job interview tips

Different Types of Interview
Being aware of the different types of interview that you may encounter can be very helpful.
Examples of different types of interview include:
1. Recruitment Agency.
2. Employer interviews.
3. Personnel, or Human Resources.

How you approach these different types of interviews should be adjusted to meet the requirements of that interviewer. Failure to do so is likely to prevent you from progressing any further. For example if your interviewer is from the personnel department, do not focus on your specific technical abilities but emphasize your skills and experience as a team player, leader or all round nice guy. This job interview tips page will now explain the following types:

Recruitment Agency Interviews
Recruitment Agency Interviews are designed to screen candidates ahead of putting only the best forward for consideration by the recruiting organization. Recruitment agencies are working primarily for your potential employer, not for you. Recruitment agencies vary enormously from highly professional organizations that can be extremely helpful to you, the job hunter. They can analyze your requirements in detail, giving you good advice on your strengths and weaknesses and how to present and conduct yourself to each interviewer. However, less scrupulous agencies may be more focused on placing people in jobs so that they earn their fee whilst paying little regard for the suitability of candidate to job. Use your own judgment and try to establish relationships only with those agencies that give you confidence that they are genuinely interested in matching the requirements of the recruiting organization with your own.

Employer Interviews
Employer interviews are generally staged in order for the employer to assess whether or not you match their requirements. It is usual for a first interview to be used to screen out unsuitable candidates, whilst those that pass will proceed to the second and possibly third interviews. Therefore, if attending a first interview, you should approach it is a challenge for being seen as a suitable candidate for the job. It is in subsequent ones where you should really aim to sell yourself as the best candidate.

Personnel, or Human Resources, Interviews
Most large organizations now include a personnel or HR interview as part of their selection process. It is easy to underestimate this type of interview, as personnel staff typically will not ask detailed technical questions. They tend to stick to more personal areas and this can often give the impression of being friendly and supportive. Despite the relative informality of a personnel interview, make sure that you remain focused throughout. HR specialists are often highly trained and very experienced at conducting interviews and will therefore be adept at gaining information from you. Consider their questions carefully and try to picture what point really lies behind each request. This will enable you to respond in a more direct and forthcoming manner, which should be well received by the interviewer.

Individual Strengths – Self Assessment
Your individual strengths are those unique aspects that could set you apart from other candidates. This job interview tips page will now explain how to combine them in the right manner to best suit the job at hand and draw attention away from your limitations is the key to being successful. The point of this exercise is to better understand your own strengths and limitations ahead of the interview. It is unlikely that you will be strong in all areas, so be realistic in your assessment. There are eighteen criteria in all and, once again, you may find it useful to have a copy of your CV or other personal records to refer to.

Rate your own ability in the following important performance criteria. (1=Poor, 3=Average, 5=Excellent).

1 2 3 4 5 Performance Criteria
Leading by example
Self-confidence
Commitment to seeing the job through
Strength of willpower
Capacity for original thought
Natural competitiveness
Good judgment
Confidence with decision-making
Communication skills
Quick thinking
Ability to demonstrate initiative
Generation of new ideas
Organizational ability
Commercial acumen
A good listener
Willingness to take responsibility
Your ability to handle conflict
Sensitivity to people

Studying the scores that you awarded yourself, think about the actual requirements of the job. You can then compare the scores against each criterion; paying attention to those strengths that appear high on both lists, and even more attention to those areas that you scored low on but that are high on the 'required' list for the job.