Remember basics for job interviews
By Eileen Alt Powell
Associated Press
NEW YORK — The spring hiring season is in full swing and that means — gulp! — it's time for those dreaded job interviews.
But speaking with prospective employers, whether you're going for your first job or you're a seasoned worker, needn't be such a nail-biting affair if you do some preparation.
"A lot of mistakes have to do with poor communications," said Norma Gaffin, director of content for the career advice section of the www.Monster.com job site. "People take so many things for granted, but you need to remember the basics — to dress well, speak well and always follow up with a thank you note."
Joe Hodowanes, a career strategy adviser with the executive search firm J.M. Wanes & Associates of Tampa, Fla, said the first thing a job candidate must do is research the industry, the company and the job. That means looking at the company's Web site, doing searches about the company on the Internet and even dropping in at the library to check the company out in professional references.
He suggests first-time job seekers, as well as work force veterans, might try this pre-interview exercise: Write down the sentence, "What value do I bring to a company and why should they hire me?"
Then, he said, over the next several days as you think of key selling points, write them down.
"If you can accumulate 15 or 20 items, then as things come up in the interview, they can be interjected at the appropriate places," Hodowanes said.
PROBING QUESTIONS
Hodowanes also stresses that interviewees shouldn't be afraid to ask probing questions. Some possibilities:
"Then sit back and be quiet, because whatever that person comes back with is going to be uppermost in their mind," he said. "It might be, being a member of the team, it might be understanding numbers and profitability.
"Then guess what you can do through the rest of the interview? You can hit on those points."
www.Monster.com's Gaffin encourages job applicants to practice before they go into an interview. Graduating seniors can usually get help at campus career centers, she said. And sites like www.monster.com have "virtual interviews" that can help.
She also suggests people "look very carefully at the job description." If, for example, it calls for someone who pays close attention to details, be prepared with anecdotes where you've done that.
"It doesn't have to be only work experience," she said. "I could be in extracurricular activities or course work or volunteer activities."
BRINGING UP MONEY
When it comes to bringing up money, both Gaffin and Hodowanes urge job seekers to let the prospective employer broach the subject.
"It shouldn't be you, especially early in the hiring process," Gaffin said.
If the interviewer persists with money questions, perhaps asking for a range, she suggests a response like, "I feel this is so early in the process that I need to learn more about the position before I would feel comfortable talking about it."
Hodowanes said that if an interviewer asks, a good response could be: "I'm sure you have a salary range in mind. Can you tell me what is attached to this position?"
Even new graduates should negotiate if they're not happy with an offer, Hodowanes said.
"Most companies have more flexibility with salary than they let on," he said.
