Avoid Destroying Your Career With These Common Interview Mistakes

Whether you are shifting for a new career of just trying your luck to apply for a job for the first time, it is highly important to learn the basics of an interview before you go on your actual interview with your future employer. Knowing the basics will help you avoid the usual interview mistakes that are often committed by first time of over confident applicants. Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid if you wish to establish a good impression and achieve successful interview.

One of the most common interview mistakes is by dressing unprofessionally. This proves that you don't make any effort to make yourself presentable with your future employer. Never believe in what other people say that interview is just a formal part of your application process. Put in mind that every interview is a "make it or break it" moment of your career. It is the gateway to enter your desired company and your interviewer holds its key. Don't let the first impression destroy everything you have dreamed of. Dress properly and show that you are really interested to get the job.

Another interview mistakes that you should not do during the interview is talking too much or being too modest. Interview is a process used by employers to know the characteristic of their candidates better. It is obviously a question and answer moment where you are really need to talk, but you should also be careful on things you will say. Never speak about things that have nothing to do with you or the job you wish to have. You might unconsciously say something that might destruct your interviewer and lose your chance for the job. In the same way, don't be too modest. Make your interview lively by talking something about yourself and other things that you can do which could contribute to the growth of the company.

Other interview mistakes that could destroy your career are, talking about money or your previous salary too much or saying hateful words about your previous employer. Talking about money during the interview is a very bad idea and a big turn off for every employer. The discussion about salaries will definitely come, but you have to wait for the right time. You need to make yourself into the company first before you start talking about funds. No matter how much you hate your previous boss, you should not say anything bad about them. Job interview is not the time to express your grievances and your interviewer may find this action as unprofessional that may disqualify you for the position.

How to Give Great Answers to Job Interview Questions About Education

Here's some ideas of how to answer job interview questions about your past education, whether it be school or industry related training. Your interviewer will want to know if you have the skills and ability to complete the work, so giving the best and most appropriate interview answers is crucial to landing the job.

Your education, to whatever level you have taken it - high school, degrees, or professional qualifications - is always something that employers are interested in and will ask about. Their depth of interest is determined by how recent and how relevant your education is to the position for which you are applying.

If you are fairly new to employment, just out of school or college, questions about your education are likely to form a substantial part of the interview. Potential employers will want to know something about your education - something more than the factual information you have provided on your resume or application form.

Why did you choose the subject/course/university or college that you attended?

What were you good at and what did you find more difficult?

Above all, what did you gain from your studies that will be useful to your employer?

Here is an example of questions and some model answers to consider and adapt to your own situation. Many of these questions are equally relevant if you have just completed a professional training or practical/technical course of some kind. Again, the interviewer's emphasis is likely to be on how you made your choice, how committed you are to it and whether it is something of specific use to their organization.

This question is followed by a model answer and a quick analysis of what makes that answer a success.

Job Interview Question:

If someone who had just finished school asked you whether they should go into employment or carry on with education, how would you advise them?

Job Interview Answer:

I would really like to find out more about their own ideas before giving advice, but if I were put on the spot I think I would advise them to carry on with education. Despite the difficulties of financing your studies and the competitive graduate job market (even with all the job search and job listing services), I feel I have learned so much, particularly about taking responsibility for myself and about working with very different groups of people.

These are real gains that I believe gave me a good start in my career. People often promise themselves that they will go back and complete their education later on, but I saw how hard this was for some of the students on my course.

Why this interview answer works:

You immediately let the interviewer know that you take other people's opinions into account and don't just dole out advice regardless of whether it is wanted.

The Tough Interview Question: "Why Should We Hire You?"

The tough interview question: why should we hire you? is often the most dreaded question by most job seekers. The question many people need to have answered is how on earth do you answer that question adequately?

Frame your response to this question in a way that you are selling yourself, as this question truly opens up the opportunity to do so!

