|
Post by vimala on May 25, 2008 6:57:14 GMT 5.5
Working Interview
Get ready for what may be the future of job interviewing: The working interview. Commonly used in the foodservice industry, where a chef may demonstrate cooking skills and techniques for a potential employer, this interviewing method is now being used in many other fields. Learn what to expect so you can prepare and excel when you're called for a working interview.
How the Working Interview Helps Employers Evaluate You
The working interview is an opportunity for the employer to watch a potential job candidate "do the activities and functions of a job -- live, gets a good look at what's beyond the resume."
Just like in a traditional job interview, the candidate meets the company's major players. What makes the working interview unique is that the candidate is often at the company for the entire day and assigned a project he must successfully complete by day's end. The result of this project and the way the candidate handles the meetings -- not to mention the overall stress of the day -- helps the employer decide if this is the person to hire.
In the last five years, more companies have embraced the concept. "It helps employers evaluate soft skills, like commitment, loyalty and work ethic, plus it shows attitude and abilities in real time," he explains. Employers can also evaluate whether a candidate's personality will be a good fit with the staff.
Show Your Stuff
For job seekers, the working interview is a chance to see "if this is the type of company they want to work for as well as to find out about its culture," says Mattie Deed. "The employer gets to see your work and how well you perform under pressure. This is show-and-tell time."
Ace the Working Interview
A working interview can be exhausting. You must have energy, stamina and endurance while demonstrating unstoppable grace under pressure. Showing your enthusiasm for the job may be as simple as smiling, sitting forward in your chair and telling the employer that you appreciate the chance to show them what you do best -- and then proving it.
When it comes to the working interview, the advice remains the same as with any other interview. "Practice, practice, practice," advises Deed. "Record your voice on a tape recorder. Watch your body language in a mirror. Practice interviewing with a friend."
This back-to-basics advice also includes researching the company and knowing the industry. "Preparation minimizes the feelings of nervousness," Deed says.
As always, the employer is evaluating how well you interview, how you dress, your body language and the way you interact with staff, along with a myriad of other characteristics such as your enthusiasm, flexibility and sense of humor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CAREERS AND PLACEMENT
|
|
|
Post by vimala on May 25, 2008 7:00:32 GMT 5.5
Informational Interviewing
Informational interviewing is a largely overlooked process, because it is misunderstood. In an informational interview, you are seeking leads and information regarding an industry, a career path or an employer by talking to people you know or who have been referred to you. But before you run out and begin informational interviewing, you have to do your homework. Follow these 10 tips to prepare:
1. Identify the Information You Want.
Deciding which position, company or industry you want to learn about will depend on what you want to do with your life and career. You should have a sense of what is important to you and what you want.
2. Make a List of People You Know.
Choose those who can help you connect to other people within a company or an industry. Since this is part of networking, you will want to include anyone and everyone you know, from your barber to your sister-in-law.
3. Make the Appointment.
Set up a 15 to 30-minute interview with the person identified, regarding his specialty. Most people will be more than happy to help you. Don't get discouraged if you find some people are just too busy to give you an appointment.
4. Plan an Agenda for the Session.
This is your meeting. Don't assume the person will give you the information you need unless you ask the right questions. Select questions that will give you the most information. Be efficient and do not overstay your welcome.
5. Conduct Yourself as a Professional.
Dress and act the role of the position you are seeking. Know as much as possible about the company before the interview so you can ask informed questions.
6. Show Interest.
A little flattery goes a long way. Say something like, "Mary gave me your name and told me you're considered to be an expert in your field. How did you get started?"
7. Be Prepared to Answer Questions About What You're Looking For.
Have a short personal statement prepared that you can present if you're asked about your job search. Bring a resume, but don't offer it unless requested. Remember, the purpose of this interview is to obtain information.
8. Get Names.
Ask for other contacts in the field. If no names are suggested, be grateful for information or suggestions obtained.
9. Send Thank-You and Follow-Up Letters.
Thank the person at the conclusion of the interview, but also send a letter stating your gratitude for the time given. Stay in touch with your contacts by writing notes or emails, informing the person how helpful his suggestions have been to you.
10. Take Advantage of Any Referrals You Receive.
In this process, you will have to take risks and stretch beyond your comfort zone. Each step will take you closer to that job offer.
The informational interview is a source of power you can use to your advantage. With preparation, listening and follow-through, you will find the power of people helping each other. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CAREERS AND PLACEMENT
|
|
|
Post by vimala on May 25, 2008 7:04:30 GMT 5.5
Mastering the Phone Interview
You just got word that you landed a job interview with a company that really interests you -- only there's a slight catch.
You won't be meeting with your interviewer(s) face to face. Instead, you'll be taking part in a phone interview, the results of which will determine whether you're invited to meet with company representatives in person.
Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Because they're generally brief, phone interviews save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town (or out-of-state and foreign) candidates.
So the chances are pretty good that, at some point in your job hunt, you'll be asked to participate in a 20- to 30-minute phone interview with either one person or several people on the other end of the line. In many ways, the way you prepare for a phone interview isn't all that different from the way you'd get ready for a face-to-face interview -- save for a few slight additions to and modifications of your list of preparation tasks.
