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That's right! TWO interviews tomorrow! One is in Belle Fourche, the other in Casper, WY. Of course, they are phone interviews, or I would have a heck of a time with the schedule! LOL!
Wish me luck! I can't even tell you which one I would prefer...the one in Belle Fourche is a good position and in a location I would be very happy with, but the one in WY pays relocation expenses and has great promotional potential! I hope I get offered at least one of them! I am so ready to be gone from Indiana!
Here's my $.02 unsolicited advice for interview dos and don'ts that I used to always tell my clients (was an employment/ career counselor) and have now come to value as someone that does a lot of interviewing (might be a lot of obvious ones in here heard before, but I find that most people I've interviewed are guilty of committing at least one of these):
Do Not:
Talk badly about a former boss- if asked what you least liked about your former boss, find something to say that isn't so negative- e.g., my former boss tended to be quiet and wanted persons to learn most things on their own- this was fine and I was able to do it, but I prefer getting regular/ constructive feedback from my supervisor so that I have a strong sense of what I'm doing well and what I can improve on.
Pretend like you know about something when you don't- it is much better to be upfront and admit that you lack experience in a certain area; after you do admit this, however, you should immediately find something that you have done or that you're skilled in that might be relatable (e.g. I haven't had any experience working with that specific computer software, but I have worked with x software and I'm a very quick study with most computer applications).
Similar to the above point, if you do know a lot about the job, do not act like you know all there is to know about the position. State what you've done that's related, but do not think that you're so great that everything will be a breeze- if you are over-confident, you will come across as a know-it-all and potentially difficult to train in the various ways unique to that particular company.
Scoff/ bristle at anything the interviewer says about the job- might be an obvious one, but I've been amazed at how many people can't seem to control their facial expressions/ responses when presented with a potential duty they aren't particularly fond of- if you do want the job, you should give the impression that the more you learn about it, the more you want it and it sounds perfect for you.
Give your real biggest weakness - similar to the "what you didn't like about your past boss scenario", your biggest "weakness" should somewhat be a strength veiled/ cloaked by an idiosyncrasy - e.g. "I tend to be too much of a perfectionist sometimes and obcess about the minutes details of things"- make sure the interviewer knows it's not a delibitating condition, however.
In general, it's best not to ask about (and esp. not to try and negotiate) salary ranges in the interview, I would wait for the comopany/ interviewer to bring it up when they're ready to talk about it.
DO:
Research the company prior to your interview- find the company website online, or articles about the company, etc. - whatever you can beforehand- this shows that you are very interested (and a resourceful, quick learner) and you can then weave in items that you know about the company when answering questions.
ASK QUESTIONS WHEN ASKED "DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?": I find the best questions to ask are those where you'd like to learn more about the company or the specific area/ job duties in which you will be working in (in the vein of you want to get a head-start on learning the job, not in the sense that you are concerned about what you might be doing). Other safe questions include ?s related to benefits plans, opportunities for promotion, company dress codes, "when can I start?" (you again don't want to come off as too cocky or smarmy, however), etc. However, there was one time where an interviewee took about an extra 40 minutes of my time after the interview was over going through a laundry list of questions- don't do that, but ask at least a couple of questions and then state "I think you covered most all other questions I had already".
Take time to think about your answers prior to answering them. In a phone interview, you of course don't want tons of dead air time (or to look like you're not "quick on your feet"), but sometimes people are in such a big rush to answer the question right away that they don't answer it well or don't come across as thoughtful. If you are unsure of how to respond at first, repeat the question to the interviewer and ask them to confirm that you correctly understand it, and don't be afraid to say "let me think" or give a thoughtful "hmm" to give you an extra handful of seconds to come up with a great answer vs. word vomiting right out of the gate.
Most importantly- just be honest and let your personality come through- an interview is very much about getting to know your personality and guaging whether you will be a good coworker for the current staff to work alongside and/or supervise.
Those are a few of the big ones- hope my unsolicited advice is somewhat useful to you or someone else that stumbles onto this post sometime in the future. Good luck!
Last edited by Camden Northsider; 04-14-2009 at 04:21 PM..
Thanks for that! A lot of good advice in there! As these are federal positions, I already can eliminate about half of the points as things I already know, but there are some very good reminders. I work on the phone as part of my current position, so conversating that way is second nature to me, and these are phone interviews - so I will be somewhat in my "comfort zone!" I do have a list of questions to ask them, and a list of things they might potentially ask me in order to prepare better...and I have the advantage of being able to have their agency websites in front of me while I am on the phone! So, I hope that I am able to honestly handle anything they might throw at me. I am all about honesty in the interview - from me and from them. The last thing I want to do is make a cross-country move to a job that I am not suited for or doesn't suit me! I will keep you posted!
GOOD LUCK!!!!! I SO hope you are offered one of those jobs. SO, what're you gonna do if both are offered to you?
I truly have no idea! The job in WY pays relocation expenses, and has a good opportunity for advancement. The one in SD doesn't pay relocation expenses, so I am hoping they are willing to negotiate a signing bonus to at least help me cover the cost of the moving van! The one in SD would also be more of a "stepping stone" to a higher position later, either with them or with my current agency.
My heart truly wants to be "back home!" But I will have to consider carefully if I am offered both positions!
Good luck!! You've got a lot of people backing you!
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- similar to the "what you didn't like about your past boss scenario", your biggest "weakness" should somewhat be a strength veiled/ cloaked by an idiosyncrasy - e.g. "I tend to be too much of a perfectionist sometimes and obcess about the minutes details of things"- make sure the interviewer knows it's not a delibitating condition, however.
