Are you looking for a job change? Job interview is an essential prerequisite before one is actually appointed on a position. One should be very well prepared before appearing for a job interview. How well prepared you may be, you should never forget 9 things while appearing for a job interview.

1. Resume: Never forget to carry clean copies of your updated resume—enough for yourself and interviewer(s). We often tend to assume that our interviewer has a copy of our resume, but the person taking your interview might not have it. Thus, remember to carry some extra copies.

2. Invite information: Carry the print-out of the e-mail by which you were notified about the interview. If you were invited by telephone always save the name, designation and contact number of the person who informed you as well as name of the person who you’re supposed to meet.

3. Pen and Paper: Never forget to carry a pen and a note pad to note an important thing. Though it is information age and most of the people carry iPhones and Blackberrys, it still saves much time to jot down points on a paper.

4. Your work portfolio: When you are in a creative field it is as important to present your work portfolio as it is to present yourself. Just carry your best works along. Intelligently choose work you want to show. A better idea is to electronically upload your work and share the link.

5. Attitude: Carry a positive attitude before leaving home for an interview. Wear a smile as it shows your positivity towards life—remember everyone likes people having a positive attitude.

6. Be prepared for some obvious questions: Prepare answers to some obvious questions, generally asked during an interview. For instance, Tell us something about yourself?, Where do you see yourself five years down the line?, What are your strengths and weaknesses?, etc.

7. Body Language: Your body language should be very strong and positive. Follow each and every rule of presenting yourself. Watch the way you enter the room, the way you sit and the way you wish the interviewers. Try to look confident but not over confident.

8. Client testimonials: In many sectors, especially where there is direct client dealing, testimonials or recommendation letters are essential as it certifies and recommends you to the potential recruiters.

9. Prepare five questions to ask: Last but not the least, prepare five questions about the company and its business which you can ask the interviewer.

HR would like to employ an employee who would like to expertise in his own field. This statement also creates a good image of the person been interviewed, in front of the HR. The HR would consider that person as an asset who can also guide the other employees at a workplace by his expertise skills. This also states that one has an attitude for excellence and is aiming to be the best employee by having an urge for more knowledge. It is also an assurance that the employee will remain in the company for a long run.  

I am a team player

 I am very familiar with what your company does

Before reaching the company for an interview a job seeker should always do some homework on what the company he/she will go for an interview. When you provide more information about the company, the HR is aware that you are smart enough that you did some homework and also it displays that you have very good knowledge of their company.

I am flexible

This statement impresses HR the most. As in this fast changing work scenarios, the HR tend to look for employees who can do multi- tasking without much hesitation and can work in an additional hours or can take additional work loads or duties at a given point of time.

I am energetic and have a positive attitude

However, when it comes to hiring decisions, startups are a breed of their own. With their unique value systems, knowing a startup’s particular “fit” criteria can mean the difference between a second round of interviews and being shown the door. Equally important, of course, is understanding how well the startup fits you.

1. Why “Fit” Matters

Startups are for believers. This isn’t to say that Pollyannas abound at your average startup, but most folks are there to make a significant impact. This is true with regard to their own day-to-day roles as well as the impact that their company makes on the world at large. Startups like to disrupt markets and challenge Goliath-like competitors. Getting everyone on board is crucial to their success, and the wrong fit stands out like a red-shirted crew member in a Star Trek landing party.

Fit goes beyond merely finding believers, though. In larger companies, you can often avoid interactions with the office jerk, but the small size and fox hole mentality of a startup can turn a jerk into a real morale killer. Not surprisingly, startups are laser-focused on making sure the fit is right. When there are less than a dozen employees in a company, every one really matters. The challenge is that what constitutes fit varies from startup to startup. Some startups celebrate collaboration and autonomy, while others are manically focused on productivity or technical innovation.

And, of course, fit is a two-way street. It has to be right for you, as well. Find out as much as you can about the culture before you go in. Check out LinkedIn and sniff out info from people in your own network. Read reviews on sites like Glassdoor, but take these with a grain of salt. Company review sites can be a haven for the disgruntled and startups likely don’t have lots of ex-employees anyway. Ask pointed questions of managers and individual contributors and see how their answers line up. Don’t compromise any strongly held beliefs and don’t expect the startup to adapt to you either. If the fit is not right, be ready to walk away — buyer’s remorse of the career variety is the worst kind.

