Job interview...

[fatratstew]

Just got an interview for a web design/development job. Anyone got any interview tips? I have never had an interview for this kind of job before.

 

[dgridley]

Neat, clean, be honest. Beat out any details before hire so you don't get beat down the road.

 

[Kate]

Research the potential employer and get familiar with what they do and their business. Not only will you show that you know what you're talking about, you also demonstrate your interest in the company.

 

[Chef Patrick]

Research the potential employer and get familiar with what they do and their business.

Agreed, do this and you will impress.

Also:
Be on time.
Dress professional.
Do not say anything negative about your old job or boss.
Do not lie.

Just be yourself

 

[Malaysia]

never really been in a real job interview before but nevertheless good luck from me to you!

 

[Jacklin]

You never know what really going to happen there as they can ask you anything they want.Just be confident and never be over confident
Once i was asked in an interview that how many stairs did i used to reach this floor and i was like ermmm!!!! :O so just prepare for as many things as you can

 

[Chef Patrick]

Once i was asked in an interview that how many stairs did i used to reach this floor and i was like ermmm!!!! :O so just prepare for as many things as you can

Wow they didn't have an elevator? No way I would have taken that job, lol.

 

[DebX420]

Be neat, clean, well dressed, and professional. Try and not to say LoL! in the interview :P Also, be ready for anything - they can ask something as weird as "WHAT COLOR IS YOUR UNDERWEAR?!" - prepare for it all.

 

[maximum]

DomainSubway has listed 3 of the top pet-peeves of HR (Human Resources / Interviewers) professionals:

Do not say anything negative about your old job or boss.

This is most HR folks top way to get rid of potential future disgruntled employees before ever even hiring them. They figure that if you talk bad about your old boss or job, what would you then say about them if you didn't stay there? Your old boss may have been a total idot and an a**, but for the purposes of an interview, you simply "had differences of opinion". Left your old job because the "bastards" (the word you call them to yourself) wouldn't give you that hard-earned raise? An interviewer wants to know that you came to work for their company because it offers you "more benefits and security" than your last job - versus telling them the other company were "cheapskates", in which case they may just expect you to leave them at the next higher paying job you come across. Talk about last boss as if your preacher were listening. That is, its OK to be honest about the story, but keep it respectful, tasteful, and do not try to make it like only they were the ones in the wrong (interviewer knows you are no saint, or you'd be applying at the Vatican for sainthood rather than at their company).

Do not lie.

There is no such person as a perfect liar (trust me, as a criminal psychologist, I know this well). Very few people can lie long without tell-tell physical signs, stumbling on the words, or the story falling apart (a good interviewer catches on and traps a liar into where they have to create more lies to cover-up the first ones), or where your lies won't be figured-out later. If you'll lie in an interview, why should they trust you wouldn't later lie when your job is on the line, your hands are in their money, or you're facing a disgruntled customer situation? Lies come back to bite you, sooner or later. Besides, the old cliche' "Honesty is the best policy." is and old cliche' for a reason. An interviewer is going to respect your honesty, especially when they know its about something most would try to either hide or lie about.

Just be yourself

Relax, it is ONLY a job! If you get it great, but if not you can always try elsewhere. It usually even helps (especially with female interviewers, and even more especially older female ones - sexist-sounding, I know, but a true statistic) to come-out and admit if you're nervous. Many folks would say humor needs left out of an interview, unless the interviewer starts it up. However, most professional HR folks try to be just that ("professional"), and will open-up to allowing the interview to be a lot more informal (less stress for either of you) if they see an applicant "loosen up". If nervous, just after you introduce yourself, offer to shake the hand of an interviewer of your same gender (do not, until and if, they extend their hand, if they are of the opposite gender), then as you take a seat (if they seem to have smiled yet at all, or been cordial) make a slight comment like "Just so you know, I was a little nervous about meeting you today. I'm really interested in this job, but have never had an interview for this type position before. Funny as it may sound, I almost played chicken. But, I'm glad to be here instead, for this opportunity you're giving me to talk to you today." A statement like that clears up several points all at once: 1) Your humor (the "chicken" comment) - you are not "stuck-up", self-righteous, or pompous, and can make light of situations. 2) You admit you're nervous, which is showing you can admit your vulnerabilities and faults - and later, on the job, your mistakes. 3) You have started out by expressing how interested you are in the job. 4) You having not had such an interview before, the interviewer will adjust their approach towards you versus how they would with another person they see has been around-the-block, so to speak, a few times...The honesty and openness goes along way. If you are not relaxing, they'll worry how you'll do under stress on the job. Many people, however, just can't relax in interviews. In that case, its one thing to see your hand tremble on your lap (even if you don't notice the slight nervous body language, they will) after you have admitted to being nervous, but quite another for them to see that while you try to put on a smile and act all "normal". Admitting, by words and actions, that you are just another human being in the room (and realizing they are too), eliminates a lot of stress and fear in an interview.

Neat, clean, be honest. Beat out any details before hire so you don't get beat down the road.

