How do I ace a job interview? What questions should I ask the interviewer?
961647
First of all interviewers look for alot of things in a person they are interviewing. 1. Dressing and how you carry yourself (should be dressed meticulously and carry yourself with confidence- head up chin up) 2. Knowledge about your achievements, goals and objectives in lfe (Should be very familiar with that0 3. Knowledge about what you are interviewing for and what will be an added advantage you will be bringing to the company of hired 4. Remember you are selling yourself so you got to put your best feet forward- talking about your weaknesses so much may scare them away so you got to be very strategic on how you display your weaknesses (name a strength that can also be a weakness) 5. Set the pace of the interview- most of the time interviewers hardly know what to ask or usu they have a print out of what to ask- be very enthusiastic when answering -encourage them by telling them that its a good question- if you dont know how to respond tell them to rephrase the question- if you dont know the response tell them its a good question but you haven't encountered such a situation and are glad that you are aware of it so you will prepare yourself incase you face it. \n\nQuestions to ask: ( Many)\nFor one, in as much as this pple are interviewing you- you are also interviewing them...so questions to ask could range from anything that you dont understand about the job description to the person you will be reporting to, to dressing style to company structure to company visions and goals to what they are looking for in the position you are being interviewed to the nature of your job, to the person you may choose as a mentor to........\n\n    *  How would you describe the responsibilities of the position?\n    * How would you describe a typical week/day in this position?\n    * Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to do?\n    * What is the company's management style?\n    * Who does this position report to? If I am offered the position, can I meet him/her?\n    * How many people work in this office/department?\n    * How much travel is expected?\n    * Is relocation a possibility?\n    * What is the typical work week? Is overtime expected?\n    * What are the prospects for growth and advancement?\n    * How does one advance in the company?\n    * Are there any examples?\n    * What do you like about working here?\n    * What don't you like about working here and what would you change?\n    * Would you like a list of references?\n    * If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?\n    * What can I tell you about my qualifications?\n    * When can I expect to hear from you?\n    * Are there any other questions I can answer for you?\n\nThere are also question you may want to stay away from asking..check the website below has tonnes more infor\n\nhttp://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest2.htm
725544
Usually you will be given the opportunity to ask questions at the end of your interview. You should at least have a few prepared questions or, if you are not sure of any information give during the job interview, now is the time to ask. If you do not ask any questions the interviewer can think you are not as enthusiastic as other candidates who asked 3 or more questions.\n\nBy asking plenty of questions, you can also take this opportunity to show your awareness of the current industry situation and that you are interested in a long career. Do not ask more questions than you were asked.\n\nDo you know which questions you can ask at the interview?\n\nIt depends on your situation, the position you are applying for, and your relationship with the interviewer(s) and the organization. \n\nBelow are some common questions:\n\nAsking questions during an interview will show that you are interested.\nCan you tell me more about the structure of the organisation?\nWhat kind of management style does your company promote?\nWhat are the skills that you consider important for this job?\nDo you reimburse travel expenses?\nDo you have a complete job description for this post?\nWhat kind of software do you use?\nHow will my performance be measured?\nDo you have an induction course/notebook?\n\nmore info on http://www.cvtips.com/question_to_ask_during_an_interview.html
1110250
I just had an interview today, and it wasn't for a federal job, but I've been in a lot of interviews, and there are just some questions that keep popping up in one form or another.  I'll try to remember as many as I can:\n\nWhy do you want to work here?\n\nWhat in your experience qualifies you to work here?\n\nWhat are your strengths/weaknesses?\n\nWhat would old supervisors and coworkers say about you?(positive and negative)\n\nWhat have you done to show you can work outside of the box?  \n\nTell us about a time when you have solved a problem/conflict with coworker?\n\nWhat do you do to create a good work environment?\n\nWhat do you do in stressful situations/deadlines?\n\nOther than that, the questions will probably be job specific.  This particular interview asked me about my communication and mentoring skills.  \n\nAnyway, good luck.  Dress a half step up from what you would normally expect to wear at this job.  Take a few deep breaths.  Good luck.  I hope you get it.
525700
It's hard to say without knowing what kind of job and how you're going about it now. \n\n1. Don't bring your friends or little sister with you to interviews or filling out applications. \n\n2. Dress for success. This isn't time for fashion week; look at the way other employees are dressed and dress one step nicer. Or imagine grandma taking you to church.\n\n3. Have self-confidence in the interview. Try and eliminate the "ummm's" and "yeah's". You are smart and ready to work. Let the manager know it!\n\n4. BE ON TIME for the interview.