2. Getting Noticed

Once you have your sights set, the first thing to do is get on the radar. Startups’ focus on fit makes them a fairly incestuous lot. They tend to hire friends and former colleagues, so relationships really count. The best way to get noticed is not through the front door. Hop on LinkedIn and comb through your contacts. There’s a good chance that someone in your extended network knows someone who knows someone who can get you in touch directly. Take the burden off of your contact by making it clear you aren’t asking for a recommendation, only that they pass you along.

3. Spring Cleaning

While you’re mining your network, make sure your LinkedIn profile is current and nicely polished. A pretty resume template looks very “1997,” and many startups have a bias against those not taking advantage of what they consider superior tools. Besides, at some point, the decision maker is going to pour over your profile looking for someone who can provide an unsolicited reference. So make sure your skills and job history are current and your endorsements are strong.

Lastly, do yourself a favor and Google your own name before they do (and they certainly will). Make sure your online presence is the very best version of you. You don’t need to eliminate your personality, but that late night tweet or old spring break photo might be perceived unflattering.

4. Do Your Homework

Before your interview, find out who you will be meeting with. Get the names of your interviewers and research their backgrounds. You might even get lucky and know someone who has worked with them and can give you the inside scoop. When asking for feedback on a company or prospective manager, resist the temptation to send the easy email. Offer to buy a coffee instead. In a world where emails get forwarded fast, you’ll find people understandably reluctant to dish online. When candor matters, cappuccinos are currency. Even if you don’t have a direct connection, understanding your interviewers’ unique backgrounds can give you insights into how they think and what they are looking for.

Preparation goes beyond the interviewers, though. Get to know the company’s products and get to know them well. Have pointed questions and suggestions written down and ready for discussion. Candidates who don’t bother to try a company’s products demonstrate an appalling lack of interest and are often shown the door.

5. Showing You Have What it Takes

Startups don’t want people who do what’s asked of them and little more. They want people who genuinely love what they do. Be ready to tell multiple stories about how you went above and beyond the call of duty. If you don’t have any examples in your work experience, create one as a side project. Taking on an extracurricular project shows passion, curiosity, and enthusiasm — characteristics that are incredibly attractive to startups. When interviewing engineers, my teams always look for “tinkerers” — engineers dabbling in Ruby on the side, or designers escaping their day-to-day template work with more exciting outside projects. Demonstrate that you’re more than a solid contributor and have all-star potential, and remember that showing is always more powerful than telling.

A close second to having initiative is being adaptable. In a world where terms like “fast failure” and “pivot” are celebrated, you have to be ready to flex. Startups change direction. Sometimes it’s simply a collection of tactics, but on occasion it’s the entire company strategy. Prove you’re not just tolerant of change, but actively embrace it. If you were a part of a new initiative at your previous employer, be ready to tell the story.

Startups also value candidates who are focused on what can be done, rather than on what cannot. This might sound obvious, but early stage startup teams in particular are focused on validating the appeal and market for their products. This requires rapid and repeated trial and error. What makes this possible is a culture that champions what can be done, and done quickly. Startup productivity comes to a grinding halt when the focus shifts from the possibilities to edge cases. Demonstrate your openness to new ideas and creative thinking, taking care to build on the ideas of others rather than tearing them down.

6. Tilt Your Scale Toward “Work”

Every company talks about valuing a work/life balance, but the fact of the matter is that most startups’ scales are weighted more heavily toward work. If your situation requires a predictable 9-to-5 schedule and 40 hours a week, a startup probably isn’t the right place for you. If you are accustomed to longer hours and the occasional night or weekend, that’s the kind of thing they want to know.

7. Beware of the Oncoming Bus

Take care when referring to your previous employers and managers. While your last manager might have indeed been incompetent, you’re not going to earn any points by throwing them under the bus. If you do, you’ll come across as jaded and start raising big, red “fit flags.” Find the positive in your previous gigs and, when pressed about why you are looking, retain a positive outlook. If the situation warrants it, by all means be candid, but don’t be petty. No one hires that guy.

