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- Show little or no interest in the job or in the company.
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Demonstrate a lack of organization.
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Use poor communication skills.
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Be arrogant and aggressive.
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Exhibit a lack personal hygiene.
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Demonstrate lack self confidence and self esteem.
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Be impolite.
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Criticize past employers.
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Lack of self knowledge.
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At the end of your resume, you often
indicate :
"REFERENCES AVAILABLE
UPON REQUEST"
You must prepare a list of references
on a separated sheet of paper. Here is what you have to do first
concerning that list :
-
Choose people who have influence and
who can help you get the job (ex.; teachers, previous employers,
someone who supervised your volunteer work, etc.)
-
Telephone these people to verify if
you can use their name as a reference. This important conversation
will also allow them to be more prepared when a potential employer
calls them to discuss about your skills and strengths.
-
Ask them at which number they want
to be reached.
-
Information to write on the
reference list : a) name, b) title of the person, c) work place, d)
city and province, e) telephone number (s) ( indicate clearly : home
and/or work).
-
Avoid using a close relative as a
reference.
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During an interview, with subtle questions, employers
are trying to evaluate you. Let’s find out the meaning of these
questions with different examples:
Questions:
Tell me about yourself... or I’m listening…
To see if you make the connection between
your skills and training and the job offer.
To find out why they should hire you.
To find out if you did this type of work
before.
Questions:
Talk to me about your experience in this type of work.
Questions:
What do you know about our company / organization?
-
To see what you know about the company and how
interested you are in it.
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Establish what your motives are.
-
To see if you took the time to do some research on
the company.
Questions:
What impression do you keep of your last employer?
Questions:
How do you motivate yourself at work?
Goals :
Questions:
What are your strengths?
To determine your strengths and your
personal characteristics.
To see if you believe in yourself and if you’re
confident that you’re the right person for the job.
Questions:
What are the weaknesses you have to improve on?
-
To verify if the job wouldn’t suit you for any
reasons - for example: poor attitude, immaturity, refusal to follow
orders, laziness, etc...
Questions:
How do you accept criticism?
Questions:
What are your short, medium, and long-term goals?
Questions:
What do you expect to be paid?
Questions:
Why should we hire you?
Questions:
Do you have any questions?
Source :
Martine Lemonde et Nathalie Fortin, career counsellors with Brisson,
Legris et associés.
Bibliography :
The Gazette, Focus on Jobs , Montréal, Wednesday, October 6th, 1999
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Congratulations! You have now reached the stage of the interview. For many looking for jobs, to be called for an interview is a sign of success in itself, and they are right, except that efforts must not stop because of that.
The process of the interview is divided into three stages. The first, the most important, is preparation. It is very important to know oneself well to understand what one has to offer as a worker and also to be able to identify the job that one wants to get. It is also primordial to revise one's résumé in order to match the pertinent training and work experience with the job applied for. Still for the preparation, it is essential to be informed about the business or organization wishing to meet us. The information sought bears on the job applied for and the business; for example the salary, the duties, dress code, services, structures, history and any other subject pertinent to the interview.
Finally, for the preparation, it will be quite useful to you to go through an interview simulation in order to be able to detect your failings before the interview.
The second stage is the interview. Since you prepared well and left nothing to chance, this stage should go very well. During the interview, the questions will relate to your personal history, your qualities, your education/training, your work experience and your reaction to various given situations. Do not hesitate to ask for clarification and to ask questions at appropriate times. Punctuality, the way you dress and your general presentation are aspects to be considered for the interview.
The third and last stage of the interview is the evaluation. If you get the job, bravo! On the other hand, if your candidacy is not retained, you must try to understand why.
Do not hesitate to ask employers, in a polite manner, what it is that resulted in your not getting the position. Their comments will help you for a future interview.
For more information, you can reach an employment counsellor
at (819) 648-5065 or toll-free at 1-877-648-5065.
Good luck!!! |
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Yes, it is true that employers hire
people with competencies, meaning individuals capable of assuming all
tasks related to the position offered. Pertinent education and training
of an individual are important indications of his competencies. However,
employers are also seeking people with interesting characteristics.
Personality and competencies are the
first requirements of any employer. A competent candidate with a dull
personality, as well as, a candidate demonstrating good personal
qualities but lacking professional qualifications to carry out the work
will not interest an employer. Certain jobs require little or no
experience or education but all jobs demand certain qualities. Here is a
list of the main selection criterias that hiring specialists use when
they must evaluate the potential and qualities of candidates.
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Motivation and dynamism.
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Interest for the position.
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Ambition.
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Sense of responsibility.
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Sociability and team spirit.
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Open minded.
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Good judgment.
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Initiative.
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Self confidence.
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Leadership.
You must certainly possess a good number
of these qualities ... It is important to arouse the qualities lurking
within yourself.
Text drawn from : InterAgir - An
efficient strategy for socioprofessional orientation
Editions Septembre |
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Mistakes committed by the interviewer |
Mistakes committed by the interviewee |
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First impression |
Mistake: during the first minutes, the
interviewer can form a bad impression of the candidate.
