Job Interview

 Situation - ) Action -) Result

1) Tell me about yourself. , here are three quick tips that'll help you nail the opener. First, go with the she formula. Make sure your answer is succinct, honest, and engaging. This is no time to bust out some detailed account of the last two decades of your career. Resist the urge to start going line by line through your resume. The interviewer is looking for an answer that provides direct evidence that you're qualified for this role, and she also wants to see how well you do with an unstructured question. It's not as tricky as it may sound, which brings us to tip two. Try using the job description to prepare. Before the big day, grab the job description and highlight a few of the most prominent required skills, skills that you possess. Are they looking for a strong problem solver? Do they need someone who's comfortable presenting to large groups, or great at dealing with the most difficult customers? Pick a couple. And then, brainstorm how you can describe yourself as a person while also showcasing your strengths in those very things that the employer is seeking. People love a good story, so don't be afraid to weave in some personality and human interest as you answer. For example, maybe you got the bug for non-profit work when you did a community service project for the Humane Society. Maybe you fell in love with the hospitality industry because your grandparents ran a bed and breakfast and it was your absolute favorite way to spend summers. Just remember, tie your about me story back to the job, make it succinct, and be truthful.

2) what is your greatest strength? Now, this might seem like an easy question, but it's really not. You don't want to come off as arrogant. You don't want to come off as braggadocios. What you want to do is sound humble, and there are some things that you can do, some tips that you can employ to have an effective answer. Number one, choose relevant and specific experience. So if you're applying for a sales job, tell a story about a time where you helped a customer solve a problem with your solution. And then number two, be specific. Perhaps closing that deal helped you hit a percentage of your annual number. I want you to use soft and technical skills to tell your story. So on the soft side of the house, if you're focused on effective communication, tell 'em about a time when you used that effective communication skills to have a conversation with an executive. If you've led a technical project, heck, tell me about a time when you used a project plan to manage it. As a hiring manager, that gives me confidence to add you to the team. I want to know that once I plug you into my team, the team will be more effective. I want team players. 

Be Specific, Relevant and Authentic

3) Weakness: Be humble communicate authentic story, don’t select weakness that disqualify from the job, have a fix it strategy. 

4) Why should we hire you? Prepare 3-4 reasons, experiences you can bring to table, cultural fit – how they operate, how you say something is as important as how you say. 

5) Leadership style – Highlight leadership style, Be consice and clear don’t be vague, Give example; show how you have adapted and grown. 

6) Any questions? – Show paying attention like job/challenges; show you are excited – passion – industry trend/product; about them. People hire people who are genuinely interested in the role, and who they like. 

7) Failed or made a mistake? - and few more points to be considered are:

• Sharing your salary expectations

• Researching a company

• Body language and posture

• Negotiating your salary

• Sharing a time when you failed

• Dressing for your next interview

• Explaining employment gaps

• Nailing the thank-you note

• How to write a thank you note

It's not only critical that you send one, it could be the deciding factor, if this is a close race. So how do you nail the thank you? Here are four quick tips: number one, send it with speed. Get them out the moment you get back to your guest. Don't wait three days. Make this your number one action item after that conversation. Speed will demonstrate that this is important to you and you've got good follow-up skills. Number two, be genuine and specific. I cannot tell you how many formulated thank you notes I've seen that look like they were just ripped out of some stale, old textbook. Hiring managers have seen lots of these, and are not memorable. You've got this perfect opportunity to stand out. Start by showing some genuine enthusiasm for the role, and be specific about why you're excited about it. Expand on something that you guys discussed or follow-up with an example that illustrates your strength in something you cover. And if you discovered a shared interest, For instance, maybe you end with great to meet a fellow Spartan. I'll look for you at the next hockey game. Next, be gracious without groveling. for their time and their interest in the specifics of your background. Maybe you go with something like I really appreciated how you recognized the value of my nursing experience. I think this will be really useful in this role. Just be mindful of that line between gratitude and kissing up. They didn't invite you in as a favor, but because they thought you might be a good fit. Keep that in mind. And finally, express interest in the next step. Tell them that you're excited about the role, and that you look forward to any next steps they have in mind for you as they complete this stage of the process. And then hit send. Yes, send. Handwritten notes can be nice, but email is faster.  Quality and speed, these are your winning combination.