In an interview situation, your tone and body language is particularly important. When you answer this particular question you need to watch your tone. Where so many people fail is that their tone changes when they are asked a question that they have been dreading or anxious about answering. This could potentially be devastating to your chances of success. Pay particular attention to your tone when you respond to this question.

The key to a successful tone is being positive and show enthusiasm. Whatever you say, say it with a smile on your face. A smile will instinctively affect the tone of your voice. So what ever you say - say it with a smile and with a sense of confidence.

It is also important not to let your enthusiasm drop when you are asked this question. Try and keep your tone consistently enthusiastic.

But enough on tone. What should you actually say when you are asked this question?

The key to answering the tough interview question of why should we hire you? is preparation: you need to know what your transferable skills are.

Transferable skills are those skills that you pick up in a work or personal environment that you take with you where ever you go. For example, if you have developed a high level of knowledge regarding computing and IT issues, then this is a skill that your next employer will benefit from. Take some time and establish in your head what skills you have in your personal arsenal. These skills make you a valuable asset to any company. The more developed and polished your transferable skills are, the more valuable you are to a company.

The other side to your answer comes in the form of relevant experience. Essentially you need to be able to demonstrate that your previous roles have given you the experience to prove you are more than capable of doing the job you are applying for.

You don't need to try and say you have previously held the same job with another company; rather you can draw on your career history in order to cover the different aspects of your perspective role. So if your perspective job role includes managing an office and dealing with the public, then you should be pulling from your career history a role where you have worked with the public, and a different role where you were in charge of an office.

Finally, you need to remember that as important as this single question is, it is not everything. Think of this question as an opportunity to sell yourself by discussing the above mentioned items. When you think about it in this way you may actually look forward the being asked this very tough interview question!

Preparing Your Interview Questions and Answers - A 6 Step Guide to Successful Job Interviewing

Interview questions and answers are only part of the overall preparation for the interview. The interview is the big event. All of your time spent completing job applications, submitting resumes, tailoring cover letters and responding to job advertisements have led you to this. Over the next several posts, I am blogging on information that will provide you with key steps to perform at your best and put you in the optimal position for a job offer.

Step 1: Knowing the audience interviewing (as well as the company) always helps your interview questions and answers preparation. What type of interview will you be in? Will it be conducted by a panel or an individual? If it is a panel, how large a panel and what is the makeup? Are you being interviewed by the HR department or the person who will be supervising you, or maybe future colleagues?

Step 2: Anticipate and respond to their interview questions and answers. The typical interview lasts a good 60 minutes. During the first few minutes, the interviewer will usually set the tone by providing information on the company and the position. They will then refer to your resume, cover letter, portfolio, and any other information you provided, and begin asking you questions.

Step 3: Prepare penetrating interview questions for your audience. If it is a panel, make sure you have enough copies of your resume, cover letter, portfolio, etc, for each person. My standard rule of thumb is to have 20 questions ready to go. During the conversation, many of your questions will get covered, so by having 20, you are bound to have a few remaining to demonstrate your interest and critical thinking skills. 

Step 4: First impressions: Again, preparing for interview questions and answers is only part of the equation. You have a single shot at making a dynamite first impression. Your audience is obviously eager to meet with you or else they would not have scheduled the interview. Capitalize on their enthusiasm.

Step 5: Communicate effectively. Nonverbal communication accounts for 93% all messages (38% tone and 55% body language). Leaving less than 7% of communication being the result of the actual words we say. To truly communicate effectively, your non-verbal communication has to be in agreement with what you are saying. Nod your head during the interview questions to communicate that you follow. Maintain eye contact. Sit facing your audience. Keep your arms and hands pointed toward your audience. Smile often and show enthusiasm to win them over.

Step 6: Follow up is critical. Make sure you collect business cards from everyone in the interview as well as everyone you interacted with along the way. This includes the person scheduling the interview, the receptionist you spoke with on the phone, etc. Everyone gets a hand written thank you note. Make sure all names and titles are spelled correctly and get the notes mailed within 24 hours. In the message, add something compelling in the message to confirm your personal skills and desire for the position.