8. Follow Up

Don’t disappear once you’ve left the interview. It’s important that you not only stay top-of-mind but also that you build your own personal momentum as a candidate. Get business cards or email addresses from your interviewers. For extra points, go beyond the mere thank-you note that expresses excitement about the opportunity and add something to the conversation. Flub an answer? This is your chance to fix it. Have an epiphany in the car afterward? Share it. Continue to demonstrate passion and interest and you’ll rise to the top.

Above all, the most important thing you can do is find out what the startup uniquely values, ensure it aligns with your own interests, and then demonstrate that you’re the perfect fit. Startup teams labor over hiring decisions heavily. The skills conversation takes about five minutes. The fit conversation? That one can take hours.

 Most people leave their psychometric test with their head in a spin and wondering if they themselves aren’t just a little crazy. Unknown people behind the scenes are crunching the numbers, plugging them into a computer which will spit out a complete profile of your personality, strengths and weaknesses and the results will ultimately determine your suitability for employment.

So what exactly is psychometric testing? where did it come from?, what are they looking? for and can we influence the outcome?

Psychometric testing, according to the boffins is the process of measuring a candidates relevant strengths and weaknesses. With the emergence of the Human Resources Departments companies big and small are employing this technique with all new recruits, whether your shooting for the front desk position or an executive management role. This form of measurement is primarily used to assess a candidate’s employment suitability, including whether your personality will fit culturally within the company profile.

When it comes to cognitive testing i.e. numeric and spatial reasoning there is no doubt that a little preparation can improve your score. SHL, the organization responsible for conducting most of the testing allows you unlimited practice via their website and I strongly recommend taking them up on their offer. Jump onto their website and practice, practice, practice! You will start to recognize patterns and techniques and gradually see an improvement in your scores.

When it comes to personality profiling trying to influence the outcome gets a little tricky, why? Because the idea is that there is no right or wrong answers just personal preferences, interests and motivations. The best way to complete personality assessments is by answering without too much thought, just go with your first instinct. Once again just remember there is no right or wrong answers, don’t get tangled up with trying to second guess what the employer is seeking.

Remember, the night before your test get good nights sleep and ensure you arrive well rested. Arrive at the location with plenty of time to spare. If you are unsure of any instructions be sure to ask your test facilitator. Be careful to read all of the instructions provided and read each question carefully to give yourself the best possible chance to answer as many questions as possible both correctly and accurately.

It is important to just be yourself- if you are the right person for the position the test results will work in your favour!

Job Interview Solutions is a world leader in providing consulting services to Job Seekers. Through their Online Courses, One On One Interview Coaching Services and DVD’s they have helped thousands of Job Seekers with their interview preparation.

Every company needs a chief executive officer and other executives to manage every aspect of running their business. Selecting the right candidate is a crucial business decision because the executives are the face of the company. The job interview should make sure that the prospective candidate will be able to help run the company effectively.

Unlike hiring entry-level positions, hiring an executive is mission critical because that person is going to be making crucial top-level decisions that can change the fate of the organization into either success or failure.

To help we have listed some important aspects of executive job interviews that these candidates should be aware of:

Job Interview Types

Executive candidates undergo a series of assessment procedures such as one-on-one interviews, group interviews and presentations. These types of interviews are designed to evaluate their leadership and decision-making skills from managing employees to running an entire organization. Depending upon the size of the company, interviews may last a day, a week or even longer.

The Interviewers

Just like any typical job interview, the interviewer wants to know the candidate’s work ethic, personality, and level of commitment. Depending upon the type of interviews, the people that will assess each candidate include executive search firms, recruiters, company search committees, and the company’s board of directors.

Job Interview Preparation and Job Interview Coaching

Job interview coaching helps candidates prepare for any type of job interview including those for executive positions. Top interview consulting firms provide solutions that maximize your interview skills, improve your self-confidence, and develop your personal presentation skills.

Interview questions coaching will help you ace the standard interview questions and also be prepared for the more difficult questions. Here are some of the common job interview questions that will evaluate your job interest, management style, marketing and public relations skills, management and supervisory experience, and budget management skills:

1.How long would you stay with the company? This question is one way of knowing if you’re really interested to work with company for a long time. Reiterate your intention to work for the company and have a long and productive career.2.How will your qualifications and experience benefit the company? Depending upon the company and their line of business, stress the fact that your qualifications and experience make you a qualified candidate.

