Articles: Insight to today's job scene

by Janis Whitaker, JP Whitaker & Associates

Here are 5 easy, but important steps to complete before you arrive at your next interview:

1. Review your job competencies and skills. I am not talking about job titles or the duties you have performed, but what skills were needed to perform those jobs. For example, an executive secretary must be organized, have excellent phone skills, be decisive, and possess great typing and interpersonal skills. What skills are needed in your job?

2. Think of examples of how you have exhibited those skills. If you want to explain how you are organized, give an example of a time you used that skill in your job. Example: “Last week, I organized and prioritized all the outstanding invoices, so that each customer was paid in a timely manner.”

3. Practice answering common interview questions. Many interviewers ask similar questions, prepare your answers so they are concise yet thorough. A couple of popular questions are: Why are you interested in this company/job? What are your strengths? And the ever popular- Tell me about yourself.

4. Research the company/job. Use the web, ask friends, neighbors, and family. Find out what the company’s products and services are, if they received any recognition or awards, if they are growing, etc. Interviewers like job seekers who do their homework. The more you know about a company, the more comfortable you will feel and the better equipped you will be to customize your answers. Also, it will help you complete step 5 in this pre-interview preparation!

5. Prepare questions for the interviewer. Be prepared to ask probing questions of the interviewer. Remember, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. You might ask why the position is available, what are the major goals of the job, what opportunities for growth are there, etc.
Remember, interviewing can be hard work, if you are not prepared. But if you follow these 5 steps, it will make it that much easier! Good luck!