As many of us are finishing up our education, and going out looking for jobs..for many of us, our first jobs…so what are some things that we should keep in mind?
What are some of the key elements to prepare for an interview?
When is it okay to follow up on an interview, or is it even ncessary in all cases?
What are some dos and donts of the “phone” interview (the first time htey contact u even before scheduling an in-person interview)?
Re: Interviewing
Give phone interview standing up. It makes you sound more energetic.
The employers are not interested in what google say's they're interested in. The employers want to know about you ONLY. And this is where their questions will be based. They want to know what kind of knowledge you have so they will want you to talk about your degree course. So be able to talk about your subjects, your projects and what you gained from them.
They want to know how much knowledge you have so they may ask you some discipline-related questions. If you're going for a beauty therapist position, for example, be able to talk about the skin!
They want to know what experience you have so they will ask you about your practical projects, placements etc. Even if it was a small little project, make it sound like the best thing that you ever did! If you're not positive about something, they're not going to be too excited either.
They really don't care about your hobbies (i did get asked this question for my interview for the internship with Roche Pharma but I just said "Well its nothing to do with science but I absolutely love fine arts. So in my free time, I like to do creative things like painting, drawing, craft making etc. Arts is a form of escape for me." ... and they were perfectly happy with that answer).
They do however, want to know how socially active are you i.e. what kind of extracurricular activities were you involved in?
They want to know about your achievements.
Talk about your good points, your strengths, even if they don't ask! You may try to be modest and not talk about yourself but then nobody is going to do it for you. Sell yourself but don't boast. There's a difference.
They may ask tricky questions like "what are your weaknesses". Again, don't google this. Try and write down a genuine answer to this. But always back up your weakness with (no, not an execuse) but a positive note and say how you are thinking about correcting this weakness.
That's all I can think of right now. I can tell you what other questions I was asked:
Why did u choose this course?
Would you change anything in this course? If so, what and why?
Questions on laboratory instruments.
Questions on my syllabus/ projects.
Questions on my time management skills and they wanted me to back it up with an example.
Questions on my previous jobs/experiences.
No matter how much you read up on interview skills Sara, you can never be sure what will be asked in your interview. Just make sure you know your stuff and BE CONFIDENT!
Best of luck :)
Re: Interviewing
Do research about the company , their business , products and the requirements of the job and throw in that knowledge in the interview to show that you are truly interested in the job.
Many a times I will throw in some out of the box thinking or ideas during the interview about they way some things can be imporved. That impresses potential employers a lot.
Re: Interviewing
I would also advise you to do some research on the org prior to the interview to show that you have an interest in them, as well as prepare some questions to ask them in regards to the job. Do a follow-up email or phonecall so you keep your lines of communication open. If your doing a phone interview..make sure to smile as your talking..cause it does make a difference in your voice..and have a glass of water nearby...
Re: Interviewing
*Research the company well.
*Try and find out what type of phone interview it will be. E.g. mine was competency based. So I researched those types of interviews online and got a wealth of information.
*Also try and search online for student forums/local forums which may have other peoples experiences on them too. The company I went for was very well known so again there was a wealth of information.
*Try to remain composed yet friendly in your tone.
*It is good to follow up on interviews to get feedback. It will add to experience and you will learn more on how to present yourself and give the 'right' answers'.
*Always smile and be friendly. Shake their hand and be warm towards them.
Re: Interviewing
I'm under the assumption an interviewer is not allowed to ask you your ethnicity/religion or family situation (i.e. married or with kids).....at least thats how it is in the US....right?
What about phone recruiters? are they allowed to ask "personal" questions? My husband gets several calls a day frm recruiters and some of them do end up asking ("out of curiosity") where he's from...he always says "canada" but they persist because of his name....90% of the callers are Indian btw....are they allowed to do that? Is he under any obligation to answer such questions?
I'm under the assumption an interviewer is not allowed to ask you your ethnicity/religion or family situation (i.e. married or with kids).....at least thats how it is in the US....right?
What about phone recruiters? are they allowed to ask "personal" questions? My husband gets several calls a day frm recruiters and some of them do end up asking ("out of curiosity") where he's from...he always says "canada" but they persist because of his name....90% of the callers are Indian btw....are they allowed to do that? Is he under any obligation to answer such questions?
They can ask whether he is legally entitled to work in the jurisdication they are hiring for - but that's about it. Asking questions about race, religion, etc. would be considered a no-no. In order to not "put off" the recruiter - he should try to politely redirect the conversation by stating that he is a legal resident of the US and can work here.
Re: Interviewing
The only thing that matters in an interview is decent look , a pen , a tie , nice clothes and above all your education !!!!!
Re: Interviewing
You must havve a thorough knowledge abt the company and the position you are applying for.Do not view or approach interview on a negative note.Always be patient enough to listen to their questions and comments.
Somebody mentioned about your weakness'.Do not give them a negative answer even if it is honest.You can try something different likeMy wekness can be I sometimes become impatient when I notice others lacking punctuality' etc etc.... Like that you tend to expose your positive quality by answerimng your negative side !!!
Always be honest and open to admit something you do not know.In case of in-person interview,maintain eye contact.
Re: Interviewing
this is a question to those that are specifically in the computer networking/IT field what type of questions do they ask during the interviews. how was your first interview for that first all important job?
how did you battle nervousness/anxiety?
Re: Interviewing
IT interviews usually will have a technical test, if you are appearing for developer position be prepared to solve programming problems, algorithms, mcq type questions etc for networking you might be give a test similar to CCNA etc depending on the level of the job, sometimes the test can be written or oral.
that will play a big part in your assessment. In face to face interview they will ask you about the things you mentioned in your cv i.e technical skills previous experience etc
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how did you battle nervousness/anxiety?
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best way is to be well prepared
Re: Interviewing
If there's one thing I can share is that any interviewer will be biased. Even if a person might not have the necessary skills for a role as long as the interviewer likes them they have a very good shot at landing the job. This is why you see some incompetent people get roles where you know there were better candidates.
So your job is simply to make the person like you, engage them in your conversation, be confident, clear and concise, give interesting examples of work you’ve done.
Re: Interviewing
If there's one thing I can share is that any interviewer will be biased. Even if a person might not have the necessary skills for a role as long as the interviewer likes them they have a very good shot at landing the job. This is why you see some incompetent people get roles where you know there were better candidates.
So your job is simply to make the person like you, engage them in your conversation, be confident, clear and concise, give interesting examples of work you’ve done.
IT interviews usually will have a technical test, if you are appearing for developer position be prepared to solve programming problems, algorithms, mcq type questions etc for networking you might be give a test similar to CCNA etc depending on the level of the job, sometimes the test can be written or oral.
that will play a big part in your assessment. In face to face interview they will ask you about the things you mentioned in your cv i.e technical skills previous experience etc
best way is to be well prepared
I can't ever see myself applying for programming job, i'm totally into computer networking so thanks for the detailed info and advice :)