Tag: job interview preparation

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3 Out The Box Ways to Prepare for Your Job Interview

Think Out The Box to Prepare for a Job Interview

What career advisers don’t tell you when they coach you to pass a job interview, is that job interview success doesn’t just come from researching job interview questions and preparing killer answers.

Job Interview success comes from being in the right state.

Scientists long ago taught us that your emotional state changes your behavior. If you are stressed and nervous you will act differently, you will give different answers  and you will come across differently, than you would if you were focused, excited and in a flow state.

To get into a positive flow state you need to increase dopamine levels in your brain – dopamine is the happy chemical that is release for pleasure and reward.

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Increase Dopamine, Increase Interview Success #1

To increase dopamine levels you first need to write out a list of things you need to do to prepare for your interview (things you need to do on the interview day).

Include basic things that you know you need to do, iron your shirt. As you do each task, physically tick it off the list. Your mind likes to see things being achieved. As you achieve each task you release more dopamine.

Increase Dopamine, Increase Interview Success #2

Dance…or at least move about (this can include going for a run).

Exercise is key for high levels of dopamine while releasing stress. If you mix this with drinking an increase in water you have a positive formula.

Many failed interviewees, rather than exercise, will sit and worry about the forthcoming job interview – all this leads to is an increase in stress and anxiety. As Taylor Swift said “shake it out, shake it out”

Interview questions and answers

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Increase Dopamine, Increase Interview Success #3

Relax, Remember and Re-enact.

You have had many successes. As you are preparing for a job interview, these successes which make up the back bone of your interview answers, should be at the forefront of your mind.

The secret hear is not just to remember each success, but to remember how the success felt. As you remember each success you will feel it inside yourself, releasing even more dopamine

Follow these 3 steps:

  1. Take ten long deep breaths with your eyes closed (while sitting in a comfortable chair in a room you won’t be disturbed in)
  2. Remember each success in turn; imagine being there – see what you can see, hear what you can hear and re-feel the positive emotion
  3. Focus in on this emotion and imagine that you can amply this feeling, keep turning up the feeling until you feel it at its peak

Employment King offer;

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  • Career Advice in Manchester
  • Online Interview Coaching
  • Interview Confidence Sessions in Manchester
  • Interview and Presentation Sessions in Manchester
  • Mock Interview Sessions in Manchester

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10 Job Interview Questions for an Applications Developer

Job Interview Questions – Applications Developer

The applications sector is on the increase, there are more phones than people in the world!

With an increase in jobs in application developer roles, there is always an increase in competition.

An application developer translates software requirements into workable programming code and maintains and develops programs for use in business. In the job interview  you need to show how you get computers to perform specific tasks, based on the client’s specifications.

There is a range of key skills and experiences that you must discuss in the job interview.

To prepare for the game developer job interview you need to prepare answers to the following common asked interview questions

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Applications Developer Job Interview Question 1

Please start by giving me an overview of your experience as an applications developer, highlighting your key achievements.

Applications Developer Job Interview Question  2

How do you establish a detailed programme specification?

Applications Developer Job Interview Question 3 

Explain how you clarify what actions the programme is to perform?

Applications Developer Job Interview Question  4

How do you anticipate potential problems and find solutions?

Applications Developer Job Interview Question  5

What programming languages are you familiar with?

Applications Developer Job Interview Question 6

Give me an example of writing detailed documentation for the operation of the program by users and computer operators?

Applications Developer Job Interview Question  7 

Give an example of adopting the programme as the contractor demands?

Interview questions and answers

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Applications  Developer  Job Interview Question 8 

How do you evaluate your progress?

Applications Developer Job Interview Question 9

Give an example of working within a team to successfully develop an app?

Applications Developer Job Interview Question 10

Do you have any questions for me?

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10 Job Interview Questions for a Games Developer

Pass a Games Developer Job Interview

The gaming industry is a multi-billion pound industry with an expected 5% increase in gaming jobs in the UK over the next 5 years.

A games developer can work in different areas of the process from the designer to programming, from computer animation to art roles.

The game developer role is a creative team role and you need to highlight these skills in the game developer job interview. You will be asked questions on the job duties and responsibilities, as well as being asked to showcase your work.

To prepare for the game developer job interview you need to prepare answers to the following common asked interview questions

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Game Develop Job Interview Questions

Game Developer Job Interview Question 1

Please start by giving my an overview of your experience in game development and why you entered this industry?

Game Developer Job Interview Question  2

How do you interpret a customer design brief?

Game Developer Job Interview Question 3 

Explain the process you use for developing games from the initial concept?

Game Developer Job Interview Question  4

How do you create a storyboard using a clients brief?

 Game Developer Job Interview Question  5

What programming languages are you familiar with?

