Job Interview Questions and Answers | Resume Writing Tips and Samples

Sometimes opportunities seem to fall into our laps, and if this is the case with a job interview, it should be embraced as an opportunity - not an obstacle to overcome. Granted, a last-minute job interview is particularly stressful as you haven't had time to prepare as adequately as you might like, but you should never turn down an interview if the position is of interest to you. You've got the interview you want; now you just have to rush to be ready for it.

The Standard Attire

When starting a career search, you should have at least one outfit in your closet that is ready for a short-notice interview. A dark pants suit, or a blazer and tie are good choices for almost any situation, but you must always be sure they are clean and presentable. Don't allow these items to sit in the laundry or dry cleaning pile as they should be ready when you need them.

If low grades are a sticky spot for you in your job search, there are ways to handle the issue without detracting from who you are as a professional today. Grades, in general terms, are only an issue for those who have recently graduated and are seeking entrance into a professional field. Once you have experience in a field, grades in coursework cease to hold much importance. If you are troubled by low grades, however, you should work around them as much as possible and confront the issue head on only when asked.

Leave GPA Off Your Resume

If your GPA isn't one to be especially proud of, you can leave it off your resume. While this might not be in line with the typical resume of the recent graduate, your experience in other areas, such as jobs held while in school or leadership in organizations might compensate for the missing GPA. If you feel you must include a GPA, calculate the GPA for classes dealing only with your college major and include it was well. You can put your overall GPA under your Major GPA to show that you know your stuff, even if you suffered in your first year of school.

Being concerned about gaps in your work history is understandable, but should a question about a gap come up, you should smoothly fill the gap with an honest response followed by a powerful statement of the future. To do this effectively, you'll need to take time to work through your emotions regarding the gap before sitting down in an interview.

Eliminate the Emotional Baggage

Many resume gaps include emotional baggage. If you were laid off and unemployed for a long stretch of time, you might have issues with self esteem and this can sorely affect your future employment. If you were fired or targeted in layoffs, the negative emotions can follow you from one job to the next, so before interviewing and trying to explain the gap in professional terms, be sure you've left the more dramatic aspects behind.

If an issue is particularly painful, you might use help working through the issue before trying to explain it professionally. You might benefit from speaking with a professional about periods of depression or other medical conditions that have affected your work in the past, especially if the issue is unresolved.

If you're worried about career changes on your resume, you don't need to stress overmuch. While a generation ago, your parents might have held the same job for thirty or forty years, today it is almost expected that you change companies and even change careers completely at least once. The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics states that the average person changes careers more than three times in their lifetime.

Explaining Career Changes

Knowing you are one of many does not make it easier to answer questions about career changes in an interview, especially if your career change was unsuccessful. Your best bet when handling career changes in interviews are to spin your answer in a way that makes you sound especially appealing to the employer. If you've changed jobs frequently, you are potentially risky as a new hire as you might decide to leave again. But if you can put emphasis on the things a company would like to hear such as seeking a challenge or looking for advancement opportunities, it will be hard to hold the change against you.

The behavioral interview is catching on in popularity although some companies have been using this style of interviewing for years. In a behavioral interview, you are asked to tell about particular experiences in your history and the interviewer probes your answers looking for certain behaviors and responses. Your past actions tell the interviewers a great deal about how you reacted in the past and how you might react in a similar situation for their company. Statistics show that a behavioral interview is 55% effective at determining your success in a new position versus only 10% effectiveness with standard interview questions.

Preparing for the Behavioral Interview

In a behavioral interview, the interviewer is looking for traits that show through actual experience. You can't fumble your way through a response without your lie showing and you can't just answer in a general way. You must have specific experiences to show for each of the questions asked - and you most likely won't know what behaviors your interviewers are looking for as you tell the story.

When in an interview situation, you must be at your best and follow through with a proper protocol. This includes thanking the interviewer for her time and effort. Not sending a proper thank you can virtually eliminate your chances for the desired position.

Thank You Letter Timing

Thank you letters should be sent within twenty-four hours of the interview. The prompt thank you is courteous and shows you understand proper protocol. If you must wait or are delayed for any reason, a late thank you note is still much better than none at all. Your best choice would be to finish the interview and then write the thank you note immediately afterward to ensure you've checked all items off your list for the day. That being said, you'll still need to follow up about a week after the interview.

Many candidates will offer a great interview and then fail to close it properly. This is like baking a terrific cake and forgetting to put on the icing. The closing of your interview is the most memorable part not only because it comes at the end of your time together, but because you are able to interject your own personality, comments and questions into the conversation with the interviewer.

Ask Questions

You should be well prepared for the interview with questions of your own to show that you're considering their company as much as they are considering you. You should ask questions that show you've paid attention to information in the interview and done research on your own before coming into speak to the interviewer. If the interviewer doesn't ask for your questions, be sure to ask her, "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions before we finish?"

It's a nice problem to have, but a complicated one nonetheless. Turning down a job offer should be done carefully to avoid burning any bridges within the industry or putting your entire career at risk.

Put Your Rejection in Writing

When you turn down a job offer, your formal rejection should be in writing. A mailed letter is most professional, but an email will suffice in most cases. In your written decline, you should avoid:

• Saying anything negative about the company or position
• Mentioning the company you're chosen instead
• Lengthy apologies or comments

The note should be professional, clean and to the point.

It's perfectly natural to feel nervous about a job interview, but when your nerves start to overwhelm you with interview jitters, you'll likely lose focus on what's important and start to worry about your sweaty palms or twitchy eyelid instead. Handling job interview jitters is no more complicated than finding ways to handle other nervous situations you've encountered in your life.

Preparation is Key

If you compare an interview to a final exam, you likely felt a bit jittery but confident going into the exam you studied for. Any exam you failed to prepare will likely set your heart pounding and possibly brought on tremendous anxiety. The key to reducing nerves and jitters is to prepare for the interview as much as possible. Research possible interview questions and write out thoughtful responses. Try on your interview outfit beforehand and be sure it fits well and feels good. Research the company and the position so you are informed. Use a mirror or friend to practice answering some basic questions so you feel warmed up and ready ahead of time.

A second interview is a great sign, but it is by no means a statement of your pending hire. Often a first round of interviews weeds out applicants that aren't suited to the position. The second round of interviews is used to find the best candidate among those who remain.

The Biggest Mistake of the Second Interview

Many assume the second interview is a formality preceding their hire. "If I've made a second interview, they assume, I'm all but hired!" Nothing could be further from the truth. Your first interview was about your basic abilities and general fit in the company. The second interview is testing you on issues and if you're the person they want. To assume you're practically hired is to risk losing a valuable opportunity. Those who prepare for the second interview will likely stand out over a cocky candidate who doesn't seem to respect what the interview is truly about.