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Any tips for interview!


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Hello guys it's me again with my work/job related posts!! I am going to have a potentially life changing interview if I manage to nail this one. I have just been invited for an interview this coming Monday for the position of Senior QA Officer (2IC) and the salary is more than twice my current one. I was actually applying for the lower position (QA Officer) but was told my qualifications fit the higher one instead. I know there are a lot of tips in the internet but I want to hear really life examples from you guys.

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I do not want to scare you and it may be different as here in germany ;)

 

A girl from my math department studied maths and economics. Got a job at a big bank and was leading the department which was for hiring people. At her 2nd kid she was quitting job. Now with bigger kids she still doesn't want to work at her old job. Now she is training students who did their exams for job interrogations: she takes them to hair cutter, cloth store, dancing school, restaurant, ...

 

Exspect to have a dinner at a restaurant as part of the interrogation if your job demands business dinners. My first interview was at a 2 star restaurant at the lunch break of the company owner (who didn't want to waste time on a rookie I think and to be at least satiated after the interview). I was a greek restaurant and I was carefully avoiding food which had too much garlic, Since I didn't know if I needed fresh breath for a interrogation after the dinner... And then he said that I was a decade older than the other students who finished university,,, I said that I voluntered for army... he was choosing social duty over army (germany you were drafted if you didn't decide for social work)... But at least the first interview was a good training. Consider that being a volunteer soldier in germany was way more evil in the eyes of some people than being a soldier in the vietnam war. Next interview was at a company which had a boss who was a staff sergeant at army, luck comes luck goes.

 

When my wife did an interview for a leading hospital job there was an evening dinner and we did a dancing lesson before when we were informed that there would be a small band...

 

More general:

A good start is normally to research what the company will produce, what is needed at your job, think about what you can do and what you will have to learn, ... If the interrogator notices that you put work in your interview, half of it is already won.

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Great tip, Chattius. Knowing a little about the company / position before you interview is always a good thing. If you can, during / after the interview, ask questions about the company that do not necessarily relate immediately to the position you are being interviewed for. Showing interest in the company before you're hired can often push you 'ahead of the pack' if your competitors are all equally qualified as you, etc.

 

What are your weaknesses? The most dreaded question that I find has regularly popped up in my interview processes. Good interviewers can read the amount of honesty you are putting into your answers, so actually owning up to this one can also win you the job. Unless, of course, you're never on time, don't work well with others... 8)

 

Best wishes with the interview, Jun!

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as I remember from my last interview some time ago they might ask some specific questions about job you are applying for: how you would deal with certain problems (if you had any examples from your present job and how you dealt with them), did you had any personal problems (or job related problems) with coworkers and how you managed them, what you can bring to the company, whats your goals for the future (like where do you see yourself in 3-5 years), if it's managerial position - how do you motivate people. another tricky question - some time they ask to tell something about yourself (you could ask if they need professional or personal (birth place, studies etc)info). if they will offer to tour the place - go for it. another question - why do you leaving your current job (money, problems with coworkers, problems with manager, etc) and why are you applying for position in that particular company. and dont talk bad about your current job (even if there are some problems). also need to be positive and show interest in the position you are applying for

 

not sure about lunch though - it depends when your interview

 

and as it was mentioned before - research company very well - you need to know what they are producing, whats their market, etc - they should ask you to ask some questions

 

anyway - good luck with interview :)

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Thanks for the tips guys!! I have already done a lot of researching especially the technical aspects of the job. There's a bit of a problem on researching about the company because I'm going to be interviewed by a recruitment agency. All they mentioned in the website was "an expanding food manufacturer".

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Probably you have to put some thoughts if you can live with selling gen manipulated food, depending on what expanding company stands for. I know that the reason our oldest doesn,t want cheese from supermarket is that most of it is from gen manipulated stuff.

 

For normal cheese You either have to kill a calf or you have to use artificial replacement. Thats one reason we produce our own cheese, fermented by either bacteria or insects.

 

So gen manipulation yes or no, 2 hens on just one square foot yes or no, .... I think you may be confrontated with this

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Probably you have to put some thoughts if you can live with selling gen manipulated food, depending on what expanding company stands for. I know that the reason our oldest doesn,t want cheese from supermarket is that most of it is from gen manipulated stuff.

 

For normal cheese You either have to kill a calf or you have to use artificial replacement. Thats one reason we produce our own cheese, fermented by either bacteria or insects.

