Important Tips For An InterviewImportant Tips For An Interview

Just as no two people are exactly alike, no two job interviews you will experience are going to be exactly the same. Therefore, no list of interview tips that either we or anyone else may give you is going to be equally applicable in all situations.

However, all interviews are sales situations with the job seeker in the role of a seller. In recent years so much has been studied and written about effective selling and marketing that one could say that what had been the art of selling is now a science.

The interviewing tips that follow are based on the principles of effective salesmanship. Naturally some will be more applicable in your particular situation than others. The purpose of these tips is to help you prepare in advance for every interview. They are intended to help you orient yourself ahead of time as to what it is you have to sell as well as how you hope to make the sale.

Interviewers generally prepare for interviews and have an idea of what it is they are looking to "buy." It is possible, if the interviewer’s original concept does not describe you to a "T," that you might change the interviewer’s mind in your favor during the course of the interview. But in order to convince interviewers that what you have to offer is best for them, you must first be fully aware of what it is you have to offer and how and why it is best for them.

While you should not go to an interview unprepared and simply "wing it" you should not go to the other extreme and conclude that you can handle it all from a prepared script. Ultimately, it comes down to just two principles:

KNOW YOURSELF, which does require preparation and with which these tips can help you, and . . .

BE YOURSELF, of which Shakespeare wrote, "This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night to the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."


Before the interview

Find out as much as you can about the company. Ideally, you should know where it is headquartered, what its main products or services are, how big it is in terms of annual sales or number of employees, who are its primary customers are and who are its main competitors.
If you can find out something about the person or persons who will be interviewing you, that can also be helpful. Particularly their job title, how long they have been with the company, who do they report to and their reputation within the industry. Any interests you may have in common might also be of value.
Make sure you have directions for getting there.
Be familiar with your strong points. Identify those attributes that you have that other applicants for the same position may not necessarily have. Or, to put it another way, be ready to give the interviewer reasons for hiring you and not somebody else. Be prepared. Write them down before you go for the interview. Then carefully and repeatedly go through them in your mind. They would help you to stand out in the employer’s mind. As in all sales situations, the features that characterize you should be translated into benefits for the employer. If you have successfully served in the military,you can turn it into a benefit by explaining that your success in the military is indicative of the fact you are a good team player,an attribute most employers look for when hiring staff. If you have specific computer skills, show how you can apply them to meet the employer’s needs.
If you are an entry level worker or a career changer, make sure you know as much as you can about the industry you are seeking to enter and your future job function in particular. Keep up with the latest trade publications or professional journals. Be familiar with the latest trends as well as industry jargon and buzzwords.
You think you are right for the job? Then bring along tangible proof. Employers are scared to death of hiring the wrong person and know that mistakes in hiring occur all the time. Anything you can do to alleviate those fears definitely strengthens your position. If you had good grades in school, particularly in courses that relate to the position you are applying, you might want to bring along a copy of your transcript, any certifications you have gotten or other proof of training. Most people who have won an award can show proof of it. If you were featured in a positive way in some publication, you can bring along a copy of the publication for the interview. Ditto for any letters of recommendation you may have as well as performance reviews or thank-you letters and notes of appreciation or other testimonials from customers or clients. You can also bring along proof of your accomplishments in community or volunteer work and certificate of appreciation. Do not forget situations where you were part of a group and received some form of group recognition. Finally, if you can bring along samples of work that you have done in the past or even a videotape of you in action that are in any way related to the job, it can make that extra bit of difference.
Bring along a list of three or four references.
Bring along a pen and pad in case the interviewer provides information you need to write down.
Though casual dress is becoming more common in many companies, unless you’ve been advised otherwise, it’s best to dress in conservative business attire.
Be sure to allow for ample time to get there, especially if you have never been to that location before. It is always better to have to wait in your car or in a coffee shop than to arrive late. Be sure to telephone ahead if you are running late. If you will be more than a few minutes late, it is generally best to reschedule the appointment.
Have the right attitude. Always keep in mind that you are going for the interview because you have valuable skills and attributes (such as the ability to get along with others and a good work ethic.) that the employers need. You are facing the prospective employer as an equal. Employers need good employees as much as you need a good job. If this particular employer decides not to hire you for any reason, it is a certainty that someone else will. On the other hand, should you come across as desperately needing the position in question, you cease to be the employer’s equal. You subtly convey the message that you do not have all that much to offer since if you did, you would not be so desperate for this particular position. Be honest. Be open. Be yourself. It is fine if you are not hired for the position. Taking the wrong job is worse than not taking the job at all. No one has the right "chemistry" with everyone they encounter. Get enough interviews and you are bound to encounter someone who speaks your language and vice-versa. Always keep your head high and your eyes on your goal. Always aim for a win-win situation. If you show employers you can meet their needs and they clearly see that you can, then they will have every reason to try to meet your needs as well.
Be yourself. Getting a new position can be likened to getting married. Both you and the employer need as much relevant information about one another as possible. Be prepared to present yourself in an honest, forthright manner. Being hired and then let go shortly afterwards because the hiring manager got the wrong impression of you is worse than not being offered the position in the first place. Ask yourself, do you just want any job, or do you want a position in which you can truly succeed?

