The Interview: The Finale

The interview is the most important part of the process, and is the best time to make a good impression. There are many steps to making the interview work, but remember that all the practice in the world won't prepare you for a trick question that the interviewer will most likely throw into their normal questioning. Your looks will also make an impression on the interviewer, and hopefully it would be a good impression. There are also other things that will be covered in the article that will provide you with the skills that you need to get this job.

When you get the call back from the interviewer, you need to start working on the general questions that the interviewer will ask you. Now, you know they will ask you the normal questions like your name, age, height, weight, eye colour and anything else that they will need to know for your employment. But usually they will throw in some questions to mess with your head and show the interviewers that you are good under pressure.
Most of the time they will ask you "Tell me about yourself.", and this is to show that your humble and honest. But don't seem like a push-over because the interviewer might pose some more tricky questions to test that you are telling the truth about what you said before. Always have some support behind the typical yes and no answers so that the interviewer will see that you have some mind power and thought in normal and simple questions. The interviewer will sometimes pose their questions based on your resume, and these questions are another part of their testing. Usually if they ask you a question like "Why did you leave your job?" answer with "I want to expand my work experience on my resume.". If you were fired answer with "There was an altercation that could not be resolved." so that they don't get the impression that you did something wrong.

You will also want to look very good for your interview. Make sure that you have a shower before going to the interview, but don't wear an obnoxious cologne or perfume. Also brush your teeth and maybe even use a little mouthwash. Wear a clean, pressed shirt and a pair of clean jeans or clean dress pants if you don't have a good, clean pair of jeans. Make sure that your nails are clean and clipped, and that you don't have any open wounds or scabs. Cover them up with a bandage if you have to, but make sure that they are covered. Along with your shirt and pants, your shoes should be in near new condition and they should be clean. Don't worry about shoe smell though, keep the shoes on and no one will notice any smell.

But most of all be confident and answer all of the questions without studdering. If you didn't hear a question fully, ask the interviewer respectfully what the question was. This shows that you aren't afraid of asking a question, even if it does seem a bit stupid. Remember that there is no such thing as a stupid question.

Cover Letter: Your Impression

You might ask why you need a cover letter, but this is the first impression that you can make with the employer and interviewer. If you can make this letter good, your resume and interview will be taken much more seriously. In this letter you should be answering "Why should I hire you?" and "Why did you send me this resume?" for the interviewer.

The cover letter should contain: a showcase of your skills that you have already laid out in your resume, cover what you are offering to the company and the job, factors that the employer might identify as key interest, education and skills, and other contributions that you can provide that would help the company benefit from your employment.

Don't stand out for the wrong reasons in your cover letter, and be remembered for the good things that you have done. Also check your spelling and grammar over many times as this is something professional, and can be the difference between getting the job or unemployment.

The first thing you want on your letter is a formal opening of a letter, addressed to the manager. An address to the manager or interviewer should be first, along with where you are coming from and what you are applying for.
The first paragraph should be some form of an expansion of who you are to the interviewer, something that wouldn't fit into your resume and maybe something that you would like to expand on for the interviewer.
The second paragraph should be about your value to the company could be, such as what you have to offer and why you are more valuable than the next person that they have lined up for an interview.
The final paragraph is a conclusion, but also add in any quick reminders that you have for the interviewer and put a formal thank you for the interviewer's time.

Remember that the cover letter is the first thing that you hand in when you hand in an application package, then your resume and finally an application if the company has supplied one.

Resume Writing: The Need To Know

Our first lesson on the track towards getting a job is writing a respectable and professional resume. In the resume you want it to be short and sweet, and you want all of the information labeled and easy to see. Remember that many other people will be applying for this job, so the resume is one of the 3 ways to make the employer remember you in a good way. In general you want three sections on your resume: Work Experience, Education, Education and then, if the job calls for it, Skills.

Work Experience

Work experience is just as it is written, and this is what many employers will want to see first. This will include any previous jobs that you have had, internships, apprenticeships and co-op work experience. Even if the job was a short term job to hold you during the summer it can still count and will show that you have more experience than the next person. If you've had a job during the school year this will show that you have responsibilities, ambition, dependability and time management skills.

When you respond to a job offer, you've also been given the hardest part of your resume to make: the job description. Many low level jobs, like at McDonalds and Wendys, will say general skill such as" time management skills", "great organizational skills", and "top notch communication skills". Build your resume around your strengths in these general area's, and present yourself in a way that will make your resume memorable. Many other jobs that you might have had before required these skills, even if they didn't have them listed in the job description. So pad the older jobs by setting them for the wanted requirements, even if you don't think you did any of them.

Education and Skills

This section should be short and sweet, leaving the employer with what you really have for an education. Don't lie on this section because it will come back to haunt you later on. Only put your high school and the projected year of graduation if you haven't graduated from high school, never put your primary school because the employer will make the assumption that your still a child and not a young adult.

In your skills, list some certifications that you have, such as a First Aid certificate or a CPR certificate. If there are other skills listed in the description that the employer will be looking for, list them here. For example, if the employer needs someone that has advanced computer skills say that you have training with computers and you know how to use them properly. Don't lie on this part of your resume either because most certified skills come with a certificate and most employers will want to see the certificate if you are hired.


References

Generally in this section of your resume list it as "Available upon request." A list of references would be a handy item to have at the interview in case the interviewer wants a reference.

Resume Example: