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Interviewing Tips for Candidates

First make sure that you are qualified for the position or not. Anyone can do the job if the job is given. But the companies are looking for someone who has already worked on that job. So, prepare yourself to talk about the position you have applied for. If it is technical position then talk technical.

Tell Me About Yourself

Interview is the most important part of the hiring process. This is the time when potential employers and employees get the opportunity to exchange information and views and test the "chemistry" between you and the firm. Strong technical skills land an interview. Strong interview skills land jobs. In any job market, you want to be the one that has choices. Go into every interview with the thought that you are the one who wants to be able to say yes or no.

Interview Tips

Preparation, Preparation, preparation!

  • Learn as much about the firm as possible before the interview.
  • Write three tough questions that you might be asked and prepare answers.
  • Write three questions about the company that you would like to ask.
  • Bring extra copies of your Resume/CV and the required certificates.
  • Have you ever worked on the US military base?
  • In which country are you working?
  • Have ever worked in Iraq or Afghanistan?

Professional and Confident!

  • Dress as though you are meeting a client. (Today's work attire is very casual but a suit is still appropriate for an interview. As they say, you have to make the team to wear the shirt.)
  • Be on time and no more than 15 minutes early.
  • Make sure that your breath smells fresh.
  • Refresh yourself before going to the interview.
  • Say your name very slowly. Spell out if possible. The interviewer is going to listen to your name first time. So, spend few seconds so that the interviewer listens to your name clearly.
  • Avoid the dreadful interview errors.
  • Be confident and learn from the experience!

Types of Interviewing:

The two styles of interviewing used by companies today are the traditional job interview and the behavioral interview.

  1. The traditional job interview uses broad-based questions such as, "why do you want to work for this company," and "tell me about your strengths and weaknesses." Interviewing success or failure are more often based on the ability of the job seeker to communicate than on the truthfulness or content of their answers? Employers are looking for the answer to three questions: does the job-seeker have the skills and abilities to perform the job; does the job-seeker possess the enthusiasm and work ethic that the employer expects; and will the job-seeker be a team player and fit into the organization.
  2. The behavioral job interview is based on the theory that past performance is the best indicator of future behavior, and uses questions that probe specific past behaviors, such as: "tell me about a time where you confronted an unexpected problem," "tell me about an experience when you failed to achieve a goal," and "give me an specific example of a time when you managed several projects at once." Job seekers need to prepare for these interviews by recalling scenarios that fit the various types of behavioral interviewing questions. Expect interviewers to have several follow-up questions and for them to probe for details that explore all aspects of a given situation or experience. Job seekers should frame their answers based on a four-part outline: (1) describe the situation, (2) discuss the actions you took, (3) relate the outcomes, and (4) specify what you learned from it.
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