Competency-Based Interviews: 6 Steps to Success!

Competency-based interviews are intended to get the best from you, the candidate, whilst also fulfilling the needs of the organization to get the very best person for the job. There are some easy steps to make the most of yourself and have a much better chance of success.

1. Prepare well, but keep it sensible As long as you know the job you are going for, ask for details of what you will be measured against. Ask for a set of competencies. Ask for a job description. This sets you up to succeed, not just because you are better informed, but also because you have asked - which will impress the decision-makers, before you even get there!
   
2. Get Creative Here is the time to use your own experiences to create 'stories' which you can use in the actual interview. These 'stories' are real scenarios that you have been a part of, which over a period of days and weeks beforehand, you write up. Maybe you will have 20+ initial ideas.
3. Leverage! Take the very best scenarios and write them out, bullet points first. Then flesh them out, whilst referring carefully to the competencies you've been given. It is amazing how you can 'tune-in' your scenario to include many, if not all of the competencies. And if you can't fit them all in, there will be a use for them - later!
4. Practice By reading through your scenarios (and by now you should not have more than six or seven) you will familiarise yourself with the contents, so well, that they will become second nature - even in the scary experience of an interview.
5. In the Interview There are some tactics in here too!
   
   • Using your scenarios make just three key points about what you've been asked. Make them relevant and the right 'weight'. Not too long or too short.
   • After that, leave space for them to ask more - that's what they are listening for.
   • Say 'I' a lot - they want to know what your personal involvement and experience was, not 'the team' or 'they'.
   • Have fun - whilst not contrived, smile and make some simple jokes, if you feel comfortable with that - they want to employ happy as well as capable people.
   • Can't answer? That's fine. Make sure that you reflect on your shortcomings by saying things like, 'It's one of the first things I want to develop in my next job - if you did your stuff on your scenarios and your competencies well enough, you will have covered 90% of the bases well and you'll be forgiven for not being 'perfect'. If you are really stumped - say so!
   • Ask questions - relevant, about their culture, focus on developing you, opportunities - the positive 'peopley' things (remember it's your chance to see if you want to work with them!).
   • Also ask about current issues they may be facing - you did do your homework on them, didn't you?
6. Strong Ending!Keep the whole thing light, even as you leave at the end. Have a conversation in general terms - about anything! Do make sure that you ask them some things that are about them - they will love it if you ask them some open (what, how, when, where, who) general questions about your new job! About something nice in the building or their clothes - take as it comes and do what feels comfortable!
   
   
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The Best Plus-Size Suits For Job Interviews

You've fine-tuned your resume and landed that important interview for the perfect job. Now, you need to figure out what plus size suits will make you look professional and stylish. There are many options for plus-size suits, but let's narrow down the search to what will give you the sharp image that you need to impress your interviewers.  What Type Of Job Are You Interviewing For?

When you begin searching through the racks of plus size suits, keep in mind the position for which you are interviewing. If you are hoping for a job in a creative field such as advertising, art, fashion, or entertainment, you will want to choose more colorful fabrics and trendy styles in suits. Potential accountants, bankers, and financial planners should stick to conservative colors, styles, and fabrics. And, if you are hoping to land a sales position, look for tailored suits in assertive colors.

Consider Your Body Type

No two bodies are alike, but here are some general guidelines that will help you select the best style for your figure. If you are top heavy, your best suit options will be single breasted with narrow lapels. Ample hips and thighs can look slimmer with a duster or fingertip-length coat. If you have a shapely waist, peplums or jackets with fitted waists can play up your curves without looking too suggestive for an interview. Tall, leggy women always look great in pantsuits.

What To Wear Under The Jacket

If you have found the perfect interview suit, you will need to select a coordinating shell, blouse, or sweater for under the jacket. This is where you can add some pizzazz with a bright color or interesting pattern. Stay away from frills, lace, or ruffles though. The goal is to look streamlined and professional, not fussy or overtly sexy. As well, make sure that you are not showing cleavage. This is an absolute no-no for an interview.

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Six Steps to Acing a Telephone Interview

Telephone interviews are becoming more popular these days.

Sometimes they’re used as a simple pre-screening technique; other times they are an invaluable way for companies to consider candidates who live far away. 

