5 Ways To Make The Right Impression In A Group Interview

Here are 5 ways that you can make the right impression and stand out in a group interview.

1. Demonstrate that you have done your homework on the job and the organization/company.

More often than not, if a candidate failed to show that he or she had done their due diligence and knew more than the passing person on the street about who we were, what our values were, and what our mission was, they were eliminated early. I can clearly recall one individual who was the perfect candidate for the open position on paper—but he blew the interview because he had failed to research us so that he could speak plainly to the challenges we were facing. Failing to do your homework on the company or organization and the position for which you are applying is unacceptable.

Want to make the right impression? Know the names of the decision makers in the company. Understand the job beyond the job description. Demonstrate that you have taken more than the 30-minutes before the interview to learn about the company or organization, and you know what it does along with what it values. That extra effort will make the right impression on the members of the group who are sitting before you.

2. Dress the part.

I am an admitted a bit of a fuddy-duddy about appearance, so it will come as no surprise that I think we live in a day of casual attire that has run amok completely. Don’t fall into the false trap of feeling that you should show up for your interview the way you might be expected to dress for the job. Gentlemen, please wear a clean suit or nice dress trousers with a conservative blue blazer. Your tie should be understated, and your shirt should be clean, crisp, and either white or light blue. You can dress with flair after you get the job, not before.

As for ladies, wear a suit or nice dress that isn’t too short and doesn’t have a low neckline. Pumps are optional, but shoes should be well polished and not overly worn. Open toes and sandals are not recommended. Stockings may be optional depending on the time of year, but I would recommend that you err on the side of caution and wear them. Makeup and hair should be done but not over-done, and the same goes for jewelry. Got a nose ring? Leave it off for the interview unless you are applying for a job where such an accessory would be an asset…and you know what that might be, I suspect. Understated and professional, however, is the look I would recommend for most junior executive positions or even entry level business openings in a more traditional company.

3. Arrive on time with the right materials in hand.

Being late is not acceptable. Don’t know where you are going? Then go early and find the building. If you get there an hour early, then go to a Starbucks or local eatery to hang out and prepare a little more. Don’t arrive for the interview itself any earlier than 10-15 minutes. Be prepared to wait. There may be others ahead of you, and the panel may be running behind. The materials you should bring with you include extra hard copies of your resume on nice paper, business cards, and a portfolio carrying a legal pad upon which to write notes as you need to.

Bring your questions written out, as well, for later in the interview. Otherwise, you run the risk of forgetting the questions and wishing you had written them down. If you are asked to prepare a presentation, make sure ahead of time that all of the equipment you might need for it will be available. Don’t assume anything. Ask to make sure that you will have what you need to make your presentation shine.

4. Demonstrate good manners and excellent interpersonal and social skills throughout the interview from the moment you walk in the door until you leave.

Social grace is something you may need to practice, but you cannot afford to underestimate its value when you are in an interview, especially when it is a group interview. In a group or panel interview, you are trying to impress anywhere from 4 to 10 or 12 different people who will have different expectations and will be looking for various things. You need to handle the pressure with as much poise and grace as possible. Look everyone in the eye but use eye contact appropriately. Being too intense can be off-putting as much as letting your eyes flit all over the room and above the heads of the members of the panel.

The same goes for an appropriately firm handshake. Practice if you aren’t sure about the quality of your handshake. Use the pressure you would use on a doorknob of a closed door. Grip slightly, but not too hard. Release and move on. Shake the hand of every person—man and woman—in the room. Make eye contact while shaking their hand. If you are good with names, try to remember them as they are introduced to you. If not, don’t fret. They really won’t expect you to remember all of them, especially if it is a large group. You do want to remember the names of the most prominent leaders in the group, however. While answering individual questions, don’t just look at the person who asked the question (although you want to look at them while they are asking it), but look at each member of the group around the table while you answer the question.

5. Be prepared to ask quality questions at the end.

Believe it or not, it isn’t just the questions that you answer that are important in your job interview, but it is also the quality of the questions that you ask that can separate you from the pack. Demonstrate that you have done your research, and you understand exactly what the job entails…or ask about parts of the job description that you aren’t quite sure about…to show that you are a cut above the average candidate. From back in my days as a member of the interview panel, we were always most impressed with the candidates who asked us excellent questions, and that does not include when are vacations and what is the salary range. Questions about the more challenging aspects of the job or what qualities or characteristics a successful candidate would need to demonstrate to be successful in the job are the types of questions that will make you different. Those questions demonstrated that we were talking with someone who had done their homework.

