Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Job-hunting tips from the July 22, 2002 issue of
QuintZine.
Lynn Padgett, National Training Manager for Linkage, Inc.,
suggests remembering the acronym BEFAR for interviews:
B -- Build Rapport -- This step helps to break the ice with
the employer. Make a comment about the office, the local
sports team, the weather, whatever ... It helps get you
and the employer out of "interviewing" mode and into
"talking" mode. E -- Establish Needs -- Find out what the employer is
looking for. Questions can include "What type of person
do you need here?" or "What qualities do your best
employees have?" or "What makes a person successful here?" F -- Flush Concerns -- Find out what red flags the employer
may have about you. The best question to ask at this
point is "Do you have any concerns about my qualifications?"
It is much easier to handle employer concerns while you
are still in the interview than it is for you after
you've already left. A -- Ask For The Job -- If you are interested in the job,
ask for it. The best statement is "I really like what you
have to offer and feel good about the company. When can
I start?" Employers are much more excited by a candidate
that wants the job then they are in someone who is
nonchalant about it. R -- Restate Interest -- Let the employer know that
you are interested in the job and you are excited
for them to get things started. When you get home
from the interview make sure you email (and possibly
snail mail) a thank-you note. Make sure you get the
hiring manager's card and contact information.
If you meet with multiple people, get all their
cards and send each of them a note.
Since they were launched in Nov. 2001, more than a thousand visitors have used our
Practice Interviews. Many career experts recommend composing written responses to
Frequently Asked Job Interview Questions as a way to prepare for interviews. Composing
responses in writing helps you solidify effective answers in your mind so you won't be
caught off guard in the interview and will sound exceptionally prepared.
Take steps to ensure a professional image when you go on a job
interview, cautions Diana LeGere, of Executive Final Copy.
"Suits should be conservative in neutral colors such as navy,
brown, gray and black. Clothing should be neatly pressed.
Studies have shown that wearing blue denotes trustworthiness.
It's no wonder that police officers, security guards, and many
service professions choose blue uniforms. If you were applying
for a creative, artsy position, you would, of course, not wear
a serious suit. Similarly, if you were applying for a
position of bank president now is not the time to pull out your
favorite 70s leisure suit. A mechanic would not apply for a job
with a banker's suit. However, his or her clothing should be cleaned and
neatly pressed. Tasteful common sense is the key. It is doubtful
that a hiring manager would seriously consider a candidate with dirty
shoes, a rumpled shirt, or torn hems. Let's not forget about chipped
nail polish, excessive make up and perfume or garlic breath.
Remember you are trying to make your best impression. Interviewers
realize you will not always arrive for work dressed like a million.
Do not let them wonder for one second how bad your daily hygiene
might become. Attend to the details of yourself and it will be
assumed that you will attend to the details of their company."
This Q Tip courtesy of Diana C. LeGere president of
Executive Final Copy and the employment coordinator for
Greenbacks Bringing Hope Foundation in Salt Lake City, UT.
Remote job interviews are catching on as employers try to cut costs amid the economic
slowdown and reduced travel after the Sept. 11 attacks,
reports Stephanie Armour USA TODAY. "Virtual interviews
are in vogue with the rise in videoconferencing," Armour
writes, "and employers also are turning to phone and computer
screenings. The use of alternative interviewing formats,
which once had been derided as overhyped, is finding a
receptive audience amid the recession, experts say.
For example, between 10 percent and 15 percent of
first interviews at bioscience firm AstraZeneca
are being conducted via videoconferencing. Officials
expect that number to rise as hiring continues
because of company expansions in sales."
Lynn Padgett, National Training Manager for 