Don’t Forget to Say "Thanks" in your interview!
A thank-you note is a chance for you to make a lasting, positive impression on a hiring manager who may have interviewed dozens of candidates.
Here are some tips for writing a winning thank-you note:
Be specific. In your note, bring up points from the conversation you had with the hiring manager. For example, if a prospective employer stressed that the open position calls for knowledge of a particular software program, use the thank-you letter as an opportunity to remind the person that you've worked with the application on a range of projects.
Allay concerns. A thank-note is your chance to address any concerns the hiring manger expressed, especially if you were unable to do so in the interview. Perhaps the interviewer was worried about your lack of industry experience, and during the interview you forgot to mention a temporary position you had in the sector. You can bring it up in your note, along with a few points about how that experience contributed to your knowledge or interest in the field.
Add an extra. Perhaps during the interview you mentioned an article you recently read that's relevant to the firm's business. Send it with your note, along with a brief explanation of why you thought your contact would be interested in the information. Indeed, whether it's a news article or a link to an interesting Web site, you'll make yourself more memorable by demonstrating that you've gone beyond the basics.
Make it personal. If you discovered the hiring manager shares your passion for travel or mystery books, referring to this commonality could make your letter even more effective. Personalizing the note will remind him or her who you are and that you paid close attention during the interview.
What the Employer May Ask You
- Why have you been unemployed for such a long time? (Tell the truth. Emphasize that you were looking for a good company where you can settle and make a contribution.)
- Why should we hire you? (Make a positive statement, such as "I would like the opportunity to work with you and believe that I can do the work.")
- Do you have references? (It is most important that you contact your references ahead of time and have their name, current address, and telephone numbers.)
- What are your strengths? (Describe your skills in a way that will show you as a desirable employee for the company.)
- Tell me about yourself. (This is often an ice-breaker question. Keep the answer job or skill related.)
- What do you know about the type of work we do? (This is your chance to tell what you know from the research you completed ahead of time.)
- What is your weakness? (Always make this a positive answer. For example, "My spelling is not always perfect, so I always use a spell checker.")
- Why did you leave your last job? ( Answer with a positive statement. Try not to say: "I was fired," "terminated," "quit," "had no babysitter," or "couldn't get along with coworkers or supervisor". However, you can say: "new job," "contract ended," "seasonal," "temporary," "career change," "returned to school," to raise a family," or "relocated.")
Interview Tips: Preparation
Pay attentions, be prepared to recognize and engage in various types of interviews.
Interviews have different purposes and characteristics. The experienced job seeker should be familiar and comfortable with all varieties. Telephone and behavioral interviews have very different formats and objectives. Telephone interviews are prescreening tools used to determine whether or not a candidate matches the position's requirements. Employers try to streamline their search by eliminating candidates who do not fit their basic requirements. Your goal is to pass the prescreening test by proving you have the required skills. Your prize is an invitation to a face-to-face interview.
Behavioral interviews are based on the belief that "past performance is an indicator of future value." After identifying which skills and knowledge are necessary to fill the open position, employers will then develop and ask questions based on these competencies. The questions often ask the job seeker to tell about or describe a time in the past when they had to respond to a certain situation. Interviewers want to know how you handled these issues and what the outcomes were.
General Database Interview Questions
In this segment, the interviewer may inquire about your general understanding about database management. It may include questions regarding definition of DDL and DML; sorting a table; different types of table join; definition of cursor; usages of cursor; the way of finding out the tables created by the user; implementation of locking; definition of lookup table in a database; about Datafile size; relation between free list and buffer busy wait; how to addressing modes; major differences between replication and logshipping; difference between database refresh and database cloning; etc.
Specific Questions
In this segment, the interviewer may ask you questions on the basis of your specialization, expertise and experience. The questions may vary depending on the database type. The interview questions may include questions on Btrieve, Database Admin, Informix, MYSQL, Progress, SQL, Stored Procedures, Teradata, Clipper, Firebird, Microsoft Access, PostgreSQL, SAP DB, SQL Server, Sybase, and Unify. Generally, in this segment, the applicants face questions from one or two categories depending on the job profile he has applied for.
Other Questions
In many cases, this type of job is mostly done in group setting. So during the interview process, the interviewer may ask you few relevant but other types of questions that may not be directly associated with your talent, skills or expertise. This type of questions may generally involve no correct or incorrect answers, but will reflect your idea about a specific ground. For example, the interviewer may ask you to assume a hypothetical situation when you find that you are working in such a group setting in which the relation between co-workers is not up to the mark, then what your state of action would be or he may ask you questions about your multi-tasking abilities, etc.