At the interview

Be sure to look the interviewer in the eye when greeting him/her. Shake hands in a firm but not overbearing manner.
Unless the interviewer immediately takes the lead, you may want to say something to establish rapport and break the ice. Comments on a picture or a piece of office furniture, the weather, a current well-known community or sports event can all be appropriate. You can also mention a mutual friend or acquaintance.
When answering a question, be sure to maintain eye contact with the person to whom you are speaking. This is important, as it is indicative of both sincerity and commitment on your part. If you’re being interviewed by more than one person, concentrate primarily on the one who asked you the question, but also look at all of the others, each for a few seconds.
Keep in mind that every interview is a sales situation with you as the seller and the employer as the prospect. You think you fit this position? Fine, but so does every other applicant. You are not selling yourself so much as your ability to do a good job based on a combination of your specific skills, talent, aptitudes, experience, intelligence, character, work ethic, reputation, personality, academic achievements and possibly other factors as well. It is important not to come across as anxious or desperate. Realize you have significant skills and other specific attributes that are of value, whether to the company with which you are now interviewing or another company.
As those who have had sales training know, the seller should assume the sale. When you are discussing what you would do in the job, speak as if you know you are the one who is going to get the position.
Nearly every hiring situation has to do with the employer’s need to solve a problem. Find out why the position is vacant and what are the main problems that the employer needs you to solve. You may ask how and why the position became open. Explain how you will solve the problems and how and why you will do a better job than the former occupant of the position.
You will be asked a number of questions. You may be asked to describe your weaknesses as well as your strengths. We all have weaknesses. However, your weaknesses ought not to reflect on your ability to do an effective job. For example, a terrific sales professional may be weak at handling paperwork. A gifted artist may be a poor public speaker. A capable writer may be poor with numbers, but a bank employee should not be. You may be ask why you left previous positions and what former employers liked and disliked about you. Again, whatever they disliked should be irrelevant to your ability to do a good job for the company.
Not every employer is a great interviewer. Do not depend on the interviewer to bring up all the issues that are significant to you and your ability to demonstrate what you have to offer. Here are some questions you may need to ask:
What are the main responsibilities for the person in this position?
What are the key attributes you are looking for?
What are the primary results you want me to produce?
What do you consider ideal experience?
What else can I tell you to help you evaluate my background?

In other words, you have to know what the employer’s needs are before you are able to demonstrate that you can fully meet and hopefully even exceed those needs.

What are the questions to ask?


