Feb 23, 2011
How to Job Interview in Today’s Job Market
Know how to job interview. In the highly competitive environment of today’s job market you need to make a strong impression in your initial meeting with a recruiter or prospective employer. These steps will help you to market yourself as a top job candidate.
Find out about the company
Demonstrating your knowledge about the company shows that you have seriously considered your decision to apply for the job. It also indicates your respect and appreciation of the company’s and interviewer’s time. Search the company or organization’s website, get hold of company brochures, media releases and annual reports. Read through staff biographies. Identify the corporate culture, the challenges and opportunities facing the company and its latest results. Find out what you can about the organizational structure, its senior management and its current status in the industry.
Find out about the interview
Get as much information as you can about the interviewer/s. Find out the likely format of the interview – will it a be a traditional type job interview or should you prepare for a behavioral interview? This will help you prepare properly and reduce any nervousness you may have about the interview. If you are going through a recruiter get these details from them on how to job interview for this particular company. Or you can try to determine this form the job ad or posting. For example if the posting lists key competencies for the position it would be wise to prepare for behavioral interview questions that explore these competencies.
Find out what you are interviewing for
Find out as much about the position you are interviewing for as possible. Carefully review the job description, the tasks and responsibilities involved and the expectations and abilities required of the successful candidate. Reflecting on these details will help you to align your experience and skills with the job requirements. You can then prepare interview answers that clearly market you as the right candidate.
Find out if this is the right organizational fit
Evaluate whether this is the right fit for you and the company. Ask yourself questions such as “Can I do this work with the knowledge and skills I have?”, “Will I enjoy this type of work?”, “What kind of contribution can I make to this company?” Use your answers to develop a powerful marketing statement about your suitability for the job. This exercise will also help you to believe in yourself as the right job candidate. Self-belief is an essential component of successfully marketing yourself.
Find out how best to market yourself in the interview
This is key to knowing how to job interview. Preparing interview answers to frequently asked job interview questions, developing a list of good insightful questions to ask the interviewer, thinking about positive behavioral examples to use in the job interview and feeling confident that you are a strong candidate for the job all contribute to your powerful marketing strategy. Ask a friend or family member to conduct the interview with you. Through practice and feedback you will become comfortable with the way you market yourself as the right job candidate.
By Julia Penny
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