5 Things You Should Have Said at the Job Interview
Scenario No. 1: "Why are you looking to leave your existing position?" is another typical question, one that you were expecting but weren't quite sure how to address. Your motive is grounded in bad feelings, and you blurt out, "My boss is out to get me. I'm tired of being looked over for promotions."
What you should have said: Honesty is always the best policy when answering interview questions. There is a difference, however, between shooting yourself in the foot and providing a straightforward response. If you're leaving a position because of office politics, the interviewer doesn't need to know the specifics. As a result, a neutral response such as, "I've advanced as far as I can with ABC Co. So I'm looking for a position where I can manage a larger territory and bring in lucrative accounts," works well because it's truthful without over sharing.
Scenario No. 2: Since the average person searches for a new job about every two years, the interviewer wanted to know how long you planned to stay with the company if hired. Not sure how to respond, you said, "Until retirement." At first blush, the response sounds like a good one, because you're making a commitment to the hiring organization. But the response comes off as brown-nosing and not entirely believable in today's environment.
What you should have said: Show your ambition alongside your dedication by saying, "I plan on staying on board as long as I'm contributing to the department and growing professionally."
Scenario No. 3: The interviewer asked, "Why should I hire you?" You listed strengths that align with the open position. Although there's nothing technically wrong with your response, you could have taken your answer a step further.
What you should have said: "That's a fair question. Instead of providing a canned response, I'd like to participate in an audition interview so you can see my work ethic firsthand." An audition interview is when you perform the tasks of the position as though you were hired. This way, the hiring manager can see your performance before extending an official job offer.
Scenario No. 4: You committed an interview misstep by arriving late. Nervous, you rambled with a long excuse, bringing prolonged attention to your blunder.
What you should have said: Apologize and move on quickly. Extend your hands and say, "My apologies for my late arrival. I'm enthusiastic about the position and am looking forward to discussing how my accomplishments support the open requirements."
Scenario No. 5: Toward the end of the interview, you were given an opportunity to raise questions. You asked typical questions, such as, "How soon do you expect to make a decision?" but stopped short of asking for the job outright.
What you should have said: "Based on today's conversation, do you have any reservations about extending me a job offer? If the interviewer provides a reason for hesitation, resell your qualifications. If the interviewer says "no," respond with, "I'm interested in the position. Can I have the job?" You'll be surprised that many will hire you contingent on a referral check.
Candidate Interview Questions For Christian Recruitment
In rare instances, there are people who do not find their heart is beating faster or they are sweating while facing an interview. The people who face the interview are known as candidate and the individual who is taking the interview is known as the interviewer. In practice, there are various types of candidate interview questions depending on the type of the job applying for.
For Christian recruitment, the primary aim of candidate interviewer is to identify the fundamental theological standpoint as well as to evaluate the strength of commitment to the faith of Christianity. The interviewer may inquire about the most enlivening pronouncements about the Christian faith made by the candidate, whether there is ample common ground in theology between the candidate and the organization, whether the candidate has the ability to connect the church in common mission, while offering his service to other Christians in a cooperative fashion. In order to find out the significance, the interviewer may put few queries including the most significant influence on life and faith, importance of theological relationship, life philosophy, role of faith in shaping value and thinking pattern, the guiding light of commitment to the faith of Christ. The interviewer may focus on in-depth queries during candidate interview question. In that time, he may focus on identifying whether there is any clear indication that the candidate is truly inspired and committed over Christian faith.
Best 3 Ways to Successfully Negotiate a Salary
But he points out that, generally, the higher you go with respect to compensation, the more realistic professionals tend to be about their market value. This could be because they have more experience, learned from mistakes they have made, and have held enough jobs to have a good understanding of fair compensation. Morley offers these five tips to help understand your worth and negotiate for it with confidence:
1. Be realistic about your experience.
"You need to be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot do," Morley says. For example, you may be tempted to apply for a job that is offering a $60,000 salary, even if you don't meet the job requirements. One major part of being realistic about what you can make is being realistic about what skills you can bring to the table.
2. Do your research.
"There are a variety of salary surveys that you as an individual can access over the Internet," Morley says. Research professional industry associations and HR Web sites. He also suggests browsing job postings and classified ads. While ads don't always list salaries, you can often get ideas of a pay range companies are willing to offer.
3. Be methodical in your decision making.
Use a simple list-making method, Morley suggests. On a piece of paper, write down all the things that are important to you in order of their rank. While cash for most is king, having a short commute and good medical benefits might matter more than a few extra dollars. Or perhaps you'd be willing to trade a couple thousand dollars for more vacation time. Having this knowledge about yourself, the market and your personal needs will give you the confidence to negotiate effectively. Write down your desired salary and the benefits you most desire. Be ready to play hardball, but give yourself a little wiggle room. That way if you have to negotiate, you can still achieve your bottom line total compensation goal.
