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Taking Charge During An Interview!Perhaps you've found yourself in the position of seeking a new position due to a layoff, cutback or downsizing and are now facing the interviewing process. As scary as that may seem, one of the most critical points to remember is that just because you're sitting in the seat opposite the potential employer doesn't mean you have no control. There are a number of ways for making the interview a more equal experience and the first starts with knowing you have the right to ask questions. Come Prepared! Although it's not a good idea to monopolize the interview, asking questions shows your interest in the position therefore it's a good idea to prepare a few questions beforehand. By doing some research about the company you show the interviewer that you're really a knowledgeable and serious applicant. What You Shouldn't Say During and Interview! If you've not had a chance to ask your own specific questions during the interview simply wait until near the end of the meeting and suggest that you have a few questions. But use caution by keeping the conversation strictly professional. The interviewer is forming an opinion about you so make sure you don't say anything that could be misinterpreted. For example, never share personal information that is unnecessary and steer clear of negative details regarding past employment. Hold off on asking questions that deal with vacation, sick days, benefits, salary and such. They're important to know, but they shouldn't be your top priority. First interviews are mostly about finding out whether you're a good fit for the job. Important Questions to Ask During the Interview! Question #1. What responsibilities will I be covering initially? Once I become established in my position, will my responsibilities change? Very often an individual's responsibility is not clearly laid out and leaves the potential applicant uncertain as to his or her responsibilities. Make sure they are clear prior to accepting a position. Question #2. Do staff members know what my responsibilities will entail and have they been given a brief overview as to what I will be handling? Find out whom you will be reporting to and if others are to report to you. If others are to report to you, make sure they have already been informed of that decision. And if you're being hired for a management position, ask whether existing staff have been informed of your responsibilities. If it's left for you to define, you could be starting off on the wrong foot. Question #3. What would you say are the best and most difficult things about working in this environment? Don't be afraid to ask the interviewer to explain what he or she believes are the best and most challenging aspects about the job. Of course you may not perceive the same things as difficult but it's still good to know his or her perception at the onset. Question #4. Based upon my responses during this interview and by my past experience do you believe I can handle the responsibilities of this position? Basically what you're trying to find out is whether or not you are an ideal candidate for the position. Asking that question can give you an idea as to where you stand. That way you won't have to spend days pondering whether or not you have a chance of filling the position. Question#5. Was the person in this position previously let go or promoted or is this a newly created position? If someone was let go, how will I know whether or not I'm performing effectively? In other words, find out if you will be provided with feedback immediately or would you have to wait for performance reviews? Question#6. Have I provided enough information about myself for you to make an informed decision? If not, what can I do to alleviate any of your concerns about my capabilities? The way you present yourself during an interview clearly demonstrates your strengths and weaknesses so never hesitate to present yourself in a way that shows off your strengths. Don't be afraid to do a bit of boasting about yourself during the interview, particularly if it's true. You are competing against a number of other individuals who want the same job therefore you shouldn't hesitate to stand apart from the crowd. Copyright 2005 Charlene Rashkow brings 15 years of experience as a Writer and Author to her creative efforts as a freelance writer. She has successfully helped countless numbers of companies and individuals reach their objectives by preparing personal and professional copywriting. Her portfolio includes exceptional website content writing, press releases, bios, articles of interest, business plans, resumes and all other forms of marketing material. You may contact Charlene Rashkow at http://www.allyourwritingneeds.com |  | | | RELATED ARTICLES 4 Niche Job-Search Tips Looking for a job on the Internet can be daunting. Where do you start? What Web sites are best for your industry? Counteroffers: Should I Stay or Should I Go? If "resignation" is the word that strikes fear into all employers, then "counteroffer" is the one that strikes fear into an employee's heart. "What should I do? They've matched my offer?" Best Strategy Using Internet Job Search Engines Best Strategy using Internet Job Search Engines Five Facts You Must Know When Changing Careers Too often in life, we fail. We fail not because we set our goals to high and miss achieving our aspirations. Instead, we fail because we set our dreams too low and we achieve them. If we achieve what we set out to do then how is this considered to be a failure? Failure occurs when we are not fulfilling our highest aspirations. 