Game Developer Job Interview Question 6 

What do you do to ensure that their are no bugs in the game?

Game Developer Job Interview Question  7 

Give an example of solving a complex technical problem?

Interview questions and answers

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Game Developer  Job Interview Question 8 

Give an example of game you developed that you are proud of tell me the reason for this?

 Game Developer Job Interview Question 9 

Give an example of working within a team to successfully develop a game?

Game Developer Job Interview Question 10

Do you have any questions for me?

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Out Of The Box Interview Tips

Think Out Of The Box To Pass a Job Interview

Run of the mill interviewing techniques are becoming talk of the past.

“Tell me about yourself”?, A question that has been out there for so long that candidates tend to just learn the answer to it by heart with minor tweaks here and there.

If the questions aren’t going to change so will the same patented responses will be given during interviews. There is no advancement in the interviewing procedures and no learning for graduates coming fresh out of the universities.

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Let’s consider a situation where a candidate (you) gets the call from HR representative of the company you applied to.

A unique feature about this call would be (we’ll get into that) but how normally a candidate would respond to one such call:

HR: “Hi, is this Mr. X I’m speaking to?”

Mr. X: “Yes, who’s this?”

HR: “This Ms. Y from ABC Co., you applied for the position of XYZ. Have you got a minute, I have to ask a couple of questions?”

Mr. X: “Please go on”

HR: “Ok, so have been you working somewhere?”

Mr. X: “Both yes and no, actually I resigned from my previous employment and am currently serving my notice period”

HR: “Ok, it says here you’ve been with the firm for last 5 years, what makes you want to switch?”

Mr. X: “Although, I have had no issues here during the tenure of my employment, all I feel is a bit stagnant where I’m and want to challenge myself in pursuit of new and better opportunities”

HR: “Alright, let me schedule an interview with you tomorrow say at 11am?”

Mr. X: “Sounds good to me, will be there.”

HR: “The directions to our office will be emailed to you shortly.”

Mr. X: “Sure thanks. Bye.”

That is how a normal telephonic interview appears as. But if we could improvise and candidate can earn the seat in front row? Startling? We pick it up from point no. 10 above and see how it changes.

   

Mr. X: “Can I suggest a date, as I have some things to take care of in the days to follow? Hence I won’t be able to squeeze time for the meet.”

HR (based on the availability): “When it would be possible for you to visit, then?”

Mr. X: “On so and so date (suggest a date for 2-3 days ahead)

The idea is to buy time so you can thoroughly search about the company, its stakeholders, review their profile on LinkedIn and prepare yourself well.

HR: “How does day after tomorrow sound?”

Mr. X: “Great!”

Now if the counter argument is not up to your liking, best lock in the day as it maybe that the organization is interviewing other candidates or the interviewing authority may not be available in those days.

At least by making a request you have made your presence felt and that you are not typical instead expressive. Just that is the purpose of asking to schedule at a later date. This gives you leverage in negotiations at the time of offer.

You don’t need to insist on scheduling for the day/date you have in mind or you’ll lose the opportunity, altogether. An attempt suffices and generally employer allows for a day or two in scheduling meets for candidates.

Interview questions and answers

Secondly, the questions needs to be revisited to allow candidates to speak open-endedly and when someone is provided the platform to speak, their frame mind is reflected and the person interviewing can gauge whether or not the person would be a suitable fit for the organization.

Questions could be:

“How much element of fun is part of your life?”

“Do you cater to sarcasm?”

“What if I were to ring up a close friend of yours, will he/she be able to tell me your weaknesses?”

Author Bio

Rayanne Dany is an HR consultant and can be reached for assignment writing service via her twitter handle. She has tons of experience in different organizations amounting to a total of 10 years. Her insight over the years as an HR professional has paved way for writing improvement techniques.

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3 Things You Must Do Prior To The Job Interview

What 3 Things You Must Do Prior To The Job Interview

As an Online Interview Coach, I’m always surprised by the lack of job interview preparation that most interviewees undertake.

If you only prepare for a job interview for 45 minutes or under then this is the reason why you fail a job interview. Successful interviewees, from my research, on average spend around 4-5 hours on interview preparation.

But even the interviewees who spend a longer duration on job interview preparation often prepare badly. This article will give you a few tips to advance your job interview techniques.

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Pre-Job Interview Preparation 1

Clarify your selling points.

The job interview is a 45-minute sales pitch. As with all sales techniques, the key strategy to sell anything is to give a solution to a problem. What does the employer require from you? What is the essential criteria for this position? What unique value can you add to the team?

The first preparation task you should always undertake prior to the job interview is clarifying what your sales point is? This sales point has to be something the employer requires, needs or can’t do without.

In addition to having sales points, you need to create real examples of how you have used this skill, quality or experience.