 

So gen manipulation yes or no, 2 hens on just one square foot yes or no, .... I think you may be confrontated with this

 

@ chattius : It's nothing like that. Just found out that the company is a food manufacturing company producing sandwiches, salads and other cooked meals.

 

The interview went very well and was quite long as well at almost one hour. The interviewer discussed my resume almost line by line to check that I really know what I wrote there. She was happy to know that the company I used to work for in my home country was very similar to their client in terms of size and products being produced. She was endorsed me already to their client and I'm hoping the result would be favorable.

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  • 2 weeks later...

What ever the job, my advice to you is be demanding, dont wait for them to say we will call you after a interview, make them say yes you can come for a trial or start on this day.

You have to make them understand your the one they want!

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Darn...been soo busy I missed this thread...probably too late to offer advice now. But having interviewed/hired 100's of applicants during my years of working I'll list some of the things I looked for in potential hires. Some are obvious but amazingly were overlooked by a majority of applicants.

 

1) Dress for the job...........If you're applying to be a dishwasher and walk in wearing an expensive 3-piece suit, it screams 'over-qualified' to me. My first thought is that this job is very temporary for you. You're just looking for something to tide you over til you land the job you want. Conversely if you're applying for a mid-level office job and walk in wearing shorts and a t-shirt, then I think you're not taking it seriously.

 

2) Hygiene/Appearance.....An obvious one but I cannot tell you how many times an applicant came in un-shaved, hair uncombed, clothing wrinkled/rumpled or had bad breath. Garlic bagels for breakfast are a big no-no. But things happen too. I remember one guy who got splashed by a car just as he was walking into building for interview. He profusely apologized for appearance and asked to re-schedule later that day and said another suit was being rushed down as we spoke by a friend. What impressed me was two-fold. He made his appointment on-time and had a back-up plan and 2nd suit ready. (he got the job)

 

3) Punctuality... Be on time and ready for interview...being late or fumbling with your portfolio...searching for applicable documents tells me you are not organized...being late is another big no-no. Again circumstances happen...traffic..accidents etc. Just call as soon as possible to inform of situation. If your route involves known traffic issues...be prepared to leave much earlier than normal...seeing someone waiting for for over an hour for their interview typically will be noticed. To me it shows responsibility and willingness to do whatever it takes to make sure you're on-time.

 

4) Experience...If the job requires prior experience, make sure you have it. And make sure the experience is relevant to the job. I remember interviewing for a job where we required 1 year experience in the electronics field. One person tried to use selling cell phones to meet that. Even if the experience does not translate exactly for the the job is looking for it may be applicable. For example: the 1 yr experience I was looking for involved business communications. But if a person came in with 1 yr experience in fixing tv's/stereo equipment, I would consider him. Electronics experience is electronics experience and while it wasn't in the field I was looking for I would know he had a basic understanding of circuitry and that knowledge is easily transferable to our particular need.

 

Very rarely will a person come in with all the exact requirements we need. Just as long as what he does know is transferable is the big issue.

 

5)Know the company....Know what they do..what they sell....know their main products...visit their website. Talk to employees if possible. The more you know about your potential new company the better.

 

6) Be prepared...make sure you have all the relevant paperwork needed....resume...proof of citizenship (if applicable)..references...listing of previous jobs. I know many applicants are still employed or recently let go and had a bad relationship with last employer. And many are hesitant to allow new company to contact them. Mostly I call not to find out you and your old boss didn't like each other, but more for anything major. Like constantly calling in sick, did you steal from company? get in fights with other workers? any drug or alcohol issues?

 

7) Are you a good fit?.....you will be asked questions about what made you apply and why you would be a good fit for the company. This is probably the toughest part. You want to sound eager and excited but not so much so that you sound like you'll say anything to get job. Just list prior experience and how that fits with new company. That you look forward to new challenges and want to prove yourself. I'm mostly looking for initiative. Are you self-driven, self-motivated? Do you set goals for yourself? Do you try and improve yourself?

 

8) Know your worth...another hard one...when listing expected salary...too high and I'll think your just in it for the money...too low and I'll think you really don't have a lot of knowledge about the field...Again do your research. Find out what base salary is for entry level job and then adjust based on your experience. Have a range in mind and not a fixed amount. Many companies will have a 'trial period'. usually a month or 2 to see how you fit in. Usually at a lower pay scale. It's how I got a few jobs...just said I'll will go for entry level pay scale and see how I do in a month or two and have a review. It shows a willingness to put company first and that you would rather prove your worth first before getting paid for it.

