Job Interview Tips

from Kare11.com

A new survey out suggests that it takes executives just 10 minutes to form an opinion, good or bad, of job seekers and yet they go through the interview anyway. This is Douglas Rickart, and he is with Robert Hath International, the world’s largest specialized recruitment service, so you get involved in a lot of these decisions that are made. Nice to have you here. Doug, the survey indicated what?

The survey, what we did is we talked to large companies across the country and executives who are involved in the hiring process. And they told us they spend and hour to an hour and hour and a half, depending on the level of the position interviewing but it is during that initial phase of the interview that their opinions are formed of the candidates.

So in the hour and a half are they trying to find something that might change their opinion? Or is it just a courtesy to continue on?

Oh, no, it’s not a courtesy. Oftentimes, we will form an opinion of somebody, that first impression, but it’s during the rest of the interview where they dig down and get a better understanding of the candidate’s skills and abilities to actually do the job.

So, some of the common questions for the rest of the interview that you need to bone up on and it seems innocuous but “Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?”

It’s a very important question. What you want to be able to do in a very concise fashion, having confidence and enthusiasm, of course, is talk about what goals and accomplishments you have professionally and how that fits into the objectives of the company.

Well, and that leads to one that I think people might fall short on a lot and that is “What do you know about our firm?”

Absolutely. One of the biggest shortfalls that candidates have when they go into an interview is not being prepared. There is so much information out there, business journals, the Internet, of course.

Understanding the company, what they do, and how this position fits into that company is so essential.
Or “Why do you want to work here?”

Yes, that too is critical. Again, speak to the goals and to the objectives you have professionally and how that fits into the goals and the objectives that the company has.

This is a tricky one, when you are asked “Why do you want to leave your current position?”

It can be a tricky one and sometimes people will fall into a trap of making negative comments about their current job or their current employer. You don’t want to do that. What you want to be able to do is talk to career advancement, how your company intrigues me, the products that you make, or the service you provide is something you want to actively participate in your career.

OK, finally, maybe you have some advice for recent grads here too because they won’t be able to answer this “What is your most significant professional accomplishment?”

Well, your professional accomplishments, again, you want it to be a concise and direct answer to the question, pointing out again how you can help their company advance with the successes you have had in your past. And I think new college grads can speak to some of the successes they have had in school, some of the community involvements that they have had, some of the associations in their school that they have participated in, and that will answer their question for the new grad as well.

Well this is very good advice, Doug Rickart. Thank you very much. Nice to have you here.

Thanks for having me.

Doug Rickart with Robert Hath International
Source: Kare 11 Television News Minneapolis