Pre-Job Interview Preparation 2

Anticipate the Interviewers concerns.

Even if you had a list of key selling points, you will only be employed if the employer 100% feels that you will fit in with the team and if they believe you will make a real impact within the organisation.

If the employer has any doubts, you are likely to miss out on the exciting opportunity. Think about your application; your work history, qualifications and skills. Also, review your prepared job interview answers. On reflection put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer – what concerns would they have about hiring you?

Maybe you have a gap in your CV, maybe you lack essential qualifications or experiences. You need to prepare answers to any potential question or doubt the employer may have. In the 73 rules for influencing the interview, we use techniques such as re-framing the interviewer’s negative opinion.

It doesn’t matter how you change the interviewer’s mind as long as you leave the interview with the interviewer being full of desire instead of doubt.

Interview questions and answers

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Pre-Job Interview Preparation 3

Create a powerful induction.

When you met anyone the human mind will within milliseconds create an impression about the stranger in front of them. In a job interview, this impression can be the reason for the successful or unsuccessful interview outcome.

You need to prepare for this first encounter.  Prepare your body language, posture, clothes, stance, smile, your opening induction including the words, tone and volume of your key communication.

Even go one step further, plan your small talk and prepare everything to help increase likability.

Employment King offer;

  • Interview Coaching in Manchester
  • Career Advice in Manchester
  • Online Interview Coaching
  • Interview Confidence Sessions in Manchester
  • Interview and Presentation Sessions in Manchester
  • Mock Interview Sessions in Manchester

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How to Prepare for Your First Job Interview

Many graduates every year make a beeline for the campus placements.

While not all of them end up getting a job, most lose out during the selection process. One of the common causes are lack of preparation for the job interviews. Fresh graduates are not aware of what goes into a successful job interview preparation process and end up either relying too much on academic credentials or their raw intellect.

Let’s break down the elements of the interview preparation step by step.

Learn about the company:

Before anything else you should try to know more about the company you are applying to. Knowing organizational philosophies, details of the work culture and other contributions to the society helps a lot in interviews. It’s likely you will be asked questions like ‘Why should we hire you?’ or ‘Why do you want to work with us?’ You should also understand what company is looking for and what skills and personality you have. If you are those who do not get so well with others but you have strong technical skills and have a strong academic profiles, a software engineering job might be a good fit. Also a product job is better suited for such a profile than IT services job.

Find a practice partner:

Interviews need to be practiced thoroughly and you need to be able to get comfortable with the interview setting. Find someone who is willing to help you and practice with him – be it a friend, teacher or your parents.

The best partners are your friends from your college or university who studies the same course. There are plenty of resources that can point you to questions that are likely to be asked and you should develop answers for them and let your practice partner evaluate your performance.

You should try to improve your answers and iron out the kinks every subsequent practice session. If possible you should record these mock interview sessions and evaluate your own performance yourself as well. If you are not able to find a partner despite your best efforts, practice your answers in front of the mirror. That way you can observe your body language and get comfortable with yourself.

Get appropriate attire:

While we all know we should not judge books by their cover, looks matter nonetheless in interviews. Choosing the right dress for the interview requires you to know about the organization. If the environment of the organization is casual then you can be a bit more casual but if there are strict dress codes in the workplace then you need to dress in formals. Many traditional organizations have color codes as well and you should try to fit in with the dress code as much as possible. Talking to current employees is best way to know about the culture of the company.

Creating the right impression:

You need to be prepared for not only the questions that are likely to be asked at the interview but also the right approach. Get your soft skills polished and speak confidently and clearly. Do remember to greet the interviewer and always maintain eye contact. You should practice these little things in your mock interviews as well.

Other than these courtesies you should also know how to present yourself to the interviewer. Self-confidence is the key to cracking any interview and you need to ensure that you present yourself as a skillful individual with the right mindset that matches the wavelength of the organizational policies.

Most importantly, you need to be yourself. Any experienced HR professional will be able to identify if you are giving a false representation of yourself or not. Ensure that you are honest in your approach and you will be able to sail through the interview.

Mention references:

We often think of references as means of getting an unfair advantage over others in an interview but it’s not so. If you know someone who works in the organization you are applying to, do not shy away from taking their names. If you have taken any degree course recently include your professors or teachers from these courses for references.

Those who have taken part-time courses, can include the reference of their batch-mates if they are from same organization. These courses generally attract experienced candidates and you will find many of them have worked in your target jobs before taking up the course. But do not fake it – it’s more than likely that the interviewer will contact your references and ask about your skills and capabilities.

