Job Interview Help

[Brookstone]

Going for a job interview tomorrow, it has been a long time since i've had an interview with actual ppl from company. Looking for some pointers/tips, kinda help refresh my memory in case they ask something i dont know what to say at the time, IE: freeze up, uhh's.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Mainly looking for some questions they might askand answers i guess IE: strongest quality, weakest quality etc etc.
weakest ,was a question i remember that i had in a few interviews in the past and 1 that i had most trouble with. what would be a good answer for something like that?

its for an office job

 

[nautilus]

I asked the same question once re weakest point. A couple of people lead me to this answer: "I don't see myself as having any particular weak points. I do however constantly strive to develop and improve the skills that I already have."
Others thought that this line of thinking was lame. It just goes to show you that there are no "right" answers. It all depends on what the Interviewer is looking for.
I for one would like to improve upon my computer literacy skills. And learn to ride a unicycle.

 

[hawkeye69]

Be honest

There are no right or wrong answers (assuming you are technically qualified for the job). These questions are all meant to gage fit. Also the situtational questions, what would you do if..., or have you ever had a situtation where...

If your answer is yes that happened and I beat the idiot who did it to within an inch of his life, and now he doesn't do it any more. The interviewer will decide if this is type of behaviour they want there employees to exhibit and if it fits in well with the culture (probably not, but you never know).

So just relax and be yourself, if you need to take time to think of an answer that is not a bad thing (shows thoughtfullness).

 

[raven@mirage]

They basically tell you about thier company, ask you what experience you have, what makes a team player, availablity, weaknest, strong points, and sometimes they ask where do you see yourself in 5 years something like that.

Basically just relax and be yourself if your nervous they can see right threw it.

pretty memorize your resume even though you bring an extra copy for them to look at it, and never assume they have a copy of your resume always bring one.

Dress business casual you don't want to be over dressed. like basic semi-dress shirt and pants.

and show up about 20 minutes early.

 

[Meesh]

Going for a job interview tomorrow, it has been a long time since i've had an interview with actual ppl from company. Looking for some pointers/tips, kinda help refresh my memory in case they ask something i dont know what to say at the time, IE: freeze up, uhh's.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Mainly looking for some questions they might askand answers i guess IE: strongest quality, weakest quality etc etc.
weakest ,was a question i remember that i had in a few interviews in the past and 1 that i had most trouble with. what would be a good answer for something like that?

its for an office job

Give examples. ALWAYS give examples.

If they ask for your strong point - give them one, then give them an example of how it has benefited you.

If they ask how you might handle something, don't tell them how you 'might' handle it, give them an example of a similar situation from your working past and how you handled that.

It shows your capability MUCH better than telling them in theory what you might do.

In the interview industry, they are looking for "Situation, Action, Result." *SAR* stories. All of the examples you give should define the situation, tell what action you took, and what the result was (in other words, how it benefited the company/organzation/department/whatever.)

Concrete examples always work better than theoretical. It tells the interviewer "Been there, done that. Next challenge?"

Hope this helps.

 

[Brookstone]

yes that have been good pointers so far.
nautilus , thats exactly the answer that i am looking for.

to be more specific about the job, its for billing clerk/office admin.
couple of the main duties outlined:
- Manage accounts payable / receivable; enter / pay bills and expenses
• Perform collection duties;
- Working knowledge of QuickBooks and Excel;

now, i was an billing clerk in my last job at bell. but i didnt really handled A/P,A/R , collections etc. That was more in accounting dept. i was more in handling clients accounts, making sure they had the right rates etc. And i know all office programs but never expeiences quickbooks or the likes, since thats more accounting. So the above 3 is the only part that i'm afraid of really. Others that were outlined, i have no problems, such as admin duties.

I've helped out with accounting dept(a/p,a/r) in past, but mainly simple stuff, nothing spectacular or in depth. So if thats what they are looking for, then i guess i'm out of luck.

oh ya 1 more thing, under salary, it says (can also be paid as subcontractor)
Can someone explain to me what that means and how it would work. Is it more benefiicial to be paid as subcontractor vs. employee. in terms of $ , benefits, hours etc. Thats something i'd be interested in if i qualify.

 

[RTRD]

No disrespect...

Dress business casual you don't want to be over dressed. like basic semi-dress shirt and pants.

...but this is bad advice.

No one ever didn't get a job because they were "over dressed", save for wearing a tux.

Even though the office is business casual (and most are), NEVER EVER go to an interview for anyplace more upscale than McDonald's in anything less than a suit unless told otherwise.