Comment: further information given during the
interview can confirm that perception. |
Mistake: giving the impression that you are too
confident or not very preoccupied by the interview.
Comment: this attitude can affect negatively your
image. |
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Attitude |
Mistake: the interviewer may not be open minded
toward candidates that seem to have a very different personality than
his.
Comment: the interviewer is an individual that is
influenced by attitudes, preferences, habits, judgment and humors.
|
Mistake: nervous candidates have tendency to talk
about subjects that are not relevant
(ex.: the weather).
Comment: it is important to find ways to control
your nervousness. |
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Lack of preparation |
Mistake: not being prepared, not reviewing the
resume, not knowing the employment requirements, not transmitting all
the relevant information to the selection committee are frequent errors.
Comment: unfortunately, the candidates’
evaluation may be distorted. |
Mistake: not being prepared, not reviewing the
possible interview answers, forgetting to bring an extra copy of your
resume and your list of references, not being well dressed are frequent
errors.
Comment: well prepared candidates may be one
length ahead. |
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Prejudices |
Mistake: the interviewer can also be influenced
by positive or negative images that people relate to a certain groups:
women are emotional, youths are not motivated, etc.
Comment: these prejudices can create
discrimination. |
Mistake: not asking the employer the reasons why
you were not hired.
Comment: it is important to verify with the
employer the reasons why you were not hired instead of staying under the
impression that you were not chosen because of your age, your
nationality, your religion, your sex, etc. |
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Negative vs Positive |
Mistake: when a candidate is being evaluated, it
seems that negative information has more influence than positive
information.
Comment: it is important to evaluate the
candidates with a global view. |
Mistake: sometimes, candidates misunderstand a
question and are too shy to make the interviewer repeat.
Comment: not answering the question properly can
be embarrassing. |
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For better interviews in the future, take
the time to consider the strong and weak points of each interview.
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YES |
NO |
| I arrived early |
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| I was enthusiastic |
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| I was polite to everyone I met
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| When I met the interviewer, I gave a
good handshake |
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| I sat down once I was invited to
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| I let the interviewer start the
interview |
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| I kept a good posture throughout the
interview |
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| I made eye contact when I spoke
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| I listened to questions carefully and,
if necessary, I asked the interviewer to repeat them or to be more
specific |
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| I expressed myself in a clear way and
used a proper language |
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| I took the time to think about my
answers before giving them |
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| I remained calm, tried to control my
nervousness and demonstrated self-confidence |
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| I tried to give positive answers by
emphasizing my strengths and skills |
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| I answered questions as honestly as
possible |
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| I avoided criticizing former employers
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| I avoided talking about my personal life
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| At the end of the interview, I asked
relevant questions |
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| I avoided extending the interview
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| At the end of the interview, I thanked
the interviewer and gave a good handshake |
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I had trouble answering some of the
questions
(If yes, which ones: )
I forgot to mention important information
during the interview
(If yes, what: )
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You are actively looking for a job and
you thought about everything:
-
you have an impressive resume,
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many employers already received a copy,
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you are ready for interviews, and of
course,
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you can start your new job right away.
You are almost ready… What
if you are selected for an interview?
Do you have a car? Do you even have a
driver’s license?
Unfortunately, having a job in this region
means having a car or some prearranged way to get to work. You may
not be able to work exactly where you live. So, you may have to think about
traveling.
Here is a simple solution:
-
Start asking family and friends about
where they work and how they get there. Carpooling is a popular
option, and much cheaper. Of course, you will have to share some
gas-related costs, but you are also multiplying your chances of
employment.
In fact, it may be wise for you to check
out possible traveling arrangements before your send your
resume to employers.
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Young job seekers new to the workforce
need to compensate for their lack of experience by making potential
employers aware of all their assets. To be competitive during an interview,
consider bringing up some of the following points:
Dynamism and economy: Employers
like to rejuvenate their team to give it a breath of fresh air -- that’s
where you fit in! As a young employee with less experience, you also have
the advantage of being less costly.
-
Demonstrate your energy, while staying
calm and poised.
-
Offer new, ¨young¨ ideas.
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Keep in mind that you must honour the
organization dress code at all times.
-
Agree to start at the bottom of the salary
scale.
Willingness to learn, motivation and
availability: Employers often prefer to hire young people they can train
to meet their own needs.
-
Demonstrate your willingness to learn by
asking questions about the duties and nature of the work.
-
Show that you have an open mind; it
demonstrates your capacity to adapt easily.
-
If you have done volunteer work, make sure
to let the interviewer know; it shows that you are dedicated and motivated;
-
If you don’t have too many personal
obligations, point out your availability; it will also show your
flexibility.
New technologies and up-to-date courses:
It is a well-known fact that young people are particularly open to new
technologies.
-
Show your interest and capacity to learn
new software.
-
Express any knowledge you may have
regarding software relevant to the interviewer’s business.
-
If you have had recent training that could
be an asset to the employer’s workplace, try to figure out ahead of time how
you could work the information into the interview …
It is important to emphasize every aspect
of your character, situation, experience and training that a potential
employer would regard as an advantage. With time and experience, you will
gain additional assets. Try to show potential employers that you are willing
to learn and develop as a member of their team.
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