Honesty, I spoke about. If you don't understand clean and neat, you'd better cancel that interview for a much later date :p David (dgridley) brought-up a great point. "Beat out the details". I'm sure you well know you have to know enough about the job itself to at least half-way impress the interviewer. But, most (especially in higher end jobs and certain fields - a computer company being one of them), they want to see that you know a bit more than the average Joe about their company. Prove you've shown an interest in them, because they could have a lot of job applicants and showing you have that interest in the company itself (not just the job) shows that you may be loyal and that you care about any place you would want to work at. Its often the little details most applicants never know. For example, if they ask why you'd like to work for them particularly, most folks might answer something to the effect of it being a huge company with chances for them to prove and advance their careers. The interviewer is thinking to themselves at that point "Oh, yeah, what gave that away? The fact we sit on a corporate campus a city-block in size with 5 buildings?". You might, instead want to say "Your web design and development team has 23 people working under it, whom I believe I can both be an asset to and learn from..Some real creative individuals you have there I do believe." Now, the interviewer is thinking "Wow, this guy did his research. How many others would know how many employees were on that team?", not to discount, you've just also complimented the very team you're interviewing for. Find out all you can about the entire company. You never know how useful the slightest bits of info could play right into the interview.

Once i was asked in an interview that how many stairs did i used to reach this floor and i was like ermmm!!!! :O so just prepare for as many things as you can

Jacklin brings up what both David and I just mentioned. While the number of stairs is an extreme (some great stories out there of folks getting jobs just by those types of questions, when the basic past-employment-record didn't distinguish them from other applicants), it could be a perfect opportunity if you get an interviewer with the humor to ask such. Many will ask, not expecting you to know the answer, but rather to see how you respond. Jacklin's response of "ermmm!!!!" or "huh?" is what they expect from most applicants. If I were asked such, I'd very quickly (shows wit and humor at same time) answer back with a reply like "Sorry, I hope not knowing the answer to that doesn't cost me not to get the job, but I don't know how many steps it took me to get to this floor. I was too busy counting the bricks on the wall as I double-timed it up the stairwell." Said with a slight crooked-grin, and you've got a ball rolling, and hopefully an interviewer grinning right back at you

And, another tip for you: Either on the application, or in the interview (usually both), money/pay will come-up. We all like , yet most people are generally nervous talking about it. The terms "open", "will discuss", "any", or the the like (or a blank line) NEVER belong on an application-line where it ask about expected pay/salary! This leaves the application reader or an interviewer thinking one or more of three things are true: 1) If you put nothing or too low a pay: "You are undercutting yourself, which is fine, because we don't mind starting you out lower than we would have otherwise" :D 2) If you put too high a rate: "You think we're going to pay that? You're not worth my time, or you value this job and/or yourself more than we do. Besides, I can always get the same job done by someone else for cheaper." :o 3) If you put one of those non-number terms: "Don't know what we pay? Let me see if I can lowball you" :hehe:....Research the business (and similar companies in the area if possible) and see what they generally start folks out at for that job. The figure you put (or answer in the interview) may not be exactly what that company starts them out at, but being in the ballpark gives an interviewer/application-reader a good indication that your both smart enough to not lowball/undercut yourself (dumb there = dumb where else?), while not trying to get more out of it than the position or your skills are worth to them (arrogance gets you nowhere). Know what you're time is worth to you, what its worth to them (they already pay others for same or similar position..have at least a ballpark figure), and neither you nor they will be in for surprises when the uncomfortable subject of money comes up.

Also, be ready for anything - they can ask something as weird as "WHAT COLOR IS YOUR UNDERWEAR?!" - prepare for it all.

If they ask this during an interview at that web-related firm...RUN!
:lol:

We could go on and on about this subject. But, I believe these things are the very basics, and go along way in a job interview, rather it be for a 5-person software start-up or a company like 80k-employee Microsoft.

Best of luck in your interview :tu: Let us know how things go!

 

[deet]

Tell them you learned HTML Via myspace and GeoCities... j/k

Be honest and clean dressed only give enough information to answer the question or you could be seen as being a person who never finishes a task..

 

[maximum]

.....only give enough information to answer the question or you could be seen as being a person who never finishes a task..

Good point: You don't want to sound like me above Don't want to come off as a non-stop blabber-mouth

 

[fatratstew]

Thanks for the tips guys, much appreciated!

 

[weblord]

make sure you answer it as honest as you can in line with your submitted resume/cv.

 

[Chef Patrick]

Thanks for the tips guys, much appreciated!

don't forget to tell us how it went...

 

[fatratstew]

Quick update on the interview...

I got the job! :D
I have already been assigned a project to work on!

Thanks a lot for the help everyone!

 

[Kate]

Congrats

 

[Bill]

Quick update on the interview...

I got the job! :D
I have already been assigned a project to work on!

Thanks a lot for the help everyone!

:kickass:

Congrats on the new job!

-Bill

 

[Phoebe_]

Always be neat and well groomed and answer each question with conviction, don't shake and never show how tensed you are.

 

[Chef Patrick]

Congrats, I hope our tips helped

Quick update on the interview...

I got the job! :D
I have already been assigned a project to work on!

Thanks a lot for the help everyone!

 

[maximum]

Congrats! :tu: