We can congratulate you - you have successfullycompleted the first stage of the job search! The employer called you and invited you for an interview (or maybe you even got through the phone interview!). Of course, it may seem like you're halfway there, but don't relax: now your mind should be occupied with preparing for the interview, which will help you easily get the job you want.
7 Secrets of Successful Training
For those who have never looked for a job, maybeIt may seem that preparing for an interview is unnecessary. After all, you are an excellent employee, and you just need to come to a meeting with the employer, show yourself in all your glory, and you will definitely be hired! But, unfortunately, everything is not so simple: an interview is in many ways similar to an exam, and even if you have enough knowledge in your head to answer the teacher's questions, you can show yourself in such a way that the examiner will give you a grade no higher than "C". Translated into career language, this may mean not getting the desired position. This is why it is necessary to properly prepare for an interview, as well as for any other important event. We offer you seven secrets of the correct and successful attitude to communicate with an employer.
Positive state
It's no secret that the mood is to winis fifty percent of success in achieving the goal. In the case of an interview, the attitude “I will get this position”, self-confidence and confidence in your qualifications - one of the most important personal manifestations. Unfortunately, many people are prone to various fears: fear of not meeting the requirements, not being liked in appearance, not having sufficient knowledge, skills, abilities and much more. This fear is reflected in all human behavior: an experienced employer will immediately see a lack of self-confidence, which will be reflected in your posture, gait, gestures and speech. But how can you stop being afraid and set yourself up for victory? Visualization is also the most effective in this regard. This method is based on the use of neuro-linguistic programming and one of its basic principles: in order to achieve a goal, you need to become the person who has already achieved it. Sounds a little confusing? Let's explain with an example: let's say you want to become a vice president of a large transnational corporation. What should a person occupying this position be like? Strong, goal-oriented, proactive, responsible, decisive, etc. … And until you become like that, you will not see the position. To visualize, you need to imagine yourself in your future job in as much detail as possible, using all five senses and thinking. What are you like? What do you do? Who do you communicate with? What clothes do you wear? Where is your office? What is your work day like? The more questions like these you ask yourself and the more answers you get, the more likely it will be for you to successfully pass the interview.
Self-confidence and adequate self-esteem
As we have already written above, many peoplefear is inherent. In order to overcome it, you need to understand whether your worries have real grounds. Agree, it is one thing when yesterday's sales manager applies for a "top" vacancy, and another - when you have the necessary experience, knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the said work. If you look good and know how to present yourself, then, most likely, we are talking about banal anxiety and low self-esteem (yes, yes, this happens even to "seasoned" professionals!). An excellent way to increase self-esteem and self-confidence is auto-training. The main advantage of this method is that it is effective with a relatively small investment of time and effort. To conduct auto-training, turn on relaxing music, think about something pleasant and feel the inner warmth. Focus on these feelings and then start giving yourself positive attitudes (like in the movie “I am the most charming and attractive”): I have the necessary work experience, I have enough knowledge to fill this position, I look like a professional, etc. ... However, low self-esteem is not the only option for inadequate self-perception. There are often cases when a person considers himself the best specialist in his field, and this opinion does not coincide with the real state of affairs. Usually, such applicants immediately “turn up their noses”, and contempt for the potential employer and for all the people around them periodically appears on their face. Do you think there is a high probability of getting a job with such a bad specialist? That's right, it tends to zero. Therefore, try to adequately assess your own strengths and skills; for example, if you have never managed even one person and are horrified at the thought of it, you should not apply for the position of head of the sales department.
Information
It is not for nothing that our era is recognized as an erainformation technology. Information is now the most important and effective weapon, and you must have it. What do you need to know before the interview? First of all, this is information about the position. You must carefully read the job posting. Very often, we react emotionally to such things (especially in the case of a protracted job search) and ignore important details and features. For example, the employer needs only a man, and your desire to take the position will most likely be a waste of time. The second important block of information that you should have is knowledge about the organization in which you are going to work. By the way, you need this most of all: what if this office turns out to be "hell on wheels"? This can be expressed in a very rigid and authoritarian corporate culture or unethical activities of the corporation. Therefore, carefully study not only the main website of the organization, but also the reviews of people already working there. Ask former employees why they left, learn about the specifics of applying the labor code, for example, how easy it is to get sick leave. All this will help you form a clear idea of how it is customary to work there. Finally, orientation in information about the organization will help you better understand the nature of the vacancy and the list of responsibilities. In particular, if you are applying for the position of a sales manager, it would be a good idea to find out as much as possible about the product you will have to sell - what if these turn out to be cheap Chinese fakes, and then you will have to fight off angry customers? In addition, knowing the main areas of work of the organization, it will be easier for you to understand the recruiter and offer him what he wants. And lastly. Do not forget that any actions in one way or another reveal your individual characteristics to the employer. In light of this, having the right information can help demonstrate your best qualities to the person conducting the interview. What will it be associated with?
- Motivation The fact that you have previously studied the information about the company and the vacancy indicates your genuine interest in getting a job.
- The ability to find the necessary data In our age, this is the number one important professional quality - without it, any worker can be considered unskilled.
- Initiative In most cases, a reasonableinitiative and activity, manifested in the fact that you are prepared for the interview and own information, are pluses to the characteristics of the applicant. As a rule, the employer is interested in such people.
- Independence No one needs an employee,running towards the boss, as a mom, for any reason, whether it is preparing a report or drafting a commercial proposal. That's why the fact that you yourself found information about the company and the post, and do not expect it from the recruiter, will be added to your list of merits.
Self-presentation
Research by psychologists has shown that acceptanceThe decision to fill a vacancy is 75% related to the impression the candidate made on the employer. Simply put, whether the interviewer liked you or not determines whether you will be hired. For example, it is known that an impression of a person is formed in the first 5 minutes of meeting. If it is positive, the recruiter will ask questions that will help you to open up in a good light, if negative, he will try to “fail” you. This is why it is so important to arouse sympathy in the person conducting the interview, and good self-presentation skills will help you do this. You owe the impression of yourself not only to your words, but also to the manner in which you pronounce them. We receive about 70% of information about the interlocutor from non-verbal signals: gait, posture, gestures, facial expressions, intonation, tempo and timbre of speech. Based on this, an experienced recruiter will be able to draw conclusions about your character, style of work, communication skills and much more. To ensure that these conclusions are positive, we suggest that you use a few simple tips:
Of course, when talking about self-presentation, you can’tnot to mention clothing. This is a topic for a separate article, so we will only outline the main points. The style of clothing should correspond to the position you are applying for and the corporate spirit of the organization. Your things should be clean, neat and tidy. And, of course, you should not wear the most expensive and best: an experienced recruiter will immediately see through a fake (if you can’t afford such clothes), and this will be attributed to your mistakes.
Knowledge of the course of the interview
We have already raised the issue of fear more than once.If you exclude self-doubt, the source of fear is often uncertainty, when you do not know what awaits you. Accordingly, the best way to combat it is the same information, only concerning the course of the interview. Almost always, it begins with a short story about yourself by the applicant. You may be asked to give a short monologue or limit yourself to specific questions concerning specific biographical facts. The recruiter will most likely be interested in how you ended up in the job search situation and why you decided to consider their vacancy. You may also be asked to answer the “golden” four most frequently asked questions:
- What are your main strengths and weaknesses?
- Who do you see yourself in five years from now?
- Why did you choose this professional sphere?
- Tell us about your professional achievements
Sometimes recruiters behave strangely and curiously,For example, they may ask you to tell them something pleasant at the end or start swearing very loudly. Most often, this is an element of the so-called “stress interview”, the purpose of which is to see how you will behave in a stressful situation or how you will resolve this or that problem. Therefore, if you sense something is wrong, stay calm and “turn on” your head. Some applicants are afraid of possible professional testing. In fact, an experienced recruiter does not need to carry out any special procedures, he sees everything anyway. Therefore, do not waste time guessing questions in the test methodology - it is better to answer them honestly and calmly. In the end, if you are suitable, you will be made an offer, and if not - maybe it is better this way?
Understanding the Recruiter
Or rather, understanding what the recruiter wants.This understanding is very important, because you can show yourself in two ways: the way you think is right, and the way the recruiter will need. Which option is more effective? Naturally, the second one. That is why one of the points of preparation for the interview should be an attempt to put yourself in the shoes of the person conducting the interview. What is the best way to do this? First, you need to find out who will conduct your interview - a recruiter, a HR manager or a direct employer. This is important because each of them has slightly different goals. The recruiter's task is to filter out candidates who really do not fit the employer's requirements. For example, if a person with a higher education is required, and the applicant does not have it. The HR manager has a more serious goal - he must fill the vacancy with a suitable person. Therefore, he already has a greater psychological burden - he will analyze your business and personal qualities. Interview with the employer - this is the most important event, because he really wants to find an employee with whom he will have a long and fruitful cooperation. The difficulty of the latter case is that if recruiters and HR managers, as a rule, have more or less the same set of techniques, then the employer can surprise you with a completely unexpected quirk or whim. But you can treat this as a real test of your relationship for compatibility. In general, one of the most effective techniques is to put yourself in the place of the person conducting the interview and try to behave in such a way as to interest him. You were probably surprised not to see a word about qualifications and experience in the article. There is nothing strange in this - any person understands that specific knowledge, skills and abilities are needed to perform certain duties. Therefore, if you do not have them, and they will be needed from the very beginning of the job, and there is nowhere to get them - do not waste your time on this vacancy. It's better to look for something that really suits you. And we've told you everything about how to prepare for the upcoming interview, and now you'll definitely pass it! We recommend reading:
