How to Prepare For Staff Interviews
When interviewing new staff it is important that the interviewing process runs as smoothly as possible. Below is a checklist to ensure that you are properly prepared. Ensure you review each candidates application in advance of the interview. This will give you the time to learn more about the candidate and prepare specific questions based on their application. It is not recommended that you just read the application during the interview as you will come across as unprepared and not giving a very good impression. You will also miss out on specific questions you could have asked to find out more about the candidate.
As an interviewer you should have a clear and detailed understanding of what the job entails, including the duties, the skills and experience requirements. If you do not prepare yourself this will come across in the interview and it will not show you in a positive light. It is also not good form to tell candidates of other duties that have not being mentioned before. One of the managers key responsibilities during the job interview is to ask the questions therefore, you need to prepare for these in advance. The questions that you ask need to be based on the skills, experience, qualities and aptitude needed for the role. Create a checklist based on these criteria to come up with suitable and relevant questions for the interview.
The interview can be a very nerve wracking experience for the person being interviewed therefore, it is important that they are made as comfortable as possible. This also means that the interviewer needs to be comfortable as well as this will be picked up by the candidate and make them more nervous. Therefore, it is important to select a place that is comfortable, private and any form of distractions such as telephones, faxes, noisy office equipment is removed. During an interview there will be a lot of information to remember and you cannot remember all this in your head. Therefore, it is important that you take plenty of notes during the interview. Notes should be taken of how the candidates responded and reacted to the questions being asked. It is also important to make notes of the candidates reactions to the questions as this can reveal very important information.
Steps to Successful Job Search Networking
Develop a plan for your job search. Give some thought to your skills, interests and experience. Start a list with this information. Determine how much time you will devote to this search. If you are unemployed, you need to dedicate the same number of hours you previously worked. Job searching is now your new job. Develop a current resume. If you have skills, experience or education applicable to more than one industry, you need a resume for each industry. If you need some guidance with the resume preparation, there are books and software programs available to assist you. When you have finished the groundwork by developing a plan and preparing a resume, you are ready to begin the networking process.
Set up a system to organize your networking endeavor. This step is extremely important to your networking success. Without organization, this process will not succeed. You can set up a spreadsheet on the computer or use the old-fashioned spiral notebook. Who should be included in your network? Include friends, family, co-workers or previous co-workers as a starting point. Write down names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses and a date column to track communications. You also need space to write comments and notes after each contact. Now, add to your network names of church members, your hairdresser and neighbors. You may have a conversation in a doctor’s waiting room that leads to a job possibility. Add former employers and former classmates because anyone may be a source of information that results in a job. Once the initial network has been set up, go online and visit job boards.
You now have your plan, your current resume and your initial network has been set up. Begin contacting the network by phone, email or mail. Let everyone know that you are looking for a job. You may be asked for a copy of your resume; be sure to send it right away. Stay in contact with your network by following up at least once a week. Keep them informed of your progress and be sure to thank each one. Do not underestimate the power of your network. It has been reported that at least 60% of all jobs are found by networking. Some career experts report that networking accounts for far more than 60% of jobs found. Once you have your new job, contact everyone in the network and share the good news. Send everyone a thank you note for their time and effort on your behalf.
Tags : Career, Job Boards, Job Search