Nowadays, with the global financial crisis, finding a job is really hard. With a lot of unemployed people looking for jobs, you would have to compete with them.

But what if you suddenly received a call or a letter from a company asking you for a job interview. Hurray! Your CV passed and you’re now moving on to the next step and have got through the door.

You have to assume now that what they read on the application form, in your covering letter, and on your CV has illustrated that you have, on paper, the skills that they need. Now, are you the person they would like to work with?

It’s all about personality and projecting the very personal brand that is your character. Here are some job interview tips that might help you along the way. These should be done BEFORE THE SCHEDULED JOB INTERVIEW:

Tip 1: Take up the challenge and view any job interviews you get as an exercise in making these people like you and want to work with you.

Tip 2: Call them up to confirm that you will be attending the job interview and ask what form of interview will take. Will it be a panel, a one on one and who will you be meeting?

Tip 3: Will they also include aptitude, psychometric, or personality tests in your visit? This is one of the most important questions we usually forget to ask. I attended a scheduled job interview before but I was not reminded that there will be such exams. It took the whole day before I got finish with all the exams prior to the job interview itself.

Tip 4: Will you have to do any sort of presentation?

Tip 5: Prepare for that job interview by going back to your research and remind yourself about the company’s focus and aims. See if you can research the people you be meeting to find out more about them and their background.

Tip 6: While you are on their website, confirm directions on how to get there, and on the day give yourself plenty of time, allowing at least half an hour contingency travel time. It’s better to be prepared for traffic!

Tip 7: Review your CV and application paperworks and start working out what questions you may get asked. Practice answering these questions in front of a mirror, or with a friend. In this way, you anticipate quick answers to possible questions and would help in boosting your confidence during the job interview.

Tip 8: Decide what are you going to wear. As they say, dress to impress. Dressing the proper attire can help you boost your self-esteem during th interview itself.

ON THE DAY OF THE JOB INTERVIEW, stay focused on what you are doing. Do not take a friend with you who is going to wait outside. You need to keep single-minded and undistracted. When you go into the job interview, remember all the good communication advice.

Tip 9: Shake hands firmly, wear a friendly smile, keep eye contact and watch your body language.

Tip 10: Listen intelligently, answer whoever asks the question (if it’s a panel job interview) with a sensible response.

Tip 11: Don’t be negative about anything. Don’t slag off former employers, don’t dwell on difficult times in the past, don’t overstate difficulties the sector is experiencing. This interview is about you being upbeat, positive, and enthused by the new challenges this job might offer.

Tip 12: Know why you want the job - a change, a new challenge, advancement, the next step.

Tip 13: Have off-pat answers to some questions like where you see yourself five years from now?

Tip 14: Know your strengths and weaknesses. And if possible, how could you turn your weakness into strengths.

Tip 15: Have a couple of intelligent questions ready and not ones you could have found out from their website. Questions such as: What training do they offer to employees? Is the company likely to have much growth and might there be opportunities for advancement down the line?

Tip 16: Finally, at the end of the job interview, ask when you are likely to know the outcome. Then another firm handshake and warm smile.

AFTER THE JOB INTERVIEW, here are some useful tips to boost your chance of getting that job.

Tip 17: Write them a “thank you letter” thanking them for their time they’ve given for the interview.

Tip 18: Follow up your application one to two weeks after the last interview.

And then it arrives! Woah! You are accepted! Congratulations! But what if you don’t get that job?

Tip 19: Well, first of all be honest with yourself. If you know you got one bit wrong, determine not to let it happen the next time.

Tip 20: Don’t beat yourself up if you were wrong-footed and made a mistake you couldn’t help. Don’t dwell on it. Get on to the next goal and move on.

Personally, I’ve been to quite a number of job interviews already. Based from my experience, the more you know about your skills and capabilities, the more you can sell yourself to prospect employers. You just need to prepare and be confident about yourself.

One of the most awesome job interviews that I had was with a local bank before. With the line of interviews, I got interviewed by the Executive Vice President of the Treasury Department. I didn’t know anything much about trust products that time but because of the things that I learned by myself about unit investment trust funds and mutual funds, I got his nod. I discussed to him anything I know about these two types of investments and showed him how interested I was with anything about investments.

I was happy I got the job back then but when it comes to salary negotiations, I backed out. They cannot match the present salary I was getting at that time. My supposedly supervisor which was a lawyer even talked to me to convince me to join telling me that I was the youngest junior officer in the department at the age of 23 at that time. Unfortunately, I did not pursue.

How about you? Share your job interview tips based on your experience.

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