Here's what to do:
1. Treat the phone interview seriously, just as you would a face-to-face interview.
A phone interview seems so informal on the surface that it can be easy to fall into the trap of "phoning it in" -- i.e., not preparing for it as well as you would for an in-person interview. Don't get caught with your guard down. Be sure to research the company, study the job description, and practice your responses to anticipated questions, just as you would for any other interview.
2. Have your resume and cover letter in front of you.
You'll almost certainly be asked about some of the information that appears on these documents. You might also want to have in front of you any supporting materials that relate to information in your resume and cover letter, like documents you've designed or written, a portfolio of your various projects, or the written position description from your key internship.
3. Make a cheat sheet.
Jot down a few notes about the most critical points you want to make with your interviewer(s). Are there certain skills and experiences you want to emphasize? Do you have certain interests or passions you want your interviewer(s) to know about and understand? Be sure these pieces of information appear on your crib sheet. Then touch on them during the interview, even if your only chance to do so is at the end of the session when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions or anything to add.
4. Get a high-quality phone.
This isn't the time to use a cell phone that cuts in and out, or a cheaply made phone that makes it difficult for you and your interviewer(s) to hear and understand each other.
5. Shower, groom and dress up (at least a little).
Odd advice? Perhaps. But focusing on your appearance, just as you would for a normal interview, will put you in the right frame of mind from a psychological standpoint. You won't do as well in your phone interview if you're lying in bed, for example, or if you're draped over your couch in your pajamas.
6. Stand up, or at least sit up straight at a table or desk.
Again, there's a psychological, frame of mind aspect to consider here. But on a more tangible level, research has shown that you project yourself better when you're standing up, and you'll feel more knowledgeable and confident.
Phone interviews can be tricky, especially since you aren't able to read your interviewers' nonverbal cues like facial expressions and body language during the session -- a big difference from the typical interview. But if you prepare well for your phone interview, you won't need to read anyone's nonverbals to gauge your performance. You'll know for sure how you've done because you'll be invited to a face-to-face interview, where you'll have yet another opportunity to prove you're the best person for the job. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CAREERS AND PLACEMENT
|
|
|
Post by vimala on May 25, 2008 7:07:11 GMT 5.5
Brainteaser or Interview Torture Tool?
Madhu Sharma sat across the table from a well-known national consulting company's interviewing manager, grappling with the question just posed to him. Suddenly, the education he received from Top Most Business School was momentarily useless. This topic hadn't popped up in public policy, economics or stats classes. In fact, the vexing issue was one few ever think about: How many quarters -- placed one on top of the other -- would it take to reach the top of the Empire State Building?
You might think that's an odd question for an interview -- unless, of course, you're one of the many prospective employees who have contended with such brainteasers while trying to land a job.
This genre of interview questions has gained popularity in technology companies, consulting outfits, investment banks and law firms, and includes questions like:
* What does all the ice in a hockey rink weigh? * How do they make M&Ms? * How many Petrol stations are there in the India?
Sometimes the questions literally have no correct answer, like “If you had to get rid of one state, what would it be?”
This technique has become so prevalent that William Poundstone decided to write a book about it. How Would You Move Mount Fuji? was first published in May 2003 and is now in its third printing.
“Ever since I was a kid, I was really into puzzles,” explains Poundstone. “A few years ago, I started getting these emails from friends saying they'd encountered these types of logic puzzles on job interviews, and they were basically asking for the answers to know if they had said the right thing. After I got about a half dozen of these questions, I figured there'd be a book in it.”
Poundstone researched the topic and its origins at Microsoft. The company has used these interviewing tactics for decades, going back to when Bill Gates personally vetted every prospective employee before the company made an offer. Gates felt these puzzles were a good way to gauge a person's true intelligence and thought process.
Poundstone went into the book interested in the puzzles themselves but skeptical about their effectiveness in evaluating prospective employees. But his views changed as he learned and thought more about it.
“The more I talked to people who explained why they did this, sort of realized that hiring is not a very scientific thing anywhere,” explains Poundstone. “If you don't judge people on the basis of something like these puzzles, you're probably going to be judging them on the basis of how firm their handshake is or whether you like how they're dressed, which are even less relevant. At least in the companies where you can say what you're doing constitutes a kind of problem solving, I think this is a very good idea actually.”
Poundstone also explains why the origins of this interviewing approach can be traced back to the technology field. “I talked to a lot of people [at technology companies] who use these types of questions. They usually mentioned that it has to do with the pace of technological change. It's very hard to hire someone for a specific set of skills today, because some of those skills are going to be obsolete in a few years.”
For many folks making hiring decisions in the technology field, puzzles became accepted as a way to assess what cognitive scientists call “noncontext-specific knowledge.”
Poundstone points out that while various industries have glommed onto this interviewing trend, it makes little sense for many types of workers. “I think the phenomenon has been -- in the past year or two -- maybe oversold a little with some companies and some fields. Certainly, whether you're a counter person at Starbucks or a brain surgeon, the skills you're hired for are still going to be valid, so I don't see these [questions] are necessarily an especially good way of evaluating those people.”
Even so, the question being used to evaluate you at your next interview may be one that doesn't even have an answer. Encouraging? Not exactly. But if you prep yourself mentally, you might end up giving a wrong answer that lands you the job.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CAREERS AND PLACEMENT
|
|