Do you have an interview question or other career related question? Are you wondering about how to prepare for your interview? Are you confused about what should go into your CV or resume? Please submit your question HERE.

I strive to do my best with my knowledge and experience of the job market and related industry. Please note that different organizations might not follow the exact same methods of interview and selection that I outline, but they will be the best available advice.

I not only try to answer any career related question but I will try to also answer question regarding skills, CV writing, cover letters, and other related important subjects such as interview questions and what to do first if you suddenly lose your job.

Please remember that this is not legal advice upon which you can rely, it is general information about career change and job finding. If you have a grievance against an employer you must seek legal advice where appropriate as this information is general. Thank you.

Do you have interview questions, job search or career change questions?

We have the answers!

Please submit your question HERE so you can get an answer as soon as possible.

If their senses tell them something is disagreeable, your chances of getting hired go down the pan!

Its also a known fact that height and happiness tend to go hand in hand, but did you know that tall people get better jobs than short people? Height gives the allusion of authority so it makes sense, if you’re lacking in height, to follow these tips to help you look taller.

First impressions are very strongly affected by how someone reacts to the way you are (your demeanour) and the largest part of that is what we call your ‘body language’. This article which I wrote a little while back explains why your body language is so important to the way someone reacts to YOU and hence whether they have good impressions about you. This reaction could be crucial to the outcome of your interview.

Read more about first impressions and how body language affects people’s reactions First Impressions

If you really know your subject from practical experience, then in any particular area, you should also be able to say what could go wrong. Other interview candidates who don’t have your experience or if they had only done a course on the subject, wouldn’t be able to answer any questions on what might go wrong. If they had only been slightly exposed to the technical subject then their replies to such technical interview questions would probably be very limited.

But if you had genuine and extensive experience of a technical area, then you could probably give a lengthy answer about the possible problems and their solutions.

From an interviewer’s point of view, someone who knows what can go wrong demonstrates knowledge more effectively than giving someone a technical test. Knowing what can go wrong and the ways of avoiding it is the way to produce a successful outcome to any technical task.

So if your interviewer does not ask technical interview questions like that, you should aim to turn the interview round so that you are able to bring out your knowledge of the particular technical area or skill that they need to know about.

Before you go to the interview, think about all the things that may go wrong in this area or when applying this particular skill. Also think about how you have solved these problems to make them right.

So, when you go to the interview, be determined to get this across; that you know what the issues are and how you can solve them. Don’t just passively sit there and answer the questions they ask. It should be quite straightforward to bring up the topic of the problems that occur and the solutions you have come up with.

If it doesn’t come out readily during the interview, when they ask if you have any questions you should immediately ask them about the main problems that they have had at their site, and then discuss how they are solving them. You can then go on to talk about similar problems that you have had and what you have done to correct them. If they haven’t come across some of these issues yet, they might be very keen to have you on board for when they do.

But even if they have come across the problems, by bringing them up you will show your understanding of the subject and that you are able to sort out problems that can occur.

If you are an interview candidate, make sure that you have prepared a list of technical interview questions about what can go wrong and prepare some statements about how you would put it right; go to the interview determined that you are going to make this point.

Advantages Of This Approach To Technical Interview Questions

Competence and compatibility are the two key factors in a decision to hire and it’s true that companies tend to take on people that they like. If you are able to talk to them as a knowledgeable equal (or superior) in a subject that they know and like talking about, you build the all-important ‘rapport’ with your interviewer as you talk about common problems you’ve both met and solved. As the rapport builds, so do your chances of being offered the job!

At last you have been called to interview for the job you really want.

Now, do you think this could this be you?

Confidently sitting through your interview and being absolutely sure that you can answer any question the interviewer might throw at you. No nerves, no butterflies and no worry about unforeseen questions coming up; you know the top interview answers to tricky interview questions.

Most of us would love to be that relaxed, but the truth of the matter is that most of us get very nervous when it comes to interview.

What causes the nervousness is lack of knowledge and information, especially about the top interview answers. If we knew more about the main types of interview that might come up or how to discover the interviewer’s hidden needs we would be well on the way and better prepared for the interview.

And we really need to understand the nine key qualities that most interviewers are interested in plus the important Do’s and Don’ts and then we would start to feel better.

For my money the answers to the top interview questions are all I would ask for and some good closing questions I could ask to determine the right conclusion.

We would then perform so much better because we have all the answers worked out to all the possible top interview questions!!

Here are some practical tips to use now:

In general everything an interviewer wants to know about you falls into these 4 key areas:

• Why are you here?
• What can you do for us?
• What sort of person are you?
• Can we afford you?

