you feel motivated having a list of a hundred tasks to complete will distract you, as you will always think about the next task.

Once your mind wanders from the current activity, you will lose focus, once you lose focus you will start a new task, that results in getting nothing completed.

This is what happens when preparing for a job interview. You decide that your goal is to research the company, predict the interview questions, create creative job interview answers, choose what to wear, research the interviewer……

As you start one task, researching the company” you lose focus “this company looks professional, best think about my presentation…before you know you have your nose stuck in the wardrobe, with no or little research completed.

Productive people have a maximum of 3 tasks. Once they are completed they will pick 3 new task

Interview questions and answers

Don’t Say Yes

You have two weeks until your job interview – plenty of time (if you set short deadlines for each task – short deadlines are more motivational then long deadlines)

Someone asks you to do X, you think “Well it’s hard thinking of great job interview answers, so I will take a break complete X and then get back to it. When doing X someone asks you to do another task….it is easy to get distracted especially when you find your current task hard.

Even simple tasks like researching the company can have the same effect, but rather than someone else asking you to do X, you ask yourself. When researching the organisation, you find the image and name of the interviewer, you ask yourself “shall I google him?” before long you are reviewing his Twitter feed, looking at his holiday pictures on facebook,  researching his family history….by this time you have forgotten to research the company history

Productive people way up each task, how will this affect by goal (with a short term deadline) if it has a negative effect productive people say no (in a very polite manner, of course)

Things You Should Never Say During a Promotional Job Interview

Don’t Mention These Things During a Promotional Job Interview

If you have worked for your organisation for a long time, you may feel that in a promotional job interview you can relax and communicate as if you were talking to a friend.

It doesn’t matter what type of relationship you have with your manager, in a job interview, even an internal promotional job interview, you need to act professionally

In the job interview, people communicate off the cuff, reacting to the question they were asked. This is where your guard is down and where poor communication slips out.

Remember, even if you are on good terms with your manager, you need to remember that often you are interviewed by two people – one often being an HR representative. Also, all interviewers have to follow an interview scoring process – this means you may have a friendly interview, but if you don’t answer the questions meeting the criteria of the interview scorecard you won’t be offered the position.

Never Get Defensive

When asked about previous mistakes never ever say that it wasn’t your job, task, responsibility, as X should have done it. Instead, explain how you have learned from the mistake and what you would do differently in a similar situation.

The interview question may have been generalized (the manager doesn’t blame you, rather they worded the interview question wrongly) or if the manager does wrongly blame you the interview isn’t the place to get defensive 

   

You Know Me….

In a promotional job interview, it is easy to get flustered. You are asked a competency interview question and you way up how far to stretch the truth. In external job interviews, the white lies go unnoticed, but your internal job interviewer knows you, they have known you for 10 years (or however long you have worked for the organisation)

When feeling stuck, the internal job applicant often refers to a blotchy response “you know me, I’m a hard worker, so i will do what i have to do…” The problem here, even when your employer knows that the hard worker statement is the truth, you still aren’t giving the required details to score high on the interview scorecards.

These days its the detailed answers that will get you the job offer

Also bare in mind, that your boss might not know all the in’s and out’s of what you did on previous projects. The interview is the place to state the situation, what you did to achieve X and the positive outcome to your hard work – even if they already know everything you are about to tell them

Interview questions and answers

Bad Mouth Others

This is a big know -know

Never, ever, ever bad mouth your colleagues, even the one’s everyone knows are lazy, during a job interview….especially when an HR representative is part of the job interview process

If asked about other colleagues, simply say that everyone works to their best ability – this is a great ambiguous line to keep you out of trouble

How To Answer The 3 Most Commonly Asked Job Interview Questions

The 3 Most Commonly Asked Job Interview Questions

The job interview is easy!

I know, for most people a job interview is their worst nightmare…only because they haven’t predicted what will happen.