Group interviews are hard on you because they can be nerve racking. You will feel that you are juggling many balls in the air at once, and the truth is, you are. Some jobs require them, however, so you need to learn how to manage your nerves—and your social skills—during a group interview. You want to leave a lasting impression, after all, and you want to make sure that it is a good one.

How To Answer Competency Based Interview Questions

Competency based interview questions (also known as situational interview questions) are one of the most commonly used interviews questions you will come across regardless of your industry sector.

These are the types of interview questions where the interviewer will ask you to discuss a specific example off where you have demonstrated some type of behavior in your previous experience.

Competency based interview questions are also a favorite of government organizations across the world as they are meant to be homogeneous in nature and can therefore be scored using standardized systems.

Whilst, on the face of it, these questions appear to be relatively straight forward, there are some important points to remember when considering your answer.

These are:

1. Structure your answer properly.

The best way to structure your answer is by using what is commonly referred to as the STAR method / format.

STAR stands for:

S – Situation – What was the situation you / your employer faced?

T – Task – What tasks were involved in that situation?

A – Action – What actions did you take?

R – Result – What were the results of those actions?

Using the STAR method when answering competency based interview questions achieves two very important things. Namely, keeping your answers succinct and making it as easy as possible for the interviewer to score you highly by being able to pick out key information easily. It also allows particularly strong candidates to discuss their achievements in a very specific and detailed way.

Using the STAR method for answering interview questions is definitely something that gets easier with practice over time. Very few people, in my opinion, are able to nail the answers first time so don’t worry if it takes you a while to get the hang of it! As with most things in life, the more you practice the better you will become.

2. Keep it brief.

Another important point to remember when answering competency based interview questions is to keep your answer succinct. There is a tendency when you find yourself under some pressure in the interview (especially if you are being interviewed by a panel) to go way off on a tangent and you start rambling on at length about something you think is connected to the answer. Bad idea!

Try to remain calm and remember that the interviewer is looking for a detailed, brief answer.

I always try to visualize what my answer would look like if I were to write it down. Your answer should be a maximum of a couple of sentences (if possible) for each of the points in the STAR method.

3. Think selfishly.

What I mean by that is that you should always remember to contextualize your answer giving your own personal experience and what effect you had as an individual. Stay well clear of using the dreaded ‘we’ in your answers. This is most definitely a pet peeve of most interviewers. You should always be thinking of how you can shine a light on your own strengths and work in some of the best stories of your career to your answers.

How To Answer 5 Important Phone Interview Questions

Phone interviews are really phone screens. Employers are looking for reasons to cut you from the list of people they’re interested in (because it cuts time and expense from their interviewing process).

No matter what career field you’re in, there are several common phone interview questions employers like to ask to get a feel for you as a candidate. Answer these well and you’ll set yourself apart and have a much greater chance of making it through this hurdle and into a face-to-face interview.

1. “Tell me about yourself.”

In any interview, this is a common opening question. However, it’s so open-ended, many job seekers flub the answer by talking about personal things (where you live, your family, hobbies, etc.) or not knowing what to say at all (“um…”). This is your first chance to sell yourself for the job.

Start with your education, which means what degree you have or recent (relevant) classes or certifications. Then, mention a few noteworthy accomplishments that would be especially interesting to someone hiring you for the job—check the job description if you need help.

2. “Why are you leaving your current job?” (Or, “Why did you leave your last job?”)

While you might be leaving your job for negative reasons, it’s important not to mention anything negative in this answer. It’s never a good idea to be negative in any way during a job interview.

A good, positive way to answer this is to focus on why you are running TO this job, instead of why you are running AWAY from your old job.

For instance: “I enjoy the work environment of my current job, but I feel that it isn’t challenging enough. I’m looking for an opportunity to better use my skills, and I think that [this position] at [this company] will allow me to do this.”

Or, “This job is such a perfect fit for me that I couldn’t pass it up. I believe I could be very successful in this role because of my skills in X, Y, and Z, and I am excited about the opportunity.”

If you were let go at your last job and you can truthfully say it was a mass layoff/organizational shakeup that didn’t have anything to do with your job performance, make sure you mention that.

3. “Why did you apply for this job?”