3.How do you lead organizations? Do you have what it takes to make this business successful? This question determines your management style as well as your short- and long-term planning skills. The interviewer wants to know what specific strategies that you will put into action to achieve business objectives. It is one way to know if you have what it takes to make the business successful.

4.How will you market the company’s products and services? Interviewers want to evaluate your marketing and public relations experience through a panel interview. You can have a presentation of your marketing plan wherein members of the job interview panel can ask you questions. Be factual in your presentation and never make careless assumptions.

5.How do you motivate your staff? The interviewer is interested in how you make your subordinates feel better and make them work efficiently.

Interview questions coaching can help you answer standard interview questions, thereby, boosting your confidence and reducing your job interview mistakes.

About the Company

Job Interview Solutions is your professional source for job interview coaching and job interview preparation. Whether it’s a Job Interview or promotion assessment the difference between success and failure in your dream career can be a 30 minute interview. With our easy to use online products, we can help you be the ideal candidate for whatever profession you are interviewing for whether it is in marketing, accounting or anything in between. Our online interview preparation course has revolutionized how you prepare for a job interview in one easy to use virtual interview course.

Unlike hiring entry-level positions, hiring an executive is mission critical because that person is going to be making crucial top-level decisions that can change the fate of the organization into either success or failure.

To help we have listed some important aspects of executive job interviews that these candidates should be aware of:

Job Interview Types

Executive candidates undergo a series of assessment procedures such as one-on-one interviews, group interviews and presentations. These types of interviews are designed to evaluate their leadership and decision-making skills from managing employees to running an entire organization. Depending upon the size of the company, interviews may last a day, a week or even longer. The Interviewers Just like any typical job interview, the interviewer wants to know the candidate’s work ethic, personality, and level of commitment. Depending upon the type of interviews, the people that will assess each candidate include executive search firms, recruiters, company search committees, and the company’s board of directors.

Job Interview Preparation and Job Interview Coaching

Job interview coaching helps candidates prepare for any type of job interview including those for executive positions. Top interview consulting firms provide solutions that maximize your interview skills, improve your self-confidence, and develop your personal presentation skills.

Interview questions coaching will help you ace the standard interview questions and also be prepared for the more difficult questions. Here are some of the common job interview questions that will evaluate your job interest, management style, marketing and public relations skills, management and supervisory experience, and budget management skills:

1. How long would you stay with the company? This question is one way of knowing if you’re really interested to work with company for a long time. Reiterate your intention to work for the company and have a long and productive career.


2. How will your qualifications and experience benefit the company? Depending upon the company and their line of business, stress the fact that your qualifications and experience make you a qualified candidate.


3. How do you lead organizations? Do you have what it takes to make this business successful? This question determines your management style as well as your short- and long-term planning skills. The interviewer wants to know what specific strategies that you will put into action to achieve business objectives. It is one way to know if you have what it takes to make the business successful.


4. How will you market the company’s products and services? Interviewers want to evaluate your marketing and public relations experience through a panel interview. You can have a presentation of your marketing plan wherein members of the job interview panel can ask you questions. Be factual in your presentation and never make careless assumptions.


5. How do you motivate your staff? The interviewer is interested in how you make your subordinates feel better and make them work efficiently.

Interview questions coaching can help you answer standard interview questions, thereby, boosting your confidence and reducing your job interview mistakes.

"Had too many beers on friday night and lounged around all Saturday with a hangover eating pizza and pepsi!" 

Bit of a laugh amongst friends right? But who else is reading your profile?

You have spent four years in college, worked minimum wage to support your studies, spent $400 dollars on a new suit and sent your resume out to a hundred organisations and have finally landed your dream job interview. You feel your interview went well and are devastated to find out you have been once again been unsuccessful. You jump straight on to facebook to tell the world the bad news.

"Bummed out again! Off to the bar to get tanked"

Sasha Robinson Of Job Interview Solutions writes " It is well known fact in the industry that recruiters, like the rest of the world, check facebook profiles when evaluating potential recruits. It gives them the best possible overview of a candidates personality and social behaviour that may not be evident throughout the job interview process"

Sasha recommends a complete overhaul of your facebook or twitter habits leading up to a job interview. "The obvious solution is to restrict access to your profile but there is a way to turn social media to your advantage when trying to ace your job interview" she writes.

"Knowing that employers are dropping in on your profile gives you the opportunity to turn the tables on them and present yourself as a confident, respectable and valuable asset to their company"

Sasha adds the following tips,

• Treat your facebook profile like you would the job interview, only include things that you wish your employer to read.
• Change your profile picture to one similar to the one you have included in your resume. 
• Clean up your wall and replace your comments with ones that will inspire your prospective employer. "Off to the gym this morning then lunch with some college buddies" should replace "Getting over another hangover then off to do it all again with Jono and Dano" 
• Change your "Likes" to positive activities such as "exercise, personal achievements and valuable friendships"
• Your "Work and Education" should read like your resume.

By following Sasha'ssimple advice Facebook can be a powerful tool in yourjob interview preparation success! Sasha can be contacted directly at sasha@flightdeckconsulting.com

Read more tips and advice on job interview preparation by visiting www.jobinterview-solutions.com

Need for Job Interview Coaching

In the U.S., the growing demand for hospitality industry jobs, particularly in the hotel and restaurant sectors combined with double digit unemployment has made the job market extremely competitive. This is why job interview coaching from a reputable interview-consulting firm has never been as important. Professional job interview coaching can help you prepare for standard interview questions, increase your confidence and most importantly practice your interview skills. Whether as a hotel manager, front desk clerk, sous-chef, or waiter, the purpose of your job interview will be to evaluate your skill set, test your knowledge about the industry in general and the company in particular, and see your ability to adjust to challenging situations.

Answering Standard Interview Questions

Employers base their choices not only on experience and qualifications but also on your "people skills" or the ability to deliver customer service while maintaining high standards. You may be preparing for the standard interview questions by formulating the best possible answers but it's best to answer the questions as naturally as possible so that the interviewer finds your answers believable. Also, remember that the interview is a two way conversation, so make you sure you ask intelligent employer interview questions to show that you're really interested in the job and the company.

Understand the fact that you need to sell yourself. Interview questions coaching helps you interact with the interviewer and convince him that you are the perfect candidate for the job.

Final Thoughts

You have to keep in mind that the employer and the interviewer have a very short amount of time to judge you and your qualifications. So always keep in mind that no matter how many interviews you have, no matter how jobs you have applied to, you have to approach each interview like it's the most important 45 minutes of your life. That's why, no matter if you are applying for an entry level job or a managerial position, you have to be prepared and you have to be confident. Due to the current almost 10% unemployment level in the US, you have to get it right the first time, because who knows when your next chance will be. This is why you need to invest some time and money into some professional job interview coaching and let the experts help you answer those employer interview questions. Aside from that, it's all a matter of doing your research and practicing confidentially communicating your previous experience and current skill set.

Interview questions coaching is important because it will make you more confident and help you stay focused no matter what sort of question the interviewer asks you. Like anything in life, it's all a matter of practice, and by having an interview coach familiarizing you with the interview process and test you on some difficult employer interview questions, you'll be provided with the competitive advantage you need to sell yourself effectively.

Although there are a lot of online job interview resources that provide interview tips and techniques, these online materials cannot effectively gauge your skills and readiness. Besides the fact that like anything online it's hard to judge the quality or effectiveness of the material, there is only so much preparation you can do simply through reading. Job interview coaching can simulate the actual interview process thereby giving you an idea what employee interview questions to expect and what areas you need improvement in. A professional interview coach can effectively evaluate your performance, maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses, and help boost your confidence. An interview coach not only helps you answer standard interview questions but also teaches you things like:

• dressing appropriately for the interview,
• using body language to your advantage,
• using the right words to impress your interviewer,
• asking the right employer interview questions,
• overcoming job interview anxiety, and
• how to negotiate a better offer.

The best Interview consulting firms also offer online resources such as DVD's that aim to improve your chances of getting the job and become the desirable candidate for the job.

Look for motivation on why it's important to ace the interview the first time around? Then please see the unemployment numbers by state below:

*Source: List of U.S. states by unemployment rate. (2010, July 26). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved July 26, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_unemployment_rate

State or District                              Unemployment rate
(seasonally adjusted)                  Monthly percent change
                                                         (=rise in unemployment)↓