They sound superficially very simple, but they are not! If you fail to understand how to deal with them, you will not stand out as an excellent interviewee! And if you don’t stand out, you won’t get hired! So get your preparation underway now.

Then there are three other things which you must prepare.

1. Your Career Overview which in most cases is the answer to the  “Tell me about yourself” question.

2. A Key Strengths statement which highlights your strongest skills to match yourself to what they need.

3. An Exit Statement or leaving statement helps to protect you from the emotions of a difficult job loss. Some thoughtless interviewers try to put pressure on by asking questions like:

“Why did they get rid of you?”

“Why did they make you redundant?”

You can answer this question with confidence when you’ve prepared an exit statement that gives the facts in a positive light and leaves you in control.

Peter Fisher is an expert Author and Publisher of Your Career Change He coaches and writes for people undergoing career change; get more on Top Interview Answers To tricky interview questions.

The words may vary of course but the request is to start talking and get the interview under way. It is at this point that PANIC sets in. What do they want to hear? Where do I start? How long have you got? Your answer to this really is quite simple when you think about it this way:  The reason you are sitting in this room with this interviewer is to convince them that you are the person they need to hire. Therefore what they want to hear from you are reasons and facts to convince them that you ARE the right person to hire. This is a job interview! They do NOT want to hear irrelevant stuff about where you go to watch football or your pets’ names or how your grandchild just lost her first tooth. (I’ve heard all of these.)

What they DO want to hear is a brief introduction to show how your career brought you to THIS point of being here in THIS room with them. This means you need to show where and how you got started, the decisions and changes you made along the way and that the role you are about to be interviewed for is the right progression for your career. But not only is it right for you but with your interest, enthusiasm and skills it will be right for the prospective employer as well. And do all this in about 3 minutes! You have three minutes to hold their attention and tell them how you took up your first job after college or university and gained specific skills as you progressed.

Add to this your promotions or appointments to new job roles and how you sought out opportunities to develop in your chosen career. Spend most of your three minutes on your most recent job and how the expertise you have matches the underlying needs of the new job. Then state most carefully that when you saw this new job being advertised, you became very excited as to the closeness of the match and the career development opportunity you envisioned. And that is why you are so pleased to be at this interview. And that is how you construct your answer to the “tell me about yourself” command at job interviews.

Tell Me about Yourself And Set The Agenda

When you give your answer to the ‘Please Tell Me About Yourself’ question at job interviews, you have a tremendous opportunity to influence the whole of the interview. Forget your 15 minutes of fame, these three minutes are far more fundamental to your success.

This is how important it is to get this part right.

You will already have researched the organization and know the function and responsibility of the job. You will already have prepared your career overview in a way that emphasises and matches your key strengths and job related skills to the key requirements of the job. Not only that but you have prepared yourself mentally for the interview and you are confident that you are the right person.

So you are ready; but what if your interviewer has failed to prepare as well as you have? If you detect any signs that he hasn’t prepared, or starts talking too much or fails to say “Tell me about yourself” then I suggest you find a way of interjecting “Could I tell you a little about myself?” which will probably be grasped with some relief.

This is how important the “Tell me about yourself” phrase is: it is your best opportunity to set the agenda for the whole interview and she who sets the agenda influences the outcome.

When the interviewer has not prepared fully, he will rely on the most recent information to hand from which to form the follow-on questions. The most recent information is what he has just heard and will therefore ask questions that derive from your answer to “Tell me about yourself”.

You see how important it is now; don’t just accept what some say is merely an interlude to allow you to settle in the interview room and hear your own voice before the real proceedings get under way. Your answer to what is probably the most common interview ‘question’ can be crucial to the outcome and determine whether you are successful at being offered the job.

So my plea to you is this: If you do nothing else to prepare for your interview, please be sure to prepare your answer to “Tell me about yourself”. At job interviews it is possibly the most important answer to prepare.

From an organization’s perspective, the telephone interview is a highly effective tool to quickly determine which candidates to interview in person and allows them to reach a number of people quickly, thus enabling the reduction of a long ’short-list’ to a final short list of candidates to call in for a face to face interview.

From your perspective as a candidate for employment, the phone interview allows you to talk to the organization without the pressure of a face to face meeting and with all your notes, other aids and data at hand.

How To Prepare For A Telephone Interview

Begin by studying the job description and the person specification or candidate profile. This will enable you to identify the organization’s particular needs and what specific information you need to successfully demonstrate that you possess the skills and experience they require.

