Like preparing
a great meal, interviewing requires preparation. Get good ingredients and give
yourself time. Prepare the food on the plate to make the meal attractive. All
of these go into a great meal. Taking the time to prepare for an interview will
give you a huge leg up on your completion.
1. Schedule interviews at times that
work for your metabolism. Are you a morning person? Why would you accept a
functions best in the afternoon, try not to accept early morning appointments.
If you are a person who needs to be conscious of their blood sugar, try to
schedule your appointments at times when you are at your peak. If forced to
accept one of your less ideal times, have a quick bite prior to the interview
to avoid "fading." Avoid overeating.
2. Give yourself extra time to get
to their offices. There are few things worse than getting to an interview late.
3. Arrive at the office building
7-10 minutes early. If it is summer, you want to wait in the lobby to cool off;
no one likes shaking sweaty hands. If its winter, warm up; you don't want
someone's early impressions of you formed by shaking a cold hand. Take a few
minutes in the lobby to get focused on what you will say. Allow a few minutes
to get through building security so that you actually arrive at your interview
on time and ready to go.
4. Properly introduce yourself to
everyone you meet by saying. "My name is __________ and I have a 1:30
interview with ________________."
5. If you are asked if they can hang
your coat, accept the offer; if offered a beverage, accept a beverage. You
don't have to drink coffee or tea. Soda, bottled water or water is fine. Thank
whoever helps you. Declining the offer may be rude in some cultures.
6. Take your seat in order to face
the greatest number of entry points into the room so tat you can see someone
approaching you. Being startled is not a good way to start a meeting.
7. If you are given an application,
complete it and complete it accurately and neatly. Do not attach your resume
and write, "See attached resume." An application is a legal document
and failure to complete it accurately can be grounds for termination.
8. If you are not sure about the
month you started a job or your exact salary, write "approx" (for the
word approximately) next to the item. If asked, indicate you are not absolutely
certain of the exact month and don't wish to deceive anyone. Obviously, if you
can ascertain your salary or starting date prior to interviewing, do so; for
some people, the date or salary may be so far in the past to make it impossible
to determine.
9. Write legibly (or as legibly as
you can). This may be the twelfth application you've completed, but it is the
first of yours that they've seen. In many professions, sloppiness is seen as a
flaw.
10. When you hear your name
announced, stand, and smile, shake the hand of your interviewer and immediately
size them up as a person. Are they smart (or not). Aggressive (or not). If you
were meeting this person socially, I'm sure your instincts would be right.
Unfortunately, because people think interviews are important, they think they
have to feel the interviewer out. Doing that is a mistake. Hard and fast
impressions of you will be formed during the next ten minutes that will be
difficult to change. If you tend to be right in social situations about the
people you meet, trust your instincts in professional ones, too.
Using these ten steps as
a check list will get you started well than your competition. What you do after
that is up to you. Good luck.
By: Muhammad Sadiq Javed - Sameers
http://www.constructionjobsnet.co.uk
Construction
Jobs Network - The easiest way to find your next
construction job.
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