.So,tellmealittleaboutyourself.[/B]Youdon’tneedtoexplaineverythingfrombirthtopresentday.Relevantfactsabouteducation,yourcareerandyourcurrentlifesituationarefine.2.Whyareyoulooking(orwhydidyouleaveyoulastjob)?[/B]Thisshouldbeastraightforwardquestiontoanswer,butitcantripyouup.Presumablyyouarelookingforanewjob(oranyjob)becauseyouwanttoadvanceyourcareerandgetapositionthatallowsyoutogrowasapersonandanemployee.It’snotagoodideatomentionmoneyhere,itcanmakeyousoundmercenary.Andifyouareintheunfortunatesituationofhavingbeendownsized,staypositiveandbea***riefaspos***leaboutit.Ifyouwerefired,you’llneedagoodexplanation.Butonceagain,staypositive.3.Tellmewhatyouknowaboutthiscompany.[/B]Doyourhomeworkbeforeyougotoanyinterview.Whetherit’***eingtheVPofmarketingorthemailroomclerk,youshouldknowaboutthecompanyorbusinessyou’regoingtoworkfor.Hasthiscompanybeeninthenewslately?Whoarethepeopleinthecompanyyoushouldknowabout?Dothebackgroundwork,itwillmakeyoustandoutassomeonewhocomesprepared,andisgenuinelyinterestedinthecompanyandthejob.4.WhydoyouwanttoworkatXCompany?[/B]Thisshouldbedirectlyrelatedtothelastquestion.Anyresearchyou’vedoneonthecompanyshouldhaveledyoutotheconclusionthatyou’dwanttoworkthere.Afterall,you’reattheinterview,right?Putsomethoughtintothisanswerbeforeyouhaveyourinterview,mentionyourcareergoalsandhighlightforward-thinkinggoalsandcareerplans.5.Whatrelevantexperiencedoyouhave?[/B]Hopefullyifyou’reapplyingforthispositionyouhavebagsofrelatedexperience,andifthat’sthecaseyoushouldmentionitall.Butifyou’reswitchingcareersortryingsomethingalittledifferent,yourexperiencemayinitiallynotlooklikeit’smatchingup.That’swhenyouneedalittlehonestcreativitytomatchtheexperiencesrequiredwiththeonesyouhave.Peopleskillsarepeopleskillsafterall,youjustneedtoshowhowcustomerserviceskillscanapplytointernalmanagementpositions,andsoon.6.Ifyourpreviousco-workerswerehere,whatwouldtheysayaboutyou?[/B]Ok,thisisnotthetimeforfulldisclosure.Ifsomepeoplefromyourpastaregoingtosayyou’reaboringA-hole,youdon’tneedtobringthatup.Staypositive,always,andmaybehaveafewspecificquotesinmind.“They’dsayIwasahardworker”orevenbetter“JohnDoehasalwayssaidIwasthemostreliable,creativeproblem-solverhe’devermet.”7.Haveyoudoneanythingtofurtheryourexperience?[/B]Thiscouldincludeanythingfromnightclassestohobbiesandsports.Ifit’srelated,it’sworthmentioning.Obviouslyanythingtodowithfurthereducationisgreat,butmaybeyou’respendingtimeonahomeimprovementprojecttoworkonskillssuchasself-sufficiency,timemanagementandmotivation.8.Whereelsehaveyouapplied?[/B]Thisisagoodwaytohintthatyou’reindemand,withoutsoundinglikeyou’rewhoringyourselfallovertown.So,behonestandmentionafewothercompanie***utdon’tgointodetail.Thefactthatyou’reseriouslylookingandkeepingyouroptionsopeniswhattheinterviewerisdrivingat.9.Howareyouwhenyou’reworkingunderpressure?[/B]Onceagain,thereareafewwaystoanswerthi***uttheyshouldallbepositive.Youmayworkwellunderpressure,youmaythriveunderpressure,andyoumayactuallyPREFERworkingunderpressure.Ifyousayyoucrumblelikeagedbluecheese,thisisnotgoingtohelpyougetyourfootinthedoor.10.Whatmotivatesyoutodoagoodjob?[/B]Theanswertothisoneisnotmoney,evenifitis.Youshouldbemotivatedbylife’snoblepursuits.Youwantrecognitionforajobwelldone.Youwanttobecomebetteratyourjob.Youwanttohelpothersorbealeaderinyourfield.11.What’syourgreateststrength?[/B]Thisisyourchancetoshine.You’rebeingaskedtoexplainwhyyouareagreatemployee,sodon’tholdbackandstaydostaypositive.Youcouldbesomeonewhothrivesunderpressure,agreatmotivator,anamazingproblemsolverorsomeonewithextraordinaryattentiontodetail.Ifyourgreateststrength,however,istodrinkanyoneunderthetableorgetatopscoreonMarioKart,keepittoyourself.Theinterviewerislookingforwork-relatedstrengths.12.What’syourbiggestweakness[/B]?Ifyou’recompletelyhonest,youmaybekickingyourselfinthebutt.Ifyousayyoudon’thaveone,you’reobviouslylying.Thisisahorriblequestionandonethatpoliticianshavebecomemastersatanswering.Theysaythingslike“I’mperhapstoocommittedtomyworkanddon’tspendenoughtimewithmyfamily.”Oh,there’safireableoffense.I’veevenheard“IthinkI’mtoogoodatmyjob,itcanoftenmakepeoplejealous.”Please,let’skeepourfeetontheground.Ifyou’reaskedthisquestion,giveasmall,work-relatedflawthatyou’reworkinghardtoimprove.Example:“I’vebeentoldIoccasionallyfocusondetailsandmissthebiggerpicture,soI’vebeenspendingtimelayingoutthecompleteprojecteverydaytoseemyoverallprogress.”13.Let’stalkaboutsalary.Whatareyoulookingfor?[/B]Runforcover!Thisisonetrickygametoplayinaninterview.Evenifyouknowthesalaryrangeforthejob,ifyouanswerfirstyou’realreadyshowingallyourcards.Youwantasmuchaspos***le,theemployerwantsyouforaslittleasyou’rewillingtotake.Beforeyouapply,takealookatsalary.comforagoodideaofwhatsomeonewithyourspecificexperienceshouldbepaid.Youmaywanttosay,“well,that’ssomethingI’vethoughtlongandhardaboutandIthinksomeonewithmyexperienceshouldgetbetweenX&Y.”Or,youcouldbeslyandsay,“rightnow,I’mmoreinterestedintalkingmoreaboutwhatthepositioncanoffermycareer.”Thatcouldatleastbuyyoualittletimetoscopeoutthesituation.Butifyoudoh