Most employers they don’t spend too much time creating a bespoke job interview process, instead, they ask commonly asked interview questions. Some even google “10 interview questions to ask at a job interview”

For the interviewee, this is gold. You can use this employer laziness to predict the questions and prepare killer answers.

Below you see 3 of the most commonly asked interview questions that you are sure to face in your next job interview.

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Common Asked Interview Question 1

“tell me about yourself”


Common Asked Interview Question 2

“what are your weaknesses?”

Common Asked Interview Question 3

“why did you leave your last job?”

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3 Questions Never to Ask In a Job Interview

Never to Ask These Questions in a Job Interview

 The one question all interviewees are asked, no matter what the job sector or the position you are applying for is, “do you have any questions for me?” This is a crucial time for any interviewee, and you must ask at least 2 intelligent questions.

But people can be stupid. This stupidity comes out in the questions they ask their interviewer. Here are 3 questions you should never ask a potential employer.

Questions You Should Never Ask an Interviewer

“Do the team socialise after work?”

Questions relating to external work activities are a big no, no.

The interview is a workplace discussion, any questions relating to meeting up in a bar, going for weekends away or any social activities can leave a question in the employer’s mind about what you value.

Employers look for employees who value work over play, an employee who cares for the role, someone who puts the organisation first.

Ask questions instead on the company projection, new potential contracts or investments. Ask them about the future of the business not the business of socialising.

“How do I get your job?”

People wrongly believe that all employers want you to be ambitious.

The truth is, employers, want you to be dedicated not ambitious. Think about imagine interviewing a highly skilled worker who you know wants your job, would you recruit them, potentially putting your position in jeopardy.

Instead ask questions of personal development opportunistic, internal training and how you can showcase your innovative ideas.

“What package can you offer me?”

You do need to ask about the offer, as your salary is a key factor when deciding if you should take the offered position or not. But you need to wait for the job offer before negotiations.

Again, employers want an individual who thinks about the position, the company, the business.

They can be easily put off someone with all the required skills and experiences if they believe they only care about what they can get from the deal.

How To Ace A Video Interview

Ace the Video Interview, Tips for Job Hunters

Online job interviews are more coming ever so popular with more large employers and recruitment agencies using a video platform as a time-saving device in their recruitment process.

However, video job interviews is a difficult task for any fresh recruit. There are several tips that you can implement to increase your chances of a job interview.

Be warn the interview questions may be the same but how you communicate online differs from a face to face job interview. 

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The Basics

We need to cover the basics.

Ok, check you have a good internet connection (you need both good upload and download speed)

Prepare your interview answers as you do with all job interviews. Not sure how to do this? Simply use the search engine of this site to find commonly asked interview questions (you can check this by sector)

You still need to dress appropriately and think about your USP your Unique Selling Point

Control the Environment 

The environment for the video job interview is key. It is easy for the interviewer to become distracted by your background, interruptions and poor internet quality   

You need to create a blank background. You can do this by panning the camera in on a wall you sit in front or by using a sheet to create a blank canvas

Ensure to tell your house mates not to enter the room (this seems obvious but is a common mistake) and turn of your phone

This is simple advice but this is key. A distracted interviewer doesn’t listen to your interview answer, which means you don’t get the job offer

Avoid Using Online Platforms on your Mobile Phone

Using iPad or camera phone can be a major mistake for a video interview. The small screen size of an iPad is considered too small to engage a candidate. Instead, you should use a LED monitor which is big enough to clearly show the foreground and background of the space of the candidate.

A good-sized screen will allow also you to thoroughly scrutinize the body language of the candidate which is important to analyze his behavior during the interview.

Pace Your Communication

When you practice this, and you do need to practice this technique. You need to talk twice as slow as you do in normal life and leave longer gaps between sentences.

A lot of communication is lost on a video interview. Even though the interviewer can see on the screen a large percentage of body language, gestures and facial expression (all key non-verbal communication)  is lost or missed 

Due to this, you need to increase your verbal communication. Watch your pace, speed, volume and increase your chance of tonality, gaps in sentences and delete any “filler” words.