How to Ace Any Job Interview

The most important question to ask yourself before trying for a job is ‘Are you employable’. Do you have the right credential for the position you seek and do you have adequate academic qualifications? Answering these questions should be the first step towards paid employment.
It is possible to bluff your way through an interview and get employed. Taking the right job and doing the right interviews would provide an advantage over other job seekers.
You have a very good university degree but the reality is that many people have degrees even better than yours. Many have toiled and burnt the midnight oil, so getting a job is not textbook, ‘Finish College then get employed.’
Like most things in life snagging a good job requires dedicated planning and insight. Your academic credentials alone cannot get you that dream job. Consider a job interview where over 100 people are vying for 10 positions.
That is only 1/10 will have a chance at employment but the statistic drops even further if someone in the establishment has a preferred candidate such as a relative.
job interview
Factors That Affects Job Placement
Punctuality
Did you know that punctuality alone is a factor between employment and unemployment? The management might be discretely timing applicants as they arrive for interviews.
Consider such a scenario whereby you are adequately qualified and arrive after several candidates had finished their interview and gone. A company taking into account punctuality will disqualify you even before granting you an audience.
Research
Do your home work on any company you wish to work for. It is not enough to acknowledge the blue chip rating of the company and imaging the fat salary you stand to make but knowing their back ground is important.
What are their corporate strategies, management structure, achievements desire and want? Who are their competitors and what are you bringing to the table when employed. These are very serious considerations before going for an interview.
Adaptability
Be very adaptable because no matter the amount of preparation there is no cut and set rule. Anything can happen in a conference room. You might find yourself confronting an angry interviewer out of no fault of yours. The person could have domestic problems or other personal issue.
All you can do is make the most of the hand dealt, be patient cautious and maybe reach some synergy with the person.
Leadership Consideration
What will you do if an interviewer already sees you as a potential treat to his job. Try to be honest and approachable could reduce the hostility.
You can't beat yourself up because of an unreasonable Peron. Do your best and leave the rest. You might be surprised that the same person would be the one that recommends you for that job.
How to Pass Any Job Interview
Personality
Your personality is one of the most important reasons may people fail to get their dream jobs. What ever situation you find yourself you must put up you best behavior during interviews. 
During the interview they might try to rattle you with unexpected questions. They would study your reaction, body language, the way you respond.  And immediately form opinions on what they think you are all about.
Mind you they may be totally wrong, but consider this it took several years to decide on a particular person as a best friend. What influenced your decision was compatibility. The same applies for business organizations they what compatibility.
You should fit in with their business image to sail through one stage of an interview. Look at the dress culture what are their staff wearing and on that day dress appropriately and put up a pleasant forbearance.
Dress Code
As explained your dress code is important for first impressions. Don’t go over the top but dress appropriately. If you attend an interview with sappy cloths or nice cloths not compatible with their image they may not see you in the role they want.
Neutral colors work best with a splash of color, skirt suits, white shirts on nice skirts. Try wearing business suits for men, clean well cut shirts with neat pants. A good mid range wrist watch would do nicely. Imagine wearing an expensive watch and the interviewer cannot afford such luxury that alone could impact negatively.
Resume
Your resume should be carefully edited before tendering it for appraisal. It should be formal, insightful, work experience and qualifications. The more experience you look the better your chances.
If you have changed jobs too frequently this might become a focal point in you interview. They would be interested in why the frequent changes, and if you are there for the long haul. They would not what to hire you and in two years start looking for another replacement or job search.