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Studies show that lack of career opportunity is one of the top reasons why employees leave an organization. Also, continually hiring open positions from outside the organization can be detrimental to morale when a qualified candidate is available internally. Topics covered in this competency are: perceived opportunity for advancement, existence of a career development plan, and organizational commitment to staff development. Dealing With How Would You...? Questions I'm always preaching about proper preparation prior to interviews. If you research the position and company carefully, you can anticipate likely questions and prepare excellent answers. Manage Your Boss - And Get Ahead! It's clear there are a number of common issues faced by business people across totally unrelated industries and environments. This series was created to provide some perspective and guidance to executives as they negotiate their way up the corporate ladder. Fun At Work Leads to More Success Common sense at work: Such qualities as loyalty, energy, intelligence and hard work are certain to be in any consensus of what it takes to build a successful career. What To Do When You Get Caught Surfing By The Boss! It has been a long morning and you need a mental break. You start thinking of your weekend plans and jump on your messaging program to make plans with a friend. You have the movie times and a chat box up on your screen and what happens, your supervisor walks up behind you! You think to yourself Murphy's law is in full effect. What do you do when you get busted surfing or chatting at work? The situation all depends on how you react and handle yourself. Here are some helpful techniques/excuses you may be able to use: Tackling Your Unemployment Creatively Are you unemployed or been laid off? You are not alone if that is any comfort to you. Worldwide millions of people are in the same predicament as you are. Unemployment and lay offs are stark realities of the downsizing, reengineering, restructuring, and automation in a sluggish global economy where corporations are trying every trick in the book to reduce costs, increase productivity and keep the organization lean, mean and profitable. Every one of us has gone through the phase of being unemployed once or more in our careers. Federal Job Search Strategies: 7 Tips to Help You Succeed Despite constant calls by politicians and policy makers to reign in government spending, the federal government remains the largest employer in the United States. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, there are currently more than 2,700,000 employees working for the federal government in civil service positions. For nearly every federal job vacancy, the number of applicants exceeds the number of available positions by at least tenfold. Getting Past Fear Have you gotten tons of career advice, solicited and unsolicited? You nod when you hear it and think, "Yeah, I know this stuff." So, what else is new? Tips for Terrific Telephone Interviews Telephone interviews don't just happen; they are the result of action you have taken. For example, when you are networking and the company representative becomes interested in your skills; when a company representative calls you in response to a résumé you have sent; or when you have previously set up the telephone meeting. Your goal is to achieve a face-to-face meeting at the end of the call. The Executive Resume - Moving Beyond Accomplishments There is a major difference between conventional resumes and executive resumes. Accomplishments are usually the center point of a conventional resume (i.e., indicating how much money was saved, how sales increased, what processes were proposed, planned, initiated, implemented, or streamlined). The executive resume, on the other hand, has more than one focus. It alludes to the executive's ability to drive profits (accomplishments) and the capacity to lead (that is, to blend various "soft" skills) an organization. Tips for Handling On the Job Setbacks If you've chosen a business career, you will inevitably experience some type of setback. And whether your pet project is canceled, your performance review is a bust, you get turned down for a promotion, or you're asked to leave the company, setbacks hurt big time. Nevertheless, if you start thinking of yourself as a victim or allow yourself to lapse into prolonged negativity, you won't be hurting anyone except yourself. Worrying until you get sick, abusing drugs or denying that you've reached an impasse won't help either. The best strategy for making a comeback is to recognize the reality of the situation, acknowledge your feelings and find a way to cope productively. Here are some other tips you might find helpful: Who Should Write Your Resume? This is a question we get a lot. It seems rather easy to do it yourself if you have access to a word processing program and printer and feel comfortable writing your job history. How To Win the Job-Hunting Game When I got over the initial shock of being urged to "seek alternative employment" I found myself, like so many others, out beating the bushes looking for a job. I found that I was just another one of the sheep following the same traditional job-hunting procedures as everyone else. What You Should Know About A Medical Billing Specialist Whether you are a person who is thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist or a company looking for a medical billing specialist, then this article is for you. There are several things that you should be aware of in the medical billing industry and I will walk you through them so that you will have the background information that you need to help you make a decision that will best suit your needs. We will first take a look at what it takes to become a medical billing specialist, and then we will also explore the alternatives to hiring a medical billing specialist. Does Retirement Fit Into Your Busy Schedule? Why do you work? |
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