Only ask the questions if they will turn the conversation in the direction you want . Suppose you have a major strength you believe might be relevant to the job but you have not discussed it. An elementary school teacher could ask, for example, if he or she would have the opportunity to utilize his or her musical ability they happen to have. A young attorney could point to his strong computer skills, etc. It is important to bring up anything that might give you an edgeand would make the employers that think they would be getting more for their money if they hired you.
Be sure to show the interviewer tangible proof of your ability.
Besides questions intended to enable you to emphasize your strengths and what you have to offer, there are questions you can ask that serve to show both knowledge of the position and an interest in it. Here are some examples:
Questions about the specific nature of the business. For example, if it’s a law firm: What type or types of law do you specialize in?
To whom will I report to?
Why did this position become vacant?
Are there any specific problems you would need me to solve? (Then explain how you can solve them.)
What changes do you foresee for this company (or department) in the near future?
Can you share some insight regarding the company’s long-range plans and goals?
Would you be willing to try me out on a freelance basis? (Ask this only if you don't think they're going to offer you a regular position.)
When would it be ideal for me to start?
DO NOT ASK ABOUT SALARY, VACATIONS, MEDICAL OR OTHER BENEFITS UNTIL YOU ARE OFFERED THE POSITION OR KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE OFFERED THE POSITION.
Have your list of references at hand in case you are asked for them but donot be the one to bring up the subject. Many companies do not check references until they have made someone a job offer.
Be confident. Present yourself as competent, capable and very professional, but at the same time, NON-THREATENING. Often people are concerned about hiring the wrong person for many reasons. One of the reason is that they perceive someone to be a potential threat to them in their present position. The last thing that most employersseek is a person who will "rock the boat." Too often job applicants feel they need to come across as eager, ambitious "hot shots". It is fine if you are applying for a job in sales and all that drive and zeal are going to be directed at customers and potential customers .To give the impression that you are out to "take over" when you are being hired for a supportive position is usually a big turn-off. If you are being considered for a managerial or executive position, it is another matter. Even then, some caution is advised as it is important to fit into the existing corporate culture. A quiet, self-controlled inner confidence is indicative of a consummate professional. Keep in mind that people who appear non-threatening but are effective, capable professionals tend to be the ones who are frequently promoted within an organization.

The close of the interview

Effective salespeople try to close every deal as quickly as possible. They frequently employ "trial closes" to see if it is time to clinch the deal. Job interviews are usually more complex in this regard. The employer may have set up a two-stage or three-stage interview process involving multiple candidates, which would preclude a final close on the first interview. However, if the interview is a result of an unsolicited "cold" proposal letter you sent to a company, you may be the only one being interviewed and an attempt to close would be in order. Here is a trial close that would be effective in various circumstances:

"I’m very much interested in the position, Ms. Jones, as it is precisely what I would like to do career-wise. I just need to ask you, based on where we currently stand, is there anything in my resumé or anything we have talked about today that might indicate to you that I would not be ideal for this position?"

If she says there is, then you have just gotten an important opportunity to clear up a misunderstanding that could cost you the position. If she says there is not, it indicates you are either the frontrunner or at least a serious contender for the job. You can then ask, "Where do we go from here?"
At the end of the interview thank the interviewers for their time and indicate that you look forward to being in touch.

Source: www.resume.com

12 Wordpress Plugins For Your Blogs

Plugins can easily modify and adding more functions without the need to hack into the core of your WordPress codes. The basic idea of the plugin architecture is to keep the core of WordPress relatively simple, but flexible enough that nearly every aspect of its input and output can be modified by plugins.

Click here or here if you wish to write a plugin.

The list below summarizes a few of my favorite plugins.

1. WP-DB-Backup - I lost one of my blog's database because the server could not recover it after their harddisk crashed and I had to use my old backup that was 2-3 weeks. With this plugin, I can set it to backup my database everyday and sent it to my email account automatically.

2. ImageShack Uploader - Currently I do not see that this plugin works with Wordpress 2.5. A good plugin for me since I normally upload my photos there to minimize my server web space usage.

3. Akismet Spam Blocker - The plugin that block comment and trackback spam.

4. WordPress.com Stats - A plugins that provide statistics about your visitors.

5. MyFTP - With this plugin you can navigate files and folders on your server from you blog login page.

6. Widgetize Anything - It enables you to write php script on your widgets.

7. AddThis Social Bookmarking Widget - This plugin help your visitors promote your website or blog and is a great way to gain site visitors.