313372
Tips for Success in Interviews\n\n    * First impression is the best impression. You will be judged by ; the way you dress, your educational qualification, work experience, body language, manners, ability to absorb the information and interpret it intelligently and clearly. So take care to be at your best.\n    * Carry your relevant documents in order - like certificates, copy of application sent, bio-data etc. in a folder so that it can be easily shown when asked. Take a pen also.\n    * Present the documents only if the interviewer ask for it.\n    * Never be late for an interview.\n    * Greet the interviewers as soon as you enter.\n    * Sit down only when you are asked to. It is better not to pull the chair, either lift it or move it and always enter from the right side of the chair.\n    * Say 'please and thank you' whenever required.\n    * Listen carefully and pay attention to the question. If the question is not clear to you ask politely for a repeat.\n    * Reply confidently and immediately to the point, keeping your answers short unless asked for a longer description.\n    * While answering, look directly at the person asking the questions and try to be pleasant.\n    * Replies connected to any details regarding your bio-data should be authentic.\n    * It is better to admit if you don't know something.\n    * Remember to say 'sorry' if your opinions or answers are rejected.\n    * Avoid indulging in certain mannerisms in your speech or behavior.\n    * You can ask when you can expect to hear from them before you leave.\n    * Don't forget to say "Thank you" at the end of an interview to every interviewer before leaving.\n    * Shake hands only if the interviewer initiates the gesture.\n    * Walk out confidently without looking back.\n    * Gently shut the door behind you as you leave
240586
what? Dont you know the "job trick?" \n\nHere is what you do... listen up...\n\nWhen your on your interview, ask a lot of questions. Sound very interested in the position, and let them know that if they hire you it will be a great benefit to their company. Let them also know that if they dont hire you, they are making a huge mistake. Then, at the end of the interview, if you did this right, 99% of the time, they will say this.. "do you have anymore questions?"\nYou then say "yes, when do I start?"\n\nNow, if they laugh and shake your hand and tell you that they really like you, 9-10 shot says you got the job. If they look at you like your a sarcastic cocky bastard, then you more then likely should join the unemployment line! lol
982098
First, pick a job - something you are personally interested in.  Then ask yourself, what would you want to know about someone if you were going to hire him/her for the job.\n\nFirst, of course, you want to know their biographical information:  Name, address, etc.\n\nThen what?  What do you think is important?  Education?  Relevant experience?  Current job?  Past work experience?  Volunteer work?  References?  Hobbies?  Why is the applicant is interested in the job?  What else can you think of that would apply?  Military history?  Citizenship?
1023368
First dress to impress.Be on time.  Shake hands with the person conducting the interview when you enter the office.Tell them how you heard about the hiring.You can ask about the pay, the company health plan and what position is being offered. Be honest at the interview and friendly and state that you are a hardworking person and you that are customer service friendly.Customer service is the key word here. Be polite and friendly and smile. If you have a resume bring that but its not important. Ask how long is the probationary period if hired, you would get reviewed in 30 days, and then 60 days on your performance.In some case you probably would get hire on the spot. Oh yeah, take your ID with you just in case they send you for drug testing the same day.
807164
Assuming you mean you will be the interviewer to fill a sales job, I think the single most telling question would be, "Tell me about your memory of the best experience you ever had when you personally made a purchase, and how you would make that memory work for you when selling a product to a stranger."\n     A question like this really opens the dialog between you and the potential employee and will give an opportunity to see what qualities are valued, how literate the person is, and how well they can use their imagination to project themselves (as a sales person) into the needs of a customer.
954345
If you want the job, you should do the following:\n\n1. Show up for the interview five minutes early.\n2. Be clean and wear clean clothes.\n3. Your clothes should be appropriate for a job interview: no bare midriffs, no tattered jeans, no flip-flops. A woman should wear a skirt or dressy slacks. Low-cut stuff is for bars, not job interviews.\n4. Tasteful jewelry is fine but avoid nose rings, ultra-big earrings and so forth. You might want to minimize facial piercings, if you have them.\n5. Look into the eyes of your interviewer.\n6. Answer questions honestly.\n7. Don't use a lot of slang and trendy language. \n8. Shake hands.\n9. Ask a couple of appropriate questions about the job. "What day is payday?" and "I'd really like to work in sporting goods someday -- do you think that's possible?" are appropriate. "Can I bring my boyfriend to the Christmas party?" is not.\n10. I know that this is a nerve-wracking experience but try to relax and be natural.\n\nAnd... Good Luck!