Mind your body language:

Your body language is as important as your knowledge. You should not be too aggressive or too passive when it comes to communicating. You need to have the right balance in your approach. While being too relaxed during the interview and cozying up in the chair might make the interviewer feel you are being too casual in your approach, being too rigid and uptight will make the interviewer feel you are nervous. Your body language should be friendly and it will allow both you and the interviewer be comfortable while conversing.

Arriving for the interview:

Now that you know how to prepare for the interview, it’s time to take care of punctuality. You need to ensure that you arrive at least 15 minutes in advance even if you know the interviewer is someone who tends to be late. You should have sufficient time in hand when leaving your home and on the off chance that you end up getting stuck in major transportation problems you should inform the HR personnel or the organization ahead of the allotted time. If you feel that you will not be able to attend the interview you should let the respective people know and request a reschedule.

Exiting the interview:

Once the interview is complete you should shake hands with the interviewer and also thank everyone who was responsible for conducting the interview. Ideally you want to make a lasting impression without being too aggressive. After you leave the interview you should leave a thank you note via email as well as snail mail. Simply put in a few words of appreciation for the opportunity provided and wait for the interview results!

Author Bio –

Paresh – I have been writing online for last 4 years now and I have written extensively about career options for graduates and experienced professionals. Beyond that I enjoy reading about latest tech advances. I also enjoy building new products using the latest technologies.

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How to Answer The Interview Question Tell Me About a Suggestion You Have Made

More and more, organisations are looking for employees to share ideas, suggestions, to be innovative and creative, due to the fast-paced changes within job sectors created by globalization, new entries and technology.

When asked an interveiw question on ‘suggestions’ you will know that this organisation is forward-thinking.

This question also tells you the company is looking for team players and creative people.

Use a real-life example of when you put a suggestion forward, the situation, how the idea developed and the outcome.

Answering ‘suggestion’ Interveiw Questions.

Situation – initially start the interveiw question by describing the problem the company was facing.

This could be, as an example, a new product from a competitor that was going to reduce company income in your organisation. Or how global events were affecting sales or production.

Developed – next explain your process for finding a solution (the suggestion you took to an employer) Use detail here; talk about two different ideas and how you looked at the opportunities and threats for each option.

Talk about any research you undertook or challenges you faced. SHow that it wasn’t just a lightbulb moment and that you thought about the suggestion or idea.

Outcome – end with the positive outcome, how the idea was initially tested and then implemented, and how the idea helped the company financially.

 Example Answers

“In my previous company, the management team was asked to suggest ideas how we could break a new policy to the workforce, that long term would save jobs but the short term could potentially upset some of the workforces. Having had previous experience in change management I knew change management theories that could be easily administered. With the orgnasiation being a smaller family-run company with no experience of change management, I went away a created a project plan including a comms and risk plan. The whole project was detailed out with step by step guides on how to implement the changes. The manager was really impressed with the detail and research and implemented the project plan that resulted in a smooth change with no staff losses or grievances.”

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Preparing for Interviews

Job Interview Preperation Techniques 

Before the interview you need make several preparations to ensure you make the most positive impression during the interview.

Travel.

Plan your travel, ensure you know where your interview is being held and complete a mock run; there is nothing worse than arriving late for an interview. Ensure you have set your alarm clock.

Clothing.

Plan what you are going to wear, your interviews clothes should be smart and need ironing the night before, this will give you time in the morning to relax and re-read your CV.

Always ensure you shower and shave before each interview, most of us will sweat during the interview and there is nothing more off-putting to an employer then a smelly candidate.

Practice Interviews.

Practice the interview questions and answers, think about the job you are applying for and the skills and qualities needed for this job role, the interviewer will ask questions based on these.

Re-read your CV or application form and ensure you are familiar with the information you recorded.

Ask a friend to interview you; give them a list of questions to ask you as this will help you plan timings and the delivery of your answers.

Plan questions to ask the interviewer; ask about the company, the workforce, opportunities for promotion and training.

During the Interview.

Shake hands with the interviewer and introduce yourself.

Waited until you have been asked to be seated.

Answer all questions with a detailed sentence, never give just a “Yes” or “no” answers. If you use a “yes” or “no” answers, add the reason why; “yes, because….”

Ensure all your questions mention at least one skill and quality that is needed for the job role you are applying for. You can find this information on the job advert and job specification.

Be positive with all your answers, this is not the time to be shy.

Always be polite, friendly and smile.

Have questions prepared to ask the interviewer and ask the interviewer to repeat any questions you did not understand.

Keep eye contact with the interviewer.

At the end of the interview, shake hands and thank the interviewer for their time.

After the Interview.

Take a deep breath the interview is over.

Think back to the interview, review your interview questions and answers-which questions did you answer well? Which answer need improving?

Write down any questions you didn’t expect to be asked and think of positive answers, as you may be asked this question again at your next interview.

Continue to job search until you receive a job offer in writing.