Five common mistakes interviewees make and how to avoid them.

• a) Not researching or not researching well enough. Interviewers expect that you would have done your homework and come prepared to answer questions like :´Tell me what you know about our company.´ The least you should know is what business they are in. Other useful info to find out include, where their regional offices are, and if you are able to relate a recent development e.g. building two more plants in Tuas, you will really impress the interviewers. If you have a contact who knows about the company, it would be great if you can find out more and go for the interview really well prepared. The worst thing you can say is : ´Eh, I actually did not have the time to do research on your company´
• b) Not preparing well enough for commonly asked questions. Effective interviewing is all about preparation, practice and performing. Some commonly asked questions include, tell me about your strengths. Not only must you go prepared so share 3 - 5 strengths, you must also substantiate your claims by telling stories. There is a way to do this and it goes by the easily remembered acronym of S.T.A.R - situation, tasks, actions, results. The results must be of benefit to the company you demonstrated these strengths in. If you say you are good in organizing, pull out a relevant story from your stories bag and share it. The focus to responding to interview questions should ideally be :´Employer benefit.´ What value can you bring to the table, versus ´I need a job, help me´ mentality.
• c) Arriving late. Go at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time. You will then have enough time to catch your breath, and also go to the washroom to check your hair is in place, the collar/tie is well turned up/done, and of course, to wipe the facial oil off your face! Never assume that you will find the office walking from Suntec City Mall to Suntec City Tower Five can take a while, especially if you do not know which direction to head for.
• d) Not asking relevant questions when it comes to .Questions time.. Interviews are 2-way streets. Also go prepared to ask between 5 - 8 good and relevant questions. What are these? Any question to do with the company/culture, the job, the department you will be joining and your potential boss´ leadership style will be apt.
• e) Leaving the interview session and not knowing who the hell your interviewers were. You need to know not just the names, but also their respective roles in the company. Ask for name cards up-front, this can especially be useful to help you what questions to ask whom. Never be afraid to ask for name cards, though you yourself may not have one. If they do not offer you, at least find out their names and who they are.

Five tough questions asked during interviews and our suggested answers.

• a) Why should we employ you? This can be un-nerving if you read is as ´So, what makes you think u are good enough to join us/for this job?´ Well, don´t read it so. Consider it a God-sent question to allow you to summarize your strengths in relation to the job you are being interviewed for. Interviews are never a time to be modest - sell, sell, sell.
• b) What are your weaknesses? It is relatively easier to talk about your strengths, isn´t it? Well, pick one gap that you feel can also be perceived as a strength ..cause, strengths/weaknesses can be relative, couldn.t they? As an example, I tend to expect my colleagues to perform at the same speed/level of efficiency that I always apply to the projects that I handle. However, I´ve learnt to appreciate that people are different, and they will have their own styles and preferences and I should try not to impose my style on to others..
• c) You do not have enough experience for this job. Well, ask yourself this question: ´Why am I sitting in-front of the interviewer if he/she seriously feels this way about my level of experience?´ The fact that you are accorded the time and opportunity to be interviewed should give you the confidence that you may have what it takes to do the job, regardless. So, there is no need to be defensive. Respond that you have the interest and the confidence, and that you will try doubly hard to be up to speed in a relatively short period of time. Many times, they just want to see how you respond, if you blink, you lose.
• d) Given that you have two young children, we anticipate that you will have difficulties in fulfilling business traveling requirements. Again, there is no need to be defensive and say that you are totally capable of planning your own life, and what business do they have anyway to get personal. Share whatever arrangements you may have in-place already, or what arrangements you can potentially put in-place, and reassure them you are able to manage your business and personal commitments professionally and efficiently.
• e) We cannot match your salary expectations. Every job has a value, focus on how you arrive at your expected salary (range). Bring yourself out of the equation i.e. do not negotiate based on what you were making before/now, what you want, or what you need. At the end of the day, they may not have the budget, this is where you apply your negotiation skills to get you a package that may not meet your $ expectations but taken in totality, may not be too bad a deal.

Headhunters

These tips are excerpts from Paul Heng's recently published book, "Jump Start Your Career" :

• Headhunters do not work for you, the job seeker. They work for their client organizations.
• Be patient, persistent, courteous and accommodating to the needs of the headhunter, especially from the perspective of time.
• Get your resume to as many relevant headhunters as possible.
• Being a 'big' search firm does not equate to being a 'reputable' one.
• Always follow-up after sending out your resume.
• Get yourself in-front of the headhunter and 'sell' yourself. Before that, you are just another resume.
• Never patronize headhunters by offering to buy them lunch in exchange for their time.
• Always be humble.

Job Interview

• Ultimate objective for you, the job seeker is to secure a job offer.
• Never go for an interview with an 'underdog' mentality. Position yourself as an equal partner in the exchange of information session, which you really are.
• Prepare yourself well for the interview.
• Be confident.
• When responding to questions, always focus on how you can add value to the organization, not what they can do for your career.
• Watch your body language.
• First impressions are the most important.
• Be prepared with three to five good, intelligent questions to ask your interviewer.
• Before you leave, reiterate your interest in the position and ask when you could expect to hear from the interviewer again.
• Send 'Thank You' cards to leave a positive lasting impression.

Resume Writing

• Your resume is your key marketing tool. Spend adequate, quality time in preparing it.
• Prepare different resume formats to suit the position you are applying for, and also to be in-line with the appropriate practice in the geographic location where the position is based.
• Ensure you highlight your professional accomplishments up-front.
• Try not to go beyond two pages.
• Print on quality paper and send original copies only.
• Do not fold your resume.
• Do not 'cut costs' by buying inferior quality stationery or attempting to short change the postal authorities.
• When sending your resume as an e-mail attachment, ensure you save the document on a commonly-used softwares.

• Before you start posting your resume on job search web-sites, check out the quality of other resumes posted, and the reputation of the organization behind the sites.