Do some research to discover all you can about the organization’s products, services, history, and culture. Make particular  efforts to identify where your skills and experience match their processes and may be of value to them.

Your online research must include a visit to the organization’s website. Get a feel for what it is like and what you think an outsiders impression will be; you may be asked to comment upon it.

Write your own list matching your achievements to the organization’s stated requirements. Keep this list in front of you during the interview and refer to it at every opportunity.

A telephone interview is similar to other interviews and demands the use of the same interview skills so avoid any temptation to generalize when asked about your accomplishments. Be specific, for example “improved stock turnover by 36%” or “reduced scrap waste by 24%“.

Interviewers need to hear about relevant challenges or problems you have experienced in the workplace, the specific actions you took, and the measurable results you achieved. They seek to identify key competencies such as communication skills, analytical skills, teamwork, drive and initiative. Work out and write down some examples of how and when you have demonstrated these key competencies.

As with any job interview, it is a good idea to compile a list of likely interview questions beforehand. To simulate the telephone interview ask a friend to ‘interview’ you by phone first. Prepare your answers carefully, matching your words and phrases to the job description and candidate profile. It’s best not to write out your answers in full because they never end up sounding natural or spontaneous.

Make sure that other family members know you are expecting the phone interview and keep the line clear and away from the the area you are using so will not be disturbed during the phone call. Have your resume and cover letter, a copy of the job advertisement, and all your notes laid out in front of you. Have a pen and paper to hand so that you can note down key points throughout the course of the telephone interview.

Professional presenters will advise you to stand up during an interview by telephone because this makes you sound more authoritative and helps project a positive and professional image. They will also advise you that smiling creates a friendly and enthusiastic impression. So make an effort, it IS worth it! To help you in establishing the all important rapport on the phone, try to vary your speaking rate and pitch so that you match yours to that of the interviewer.

As with every interview it is important to convey the impression that you are genuinely interested in the organization and eager to make a contribution, so include references to information you discovered during the course of your research.

Listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions and comments. If you don’t understand a question, its OK to ask for clarification. Provide well-developed, balanced, and analytical answers, not just a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

You may be asked to explain your reasons for wanting to leav your present job, so make sure you have positive reasons prepared. Under no circumstances should you criticize your previous employers or colleagues. Having researched the organization and analyzed the job description as suggested, you should find it easy to prepare a few thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer when the opportunity arises.

At the end of the phone call, emphasize your interest in the job and the organization and reiterate your qualifications.

After the telephone interview, write a short thank-you letter, again reiterating that you would welcome the opportunity of a face-to-face interview.

Forget about job offers… many people see months fly by without landing ONE decent job INTERVIEW.

It’s no secret we’re living in some of the most stressful and difficult times in years and today’s job market is a killer.

But if you’ll keep an open mind and give me a few minutes of your time right now…

… I’ll show you how to flood your calendar with more hot job interview requests and top job offers this month than most of your competition will land all year.

It’s so easy when you discover the KEY secrets 99.9% of job-seekers will never know…

3 Little-Known Job Search Secrets
That Will Continue To Keep Your
Competition ‘Stuck In The Mud’
For Years To Come…

1. Nothing happens, and I mean NOTHING HAPPENS (!) until YOUR phone rings for the job interview. Landing that first job interview… getting your “foot in the door” is ALL that matters! This is where ALL of your focus needs to be. (Read that again).

2. A “perfect” resume is highly-overrated. Yes, you read that correctly. Don’t get me wrong, you need a resume, but don’t worry yourself sick if yours isn’t “perfect.” Resumes are not nearly as important as you might think they are. (Oh boy, I can hear the career industry “experts” screaming already).

3. Cover Letter Magic: A simple, carefully-written cover letter sprinkled with a few proven, magical marketing ingredients can fill your calendar with quality job interviews, faster and easier than you’d ever imagine.

Why? Because A Truly Amazing
Cover Letter Is Not A Cover Letter
At All… It’s A SALES Letter!

Your cover letter is the ONLY chance you have to “sell” yourself for the opportunity to be interviewed for the job.

Resumes DO NOT sell. They’re not built to sell. And most of the time, unless your resume is outstanding, it can actually end up hurting your job search! (I’ll bet you never heard that before).

A brilliantly-worded cover letter is the ULTIMATE sales letter and practically no one understands this fact. Most cover letters do nothing to land the job interview.

The vast majority of your competition simply “throws” together any old cover letter just so they have something to attach to their average resume.

Now find out how you can get Jimmy Sweeney’s Amazing Cover Letters and get your own cover letter sorted!!