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Interview Tips
Interview Tips
Interviews are a lot of work and require serious preparation. Review your recent performance and have examples of how you 1) solved a complex
issue, 2) displayed leadership, 3) exhibited team spirit. Focus on accomplishments. Review in detail the requirements of this new post. Wear a nice suit
and be clean-shaved. Anticipate possible questions and have some well prepared responses. Be ready to ASK GOOD QUESTIONS.2. Adapted from
response by Joe on Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Being nervous is natural, especially for an important experience you are about to go through. Some suggestions:
- Review the company, the division and the people you are going to work for. Learn as much about them, their products, their vision, their mission, etc...
Study online resources for this information, but also get on the phone, even seek meetings (informal ones) with others in the company, or with those
who know the company. This is considered a normal/natural part of your job seeking homework, by the way. Learn all you can, as it’s in your best
interest.

- Have one, or more, people who you know/trust to give you a series of mock interviews. What worked for me in this area (your mileage may vary!) was
for my mock interviewer to set up a series of 3-5 interviews, each was to be a new/unique session and to put me through a variety of typical scenario's.
I was fortunate that this was a person who does this for a living. I was blunt and candid in what I wanted, and expected to be shown what a
nice/good/effective interview SHOULD be like, but to also pointedly put me on the spot with how things can go wrong. Each session was treated like a
full and FORMAL job interview, to include suit, demeanor and complete interview set of questions, answers and discussion. Afterward there was a blunt
and candid review of what the objectives for that session were (from HIS perspective), what areas I did well on, where I did poorly/badly, identification
of areas of opportunity where I missed out on something good (or bad) to capitalize on, and objective suggestions for improving my body language,
demeanor, language, and attitude. In my mind, I wanted these mock interviews to take their best shots at ripping me to shreds, and see where my
strong/weak points were. The reviews afterward were essential to improving my understanding of MYSELF and what I MUST improve in order to get
through the interview. For me, this proved to be a winning move.

- Go into the interview eager and ready to experience it. Relish and enjoy every moment of it. You will get to do it so infrequently, that this is a golden
opportunity to experience to the fullest. You may think I'm kidding ---I'm not. By adjusting yourself so that this IS your mindset and approach, you'll find
it not only enjoyable, but very rewarding as well.

- I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable than me can address the interview questions 'issue'. I know there are lots of resources on the internet to
research the plethora of interview questions and types, etc... My suggestion, at this point in your life/career, to not worry so much about the questions,
as to what you can give and offer this company. On the other hand, you certainly should have your own list of questions, written down is fine, of what
you want to know about them. Especially about your work environment, expectations of you and your time, etc... Start off general ("what can you tell
me about the company") and work to being more specific ("what can you tell me about the division", what can you tell me about the position you are
hiring me for", etc....").

- Try this approach on being calm---think about, and continuously remind yourself in productive, enriching and positive ways that you will calmly and
rationally be successful in this interview. Mentally focus on what you WANT, vice what you don't want. It’s fine to honestly self-evaluate how you are
today. What is really important is HOW will you improve? What can you do better, and what are you doing about it now? Another approach is that being
nervous is your minds way of telling you to be careful. You are in control of yourself. You decide what is important or worrisome. So, tell your mind what
to think and how to act. Such an improvement can occur over time when you are persistent. Think about it. Side note: I've found in life, people who
focus on what they don't want, or like, as the case may be, don't see how negative that is. They really believe that by telling themselves NOT to do
something that somehow, magically, the RIGHT thing they are supposed to be doing will magically occur. It doesn't work that way. I've found when you
positively and actively WANT something to occur, then make that accomplishment the focus of your attention --- it happens. I believe that occurs
because you've DONE something, as opposed to the alternative of attempting to NOT do something. I believe the former is a positive builder in our lives.
Be optimistic.

