Here are a good list of reminders for job seekers who wanted to pass the job interview with flying colors.
Over-all Appearance Tips:
Dress
Properly. Must be in formal attire. Attire does not just concern clothes but the over-all appearance. What
formal attire should be:
Women:
Knee-long
pencil-cut skirt or slacks and blouse/business suit/tube or spaghetti-strapped
blouse WITH a blazer.
Do not wear
plunging neckline blouses, nor too loose and a mini skirt. Dressing indecent
like those would just give you a bad impression – you might be a distraction to
your co-workers or might be a cause of trouble in the workplace. When you do
not have anything but a mini-skirt, I suggest you wear a pair of stockings or
pantyhose.
Never wear
overpowering make-up. Do not put on dark red or black lipstick and a very
noticeable blush-on. Just choose the good-to-nothing
shades – looking natural but not “bare”.
Do not wear
slippers or sandals or open-shoes. I
would suggest full shoes (leather or
synthetic sort) rather than sandals or wedges; better they would be your last
options.
(Slacks are
best in black, navy blue or light brown never wear shocking colors like red,
sky blue, yellow or orange slacks – it just looks funky or not serious).
Men:
Polo/Slacks/Coat
and Tie (rugged “maong” pants is a NO, NO even it does not have holes or ripped
designs) the cloth’s texture does not show formality.
Undershirts
inside your sheer colored “barong” or polo is still works too.
For Both Genders:
Perfumes
If you would
smell like a perfume store, better
not spray that scent on you. Just choose mild scent. If not all but most
people, get irritated smelling such heavy perfumes and may want to cut your job
interview short especially interviews are frequently done in a secluded place
(inside a particular room in an office that is not too big at all and air-conditioned
lucky if the interview is done in a “panel” that means wider venue) the smell
would not be that obvious at all.
If it is a sunny day just dab on a “cologne”,
I remember Avon cosmetics teaches that perfumes should be worn only at not so
humid and hot days and they recommend colognes as substitute for that kind of
weather.
The best
parts of the body to put on that fragrance are the elbows and back of the ears,
I think because we do not sweat that much or may be really not on that
areas-avoiding mixing the perfume with the sweat creating NEW undesirable smell
or even odor!
T-shirt is a
NO, NO.
Avoid blouse
or polo with “word” whatever quote or good words may those be, rude, obscene
prints – they all spoil the formality of your attire.
Rubber Shoes
and slippers are inappropriate, if you do not feel comfortable wearing leather
top-sider shoes just bring something to “change-on” afterwards.
Taking a
bath need no mentioning because everybody preferred it but I opt to remind you because it will give
you added comfort and layering perfume can not cover body odor or plain sweat.
Be sure that
your clothes are clean and well-pressed. Bring a “clean” handkerchief.
Clean Hands
and Fingernails/Hair Fixed
Check on
your fingernails if they are trimmed and clean. Manicure is not too important
but okay for girls (opt for natural-looking shades like platinum, nude or
beige).
If you are a
man and your hair is long enough to clip-on, better head to the barber’s shop
before going to your interview. For women, be sure that your hair is in place
if is not re-bonded (because this seldom needs a lot of fixing)-make sure it
does not cover your face especially your eyes and it does not look messy nor have
not been washed for a week! Better visit the ladies’room as soon as you arrived
in the office for the last look before you show-up (travelling especially while
commuting brings chaos to your well-done
hair).
Look at the mirror before you step-out of your residence. Smile (check on your teeth-make sure no food strips in between). Check your over-all appearance, if it passes on your own HONEST judgment it might as well qualify to your interviewer’s assessment.
In my
opinion, your over-all appearance constitute around 40% of your chances to get
hired, remember PLEASING PERSONALITY (not just the physical looks, your smell,
attitude –the way you interact makes your personality). If you are the boss,
would you give a chance to somebody who never smiles but frowns all the time
with matching creasing forehead? I doubt you will, unless you wanted to be in
the company of a stressful co-worker. And if one can not fix himself neatly,
what more he can do to handle the job proficiently.
Interview
Hints (sample questions). Here are few samples of questions in an interview.
a. Say
something about yourself.
Introduce
yourself. Name of course, your educational background –just the course you
took-up. It may help to mention scholastic achievement (choose one). Your
strengths and weakness. Be sure to mention your weakness in a positive way
like, I am a workaholic-I do not stop till I get things done something like
that.
b. Research
about the company’s nature of business.