 

9) Honesty....Probably the most important part of an interview....if you do not know the answer, say so. Don't hem and haw or beat around the bush. I personally hate rambling and people who say 'umm' and 'ah' a lot. If you do not know the answer say that and then say to the best of your knowledge what you think the answer is or what you are willing to do to know the answer (if it's related to new job). Make your answers short and concise. If it's a 'yes-no' answer don't give a 5 minute dialogue. I probably have a full day of interviews and while you may have some interesting stories to tell, the interview is not the place for them. Do not exaggerate your experience.

 

10)Interivew protocol

Maintain eye contact when listening or replying

Do not fidget or make excessive hand gestures

Immediately take off hat when entering (you shouldn't be wearing one anyways)

Do not take a seat unless offered to do so.

Answer with sir or ma'am or with Mr/Mrs (and last name)

Do not get emotional or raise your voice/lose temper

Shake hands when entering and when interview is over.

Do not help yourself to any refreshments unless offered. And please don't eat a danish or anything. Don't want to see food particles in your teeth when talking with you :) Just take a coffee/water and politely decline anything else

BE YOURSELF :P

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wow knuckles that's a long post!! Anyway the job opening I was describing above didn't go my way because the QA Manager said I didn't have "local experience". She also didn't consider me for the junior position because she said she wants to train someone with minimal experience.

 

But tomorrow I am going to have a 2nd interview with another company. I hope this is just a formality because the email said I'm going to tour the facility tomorrow and get to meet the people who I will be overseeing. The company has also told me to book an appointment with their official medical company. What do you guys think? Back were I came from when a company tells you to have a medical that's as good as in. I just don't know if such is the case here in Australia.

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wow knuckles that's a long post! Anyway the job opening I was describing above didn't go my way because the QA Manager said I didn't have "local experience". She also didn't consider me for the junior position because she said she wants to train someone with minimal experience.

 

But tomorrow I am going to have a 2nd interview with another company. I hope this is just a formality because the email said I'm going to tour the facility tomorrow and get to meet the people who I will be overseeing. The company has also told me to book an appointment with their official medical company. What do you guys think? Back were I came from when a company tells you to have a medical that's as good as in. I just don't know if such is the case here in Australia.

Well best of luck to you Cyclops, knoch em dead.

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The first think I was asked at all my jobs was my criminal record. Without it I wasn't allowed to correct homeworks and tests at university and without it I am not allowed to do a license for explosives which I need for nowadays job.

 

The funny part is: I got my criminal record in just 2 days when I was at university, but it took 6 weeks to get it when I needed it for my job. At university I had a clean record and the computer automatically did a mail. At my job the record was not clean: it had a line which stated why I asked for a criminal record 5 years ago. So the computer did not automatically send a letter but forwarded my request to a real person. Since it were summerbreaks it took days, then weeks and then nearly months. And the company asked everyday why I didn't have my record.

 

We lost 6 of 10 apprentices because of criminal records: speeding or alcohol at car :( Sadly our company is too small to keep them without being allowed to work with explosives. You train them 2 years and then they do something foolish after a birthday party and ruin all.

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If you're going to meet the people you'll be overseeing it sounds like you have the job. Why would they introduce you to them if they weren't sure yet? I don't know how Australia works either but getting a physical/medical check-up is usually the last step before formal employment. Again why waste the time doing it if they are not convinced you are the right applicant.

 

I would say you got the job :)

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If you're going to meet the people you'll be overseeing it sounds like you have the job. Why would they introduce you to them if they weren't sure yet? I don't know how Australia works either but getting a physical/medical check-up is usually the last step before formal employment. Again why waste the time doing it if they are not convinced you are the right applicant.

 

I would say you got the job :)

 

ouch so things are a bit different here in Australia or at least with the company I'm applying for!! This is copied from their website:

 

Medicals and reference checks are part of the recruitment and selection process for candidates who have reached this stage of the process but it does not mean you have the job. There may be other candidates who have reached this stage too and a decision will be made once we have assessed all information.

 

I find it a bit wasteful if you are going to be spending money on medicals for all shortlisted candidates. Anyway that's their policy. I'll just keep my fingers crossed for my medicals tomorrow.

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It probably depends on which job you are being interviewed. When working with explosives a clean criminal record is a must have, by not having it you are sorted out right away. The slaughterhouse I was working while at school (cleaning ground from blood and meat pieces) asked for a paper with a new medical check first. Because they were only allowed to hire people with no illnesses,mainly infecting diseases. If I remember right the check was paid by my health insurance, I had to pay for making the health check made into a written document. I could use copies for sending to companies, the original was looked for when you reached status of being interrogated.

