Interviews
The job market is increasingly competitive, so be well-prepared before your job interview.
Research the company using the Internet, annual reports or company brochures. (Think about positioning yourself as a person who has the skills that the employer is looking for.) Find out about the industry, the company and the department. What are their goals? What issues or challenges do they face? The more completely you understand their business the more accurately you can present yourself as the answer to their challenges.
Do a self-assessment to identify what you have to contribute to the company and the position. Ask the Human Resources department for a detailed job description. Speak to employees of the company, or people who do similar work. A self-assessment will help you identify what you have to contribute to the company and the position.
Employers generally ask hypothetical and behaviour-descriptive questions. These types of questions are used by employers to discover how you have reacted to situations in the past because it is believed that your past behaviour is a good indication of how you will react to a similar situation in the future. Create a list of potential interview questions and think about skills or competencies that you expect to be targeted. You can use the STAR (situation, task, action, result) story telling method to help you develop brief descriptions of these situations. It is important to think about situations that you might have encountered in the past and how your behaviour contributed to a positive result. See resume tips for STAR or visit Alis website.
This type of preparation is important for you to be successful during your interview. If you need more assistance in practising your interview skills see a career coach at Career Connection.