- You gave the impression that you'd have some stiff competition for this job. Competition is a good thing. Go in with your best foot forward. Be honest,
show them that you are more than interested in doing your best every day. Convey, throughout the interview-using every question as an opportunity,
to explain to them HOW dedicated you are, HOW energetic your day-to-day
performance is now (and will continue to be for them), that you are the best candidate even with your 'limited' experience (because you can work
harder, smarter, faster, with stellar results), that you are a quick learner, that you are able to efficiently and effectively apply new rules to existing
paradigm's, etc.... In accomplishing this, I don't mean for you to embelish who and what you are, simply have this (the above) as your mindset, and as a
way to EXPLAIN/justify and demonstrate that YOU are confident you are the best candidate. Note: In this context, I mean no offense with the reference
to your being 'limited', simply saying that your skills are what they are, and that it is normal to recognize others (your competition?) have more time, and
possibly even more talent/skill than you do. In fact, consider the amount of your skills, and that you are positively approaching this job opportunity as an
'asset'. You are bringing knowledge and experience to the table. You'll accept direction on what they want, and how they want it, but will also tap into
your own talents, skills, abilities and creativity to do the job even better. Review your resume, the one THEY have, the night before. Study it closely, as
they will ask you questions based on what they see, and don't see. I've seen a good interview go VERY bad, simply because the interviewee wasn't
cognizant of the content of their own resume. Focus on your talents and skills. Don't BS the interviewer with smoke and mirrors. More than likely they'll
catch on rather quickly that you are smart, patient and honest (desired qualities!!!) or that you aren't (bad).
- Be honest regarding what you can do, and only volunteer what you are bad at, or cannot do when questioned about something specific that you can't
do. Its reasonable to know your limitations, and that you can candidly explain the breadth of your abilities (and limits). If you find they focus on 'stuff'
you don't know, its ok. Expect such questions and take them in stride. Follow up with your speed/willingness to learn ..
How to conduct a safe, legal interview that also enables you to select the best candidate for your open positions is important. The interview is one of
the significant factors in hiring. Perhaps the traditional interview is accorded too much power in selection. Learn more interviewing tips and
interviewing techniques to make your interviews a powerful tool and process to evaluate candidates.

The job interview is a powerful factor in the employee selection process. You can use behavioral-based job interview questions to help you select
superior candidates. Ask interview questions that help you identify whether the candidate has the behaviors, skills, and experience needed for the
job you are filling.

Ask legal interview questions that illuminate the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses to determine job fit. Avoid illegal interview questions and
interview practices that could make your company the target of a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit.

Behavioral interviews are the best tool you have to identify candidates who have the behavioral traits and characteristics that you have selected as
necessary for success in a particular job.

Additionally, behavioral interviews ask the candidate to pinpoint specific instances in which a particular behavior was exhibited in the past. In the
best behaviorally-based interviews, the candidate is unaware of the behavior the interviewer is verifying.

As you read my tips in How to Conduct an Effective Behavioral Interview below, please note that the actual behavioral interview is preceded by
behavioral trait identification and a job description. The upfront work makes the behavioral interview effective and successful.

Professional speakers and trainers have long asserted that people make up their minds about people they meet for the first time within two minutes.
Others assert that these first impressions about people take only thirty seconds to make. As it turns out, both may be underestimates. According to
Malcolm Gladwell, in Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (compare prices), the decisions may occur much faster - think instantaneously or in
two seconds. His findings have serious implications for organizations.

According to Gladwell’s research, we think without thinking, we thin-slice whenever we “meet a new person or have to make sense of something
quickly or encounter a novel situation.” He says, “Snap judgments are, first of all, enormously quick: they rely on the thinnest slices of experience …
they are also unconscious.
We all know how litigious our society has become in the area of employment-related issues. Every recruiter, hiring manager, executive, and
department manager must realize that asking the wrong interview questions or making improper inquiries can lead to discrimination or wrongful-
discharge lawsuits, and these suits can be won or lost based on statements made during the interview process. Thus, it is important to incorporate
risk management into your interviewing process to help minimize your firm's exposure to employment practices liability.

You, or your company, could be accused of asking improper interview questions or making discriminatory statements or comments that reflect bias. It
is also possible to make assurances or promises during an interview that can be interpreted as binding contracts. Recognizing these potential
danger areas is the best way to avoid saying the wrong thing during an interview.

Most companies have at least two people responsible for interviewing and hiring applicants. It’s critical to have procedures to ensure consistency.
Develop interviewing forms containing objective criteria to serve as checklists. They ensure consistency between interviewers, as well as create
documentation to support the decision if a discrimination charge is later filed by an unsuccessful applicant.

The telephone interview or candidate screen allows the employer to determine if the candidate's qualifications, experience, workplace preferences
and salary needs are congruent with the position and organization. The telephone interview saves managerial time and eliminates unlikely
candidates. While I recommend developing a customized interview for each position, this generic interview will guide you.

You want to ask enough questions to determine if the person is a viable candidate. Remember, you have already screened many resumes and
applications to come up with your short list of telephone screening candidates. These should be your best prospects at this point in your recruiting
process.

Here at SapResourcing.com, we want our candidates to reflect well on us, this means we have to not waste your time with inappropriate positions,
but sometimes this in itself is not enough. The demand for candidates is high, but so is the competition for securing the most lucrative positions, in
the most exciting projects.

We believe that effective interview preparation and technique, will help make a big difference whether you are trying to secure that next big career
move or the SAP consultant’s three month contract worth circa £45,000 to you in income. If you look at the monetary value alone, your ability to
perform well at interview, becomes very worthwhile and is a part of your skillset that you should not neglect.


PREPARATION

Preparing for interviews helps you to:

Anticipate questions and prepare answers such that you present yourself in a clear and concise manner. It also improves the accuracy and
completeness of the answer.
Customise your answers in line with the job requirements, organisation culture/norms and industry facts. This helps you to relate past experience to
current job requirements and to provide convincing examples/experiences in relation to the organisation/ industry/project deliverables.

PREPARATION TECHNIQUE

While preparation covers all aspects, you may like to concentrate on three core areas. This does not mean preparation excludes areas such as
knowledge of company, job and industry. These are also important as knowledge of these aspects show the interviewee's interest.


Technical Preparation

Key areas to pay attention to pre-interview are:
Does the role require technical skillsets that I already have or need to acquire?
What are my key examples of work in this specific technical discipline?
What are my areas of strength, relevant to this role?
What do I anticipate are the most important technical skillsets for the client?
How can I best demonstrate my ability in those key skillsets?
What technical questions can I ask that will demonstrate an appreciation of the interviewers typical technical issues/problems? (Especially useful if
you know the key project objectives in advance).

Operational Preparation  
Preparation in this area concentrates on the use of technical knowledge in a project or work environment.
This shifts from being able to demonstrate technical knowledge, to demonstrating the role that you have performed and can perform in a work
environment or project lifecycle. The interviewees experience during usage of technical knowledge. This could vary for different roles. For example;

Programmers would need to know about debuggers, profilers, tool or utilities etc.  

Analyst /Designer Would need to know methodology (SSAD, OOM), standards (IEEE, ANSI, CUA), environment (utilities) etc.  

Project Managers Would need to know have technology awareness (versions, new releases), available techniques ( tools, standards ), quality
assurance (measurements, test management), configuration management (version control, change management) project management (planning,
organizing reporting), user requirements and contractual obligations. The depth would be an over-view of all levels for technical knowledge.




Personal Preparation  
This area would include presentation of positive traits and habits. In addition to this it is important to concentrate on developing appropriate
communication skills, again, how you say something can count for a great deal. This is hard to prepare for, they are registered by the interviewer
through your use of language, demeanour, mannerisms and delivery of your responses to their questions. If you maintain a professional, positive
and focussed outlook in the interview, you should be fine. Typical criteria that are being looked at by the interviewer will include:

Presentation skill.
Confidence level
Comprehension Brevity
Logical & concise responses.
Command of language
Power of expression

Closing an Interview.
Keep it simple, brief and professional.
Ask if the interviewer has any further questions or would like further information (references, certificates, technical assessments).
Confirm that you have enjoyed the meeting, you are very interested in the role and company, would readily attend another interview or can start on
(date) if offered.
Is there another stage, when is a decision to be made?

Thank the interviewer for their time and that you look forward to hearing from them soon.

Post interview.
Don't be too discouraged if no definite next stage is mentioned, they may have to discuss with colleagues. Keep positive.
If you get the impression that the interview is not going well, don't let that show as you may have misread the situation.

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