At worse, they will tell you then and there "gee...we are pretty laid back here", to which you can reply "I always am careful to be prudent and conservative in my assumptions".

If it is for a very technical job it might not make a difference, but for any sort of regular management / office gig, making an assumption about anything less than formal business dress will send a RED flag to the interviewer....

"Hmm....what other sort of liberties and assumptions will this person make if we were to hire them...they really seem to have bad judgment".

To OP...go buy this book

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1593374526/701-0754702-8878712?v=glance&n=916520&s=gateway&v=glance

I have purchased the new addition every 3 or 4 years for the last 15...best career book I have every read in regards to resumes, cover letters, interviews and negotiating salary / initial offer.

 

[nautilus]

I would try to put off the employee/subcontractor discussion until you receive an offer.
If you have a spouse with benefits from her/his job, then you may want to consider the subcontractor route.
If you are single and live alone, you will probably want benefits etc.
Save that "problem" on the back burner. Best to get the job first.
Emphasize how quickly you learn and absorb information. The fact that you have been exsposed to many aspects of this particular job should help you.
Don't dwell on the fact that you lack accounting experience. Rather, emphasize the fact that since you are capable in all other aspects of the job, you should have no problems improving in this particular area.
Good luck.

 

[Brookstone]

yes i agree with MLAM about the dressing up. Doesnt hurt at all if you overdress, but underdress might. Its definitely good to wear a suit, but given that i do not have a suit right now, i'll have to wear what i've always wore, dress pants, dress shirt.

This is actually my first 'office job' interivew, last couple office jobs were thru agencies, and i would feel better if i did have a suit to wear for this.
Right now, its white dress pants , with maybe a lighter blue top.
And black dress shoe.
I 'd prefer the Beige shoes so colors would match, but its a pair of "Lugz", it can probably pass as "casual dress" shoes, but if you look closely enough, you can definitely see the difference and some mite even think its more of in line with boots.

i'm gonna go pick up the 2005 version of that book today,since 2006 dont come out til later in the year, MLAM, seems like it would be helpful. thanx

 

[KBear]

Sell yourself!

Before the interview, think about how great you are and the benefits you offer, and how lucky they would be to hire you. Puts you in the right frame of mind.

Watch your posture, you should look at the person doing the interview, look interested in what they have to say, ask some questions to show you are listening/interested, have your hands apart to show you are approachable. Remain calm.

Towards the end of the interview, if you like the job, tell the person doing the interview that you want the job. Something like, “this work sounds interesting, and I know I could do it well, I would like this job”. Spell it out that you want the job, and can do it well. That is really all the interviewer cares about. His problem is that they need an employee to do certain things, and you are the solution to his problem. Don’t overdo it though.

 

[Brookstone]

I would try to put off the employee/subcontractor discussion until you receive an offer.
If you have a spouse with benefits from her/his job, then you may want to consider the subcontractor route.
If you are single and live alone, you will probably want benefits etc.
Save that "problem" on the back burner. Best to get the job first.
Emphasize how quickly you learn and absorb information. The fact that you have been exsposed to many aspects of this particular job should help you.
Don't dwell on the fact that you lack accounting experience. Rather, emphasize the fact that since you are capable in all other aspects of the job, you should have no problems improving in this particular area.
Good luck.

ya i wasnt planning on asking them about that until i was actual hired and pay talk is raised.
thanx for the pointer, that makes me feel bit better
thanx to everyone that has helped so far.

 

[RTRD]

Listen to me...

yes i agree with MLAM about the dressing up. Doesnt hurt at all if you overdress, but underdress might. Its definitely good to wear a suit, but given that i do not have a suit right now, i'll have to wear what i've always wore, dress pants, dress shirt.

This is actually my first 'office job' interivew, last couple office jobs were thru agencies, and i would feel better if i did have a suit to wear for this.
Right now, its white dress pants , with maybe a lighter blue top.
And black dress shoe.
I 'd prefer the Beige shoes so colors would match, but its a pair of "Lugz", it can probably pass as "casual dress" shoes, but if you look closely enough, you can definitely see the difference and some mite even think its more of in line with boots.

i'm gonna go pick up the 2005 version of that book today,since 2006 dont come out til later in the year, MLAM, seems like it would be helpful. thanx

...go buy a suit.

Depending on the level of the position you are interviewing for and your age, you will get credit for making the effort for trying, even if it is a CHEAP suit. No one will hold it against you for any job less than say 50 or 60K. You can buy a suit for $99 at Moore's, and if you are an average sized guy, most people (meaning not someone as picky as me) won't even notice the difference between that and a $500 suit (or more importantly, care even if they can notice).

