Interview Tips for First-Time Job Seekers
18. Dec, 2008 
19 Comments
Remember, the world of business is about people, no matter what position you are seeking.
Even if you are a subject-matter expert in a field where people tend to work alone, you will still need some old fashioned “people skills” to get a job in that field.
An interview with a company official should be approached with careful preparation.
The outcome of the interview is the most important factor in determining whether you will be hired
or not.
The process of matching yourself with the right company
starts with the submission of a resume with a cover letter. This document shows the interviewer your qualifications and educational background. Prepare a resume that includes your educational background and your prior work experience in the fields related to the job that you are applying for, and all required personal information. This would include your name and address, contact telephone number, and a message phone number also.
Keep your resume brief, and spend some time creating a good summary.
Most interviewers will spend less than a minute reading the highlights of the resume, anyway. Be sure to keep copies for yourself, and have one available in case your interviewer has misplaced the one you sent in.
A job interview is your first personal contact with a prospective employer.
You definitely want to be well dressed, prompt and as relaxed as possible for the interview itself. Remember, first impressions will last throughout the relationship you have with your employer.
When you arrive, the interviewer will have some specific questions for you to answer.
You can help yourself by simply following the cues of the interviewer. Be polite and answer all of the questions honestly. Let the interview flow as smoothly as possible by waiting for the interviewer to prompt you for your answers. Express yourself clearly when answering the interviewer’s questions.
Be professional in your responses,
and display a genuine desire for to work for the company without groveling. The interviewer will be able to tell whether you particularly want to work for their company or are desperate to take any job. Let the job interviewer run the interview.
Most employers are looking for team players.
They want to hire someone who will integrate well with the office workers that are already there. This is why your first impression at the interview is so important. If you establish a friendly rapport with the interviewer, they will pass this along to the person who makes the final decision on hiring. Every employer wants to hire someone who is highly qualified, has a strong desire to produce results and will work well with his existing team.
Even seasoned job seekers dread the thought of their first encounter with an interviewer.
You can approach an interview confidently and ensure a successful outcome
by using these simple tips:
1. Be confident, but not brazen.
Convey with your body language and speech that you’re comfortable with your ability to do a good job for the prospective employer without appearing arrogant.
2. Do your research on the company and familiarize yourself with the company’s products and industry jargon.
Then, if possible, use your network to connect with company employees before the interview. Most people are flattered when you ask for their opinion, and you may find out things about the work environment and job requirements that you will not hear from your interviewer. The more you know the better. But don’t say anything that may backfire on you.
3. Don’t exaggerate your accomplishments or educational background.
You won’t impress them, and in this information age it is easy enough for them find out if you are stretching the truth. Listen carefully and interact appropriately. The interview will be a successful one if you simply establish good rapport.
4. Be respectful of the interviewer’s time.
Be on time, and don’t cause the interview to drag on because of your unnecessary chatter.
5. Thank the interviewer upon leaving.
Shake hands and give a warm smile. Give the impression to your interviewer that you like the company and let them know once again how much you are interested in the position. Then exit with grace and purpose.
6. Make sure your prospective employer knows what your salary requirements are by the second interview.
Don’t give them a chance to think that you will work for less than you are worth, based on what’s appropriate for that position.
Be confident of your ability to land that good job that you want.
It’s really a matter of making the right connections and following through with honest hard work. Put your best foot forward and look ahead to a great career.
ResumeBear can help you create a resume that will open the door for that all important initial interview. Our professional templates and resume writing tips will enable you to craft a resume that is the perfect showcase for your talents and experience.
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Thanks for the interview tips. I can now correct a couple of mistakes that I have been making in my interviews.
I would like to thank the staff at ResumeBear for helping me find employment. You see, I’m a grandmother who has been at home for several years, but when my husband passed away I found it necessary to go to work again. With your online resume system I was able to create an impressive resume. Your system was easy to understand even for me and when I had a question, your customer service department was very friendly and helpful. Thank you.
Lil
Happy to be of service, Lillian. Whether you are a brand new job seeker or if you have been away from the job market for a few years, looking for a new job or career can be challenging. It is our goal to make this process as easy and effective as possible. Best wishes with your career search!
Thank you very much for this very thoughtful guideline. The most basic and necessary steps are included to support my success in marketing myself!
I have been self-employed for over 30 years, so how to effectively enter the job market is a mystery to me. Thanks ResumeBear for the guidance and tools I need to be successful.
I never thought about how an employer might be evaluating how I would fit in with their existing team. This gives me some ideas about how I might change my approach in the interview I have coming up. Thanks.
Your blog and resume service are providing a great help to those looking for that special job. Having worked in an employment agency for several years I know your advice is priceless to the job seeker.
First impressions are very important. Keep in mind that the job seeker should also work at putting the interviewer at ease, especially if it is a small company that does not do a lot of hiring. I would recommend that the serious job seeker study NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). It is a great way to build the rapport that you mention in your article.
I like the fact that you mentioned that no matter what job you are applying for you need to be comfortable with people. In the interview you are actually selling yourself and what you can do for the company. I have had to coach too many people in preparing for the interview to keep stressing what their skills will do to benefit the company as opposed to what great skills they have.
Keep up the good work. I will definitely refer my clients to your service at ResumeBear.
This is so great. I’ll be using it all through my Graduate studies to help me and my fellow classmates succeed. Thank you Resume Bear.
Great product and easy to use instructions. I love the Q&A feature. Tracking the resume is a solid idea. This is a top notch product. Thank You!
Hey all – this is the first time I’ve ever posted anything online. I wasn’t really sure about this program but decided to give it a go when a friend of mine recommended it because she found a job using it. I like the idea that you guys help with some ideas so I can put it together fast and it looks good! I’ll let you know.
These tips are great. I like the tip to keep the resume brief and to the point. I did and It helped me land a job using the system.
I have a problem with number six. Getting the salary out there with out shutting down the interview. How do you know what the market will bear in this economic downturn? I do want to be payed what I am worth.
Dear Bill:
There are numerous “salary calculators” on the web. Google those words and you should some find some salary advice based upon job and region. http://www.salary.com is one such resource. In many salaried positions, an employer will not even call you to an interview without knowing your salary requirements. It’s considered professional to be open and honest in this regards. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need, as long is it is not out of line with the position.
THANKS FOR THE GREAT ADVICE!
Great tips to help establish a good rapport.
Very usefull post.
Thanks.
P.S. I like your writing style.
Very thoughtful article and sound resume tips.
Keeping your resume up to date will help you stay
better prepared and organized and hopefully help
you create a good impression.
This is a great post with some excellent tips. The best way to summarize your skills is to highlight the most important aspects of your career experience, skills, capabilities, and education. These aspects should be most relevant to the position sought (research the job position, the company and its org. culture). Some of the information which you (painfully) excluded from your resume will become part of your cover letter, explaining how you are the most ideal candidate for the job, and the remaining part will be disclosed during the actual interview. Best of Luck!
Your blog is doing wonderful job. It is very helpful for all candidates in preparing a well developed resume. These resume tips has helped in correcting many mistakes in my professional resume. It entails all the basic steps which should be kept in mind while preparing a resume template.