8. WP-UserOnline - Let your visitors see how many users are online on your Wordpress blog.

9. Wordpress Download Monitor - Display the hits of downloads statistics on your site.

10. Top Commentators Widget - Show the top commentators at the sidebar.

11. Top 10 posts, Views per post - Show the Top 10 posts on your blog.

12. Popularity Contest - Rank your posts by popularity. Not working with Wordpress 2.5 currently.

I have not tried this Wordpress Automatic upgrade plugin. More plugins can be found here.

More plugins codex:
Adding Administration Menus, Creating Options Pages, Plugin Resources, Function Reference, Plugin API, Template Tags

10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job

While searching the internet for "feed favourite articles to you blog", the first link I get is an article titled "10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job".

Here the reasons:

1. Income for dummies.

Getting a job and trading your time for money may seem like a good idea. There's only one problem with it. It's stupid! It's the stupidest way you can possibly generate income! This is truly income for dummies.

Don't you think your life would be much easier if you got paid while you were eating, sleeping, and playing with the kids too? Why not get paid 24/7? Get paid whether you work or not. Don't your plants grow even when you aren't tending to them? Why not your bank account?

Smart people build systems that generate income 24/7, especially passive income. This can include starting a business, building a web site, becoming an investor, or generating royalty income from creative work. The system delivers the ongoing value to people and generates income from it, and once it's in motion, it runs continuously whether you tend to it or not. From that moment on, the bulk of your time can be invested in increasing your income (by refining your system or spawning new ones) instead of merely maintaining your income.

2. Limited experience.

You might think it's important to get a job to gain experience. But that's like saying you should play golf to get experience playing golf. You gain experience from living, regardless of whether you have a job or not. A job only gives you experience at that job, but you gain "experience" doing just about anything, so that's no real benefit at all. Sit around doing nothing for a couple years, and you can call yourself an experienced meditator, philosopher, or politician.

3. Lifelong domestication.

Getting a job is like enrolling in a human domestication program. You learn how to be a good pet.

4. Too many mouths to feed.

Employee income is the most heavily taxed there is. In the USA you can expect that about half your salary will go to taxes. The tax system is designed to disguise how much you're really giving up because some of those taxes are paid by your employer, and some are deducted from your paycheck. But you can bet that from your employer's perspective, all of those taxes are considered part of your pay, as well as any other compensation you receive such as benefits.

5. Way too risky.

Many employees believe getting a job is the safest and most secure way to support themselves.

Does putting yourself in a position where someone else can turn off all your income just by saying two words ("You're fired") sound like a safe and secure situation to you? Does having only one income stream honestly sound more secure than having 10?

6. Having an evil bovine master.

When you run into an idiot in the entrepreneurial world, you can turn around and head the other way. When you run into an idiot in the corporate world, you have to turn around and say, "Sorry, boss."

7. Begging for money.

When you want to increase your income, do you have to sit up and beg your master for more money? Does it feel good to be thrown some extra Scooby Snacks now and then?

If you have a business and one customer says "no" to you, you simply say "next."

8. An inbred social life.

Many people treat their jobs as their primary social outlet. They hang out with the same people working in the same field. Such incestuous relations are social dead ends.

9. Loss of freedom.

It takes a lot of effort to tame a human being into an employee. The first thing you have to do is break the human's independent will. A good way to do this is to give them a weighty policy manual filled with nonsensical rules and regulations. This leads the new employee to become more obedient, fearing that s/he could be disciplined at any minute for something incomprehensible.

Free human beings think such rules and regulations are silly of course. The only policy they need is: "Be smart. Be nice. Do what you love. Have fun."

10. Becoming a coward.

Have you noticed that employed people have an almost endless capacity to whine about problems at their companies? But they don't really want solutions – they just want to vent and make excuses why it's all someone else's fault.

If you can't call your boss a jerk now and then without fear of getting fired, you're no longer free. You've become your master's property.

Still want a job? Click here to read more of Steve's articles.

If you find this article helpful, please leave a donation for Steve so you can enjoy the spirit of giving too.

How Fast Your Blogs Load?

Some useful web service here and here that shows general statistics about the loaded page such as the total number of objects, total load time, and size including all objects of my blogs.