763735
First, best advice to prep for the interview is to get a good night's sleep and eat breakfast (just don't have a spinach omelet).\n\nSome tougher questions I have been asked, and how I answered them:\n\nWhat are your weaknesses when it comes to work?  -Some people will tell you to say you're a perfectionist, or you tend to work too hard - I think by this time employers know those are not always true answers.  I think you should tell the truth.  What I said was that I tend to obsess on one project, getting it perfect, sometimes to the neglect of other projects, and that I might need help spreading myself out.\n\nWhy have you worked at so many different places?  -Here I addressed the "job hopping" which might not be an issue for you but if it is, what I said was that it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, ha ha, but that it turned out to be a good thing, because I am so well rounded now, I am very flexible, and I can do anything I'm faced with.\n\nThat's all I can think of for now.  Good luck!!
37222
As a manager who does countless interviews, these are the things I look for:\n1)Enthusiasm for the job - dont be apathetic- act interested for pete's sake\n2)Ask questions...about the position or the company, or whatever..it just shows you are interested.\n3)Be prepared...do your homework - know at least a bit about the company\n4) Sounds petty but BRING YOUR OWN PEN...otherwise you appear unprepared and this tells a lot about your work habits.\n5)Be able to explain in gaps in employment, short term jobs etc in a clear manner.\n6)Practice your interview before you go...get a friend to help if possible.\n7) Easier said than done I know but RELAX and be yourself.\nThe bottom line is this...an interviewer wants to know that you are going to be the best fit for the job - they want to know that you can not only DO the job, but that you are going to have a great attitude, and be a dependable, reliable employee. It costs companies money to train people even for the smallest job. They want to know that you are going to be worth their investment.
483524
DO:  research the company and the posiion before you go, that way your answers will relate to them and how your skills will fit the job and the company, dress appropriately for the interview, and look people in the eye\n\nDON'T:  talk bad about past jobs and/or bosses, try to make jokes that may be offensive, or give only yes or no answers...provide a reason for your answer
661211
Always follow "the four P's of interviewing": \n\n1. Preparation. \n2. Practice.\n3. Personal presentation.\n4. Pertinent questions. \n\nPREPARATION:\n\nIt's really frustrating for an interviewer to have someone that they're talking to who really doesn't know the company or the position they're applying for. \n\nBefore you interview, you should have looked at the Web site, read the company's brochure, and talked to people who've worked there. If you haven't done that, it can really make it uncomfortable in the interview, because either you're not going to understand what the interviewer's talking about, or you're going to ask some dumb questions.\n\nAnother thing is not really preparing for the interview itself. You should sit down and think, ‘What are they going to ask me when I'm in that interview?' With a little bit of asking around, you can find out things like, do they use behavior-based questions, do they use case-based questions, do they use a really unstructured conversational interview? \n\n\nPRACTICE:\n\nThrough preparation, you can often anticipate the kinds of questions -– if not the exact ones -- you'll be asked during interviews. Once you've determined the probable questions, practice in front of someone. \n\n\nPERSONAL PRESENTATION:\n\nDress appropriately. Don't show up wearing a coat when a suit would be more fitting. If you do wear the right tie or suit, make sure you are well-presented. Don't be wrinkled or dirty. Doing your homework should reveal the appropriate attire. \n\nBe sure to cover all the standard interviewing etiquette points as well. Be familiar with the basics -- like a good handshake. Make sure to have basic eye contact; a lot of people put a lot of weight into eye contact. Maintaining that is really important.\n\n\nPERTINENT QUESTIONS:\n\nIt's really bad in interviews to get to the end and they say, ‘Do you have any questions I can answer for you?' and you say, ‘Nope, I think you answered them all,' and that's the end of it. It's reflects negatively on you. \n\nAsk a really difficult question -- something that takes some guts to ask, asking really well-thought-out questions that shows you know the business that that interviewer is in. It all goes back to preparation, and it tells the interviewer you thought about this interview before you walked in the door.
50106
I've interviewed many many people for jobs, so I can talk about what I'm looking for.\n\nFor your best quality, talk about things that are work-oriented. Some examples:\n   -you are good at working with people\n   -you are able to organize a group of people to work on projects\n   -you are able to focus on your projects and assignments. \n   -you have great attention to detail\n\nThe key is, you have to be believable. It's best if you have specific examples to back this up. If you tell me that you are a great people person but you seem really shy and can't put a sentence together, I might not believe you.\n\nThe greatest weakness question is trickier. You do want to put a positive spin on it, but you also don't want to sound like you're just trying to make yourself look good. I usually look for someone who has a clear awareness of their weakness and has a plan or goal of overcoming it. For example, if you are a shy person, say so, but talk about what you are doing to help overcome your shyness. I like to hear when a person is taking active steps to address their areas of weakness.\n\nFinally, if they ask you if you have any questions, ask questions that really show that you have done some research about the company and the position you're applying for. Ask specific questions about the work environment, the type of work you'd be doing, or what direction the company is heading. It's best to show that you know something about the company. And if you can't think of anything else, ask the interviewer what they like and dislike about working there.\n\nRemember, be comfortable and be yourself. I can usually tell when someone is faking it.\n\nGood luck!
