Your Job interview stories and advice.

I just finished grad school (and by just, I mean 2 months ago) and a finally got my DREAM JOB interview for Thursday. I can't stress how important this interview is....a nice cushy gov job, making about 50,000 initially with a HUGE salary increase in a matter of months, and all the medical plans you could need (even in Canada we don't get free dental).

Help me get this job. Give me your best job advice. Share your stories. Even your bad stories, so I avoid the pitfalls. And because its nice to laugh at other people ;).

Nothing I have done has ever worked. Still in the same dead end I've been in for 10 years. My employer has no idea, quite frankly, of what I can do. Nor, I suspect, do they care.

So maybe just do the opposite of me? LOL

Good luck anyway.

I was in shock after that. I didn't do anything unusual, I was asking what process and procedure she used on an item in her resume and she broke down. I didn't hire her.

So, don't cry.

Thank them for their time and tell them that you are really interested in the position. That also gives you a chance to expound upon anything that might need explanation, etc.

I had a interview for a position that went horribly. The HR lady said she would get back to me in a week. The next morning I sent a thank you fax. 20 minutes later she called and had me come in for testing. I passed the test and ended up getting the job. She never gave me her fax number.. I dug around on the company website until I found it.

Cultivate an attitude as if you've already got the job and the interview is a formality. Not cocky, but confident.

Act like a politician with talking points--the things in your background that make you a good choice, your eagerness and ability to learn whatever they throw at you, etc.

Learn as much as you can about the company and what it does, and have intelligent questions.

And remember--you're screening them, too. If--contrary to your current impression--it looks like a place you don't want to work, your gut will tell you. It's OK to say no.

I remember interviewing a woman for a nurse position. She put on her application that her reason for leaving her last job was that she was scapegoated in the death of a patient. Needless to say, we did not hire her, but we got a good laugh.

Reason for leaving position: "Eager to discuss"
For each previous position.

already on the job, and be very interested in what they do, what you will do, and how everything works. Almost act like you are ready to dispense with the interview and just sit down and start working instead. Interest, enthusiasm, motivation - these are big turn-ons for the people making the hiring decision. I have gotten 2 jobs that way which I was underqualified for. Stay in reality, of course though, don't become presumptuous that you already have it in the bag. But be enthusiastic and INTERESTED in the work itself. Discussion of the actual work you will be doing and how it fits into the grand scheme of things there is relevant, in fact more relevant than discussion of what you have done in the past. That's more important than any "ingratiating techniques" or other irrelevant stuff. Don't just tell them you're interested, SHOW them by asking specific questions about the work and getting involved in conversations about the work. I think this will impress them more than anything you can do to try to "impress them." I believe that discussion of the salary or benefits is completely useless in job interviews. Don't bring that up, only talk about that if they bring it up. That's cut and dried stuff and isn't what you want the interview to be about.

Ask them a lot of questions.

I had an interview today myself, they were 2 hours late calling me (the guy is a tech and was busy, and I told him to call me when he got the time). I turned the tables and had him answering more questions than he was asking.

He got that I knew my shit, because he was left not able to answer all I asked, while I was able to answer all he did of me.

I have done about a hundred+ interviews for tech jobs (as the interviewer) and the people that stood out to me were the ones that asked me things instead of trying to please me by telling me what I wanted to hear.

Be a part of the interview, make them justify why they should hire you. Ask them about benefits, growth potential in the job, etc and so on - let them know you could go elsewhere but that you are willing to work for them if they can provide you with sufficient reasons.

This link is very helpful, really

http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/interview/questions.htm

then an interview will just be shits and giggles and a rundown of all the various perks you'll be getting.

What is that, $19K US? **pagersnerk**

They say one of the worst mistakes a candidate can make is when they ask if you have any questions, just sort of saying "No!" and smiling.

They are not just interviewing you for the job, you are intervieweing them to see if you want the job. Think of some good questions pertaining to the job that other folks might not ask. It shows you've done your homework.

Good luck!

my advice:

LISTEN - listen intently to everything and ask questions based on what you hear (or don't hear). questions tell them you are interviewing THEM as much as they are YOU.

ask long-term questions about advancement opportunities, etc... but don't seem in a hurry to leave the position you are applying for (i.e. show interest in the actual position and THEN about the future).

Write down, in complete sentences, every one of your accomplishments. This includes academic, professional, personal, volunteer related, etc.

Keep adding to the list as you think of more. The more the better.

Then, write down potential answers to common interview questions also in complete sentences.

Read and reread your list right up to the interview.

You will be more focused, more articulate, and it is less likely you will forget something important because your answers will have been preformulated. You will also feel more confidant and self-assured because you have acknowledged your accomplishments.

This works, trust me.

Was for my current job. The guy interviewing me (who I now interact with on a daily basis) started off the interview by saying "You're not going to get the job" and it went downhill from there. I've interviewed people in the past and recognized that this was the *worst* interviewing technique I'd ever seen, so I just shrugged it off as him being a complete ass and hoped for the best.

Turns out he really had no say in the hiring process, the previous 2 I'd interviewed with were the ones with final say. He is still an ass, but I can deal with that, he's really jus a big dork.

My best advice is to be honest and relaxed (but not sloppy!!!), breathe, and to brush your teeth, I always liked the people who were that way the best when I interviewed them, and that was the deciding factor when everything else was the same between candidates.

2 interviews

no hires

well is if a start establishing an actual conversation back and forth with the interviewers on topic so it becomes less of an interrogation and more of discussion.
My best interview was with for a position with NIH. The guy who asked most of the questions moved from establishing my knowledge (which he had a very firm idea of from my resume) to actually asking my opinion on certain topics! Of course its rare to encounter someone who will treat a potential employee as a respected colleague right off the bat, but maybe you will be lucky. We had such an interesting discussion that he ended up late for his next interview and apologized to me profusely.
So I would say be relaxed listen ask as many relevant questions in response to what they tell you and most of all, if you are truly interested in the job, let it show. I don't believe in this "pretend to be disinterested" nonsense you hear from time to time. Passion and intelligence sells, believe me.

I'm sorry I haven't responded to you until now, but its about a billion degrees here and I couldn't get myself to sit in the AC-less computer room (writing this from my current job).

For everyone interested, I'm applying for a job in forensics.