 

Medical checks are a bit tricky: medical data is not allowed to be given away. So by having a medical check at a companies doctor, ... probably depends on the countries law. All my document was stating: free of any infecting diseases and bodily fit for doing the job. Nothing more on it.

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I can understand the reference checks. And I could understand if part of the interview process required you to have a physical from your doctor. I could also see if their doctor wanted to review your medical files. But to go through a physical exam from their appointed doctor just seems wasteful unless you're a very strong candidate for the job. I would have to say at most there would be 2-3 other potential candidates. Though I don't know Australian policies nor this company's policies.

 

I can understand criminal checks for chattius's job. Last thing you need is a crook stealing explosive supplies :o In the Navy I had to go through an extensive background check. They talked with people I hadn't seen since elementary school and people I didn't even remember. I didn't even know they were doing it til a friend called and asked why 2 guys in suits were asking a bunch of questions about me. He thought I was in serious trouble. I worked in cryptology and typically was responsible for all the comms to/from either a ship, naval base or ground combat unit. They needed to make sure I had no skeletons in my closet and that I didn't have the potential to disseminate sensitive material to other governments or could be blackmailed into doing it.

 

The main job I was an interviewer for, we would allow people with criminal records to work for us. But they could not have any major felonies. I even had some where I would talk to their parole officer to give updates once or twice a month. All they were doing was running broadband cable or fiber from pole to pole so security wasn't much of an issue.

 

I still think you have an excellent opportunity for the job, fingers crossed everything goes well :)

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Just had my medicals a few hours ago and I was quite surprised with some of the results. Eyesight, muscle coordination, muscle strength, range of muscle movement, alcohol and drug test, etc were all normal. I was shocked that I rated poorly in the 3 minute step test as my heartbeat was 153 after 3 minutes. I think the sequence of testing prior to the test contributed to my poor rating because I did some lifting test (max 30 kg) just a few minutes before. It was also the first time I was tested for grip strength and I got 45 kg and 47 kg for the left and right hand respectively. I didn't realize I can grip that strong. I hope that 3 minute step test is not a major deciding factor otherwise I'm in trouble. But if you think about it the position is called Quality Control Technician and the position doesn't really equate to a physical one. It's more on the brainy side. Anyway I've already emailed the Human Resources that my medical is done. I hope I get a positive reply.

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As Knuckles said, if you are going to meet some people at the plant and going through medical check up, you have pretty good chances - companies just don't waste their time and money (in US some companies would reimburse your expenses in most cases) to invite lots of candidates for the position.

 

anyway - good luck :)

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My goodness the waiting is killing me. I used one of my officemate as a referee and the company has already called him. Of course all he said was positive things!! :whistle: The company also emailed me that he can't contact my overseas referee so I gave additional contact details.

 

One thing that is nagging me and I can't quite understand is why he asked me "have you gone for any other interviews recently?"

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One thing that is nagging me and I can't quite understand is why he asked me "have you gone for any other interviews recently?"

Two possibilities come to mind...

1) a reference said "didn't I talk to you already?"

2) they're trying to figure what salary level to offer... whether they have to worry about competing offers (we'll hope it's that and they really want you and will offer lots of bucks!!)

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One thing that is nagging me and I can't quite understand is why he asked me "have you gone for any other interviews recently?"

Two possibilities come to mind...

1) a reference said "didn't I talk to you already?"

2) they're trying to figure what salary level to offer... whether they have to worry about competing offers (we'll hope it's that and they really want you and will offer lots of bucks!)

 

Number 1 is not possible because I "coached" both of my referees so I hope your right about number 2!! :whistle:

 

Anyway the company has emailed me that they will be getting back to me tomorrow. I'm really hoping it's for contract signing. My 2nd referee told me that she had a long and good talk with the company personnel who called her.

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Yay I just had a very early Christmas gift because the position has been offered to me and I was very surprised with the salary. It is almost twice what I'm getting now!! :drunkards: :drunkards: :drunkards:

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Yay I just had a very early Christmas gift because the position has been offered to me and I was very surprised with the salary. It is almost twice what I'm getting now! :drunkards: :drunkards: :drunkards:

 

Jun, WONDERFUL NEWS! I've been checking in on this topic to see how all the advice and your chase has been going. You are one of the most industrious, determined people I have ever met.

 

Congratulations Jun!

 

:hugs:

 

gogo

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