Just like anyone else potentially entering a relationship, the interviewer wants to know your level of interest and your motivation for wanting to be there. A good answer would sound something like: “This job is a great fit. My skills and background in A, B, and C mean that I would be successful.”

As much as you can, talk about how you not only meet their qualifications for this job, you exceed them in some way.

4. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Among other things, your answer here will help them see that this job is a reasonable step in your long-term plan, not a stopgap that keeps you afloat until you find something better.

Don’t automatically say that you see yourself in a management or executive position. In large corporations, it may be OK, but in smaller companies, there may not be room for advancement like that. Stick with the safer answer that mentions how you expect to have honed the skills you have now, developed new ones, and contributed in a meaningful way to the company.

5. “Why should we invite you for an on-site (face-to-face) interview?”

This question is the phone interview version of, ‘Why should we hire you?’ Your answer could be along the lines of, “I believe I can contribute in a meaningful way to the success of [this company], and that my skills and personal values match this position perfectly. When we meet in person, I think you’ll see that I’m a great fit for this job and the company.”

How To Successfully Talk About Failure In A Job Interview

3 Keys To Answering Any Interview Question About Failure:

1. Choose something that really was a failure
2. Make sure it isn’t something that has a negative effect on your ability to do the job
3. Be able to talk about how you learned something from it that made you better at your job

 Choose a real failure

You can’t say you’ve never failed, because that will be an obvious lie. On the other hand, you don’t want to talk about the time you lost a key account that caused the company to go bankrupt, or the time you accidentally set fire to the building. Strike a nice balance by talking about something where you learned from your mistakes and as a result, became better at your job.

Be strategic with your choice

Just like when discussing your weaknesses, don’t choose a failure that directly relates to the skill set you need for this job—so if you’re in sales, don’t talk about how you insulted a customer. Talk about how you overlooked an issue and had to fix it—and now you always have a Plan B. If you’re in accounting, don’t talk about how you transposed a number and caused someone to be audited. Talk about how you miscommunicated with a coworker and what you did to repair the relationship—and found a great book on being a better communicator, so you haven’t had that issue again.

Tell what you learned and how it’s made you better

Someone who can admit a mistake and show that they can improve (and want to) will be attractive to any employer. Ending your story with how it’s made you better brings what is otherwise a negative in the interview back to the positive reasons they should hire you.

Here are some good examples for how to successfully talk about failure in an interview:

One failure was that in my first job, I missed a deadline for a project. I knew that couldn’t happen again, so I took a course to learn my Outlook program in greater detail so that I could use it to keep myself on time and organized. I’ve never missed a deadline again. The great thing that came from it was that I was able to really boost my productivity and provide a greater benefit to my organization.

I am a naturally optimistic person, which usually means I have a great attitude and I get along with everyone, but once it caused me to overlook the possibility for an issue with my project. The issue turned into a problem that I had to solve, when it would have been easier to avoid it in the first place. Since then, I’ve learned to always look for pitfalls and make contingency plans—so when things do sometimes happen, I’m ready.

When you admit the failure, always talk about the positive outcome from it. Show how you learned from your mistake and won’t make it again.

Baby On Board! How To Job Search While Pregnant

Job searching for two? Congratulations! As a pregnant job seeker, you’re likely experiencing a myriad of emotions – excitement, happiness, fear, and stress. Taking on a job search while pregnant can be a challenge. Fortunately, we’ve got some great tips that will make your job search a little easier:

1. Understand what’s important to you.

“As a brand-new mother, I can say with overwhelming certainty that having a child will change your life – and your priorities,” says Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for TopResume. “When you’re evaluating different job opportunities, consider what’s most important to you when it comes to the role and the organization.”

Consider what kinds of things you’ll need in order to both perform your best on the job and support your growing family. What kind of benefits are going to be important to you as a mom? Here are a few things you should consider when researching companies and roles:

• Competitive Compensation Package
• Quality of Insurance/Benefits
• Parental Leave Policies
• Flexible Work Arrangements
• Ability to Telecommute

Augustine also recommends checking out Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies List when building your list of companies to target.

2. Focus on what you have to offer.

“Don’t begin each job interview (or job application) by mentioning your pregnancy,” says Augustine. “Remember, the focus should be placed on learning more about the position and communicating your interest in the role and your qualifications, not your family plans.”

