Interview Time!
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You are currently reading a thread in /adv/ - Advice
You are currently reading a thread in /adv/ - Advice
Hi /adv/,
Currently researching for an interview I have tomorrow. My current job and ones before it have pretty much given me the experience I need to do very well at this one, but it's also a very specific skill set, so I need to be able to refer to a wide range of ideas and knowledge.
I'm a bit worried that I'm going to overload myself with information, but I really don't want to walk in their unprepared. I have a very good chance of being successful due to how much interest the company have shown in me but I also won't be counting my chickens before they've hatched.
So...what should I be focusing on for my interview? How can I make sure the information I'm looking at is totally relevant? Should I focus more on the knowledge I already have from my role and just try and answer the rest on the day?
Also, do most interviewers allow you to take notes in with you? I will be taking a folder of my certificates anyway and usually ask the interviewer if they mind me having notes but it seems a bit unprofessional for such a skilled role.
>>17278617
Just refresh yourself on things that you did at the prior job and have a few questions to ask the interviewer to show that you're interested in the new position and their company. Try not to bring notes--they might fumble, get out of order, or otherwise be a distraction. Smile, maintain eye contact, and try to project confidence and enthusiasm. If they like what they saw on your resume/application, then the interview is really about putting a face to those words, so look your best and act like you belong there! Dress like you already work there as well, if possible! GL!
>>17278617
My uncle did all the hiring for a decent sized company for like 10 years?
I asked him once what are the most important things he looked for in interviews he said (1) was their shirt tucked in and (2) were they on time for the interview.
Sounds simple and basic but that was his job to l decide if people were worth being hired.
So just dress nice and show up maybe a few minutes early just to be safe.
>>17278641
Funnily enough, I'm going to work in the morning anyway then I'll be driving to my interview so I was thinking of wearing my standard every day attire (a fitted skirt and a shirt) but didn't want to look like I hadn't made a specific effort for them. I am a stronger interviewee, so I'm not too concerned about my ability to at least manage during the interview...I just don't want to end up with too much in my head or too little! I'll leave the notes at home I think :)
>>17278651
This is a very good point. I'm always early for interviews (although nothing else) and hopefully I'll look presentable.
>>17278651
I hire people pretty frequently also.
I always make resumes get submitted in PDF format, I put that at the end of the job application. So if they don't submit it as a PDF I know they didn't read the instructions and/or are too stupid to make a PDF so I wouldn't want to hire them.
For the interview if they are late they don't get hired. I actually expect them to be 15 minutes early in the parking lot, and then walk in a bit before their time.
If they dress like shit they don't get hired.
I also check and see if they did some research in the company. Know a bit about what we do and so forth. Basically if they checked out the website before.
>>17278672
Dress in a nice LONG skirt (below the knee) or pants. Don't have your bra showing through, etc. be conservative. Brush your teeth, clean your ears, trim and clean your nails, etc. - not as big of a problem with females but men sometimes it is pathetic. Wear nice shoes, again more of a problem with guys than women. Remove metal shit from your nose if you are a trashball (and consider never putting it back in)
> I'm always early for interviews (although nothing else)
Might help you get a job to be early, but being on time in everything you do will help you get promoted and be more successful. Get rid of the late habit.
>>17278672
> I'm always early for interviews (although nothing else)
You show up EXACTLY five minutes before an interview. Not more, not less. 5 minutes.
If you show up sooner (and I hope you do), scout out your location. Know where the office is, then wait in the parking lot.
Bring the receptionist a small gift. Cookies work well. Attach your personal business card to it. Interviewers will often break ties by asking the receptionist about first impressions. So treat her with the utmost respect. DO NOT try and score a date.
DO NOT bring notes. This is not an open book test. Notes are a distraction to hide behind, you autistic, degenerate coward.
Go in confident, balls on fire, look them in the eye at all times. You only need the answer to 3 questions:
1. How can you make them money?
2. How can you save them money?
3. How can you solve their problems?
Everything else is a variation of this.
Find out what keeps them up at night. Then, solve it. You'll get the job. Easy.
> hopefully I'll look presentable
Suit and tie, dry cleaned and pressed. Tie exactly (and I mean EXACTLY, fucker) above the belt. Shoes shined. I don't care if you're going for a position washing dishes at the Pink Pony, dress up.
Good luck, When you get in, remember the assholes who got you there. Nothing pisses me off worse than giving help to engineers on 4chan, then having them treat me like shit irl because they made it.
Buying your staff lunch once in a while will not kill you. I had one engineer brag about his annual trip to the Bahamas to people barely making the rent. He wondered why his coffee always tasted like piss.
>>17278757
>Bring the receptionist a small gift. Cookies work well. Attach your personal business card to it. Interviewers will often break ties by asking the receptionist about first impressions. So treat her with the utmost respect. DO NOT try and score a date.
If you bring cookies to our receptionist I promise I won't hire you. We'd laff about it for a while though.
>>17278710
Thanks for this, perfect advice!
One final question for you (or anybody)...this role is definitely a career developer. It's extremely niche and it's the kind of thing you go into and continuously develop your knowledge to keep up with a very fast paced field.
I want to drive home the fact that I want this job so badly is because I want this to be my career...but I don't want them to think I'm always chasing the next job because I'd like to progress in my career with this company.
How can I put this across?
>>17278757
Most of this advice is good but the gift for the receptionist thing is the most autist thing I've ever read.
>>17278757
>Bring the receptionist a small gift. Cookies work well. Attach your personal business card to it. Interviewers will often break ties by asking the receptionist about first impressions. So treat her with the utmost respect. DO NOT try and score a date.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
>>17278809
You can put that across by directly telling them and showing them. I think you can be direct and say "I really want this to be my career" and tell them why and a bit about how you came to that. Don't oversell and look like you are pandering, it can be short and sweet.
As far as showing, I think that comes down to your conversation and resume:
Ask some questions about what it is like, be interested in the position. Also by researching the company well before hand you'll show them that you are really interested by asking educated questions. You'll separate yourself from the people who mass applied to jobs without having real interest. Know what they do, know the founders, know general company news.
For the resume, not much you can do here but, the biggest way I can tell if someone is a job hopper or career oriented is by their resume. If I see someone who's like 30 and has worked 6 different places, it doesn't look as good as someone who has worked two. Now of course really young people I don't include high school and part time work in college where it is normal to jump around. But after school work I expect them to be fairly steady.
Sometimes I'll see people put jobs down where they worked three months at some company and then quit. If I was writing their resume, I'd leave that whole time off and just be job searching. Job searching looks better than "I don't know what I want to do so i wasted some companies time for three months" in my opinion.
>>17278980
Thank you, anon.
My CV must have impressed them because they're asking me to travel to attend the interview and also holding it after the office has closed so I don't have to miss a day of work.
Another question...I'll be working a full day before travelling to my interview which they're well aware of. I'm a bit concerned that I'll be a bit burnt out, as I work a very difficult job at the moment. Do you think they'll take this into account?
>>17278992
I think they will understand this and also appreciate that you are not missing work.
You'll get a wave from energy before the interview. I travel a lot to get engineering work and when my schedule is really hectic I'll do those red eye flights followed by a meeting and then fly back that afternoon. It's not ideal but when you are busy your body makes it happen.