Go....buy...a....suit. A dress shirt and slacks does not cut it.

Serious as a heart attack, anyone who came to an interview *I* was conducting who didn't wear a suit would not get the job, unless they just blew my fucking socks off AND everyone else was totally incompetent. Not wearing a suit just totally brings your judgment into question (as in...”how does a grown ass man not own at least one suit....naaahhh...he has to have one...so how the fuck did he decide this interview wasn't important enough to wear it”?)


GO BUY A SUIT!!

BTW...2006 book is out...picked up one about 3 weeks ago...

 

[tightfit]

I might rethink the white pants as well. .. A dark suit with sky blue shirt always works wonders.
conservative is the way to go..then once you have the job..you can go a little more liberal and if you don't have a suit
then now is a good time to bypass the sp's for 2 days and get yourself one.

 

[stang]

Remember too that it's as important or even more important how you handle and present your answers than just what your answers necessarily are. When I do interviews a lot of the questions won't necessarily have a bad answer, but I'm looking for how the candidate speaks, rationalizes and communicates their thoughts.
Good luck.

 

[frankcastle]

If in a pinch and the interview is soon.

Adding dark dress pants and a tie to the dress shirt would be a step up.

A suit never hurt. I had a bunch of unsuccessful interviews and went out and bought a suit and the next interview.... I got the job. Coincidence maybe but you know what when you're dressed you're best you feel better and come off probably more confident and they feel good about you too.

As for common questions......

-they might ask questions about what your plans are...... maybe not the "where do you see yourself in 5 years" question but something along that lines.

-they're probably looking to see that you have some sort of idea and want it to be relevant to them.

-they might ask you questions to test your knowledge about things in that area so bone up on it. For example, interviewing for a lab they want to know if you are familiar with the techniques and equipment that they use and their area of research. I know you mentioned an office job but I'm just drawing from my past experiences.

-they'll probably ask you if you have any questions. Try and make them thoughtful and relevant to the job but don't ask about holidays and benefits.

-if it's contract work and you do get it, in the future when it comes to renegotiate try asking for added responsibilities, shows you want to work but it also helps make you more indispensible in the future.

 

[frankcastle]

Oh yeah another common line of questioning is how would you deal with this situation.

e.g. angry client or some other problem

 

[Svend]

I agree, wear a suit even if you know it's a fairly casual company.
I disagree with being honest though, if they ask about your hobbies - don't mention TERB!

 

[Meister]

Right now, its white dress pants , with maybe a lighter blue top.
And black dress shoe.
I 'd prefer the Beige shoes so colors would match, but its a pair of "Lugz", it can probably pass as "casual dress" shoes, but if you look closely enough, you can definitely see the difference and some mite even think its more of in line with boots.

Black dress shoes with white pants is very risky. If you need to go with the white pants then switch to light beige dress shoes (not Lugz). The ideal would be navy blue suit with either white or light blue shirt and black shoes. You are applying for an admin job so you don't need to over dress. You may be able to get away with your white dress pants and a beige sport jacket with a striped tie.
IMPORTANT: Do not wear anything that has a sign of wear:
- worn out heel from driving
- belts with elongated holes
- ties with obvious dated designs
- ring around the collar
It may sound petty, but interviewers pick up on this sort of detail and form an opinion.

Regarding the other questions:
- working knowledge of Quickbooks and Excel
Excel you can sort of learn on the fly if you have some basic understanding of spreadsheets and math. I would download a copy and play around with it.

Quickbooks is a little harder as it assumes a bit of accounting knowledge. You have to think about how you will explain that one away. You may want to look into online tutorials, forums, trial versions.... Then you can truthfully say that you are currently learning the program and will be ready when the job starts.

 

[Meister]

There is a new line of questioning interviewers use to get around standard memorized answers.

For example:
Have you ever gone above the speed limit?
If answer is no then he knows you are a liar.
If so, how much was the fastest?
If answer is 110 you are still a liar.
If you say 150 then you are presumed a risk taker.

It becomes very tricky these days.

 

[Ben Hogan]

Try and turn any negative question that may be asked into a positive (i.e. tell me about a time you screwed up, detail how you handled the situation, what you learned and how you applied the new knowledge later on when a similar situation came up). Same thing with a weakness. Glib answers or evading a question can be perceived badly. Rehearse your answers to the tougher questions so you sound confident & polished.

I agree about the comments about overdressing. Too casual sends the wrong message.

Send a follow up note the next day, thanking them for their time and reiterate your interest in the job. It's a nice touch and also keeps your name in front of the interviewer.

Good luck!