Tag Archives: interview

You Got the Interview—What You Should Know to Prepare

Interviewing, , , , , ,
Prepare for an Interview by Researching the Company
Photo by Meagan Goodnight

So you just landed that interview you’ve been straining for. An important part of preparing to ace the interview is finding out more about the company. Author, blogger, career expert, and former exec at Microsoft Dana Manciagli recommends the following: Know the company—and as best you can, about the division and team you’d be a part of. Familiarize yourself with the industry and any lingo or acronyms. Know the job description, and be ready to mirror the important job requirements with SAR (Situation>Action>Result) examples from your job history.

Research the company’s news, awards, and accomplishments. Find out, for instance, who the president is. Familiarize yourself with at least 4 to 5 key facts about the company in case you’re asked, “What do you know about us?”

Here are several resources you can use:
• The company’s website (obviously!), LinkedIn page, and YouTube channel
• www.glassdoor.com
• www.indeed.com/Best-Places-to-Work
• www.manta.com
• www.referenceusa.com (you’ll need a library card to access this site)
• www.seekingalpha.com
• www.slideshare.net (a fairly far-fetched resource since you may not find any presentations someone from the company has posted, but why not take a look!)

NOTE: Apart from Glassdoor’s reviews of companies, with most, you’ll also find information regarding interview questions users faced as well as reported salary information. With the release of its Facebook application, Glassdoor usage has grown dramatically, and the site continuously attracts new users from around the world. You can also peruse comments from current and former employees at different companies you are considering.

It’s always a good idea to check LinkedIn for the photo of the person who will be interviewing you. This way, you can appear more prepared as well as learn more about his or her background. In a networking meeting requested by someone else, when I can tell that person has done their homework on me, I’m impressed! This can happen with interviewers too. Good luck!

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MUCHO MONDAYS – “Uno, Dos, Tres, Cuatro…”: 6 Things To Bring To Your Interview

Interviewing, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

interview, preparation, list, resume, SAR, strengths, weaknesses, situation, action, result, interviewer, elevator speech, exit statement, references, applications, LinkedIn
Photo by jimmijoe50/djamel

• At least 2 copies of your resume’ – One for you for reference and one in case the interviewer asks for it. Frequently the version of your resume’ the interviewer may have been handed from HR is a format-stripped one, difficult to follow. NOTE: If you’re using a Functional Resume’, bring one Chronological for yourself as a quick reference
• Interview Prep Sheets – 1) a standard one listing your strengths, typical questions you should always ask, your goals, and the answer to the question “Tell me about yourself” and 2) a Company Information Sheet (containing: the title of the job for which you’re interviewing; the name of the interviewer, his or her contact phone number, and the address or directions to the interview site; facts about the company; your questions about the job; and the questions you would ask if you were the interviewer–especially in regards to relating your background to the position on the table).
• Your SARS/Weaknesses Sheet – A list of 8 or so top Situation/Action/Result scenarios (here’s a list of ideas from which to choose) and the answer to the question “What are your weaknesses?”
• Your Elevator Speech and Exit Statement
• Information about your past jobs (start/end dates, salary, addresses, supervisors’ names, etc.) – in case you need to fill out an Application. I like to keep a document of this information on Google Drive in order to reduce the amount of papers I need to carry. Just make sure to update it as you update the one on your computer. Also paste your References at the top of this document so you’ll have those readily available if an Application requires it.
• A professional looking folio to keep all this in

Have the resume’s (your copy and theirs) handy so you don’t have to fumble for them. Having the other sheets in the folio is fine, just tuck them out of the way before you are called back for the interview.

Finally, it’s always a good idea to check LinkedIn for the photo of the person who will be interviewing you. This way you can appear more prepared as well as learn more about their background.

What else do you bring? Can you share any curveballs the interviewer stumped you with?

Bargaining with your current employer

After Landing The Job, Negotiating, , , , ,

Why not to use having found a counter offer at another job as a bargaining chip with your current employer:

Watch the brief video here: How To Deal With Counter Offers (video)

Have you ever leveraged an offer from another company to get a raise at your current job? (I have not but got a job where someone use the position to stay with her current employer at a higher pay rate.)
If so, how did it go with your current employer, or did you end up taking the new job?

Photo by Rick Broussard at Flickr