6 Common Teacher Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

When you get a call from a school administrator inviting you to interview for a teaching job, how do you feel? Happy? Elated? Excited? Nervous? Scared stiff?

You don't need to worry about the interview if you're a well-prepared, qualified candidate. Preparing for a teaching interview is a lot like studying for a test. You can review commonly asked questions, think about what you'll say beforehand, and go in to do your best. If you prepare beforehand, the interview questions will seem routine and familiar. You'll have answers on the tip of your tongue, ready-to-go.

Below is a list of six commonly asked teacher interview questions from my eBook, Guide to Getting the Teaching Job of Your Dreams. How would you answer each question?

1. Tell us about yourself.

This will be the first question at almost every interview. Just give a brief background in about three sentences. Tell them what colleges you graduated from, what you're certified to teach, what your teaching & working experiences are, and why you'd love the job.

2. How do you teach to the state standards?

If you interview in the United States, school administrators love to talk about state, local, or national standards! Reassure your interviewer that everything you do ties into standards. Be sure the lesson plans in your portfolio have the state standards typed right on them. When they ask about them, pull out your lesson and show them the close ties between your teaching and the standards.

3. How will you prepare students for standardized assessments?

There are standardized assessments at almost every grade level. Be sure you know the names of the tests. Talk about your experiences preparing students. You'll get bonus points if you know and describe the format of the test because that will prove your familiarity.

4. Describe your discipline philosophy.

You use lots of positive reinforcement. You are firm, but you don't yell. You have appropriate consequences for inappropriate behavior. You have your classroom rules posted clearly on the walls. You set common routines that students follow. You adhere to the school's discipline guidelines. Also, emphasize that you suspect discipline problems will be minimal because your lessons are very interesting and engaging to students. Don't tell the interviewer that you "send kids to the principal's office" whenever there is a problem. You should be able to handle most discipline problems on your own. Only students who have committed very serious behavior problems should be sent to the office.

5. How do you make sure you meet the needs of a student with an IEP?

An IEP is an "individualized education plan." Students with special needs will be given an IEP, or a list of things that you must do when teaching the child. An IEP might include anything from "additional time for testing" to "needs all test questions read aloud" to "needs to use braille textbook." How do you ensure you're meeting the needs of a student with an IEP? First, read the IEP carefully. If you have questions, consult a special education teacher, counselor, or other staff member who can help you. Then, you just make sure you follow the requirements on the IEP word for word. When necessary, you may be asked to attend a meeting in which you can make suggestions for updating the IEP. Your goal, and the goal of the IEP, is to make sure the student has whatever he or she needs to be successful in your class.

6. How do you communicate with parents?

This question will come up at almost every elementary school interview. It's fairly common in the middle school and high school as well. You might have a weekly parent newsletter that you send home each week. For grades 3 and up, you may require students to have an assignment book that has to be signed each night. This way, parents know what assignments are given and when projects are due. When there are discipline problems you call home and talk to parents. It's important to have an open-door policy and invite parents to share their concerns at any time.

2 Simple Steps to Beat Your Competition During Your Job Interview

Want to land your dream job? It all comes down to how you answer the questions you're asked during your interview. Just as there are identifiable phases to any job interview, there are a few easy steps to come up with the best answer to any interview question. Let's be clear here. I'm not talking about a pretty good answer, or a rather good answer.

I'm talking about the kind of amazingly, astoundingly good answer that causes interviewers to think, "Can I hire this person right this minute? No, I have to finish the interview first!"

Here's the best news: I can teach you to transform any old mundane, lackluster, half-hearted answer that you might come up with, into that amazing answer. All you have to do is use my special formula, which I'll tell you about in a moment. Very simply, there are only 2 steps in answering any interview question that you may encounter. They are:

1) Identify the type of question
2) Use my Special Formula to create an answer

Identify the Type of Question

It may seem that there are an infinite variety of questions in interviews. In reality, there are only 6 types of questions that routinely occur in interviewers. And, all 6 usually occur in each and every interview.