What the
company’s products are? Who they cater for? How they contribute to the society?
How they have been good to their employees?
c. What made
you apply for the position?
Tell your
reason. Yes they know you need the job. Make sure you let them know you
qualified and you have the necessary experience needed or if you are a
newly-grad you are most willing to be trained and undergo seminars related to
the job. That the “position” you applied for best suits you.
Why are we
going to hire you among the rest of the applicants?
Do not say
something like belittling your co-applicants and the like. If I will be asked,
I would be saying “ I do not stop learning, I accept criticisms that I can turn
to positive motivation to do my job
better. I respect authorities and not just speak but listen. Above all I have
the necessary education and interpersonal skills to carry-out my
responsibilities with full integrity- I can be a team player although I can do
my responsibilities alone if asked."
d. What are
your weaknesses?
You can be honest
but as I say, find a way to turn that weakness in your favor. Like – “I seldom
talk though I am easy to get-along with – that is because I always use my time
wisely, I start cracking jokes when my work is done.”
e. In a
marketing job, you would be asked to “sell” something – must create an
impromptu verbal advertisement/testimony about a product.
In an
interview for a USAID-Medical Detailing Project I was hired, I was asked by the
HR Manager to sell her ballpen.
Whew! I was
the last to speak on that panel interview hearing my co-applicants answer
leaves me nothing more to mention. You got to have a strategy and presence of
mind, I thought of looking at the ball pen’s brand and saw it is Parker. I knew
it is a signature brand, when I was asked why she should buy the pen, I must
convince her. Maybe these are not the exact words but it goes a little
something like this:
“Having a
Parker ballpen is a status symbol. Maybe you are wearing ordinary pants and
shirts– you were asked to sign something and everybody see you writing with
that Parker ballpen –people may begin to think you must be SOMEBODY and not
just anybody having that expensive pen brand with you..it is a status symbol…and
quality goes with the name. Parker will not ruin their brand by giving you standard
nor sub-standard product but way above the standard! ”
Modesty
aside, the interviewer Ms. Dulce Coleta (of Integrated Sales Innovator
Philippines) kept on telling everybody as well as the bosses (when I already
worked in the Company) that answer I gave her. She said she had always asked
that same question to all the applicants since she became the interviewer but
surprised to hear that different reply from me.
f. What do you know
about the company?
That is the
research assignment I was telling you about earlier above.
g. How do you
see yourself five years from now?
Be
realistic. Not too ambitious but with a goal. Like, a successful or among the
top players in the Company. That means you will work hard if the interviewer
would read between the lines. If you are in the marketing team for example, you
made history in the “sales” record of the company. That is not being boastful,
you have to sell yourself and seeing your determination may mean positive
impact on you. Never imply YOU alone can make the move for success, it would be
better to tell, the team where you belong leads the victory.
You need not
memorize my suppose-to-be-answers just getting the idea would help you a lot.
During the
Interview:
Shake hands
firmly, firm shake hand means you are genuine in your gesture (handshake
usually means “nice meeting you..”). Observe eye contact. A smile to greet once
you enter the interview room. This time the byword that “First impression,
lasts…” really applies. There might not be a second time around for you, so better
create the best impression you can give. Be tactful too, avoid saying too much
than necessary – the questions need direct answers, remember you are just one
of the many applicants in queue for the day’s interview. Businesses always
value time.
Remember the
interviewer’s name (or just the last name, you can use it later).
Never
interrupt or play like you know what is next on what the interviewer is going
to say. You think you have appeared witty, MAYBE but RUDE for sure! Listen when
you need to and speak when asked.
Never say
anything bad against the companies you have worked in the past- it leads to the
idea that you might do the same to their company.
End the
interview with a FIRM hand-shake and some words like “I am looking forward to
be part of this Company, sir…thanks for this chance! Nice meeting you
Mr._____”. Mentioning a person’s name implies that you pay importance to
details – that you take note of the interviewer’s name. And that is just another
good point, and I remember a psychologists saying in a book I have read years
ago that people feel happy hearing their names called (the thought they are
remembered). It is a very pleasing gesture one must have most especially if you
become the boss later onJ Ooops, I think we jumped so fast...good luck to your
job interview.
Do not
forget to pray. Whatever you do, no matter how best you did your part and too
many sacrifices you have made to get the job, it is still up to Him to give you
what you pray for. Your wish may not be
granted if you have not asked for it.
Have a great day everyone.
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