Things to Considerations When Searching for a Job
  • Appearance
  • Mannerism
  • Diction
  • Academic qualifications
  • Experience
  • Awards
  • Company profile
  • Retirement plan
  • Promotional prospects
Bottom of Form
Understand the Company
The company has an identity that dictates’ its cooperate social responsibility.  Is it a family owned or a family oriented establishment. Does it favor young driven achievers, forceful marketers, team players?
Do they require Individual brilliance or total commitment to their product or services? Whatever identity characterizes the company first decipher what makes then tick.
Knowing this gives you an added edge over you fellow candidates. Position yourself to fit into their ideals and you already have a foot in the door to become one of the family.
Identify with the Interviewer
Finding a common ground during the interview process and connect with the individual would be beneficial. Discreetly study the person’s mannerism and try to decipher what he or she likes. Does she have family portraits all over the office?
Understanding the character behind the face and making a connection is a very big step to getting that job.  Develop a keen sense by reading people and studying their mannerisms. Study the clothes, way they walk, talk and interact with the world around them. Intelligence Agents and writers have developed this skill and have a kin sense of observation.
Be Interactive
That is the main purpose of an interview they have seen your credentials but they want to see the face behind the numbers. Be bold and don’t only answer question ask your own within reason. Talk in a factual way and don’t just reel out answers.
Show some excitement and a lot of enthusiasm. Answer truthful and as best as you can. Let them make up their minds that you have something new to bring to the table. Job interviews are not about putting people through uncomfortable positions but by finding the right candidate that they needed for that particular position.
When going for interviews don’t view it as a stressful process but as a platform to announce your presence to the organization. Examinations are merely to test your knowledge of the subject matter.
Examinations are not meant to fail the student but to find out what he or she knows. Once you understand this universal truth you would be eager and excited at take any test. While others are apprehensive or frightened you feel excited, especially when you are adequately prepared.
Wages and Salary
Some time the interviewer wants to know what type of salary scale you want. This is a trick question because if you call something below what they are willing to pay then they may feel you are not what they need. But if you call something higher they may feel you are greedy, Issue of salary should be left until you get employed.
Believe me they already have a salary structure and know what they pay. So if confronted with this question tactfully dodge the bullet. Sidestep the query because there is no satisfactory answer.
Be Employable
Are you employable? This depends on what you can bring to the table. Your credentials, knowledge of the job, skill and training are good parameters. Company’s select new employees based generally on their skill and attributes.
What added benefit would you bring to the company. Knowledge of the market place in which you are going to operate is your greatest advantage over your fellow candidates.
Even if you do not possess adequate knowledge you can brush up on it before going for the interview. Understand other external issues like micro economic demand, job placement levels, employer’s recruitment and other factors should be considered.
Pitfalls and Traps
The interviewer may try to find out negative things by asking clever questions. Don’t fall for it. The reason they do this is to see the man behind the mask. It is not malicious but to test if you are lacking confidence.
No matter what he asks he does not know you and is only trying to form a picture of what makes you tick. Talk in terms of can and not can’t, resist any impulse to deviate from the subject matter.
Embrace Technology
I wonder how you intent getting the job when basic skill like using a computer becomes an issue. Embrace new technology so as to enhance your employability.  Without adequate knowledge of new technology you can kiss that job interview goodbye.
Companies are competitive and they have no choice but to leverage on technology to remain relevant.  As an employee, knowledge of changing technological trends is mandatory.  Companies are not stagnant they change with time, be flexible adaptable and employable.
If you do not get hired after all of the above don’t be discouraged use every experience to improve on you employability by improving on your technique.
Job skill versus Qualification
Skills
So you have the qualification but what skills do you possess. Do you have lifetime skills, opportunity awareness, are you a natural leader, team player or transition skills.
 Can you work for several years in the same position with the view of promotion? We read somewhere the life history of a top general manager of one of the largest blue chip companies and were surprised to find that the man started his carrier as a clerk.
 He rose through the ranks to become the managing director. He is now retired but had stayed in the same job for 40 years. The man had acquired all the skill and insider knowledge of the working of that company more than anyone.
What are your Career Goals
Knowing your career goals is important because it is one of the frequently asked questions in job interviews. Knowing the persons ambition or lack is a pointer to what the person is capable of achieving.
In the job market women have found this question frustrating because most women need to start a family before menopause so some organizations have to take this into consideration
In the past woman struggled with gaining full employment but employers today are willing and eager to hire women.
Truth or Lies
Stressing your good attributes is expected at interviews however refrain from embellishments or overemphasis a qualification.  Always try to be truthful as best you can. Prepare you CV along these lines and you may include commendations, awards you received by previous employers.
No matter your experience there is room for improvement and training. Most companies invest heavily on training their staff what you need to achieve is first get that job

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