Ok, seeing how this community has given out a lot of proffessional tips lately, I would like to ask for a little help myself. I got a interview next week for a processing engineering position post graduation. With the current state of the economy and me being not exactly super excepyional (I wont say that in the interview ) this could be the only chance I get at a job. I would really like any kind of advice I can get. Anything along the lines of what to do in the technical interview or just interview in general would be great.
I'll take a stab. The first thing is research. Learn everything you can about the company and the position. Talk about what you know of the company; ad campaigns, any personnel you may know, community involvement, new products, problems they have overcome, etc. As to the specific position, answer all questions to that position. So for examle "do you get along with your co workers? "Yes I think the overall ambiance of the workplace is very important, especiall in this sue happy society" is ok, but if you can tell a story about how you and a co-worker developed something during an after hours chat, you will score big points. IF you don't know the specifis ofthe job, ASK. Right after their first question say "I am anxious to answer that, but I want to answer that in the context of what you actually need, can you tell me about the job first." Ask all the questions you need to - but make sure you understand what they are looking for. It may take 10 or 15 minutes, that is ok. Then be sure to do what you said and answer the speccific question in light of the specific job offering. The key issue is not what you can do, but what you can do for them. Get that across and you will have a leg up on the competition. One last thing, that is sort of pet peeve with me, but not everybody agrees. Stay away from small talk. Don't be rude or short, but ther is something called knock out factors that you want to avoid. It is something you say that your interviewer does not like. "How about those horns!" is pretty safe (I live in Austin), but what if the interviewer is a big aggie fan. You would never even know what you did. You are there for business, just talk business. Don't drink coffee, or ask to have a coat hung, or need anything - just come in say what they need to know then get out clean. I strongly recommend the Damn Good Resume Guide. Good luck! Oh, and if this dosen't work, do remember what you paid for it.
LOL, yeah that might just work. I'm asking this because I've really sucked at the few past interviews I've gone on. Mostly due to the fact that I get too nervous and messes up. Phone interview with Halliburton: Lady: Hello, I am ...... with Halliburton. Me: Sup Dude, hows it going ........ (voice starts to trail off as I start to realize what I was doing) Interview with a circuit board company that I actually did ok with the written exam: Guy: So do you know how to measure voltages on boards? Me: Not sure Guy: You use an oscilloscope, you've used one before right? We need some one to debug circuit boards so it's neccessary. Me: Ummm.. Don't think so (it did sound familiar). Me after interview to friend "they ask me all kinds stuff I don't know like an oscillo something" Friend: "oscilloscope?" Me: Yeah you know what it is? Friend: its that device you used the entire last semester in lab. Me: Oh yeah, ............... @#$@#$@ The thing is I am usually pretty good at talking to people and have had significant experience speaking infront of people, I just don't know why I've done so bad in interviews.
Thanks for the advice Pat. I've actually worked for them during the summer and in my opionion worked verry well with others. So that should be ok, even though my position was a little further down stream from the one I'm currently interview for. I like the advice of what I can do for them, but as you can see from my last post, there are a lot of stuff I shouldn't be doing . I think the key thing here is I need to put less pressure on myself for this interview. Just gonna start doing what I did in the past before I go into a big debate round, just gonna listen to some hard hip hop or rock, always seem to make me hungry and focused.
Have questions to ask the interviewer. You can also ask the interviewer questions about themselves. People love to talk about themselves. GOOD LUCK!
hm... go to the local library and find a book on interviews and read it. keep your answers conise, don't ramble. 65% of your interview is based on non-verbal cues, so be well groomed, have good posture, and give positive feedback to the interviewer. dry your hands before shaking if you really do get that nervous, 2/3 of employers will not hire anyone with a wet handshake. take your time and forumlate your thoughts.
- before you walk into their offices...go into a bathroom and run hot water over your hands for a mintue or two. Then dry them completely...this will ensure "no sweat" hands for about fifteen minutes and should get you past the initial handshake and the initial interview jitters. - be attentive during the discussion. Sit forward in your chair, almost like you are extremely interested in hold the conversation and that you are anxious to perform well. It's a visual cue that people will pick up on. MAKE SURE TO KEEP CONSTANT EYE CONTACT...BUT DO NOT OGLE THE INTERVIEWER. This will show that you can pay attention and that the interview is important to you. Do not cross your arms...that's a non-verbal sign that you are hiding something. - be prepared for anything. I lost out on a job one time because I was unprepared for left-field questions. I sat down and the guy explained who he and his partner were and allowed me to give a brief bio. Their first and pretty much only question was...do you have any questions. I was so unprepared for that...I had no answer and was in shock. I stumbled through trying to describe my skills...not knowing that I should have kept it simple and asked for a description of the position (which was an auditing type position for a NASA contractor). I'm still mad that I wasn't ready for that, but now I know. Won't happen again! Good luck!!!
Be prepared to answer about the WORST-and-BEST-CASE SCENARIOS in which you've been involved. We asked that of managers coming in to lead our group when we as employees were given a chance. Also, be witty in responding to questions as: "Are you here for the money?" "Why did you leave your last job?" "Who will win out of Bush and Kerry?" Put some humor into it, if you can. But try to sound as impartial as you can, so you don't offend anyone.
Second that. If you know someone at the company, buy them lunch to pick their brain about what they need/want.
Personally, (and I'm young so take this with a grain of salt) I think the key to interviews is relating back to your resume. They ask you a question and you should try to pull back to experiences you've had. Work experiences are best, personal experiences are okay too. If they ask you about work under pressure, or bad coworker relations - explain a project/job under your resume and a situation similar to the one you're being asked about and how you handled it. Humor is good - but make SURE you can actually pull it off. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother as bad jokes tend to do more harm than good.
You're an EE at UT right. I remember many an afternoon sitting in the interview lounges on the ECJ 2nd floor. As far as the interview, it's not going to be more than 30 minutes probably, so just be yourself. Speak clearly and talk with the confidence that you have a 10 inch unit. Don't interrupt the interviewer, and don't ask dumb questions.
Lots of good advice here. You definitely need to come off as interested in the company AND the position, so when you ask questions, be sure to hit on both topics. And don't wait for them to ask, "Do you have any questions?" You should be asking them questions throughout the conversation just like they're asking you. Treat it more like a conversation w/ a stranger than an inverview for a job. Oh, and when they ask what your greatest weakness is, tell 'em, "Cheeseburgers. I'm a sucker for a good cheeseburger."
solid. about the "bush v. kerry" or whatever, i'm pretty sure those questions are illegal. so you don't have to answer those.
Sitting forward in the chair slightly is very good. No coffee, drinks, gum, loose paper-all distractions. Dress Simply but neatly-attention to detail. Khaki or dark slacks, blazer- light blue shirt-neat simple appearance. Be very polite and concise with answers. You are fearless and young - these are assets- no one is exactly like you and you bring fresh eyes to an organization. you are important and worthy of the interview. Do not be intimidated - the interviewer is human. I have to interview for every new project and sell my team to the client. These pointers have worked for me with difficult clients. I have made very mistake there is - humor, drinking coffee- wishing I could take something back I said. good luck - you will be fine - you will learn from this interview and the next will be easier...