863585
A few thoughts:\n\n1.  Dress like people dress who have the job already (or at least how the boss would have you dress).\n\n2.  Make sure your resume has everything on it that you hope the interviewer will write down in their notes.\n\n3.  Practice this interview with a friend.  Have them do at least one being a jerk, focusing on some area of weakness in your resume.  After that, any interview that Target does will be a piece of cake.\n\n4.  Building on #3, make sure you have good answers for question that you know they're gonna ask.  ESPECIALLY have good answers for problem areas -- a job that didn't work out so well, or lack of experience, etc.\n\n5.  Know that the person doing the hiring has two goals -- hire a good person as soon as possible, and hiring a person who will do the job who is NOT a head case.  You need to show them that you're ready to go, and NOT gonna be a PITA (Pain in the A&&).  They've already got enough PITAs.\n\n6.  For the LOVE OF GOD!  PLEASE remove nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.  COVER UP those tatoos!  Do NOT show up with green hair!  REMOVE THE TONGUE PIERCING!  Comb your hair, have conservative makeup (if they notice it, then it's too much).  Brush your teeth, have a nice hair cut.  SHOWER!!!  I know that this should go w/o saying, but.... \n\nYou don't want to send the message to this person that you're a head case (see the previous point), and those things send really REALLY bad vibes.
939937
My interviews improved immeasurably after two things. The first was doing a mock interview and being filmed while doing so - watching it back was excruciating but gave me a huge amount of things to improve on. The second was practice, practice and more practice. You can guess what sort of questions they're going to ask you about (previous jobs, your background, why you want this job, what you do in your spare time etc). If the job has key competencies or skills listed you can guess what they will ask on those, too ("tell me about a time when you had to demonstrate leadership", etc). Come up with answers to those questions - not ones you have to learn word for word, just some key words or phrases you know you have to drop in. Have an opening sentence ready so you have more thinking time. And get friends to do practice interviews with you - it doesn't have to be formal, it could be 20 minutes over coffee or in a bar, but as long as they're asking new questions you will get used to thinking on your feet.\n\n\n\nOne trick I've used often, is simply to say "I'm sorry, I'm a bit nervous" if I stumble a bit or freeze. Always seems to break the chill a little bit, and sets everyone at ease. But then, I'm not applying for positions involving public speaking.\n\n\n\nDo all the homework that greycap suggests. Prepare as well as you can. Make sure you're rested, accentuate the fun part of having the interview (sic), etc.\n\nAnd then after having done all that say to yourself "I'll do my utmost to get the job, but not all is lost if I don't get it".\n\nThe reason is that there are factors outside of your control in doing an interview; there's a certain aspect of luck, of the match between the organisation, the interviewer and you.\nBut more importantly; this realisation will put you in a state of mind that enables doing well and being as self confident as you can.\n\n\n\nSmile. Lean back in the chair. stretch. You're at ease because you know our stuff.\n\nBefore the guy asks you a question, ask him one, about the business, but one me can't give a canned answer to. No, "How many offices do you have", more like "what problem are you trying to solve by hiring me" -- then smile "or whomever you do hire" -- now bigger smile, like you both know he's going to hire you.\n\nLet him give this answer, which will be in great detail. Nod appropriately. When he finishes, nod slowly, like you're absorbing what he had to say. Pick from what he wants your best qualities, incline you head to one side (it looks humble , and like you're thinking), smile, and explain your strengths that fit what he wants.\n\nThen apologize for going on at length, and say "but I know you have a lot of questions for me". Then the "normal" interview starts, but you've taken charge in a very diplomatic way.\n\n\n\nUse an overall interview checklist to organize yourself for each interview. If you don't forget anything, you won't be stressed walking in. That's half the battle.\n\nPractice your two minute drill, preferably in front of a mirror. You also need a prepared "two minute verbal summary" [PDF file linked] of yourself in mind for every interview. Use it to reply to questions about why you are looking for the job, what you've done in the past that is related experience, what your goals are, etc. If you have good statements that you've written and believe to be true about yourself, you can deliver them with confidence, and by rehearsing them, keep them at the ready in your mind. If you don't already have a practiced 2 minute summary, you should write and edit one immediately, and aim to practice it for at least 20 repetitions a day, until you can deliver it perfectly, word for word as you've written it, naturally. Most people decide that you are confident or nervous in the first two minutes afte