In fact, I would hazard a guess that if you encounter an interview without all 6 types of questions, you are dealing with a very inexperienced interviewer. That's actually to your advantage, since you are rapidly becoming VERY skilled at interviewing.

The 6 major types of questions are:

1. Personality questions
2. Strength questions
3. Weakness questions
4. Motivation questions
5. Education and Experience Questions
6. Work Habits questions

By the way, the questions are listed in this order, because that is the order in which they are most commonly asked. Work Habits questions may occur at any point during the interview, but the other types of questions occur in a fairly predictable order. In the sample questions, we'll discuss each type of question in detail. If you can effectively answer those 6 types of questions, you can ace any interview.

My Special Formula

Once you have identified the type of question; create an answer using my special formula. This formula is guaranteed to help you successfully answer any question.

Over my decades of experience as an interviewer, I gradually began to notice that the best answers had a common format. I refined that format into an easy to use, foolproof formula. By keeping this formula in mind during the interview, you can react to any question thrown at you, no matter how challenging or unusual.

Positive Attribute + Elaboration = The Best Answer

In this equation, P stands for a Positive Attribute. Be sure that your initial statement frames the answer in a positive way. For Strength and Work Habit questions, P should always equal one of the skills you identified in your preparation. For the other types of questions, simply frame the answer in a positive way, instead of a negative one.

The E stands for an Elaboration. For a skill, this is one of your short anecdotes illustrating how you handled a specific challenge at a previous job. If you're a student or recent graduate, use an example from volunteer work or your personal life.

For other answers, E equals an illustration, supporting detail or an example of what you mean. For a highly theoretical or unusual question, this may explain the "why" of your answer.

To review, here's the simple 2-step system to answer any interview question:

1. Figure out what type of question this is
2. Use my special formula to create the BEST answer!

Different Types of Interview: Becareful Before Stress Interview

Interview:

An interview is generally a face-to-face conversation between interviewer and interviewee (it can be two or more people) where interviewer ask/asks questions to obtain required information about interviewee.

Here we shall be talking about job interview. If the interviewee get to know the type of interview it would be easy for him to go through. Government jobs in India or private jobs whether it is fresher jobs in India or jobs for experienced professionals these all requires an interview to get the job.

Face-to-Face interview:

This is most common and traditional type of interview. Generally one to one conversation is there. The interviewee should maintain eye contact, and his answer must lead to prove that his qualifications are best suited for that job.

Panel Interview:

Generally more three to ten members can be in the panel of interviewer interviewing the candidate. Candidate need to adjust with the personalities of the panel as soon as possible maintaining proper eye contact to all the interviewees.

Behavioral Interview:

The interviewer asks questions to predict your behavior. It can be related to your history, all you need to do is to give answers based on facts not only hypothetical activities.

Case Interview:

The interviewer wants to know your problem solving potential. He/They may give you a situation or a case and you are supposed to give a logical solution to that. It should be noted that only solution does not matters but the approach, how you apply your knowledge is important.

Telephonic Interview:

This is conducted for screening purpose or we may call it a preliminary interview. In case when the interviewer can not conduct face to face interview for all the applicants short listed for an interview due to some limitations. For this kind of interview one must ready for any time interview and the phone on which call is to be received must be trouble free (No call drops, network problem or call waiting kind of problems). Preferably one should choose a land line.

Group Interview:

It is an informal discussion type of interview. The employer judges the leadership potential of the employee and the way he interacts with the group.

Mealtime Interview:

This is conducted for the jobs which require interpersonal activities. The interviewer judges that how you would react in a social gathering. You need to be confident, well mannered, and follow the lead of the interviewer.

