The nature of job search dramatically changed since the World Wide Web found its place in daily life. New graduates, middle managers, and many unemployed persons surf the web for employment possibilities rather than combing through newspaper ads. Yet one aspect of the hunt for meaningful occupation remains the same – the interview.
Once an institution is interested in hiring someone, an appointment for an interview in person or via video conferencing may be set up. Some human resources experts say a career can be jumpstarted at the interview.
Interviewers will be prepared with questions that may be based on the job seeker’s research knowledge, problem solving skills, and behavior. In these questions, the applicants are obligated to provide answers to the best of their abilities.
If one is a fresh college graduate, possible questions could be: What are your thoughts on team work? How was your group motivated to meet deadlines? If a project were delayed, how would you relay this situation to a manager or client? Interviewers may provide a couple of actual problems to test Excel and Word skills.To assess resourcefulness, an interviewee may be asked how she/he would prepare background material for an upcoming conference on, for example, waste management. Applicants with previous work experience could be asked what were the positives or negatives at a previous employment. Describing a critical situation and the interviewee’s proposed solution to it may also be posed at this time.
However, all these questions’ importance diminishes when the topic of compensation comes up. Perhaps the years of sacrifice in school, the average salary of a middle manager, and months of unemployment lead most job seekers to quote an inflated figure when queried on salary expectations. If an applicant is conscientious, she/he will have done the necessary research at sites like http://www.salary.com/ or http://www.glassdoor.com/index.htmfor current levels of pay if only to gauge the salary scale of their profession, whether it be for an entry level or an executive position. Such proactive attitude will garner respect from any interview panel.All of the above notwithstanding, a job seeker who is aware and confident of the skills and ability that she/he brings to the institution will be in a great negotiating position.
Bearing in mind that a job search is after all a sales pitch and that one is selling one’s professional capabilities, keeping the salary quote down to a reasonable level pays dividends in the long run.This part of the interview is a fundamental aspect of any job search and has not changed over the years.