Six Success Steps - What to do when Opportunity Knocks
Six Success Steps - What to do when Opportunity Knocks
Practice. Then Practice More.
Learning something new or being good at a task we don't do often takes practice. An interview is no different. Sitting down with a friend who is objective and role-playing an interview situation many times, can help you learn how to leave a good impression.
Practice reduces the "Ums" and "Uhs" you might say when you're nervous. You can be familiar with the interview environment and feel at ease, not silly or scrutinized. You'll practice avoiding rubbing your nose or looking down. When you get to your real interview, habit will kick in and you'll know how to sit, what to say, and when to ask questions.
Develop Answers to Tough Questions
Inevitably, a potential employer will ask you the one question you wished they hadn't. Don't be left squirming on the chair trying to answer. During your practice sessions, develop good ways to answer all the tricky questions.
Above all, don't lie. It's best to find words and sentences that show you're not perfect, but that you've learned from situations and have come out a better person because of them. If you have blank spots of unemployment on your resume, tell your employer some of the constructive things you did during that time, rather than gloss over you weren't working.
Being prepared with good answers to tough questions means that when those questions are asked, you'll deliver a response that sounds confident and right.
Use "I" Often
"I" sentences show confidence in yourself and leave others with a good impression. It's okay to talk about yourself and what you've done – after all, an interview is all about you, isn't it? Potential employers don't want to know about the team that you worked with or the other company that you worked for. Potential employers want to know what YOU did, how YOU improved things, what YOU learned, and what YOU accomplished. Use "I" and "My" often and drop "We," "They," or "Our."
Relax and Feel Comfortable
This isn't a firing squad. Don't sit stiff as a board. Enjoy yourself and be yourself during an interview. Trying to impress the other person is normal, but you also need to show the potential employer who you really are. Feel comfortable during the interview, and that will show your potential employer even more confidence in yourself – that you know you are good for their business and that you know you can do a good job.
Ask Questions
Prepare a couple of questions about the company that you'd like to work for. Not only are you being interviewed, but you also have the chance to interview your potential employer and find out a little bit more about their business or company. Asking a few questions (ones that you hopefully have done your homework on and already know the answers to) shows an interest in the job and company, leaving employers feeling that you've taken the job opportunity seriously.
How simple is that all then? Well, in truth, it might still make you a bit apprehensive, this interview thing. So remember that your interviewer is on your side - they need great candidates to succeed, so bear that in mind.
(c) 2007 "How To Land Your Dream Job". You can have the job of your dreams. It takes application, attention and the information you need to get you there, young or old. There's all you need at Martin Haworth's website, at http://www.HowToLandYourDreamJob.com
Six Success Steps What to do when Opportunity Knocks - To learn more about this author, visit Martin Haworth's Website.
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Making a career change into a new profession or changing employers to have a different job usually means one thing: An interview. Many people see the interview as being a terrifying part of landing a job, but it doesn't have to be a scary event. Here are six ways that you can impress the person behind the desk and sell yourself to land a better job that fits you well.
Practice. Then Practice More.
Learning something new or being good at a task we don't do often takes practice. An interview is no different. Sitting down with a friend who is objective and role-playing an interview situation many times, can help you learn how to leave a good impression.
Practice reduces the "Ums" and "Uhs" you might say when you're nervous. You can be familiar with the interview environment and feel at ease, not silly or scrutinized. You'll practice avoiding rubbing your nose or looking down. When you get to your real interview, habit will kick in and you'll know how to sit, what to say, and when to ask questions.
Develop Answers to Tough Questions
Inevitably, a potential employer will ask you the one question you wished they hadn't. Don't be left squirming on the chair trying to answer. During your practice sessions, develop good ways to answer all the tricky questions.
Above all, don't lie. It's best to find words and sentences that show you're not perfect, but that you've learned from situations and have come out a better person because of them. If you have blank spots of unemployment on your resume, tell your employer some of the constructive things you did during that time, rather than gloss over you weren't working.
Being prepared with good answers to tough questions means that when those questions are asked, you'll deliver a response that sounds confident and right.
Use "I" Often
"I" sentences show confidence in yourself and leave others with a good impression. It's okay to talk about yourself and what you've done – after all, an interview is all about you, isn't it? Potential employers don't want to know about the team that you worked with or the other company that you worked for. Potential employers want to know what YOU did, how YOU improved things, what YOU learned, and what YOU accomplished. Use "I" and "My" often and drop "We," "They," or "Our."
Relax and Feel Comfortable
This isn't a firing squad. Don't sit stiff as a board. Enjoy yourself and be yourself during an interview. Trying to impress the other person is normal, but you also need to show the potential employer who you really are. Feel comfortable during the interview, and that will show your potential employer even more confidence in yourself – that you know you are good for their business and that you know you can do a good job.
Ask Questions
Prepare a couple of questions about the company that you'd like to work for. Not only are you being interviewed, but you also have the chance to interview your potential employer and find out a little bit more about their business or company. Asking a few questions (ones that you hopefully have done your homework on and already know the answers to) shows an interest in the job and company, leaving employers feeling that you've taken the job opportunity seriously.
How simple is that all then? Well, in truth, it might still make you a bit apprehensive, this interview thing. So remember that your interviewer is on your side - they need great candidates to succeed, so bear that in mind.
(c) 2007 "How To Land Your Dream Job". You can have the job of your dreams. It takes application, attention and the information you need to get you there, young or old. There's all you need at Martin Haworth's website, at http://www.HowToLandYourDreamJob.com
Six Success Steps What to do when Opportunity Knocks - To learn more about this author, visit Martin Haworth's Website.
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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