Employers are looking for great candidates. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you’re not a great candidate. Instead of focusing on your pregnancy, showcase why you’re the best person for the job. In fact, if your pregnancy isn’t visibly obvious yet, there’s no need to mention your pregnancy during the interview at all, according to Augustine.

3. Be on the lookout for illegal questions.

Employers aren’t allowed to inquire about your marital status, children, or your future family plans during the hiring process. Watch out for seemingly innocent questions that stem from a casual conversation such as, “Sorry I’m running a little late – had to drop the kids off at soccer practice… Do you have any kids? Love ‘em, but they’re taking over my life with their activities!”

The truth is, your interviewer might not realize that these questions are inappropriate. He or she might just be inexperienced or extra friendly. However, it’s important to tactfully avoid answering these questions because the wrong answer can impact your future at the company.

As a result, it’s important to handle the situation tactfully. Remember, your goal is to make a great impression. Calling out an interviewer for asking an illegal question is, unfortunately, not the best strategy when trying to accomplish this. You can learn how to deal with illegal questions by reading this article.

4. Don’t talk about maternity-leave until you’ve gotten the offer.

While it’s tempting to ask about the company’s maternity-leave policy during the hiring process, Augustine strongly recommends holding off until you’ve been offered the job — in writing.

“Whenever possible, save this conversation until you’re ready to negotiate your compensation,” says Augustine.

Instead, do your homework. Research the company’s parental-leave policy on sites such as Working Mother, Glassdoor, and CareerBliss. Doing a little detective work beforehand can save you some major headaches down the road.

5. Think ahead.

“Keep conversations about your maternity leave to a minimum with the employer,” says Augustine. “Remember, it’s only a temporary absence and shouldn’t impact your performance.”

However, you will need to give your employer a heads up on a few things, so think ahead. When it comes time to discuss your pregnancy plans with your employer, be prepared to answer questions like…

• “When you anticipate going on maternity leave?”
• “When you’ll return to the office?”
• “How you plan to keep your responsibilities covered to ensure a smooth transition?”

“When you take the time to prepare thoughtful responses,” says Augustine, “you’re showing your new employer your commitment to the company’s success and also demonstrating your value as a long-term employee.”

As a mother-to-be, you’ve got enough on your plate these days – don’t make your job search more stressful than it needs to be. Instead, take these tips and apply them to your search today!

6 Foods That Will Give You The Boost You Need To Power Through Your Workday

Here Are 6 Foods That Will Give You The Boost You Need To Power Through Your Workday:

1. Green Vegetables

Most employees love the free lunches that their companies offer. But guess what? Most of those lunches are carbohydrate-laden foods like pasta and pizza that will put you into a carb coma by 3:00 p.m. Consider swapping out the pasta and pizza for a big bowl of leafy green vegetables with extra protein and you will find that your memory and focus skyrocket by 3:00 p.m. Green vegetables are loaded with Vitamin B and Folic Acid which are known to be huge memory boosters.

2. Salmon And Avocado

A piece of salmon for lunch instead of a turkey sandwich can charge up your internal batteries with Omega-3 Fatty Acids and increase your mood, memory, and concentration. Skip the rice and potatoes. While they taste great, you want to maximize the energy derived from the salmon. Instead, add a salad on the side topped with avocado, which is also a great healthy fat.

3. Water

This is an area I struggle with too – you want to drink water, but you don’t want to spend all day running to the bathroom. It’s a double-edge sword, but our bodies depend on water to function, so it is important to keep hydrated which will also keep your focus and prevent fatigue. Consider keeping a 20 oz. thermos or bottle close at your desk and fill it three times a day at work. You will be close to achieving your daily requirement of eight glasses (64 oz.) by the end of the workday.

4. Eggs

Eggs for breakfast can make a huge difference in energy production throughout the day. Egg yolks contain high sources of Vitamin B and eggs are notorious for high protein content. Consider using one whole egg and two egg whites to keep your breakfast extra lean.

5. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is known as a power food that loads the body with antioxidants, potassium, pectin, and Vitamin C to fight mood swings, memory loss, and regulate blood sugar levels. The best part about grapefruits is that they are high in fiber which leaves you feeling fuller for longer.

 6. Dark Chocolate

Yep, you read that right. I saved the best for last. Who doesn’t want to add dark chocolate into their daily food regimen? Cacao is a natural stress fighter and focus booster. It also has caffeine which can give you added energy.

Eating these foods during the workday will help you boost energy levels, improve your concentration, and most importantly, increase your productivity!