Stress Interview:

In some professions you need to tackle a lot of stress and thus stress interview becomes important for this kind of job. The employer wants to know your reaction in stress. The interviewer may be sarcastic, he may open challenge you believes or may ask you to do any insulting activity etc. So you have to be calm and tactic and do not take questions personally, it is a game. Try to answer logically in a positive manner.

Job Interview Skills Training - Top Ten Interview Questions For College Graduates

Now that you have graduated from college, you must be proud of your achievement. How on earth did you manage to pass your exams with flying colors? You anticipate what were the questions asked in the exam right? The same goes to job interviews.

As part of the job interview skills, you would need to know what the questions that could be asked. This is because knowing is winning half the battle.

1) Tell me about yourself

This question does not permit you to tell everything about yourself. You don't need to tell the interviewer how you were born but the best qualities that make you the cream of the crop. Just outline the key points that are relevant to your personal characteristics like being committed, enthusiastic, team worker and use personal life examples like your sports or hobbies, or social charity interest to demonstrate your personal attributes.

2) Why should I hire you?

Reply by asserting that you are the best person for this job and give reasons to back up this claim. Show your passion and enthusiasm when answering this question. Give examples of where you achieved your goals and or contributed to the success of a team or organizational activity.

3) Please tell me about your future objectives.

Most people are caught off guard here because not everyone has fully planned out their career path. But it is important that you show that you have thought out your life goals enough to at least know what you would like to be working at in 5 years time

4) Has your education prepared you for your career?

State how your education has trained you towards the necessary skills needed for the job and give examples to support this claim. Give examples of how your training has been applied in practical experience within an organization you worked in or volunteered in.

5) Have you been a team player?

Everyone will reply yes but lack the proof needed to back it up. Tell the interviewer how you helped your team during your college years on winning a certain competition or other examples that emphasizes your quality as a team player.

6) Did you encounter any conflict with your previous professors or employer? What are the steps that

you have taken to resolve this issue?

This is a classic question that you need to be well rehearsed for with a coach to learn excellent job interview skills. When posed with this question, do not reply that you never had a conflict because this is a blatant lie. Instead give an example of a conflict that you have encountered and give solutions that you have taken to solve it

7) What is your biggest weakness?

Do not say the trite "I am a workaholic" because it will not impress your interviewer, who will see through the answer, unless you genuinely are a workaholic and can prove it to them

8) How would your professors describe you?

This question requires a bit of planning as you never know whether the interviewer will ask for a reference from the professor you have just quoted. So, prepare a game plan by approaching a professor with whom you are in good terms with and get a reference letter to support your quotation. Do this in advance.

9) What are the qualities that a manager should possess?

Remember the two key points which are Leadership and Vision. Elaborate on these two points by giving solid points to back it up. You can also tell the interviewer your idol or mentor who have contributed in imparting his/her skills to you.

10) If you can turn back time, what would you like to see change?

Try to prepare something that relates to your career or vocation. Don't be negative. It is not an opportunity to talk about all the regrets of your life or love-life. If the interviewer wishes to press further, be careful not to divulge too much in your personal life. Just keep it professional and positive in outlook.

How to answer tough interview questions

There's no worse feeling than when you're in an interview and the interviewer asks you a question to which you don't know the answer.

The best way to handle this dreaded debacle is to go into the interview prepared. Familiarize yourself with a few common difficult questions and arm yourself with answers prepared ahead of time.

Check out these tough interview questions and some suggested responses in order to avoid an interview disaster:

Tough question No. 1: "Tell me about yourself."

This is usually the opening question in an interview and it's the perfect moment for you to toot your own horn -- not to tell your life history. Your answers should be a quick rundown of your qualifications and experience. Talk about your education, work history, recent career experience and future goals.

Suggested answer: "I graduated from University X and since then, I have been working in public relations with an agency where I have generated millions of PR hits for my clients. While I've enjoyed working on the agency side, I'm looking to expand my horizons and start doing PR for corporate companies such as this one."

