looking for a new job

elantan

Hi all ,

i currently have a job ... its ok not the best job in the world but not the worst ... i have however decided to start looking for a new job ... i am filling in application forms doing a c.v etc and starting to think about appearance for interviews, interview techniques, what questions to ask them etc .... i have been doing some research about nails, hair,makeup, jewellry etc .. its a bit of a mine field for me as i dont have to really bother about my appearnace at work currently , but i plan on moving out of my current sector into a different sector

can anyone give me any advice one interview techniques, appearance etc ? would be grateful for any help

InsideInsurance

Needs to be smart but suitable for the role your going to be doing..... if your going for a new media graphic designer job you'd stick out like a sore thumb in a 3 piece suit where as chinos and polo shirt wouldn't cut it for a head of role in a financial institution.

Whilst first impressions do matter it is last impressions that are more important

elantan

thanks for your help


thats alot of what i have been learning ... i am thinking basic wardrobe etc ... need to learn to answer questions as well ... sigh ... this job hunting is a job in itself lol

InsideInsurance

Interviews are generally straight forward.... always be positive and always give a full answer.

If someone asks, "have you ever had to deal with a difficult customer?" the correct answer isn't simply "yes" (but many say just that). You'd generally want to say "yes", then this is what the situation was, this is what I did, this is what the outcome was and if you can, this is what I learned.

"Why do you want to leave your current job?".... good "because I want to be able to use the skills I have developed in a new challenging environment"..... bad answer "cos my jobs boring and my boss is a @&*%!!!!"

elantan

i have practised these questions before ( had an interview the other month) and my brain froze ... i couldnt think of the answers to say ... will try and find out if there is someone somewhere that can help ... thanks again

an9i77

What I do is, before the interview, write down a list of all the competencies (broad skills such as customer service, organisation) which I glean from the job description. Then take a sheet of a4 for each competence and write it in the middle. Then think of examples where you have demonstrated that skill and draw these coming off the competence in the middle. Try to do 2 examples per competence so if your mind goes blank you have a second one to think of. Try to think of 6-8 competencies per role. Things like communication skills, planning and organising, customer service are common. Then read the sheets a few times before the interview - the night before, the morning and just before you go in (in the car park or on the train). Should help with the mind going blank thing.

elantan

cheers that sounds like an ideal thing ... i think it will help ... the other issue that i have noticed i have is ( i seem to have so many lol) i think one that many people do have tbh ... i am not very good at upping myself ... i didnt actually realise all the skills i had until i forced myself to write a c.v ... and i am sure i missed out alot even then ... i think thats a very typical thing tbh i think most of us do this ... we do our jobs and dont even think about what exactly it is we do ( well i know i so anyway )

an9i77

think of a specific example and use the STAR technique. Describe the situation, the task, the action and the result. Eg Q: 'Tell me about a time when you exceeded a customer's expectations.'
A: Well when Mrs. Bloggs came into the shop we didn't have her favourite sweets, so I told her I'd ask the manager if we could get them in, spoke to the manager after she'd left who agreed to get these and then the next time she came in, told her we'd ordered them and she was delighted' (silly example but hope you can see where I'm coming from).
Don't generalise or say things that are not substantiated with examples. This is not 'upping yourself', just providing clear evidence for the interviewer. Without evidence they can't score you highly on these kind of questions, and whilst not all interview questions are in this format, a lot are these days and they are often the ones that clinch it.

hcb42

remember, no one else will sell you, only you...

elantan

thanks all for your input ... i will work on it some more