Tough question No. 2: "Why did you leave your last job?"

This is your chance to talk about your experience and your career goals, not to badmouth a former boss or give a laundry list of reasons for your exit. Instead, focus on what you learned in your previous position and how you are ready to use those skills in a new position.

Suggested answer: "The company just wasn't a good fit for my creativity, but I learned that organizations have distinct personalities just like people do. Now I know where I'll be a better fit."

Tough question No. 3: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Let the employer know that you're stable and you want to be with this company for the long haul. Keep your aspirations to take over the firm with which you are interviewing, own your own company, retire at 40 or be married with five children to yourself.

Suggested answer: "I want to secure a civil engineering position with a national firm that concentrates on retail development. Ideally, I would like to work for a young company, such as this one, so I can get in on the ground floor and take advantage of all the opportunities a growing firm has to offer."

Tough question No. 4: "What are your weaknesses?"

The key to answering this age-old question is not to respond literally. Your future employer most likely won't care if your weak spot is that you can't cook, nor do they want to hear the generic responses, like you're "too detail oriented" or "work too hard."

Respond to this query by identifying areas in your work where you can improve and figure out how they can be assets to a future employer. If you didn't have the opportunity to develop certain skills at your previous job, explain how eager you are to gain that skill in a new position.

Suggested answer: "In my last position, I wasn't able to develop my public-speaking skills. I'd really like to be able to work in a place that will help me get better at giving presentations and talking in front of others."

Tough question No. 5: "Why were you laid off?"

This question will become more common as the economy continues to slow down. It's a tough question, however, especially because many workers aren't told exactly why they were laid off. The best way to tackle this question is to answer as honestly as possible.

Suggested answer: "As I'm sure you're aware, the economy is tough right now and my company felt the effects of it. I was part of a large staff reduction and that's really all I know. I am confident, however, that it had nothing to do with my job performance, as exemplified by my accomplishments. For example..."

Interview Questions to Ask Employer - A Very Good Strategy to Show What You've Got

During an interview there are instances when an interviewer runs blank, a long pause will stir up a gut feeling you should never ignore, the interviewer who could very well be your boss if you nailed the job will ask you, "Do you have any questions?" Always remember that an interview is a communication process where the people involved give and take information from each other.

When this instance happens, your interviewer is practically giving you a chance to assess and to know the possibilities of you being happy or being challenged in the company. Oftentimes an interviewee gets so nervous during his interview that he practically forgets his part in the interaction process and that is to communicate or to prepare interview questions to ask the employer.

An interviewer will basically introduce the company to you so you will have an idea on what you are getting in to. If you tend to understand everything he said and pose no questions then that's a bad point for you.

Here is an advice to keep in mind, ALWAYS prepare series of questions to ask. Just make sure you ask questions that were not answered or were not clearly emphasized by the interviewer during the talk. You may as well ask for additional or further clarification on some matters discussed.

Here are some questions for you to consider:

1. What do you take into account to be your establishments' most important assets?

2. What happened to the last person who handled this job? Is this a new position I am taking in?

3. What were the main strengths and drawbacks of the last person who handled this job?

4. What would you consider to be the primary aspects of this job?

5. Where have previous employees who held this position progressed to within the company?

6. Could you please give a scenario of a regular day or week in this position? The particular client I would be dealing with?

7. What is your organization's policy or stand for projects held in other cities?

8. What particular kind of work can I expect to master for the first year?

9. What is the expected extent of guidance or assistance made to individuals in developing career goals?

10. Could you describe your company's management approach and the characters of employee who fits well with it?

11. Does your company provide seminars, workshops and training to employees that could enhance their skills?

12. What particular computer equipment and software do you use?

Doing a job interview is not merely answering questions thrown by the interviewer but your potential employer is also eager to answer questions from you. Learn as much as you can about the position and the people you will be working with, always prepare interview questions to ask employer.