Some employers hope to catch you unprepared in order to see if you can think on your feet and if you have superior communication skills.

So, if you are prepared for the call, you'll ace the test. If you are invited to participate in a telephone interview, here are six tips for acing it.

#1. Take the call when you’re ready. If an employer calls and wants to do the interview when you’re not expecting it (instead of setting up an appointment), excuse yourself politely (“I’m in the middle of something right now…”) and offer to call back in ten minutes. This will give you time to prepare.

#2. Get rid of distractions. Take the call on a phone in a quiet room — away from co-workers, radio, television, family, roommates, or anything else that may make noise or take your attention away from your task.

#3. Gather your tools by the phone. These include:

• Your resume

• Pen and paper to jot down notes, including the interviewer’s name

• Company research (with relevant information highlighted)

• Questions to ask about the company and position

• A list of your selling points to mention, and items to cover as you talk about the position. These include your best qualities, specific experience and skills related to the position, and personal traits such as dedication, enthusiasm, and team-building skills.

#4. Stand up to talk. Your position affects the quality of your voice. If you are sitting down relaxing, you don't project the same enthusiasm and intensity as you do if you're standing up. Also, smile as you’re talking. It will come through in your voice.

#5. Make a good sales presentation. You are selling yourself, so make sure you do it well... Just as you would during an in-person interview. Ensure that you’ve covered all the selling points on your list. (You do have a list, don't you?)

#6. Let the employer end the interview. When it's obvious the conversation is over, don't try to drag it on. Say "Thank you for your time," reiterate your interest in the position, and ask what the next step will be.

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Plan Your Appearance to Make a Great First Impression

Your personal appearance is a critical component of that all-important first impression when you walk into the room for your interview. 

Some people don't think about what they're going to wear until the morning of the interview. Then they scramble to find something that's appropriate, clean, and doesn’t look like it’s been slept in.

Imagine putting on that rarely used suit an hour before your interview and discovering that it no longer fits!

Plan your outfit in advance, try it on to make sure it fits well, and get it cleaned and pressed if 

necessary.

When deciding what to wear, think "conservative business attire." Even if you are interviewing for a field job in which you'll wear jeans and steel-toed boots, those clothes are not appropriate for the interview. It's always better to dress "up" than to dress "down."

The key is to look professional.

Here are some preparation tips:

• Think about your hair in advance and make sure it's as ready for the interview as your clothes. Do you need a haircut or touch-up on the color? This goes for mustaches and beards, too.

• How are your teeth? If they’re not pearly white, consider using one of the many teeth-whitening products on the market today. Dingy teeth really can make a negative impression, so don’t ignore this.

• Freshen your breath, especially if it's been a while (or if you've eaten or smoked) since brushing your teeth. Don't go into the interview chewing gum.

• Do not plan to wear perfume or cologne. Having no noticeable scent is better than turning your interviewer off by wearing too much perfume/cologne (or wearing a scent that unpleasantly reminds an interviewer of an ex-spouse). And many people are allergic to ingredients in perfumes and colognes. It's safest to wear no scent at all.

• Women, if you decide on a dress or skirt, make sure it's not too sh ort. Be conservative. By the way, pantsuits are perfectly acceptable these days if they meet all the other criteria.

• Don’t forget to consider your shoes. Chose a pair that is stylish, but conservative and comfortable. (Spike heels are not a good idea.) Make sure they're clean and/or shined.

Remember, your goal is to look professional and conservative. This applies to makeup, nail polish, jewelry, body piercings, tattoos, etc.

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Succeeding with Panel Interviews

These days, job interviews often consist of a panel of three-to-six interviewers.

A "team approach" to finding the best candidate can be beneficial for the employer. Each member brings a different set of skills, experience and judgment to the team, and can point out pros (and cons) about a candidate that the other interviewers might miss. 

Panel interviews can also be beneficial for the job seekers.

In a one-on-one interview you only have one shot at making the best impression. With a team doing the interviewing, your odds are increased.

Say for example that Interviewer No. 1 had a bad experience with your past employer and unconsciously (or consciously) holds that against you, even though you had nothing to do with what happened. Interviewers No. 2, 3, and 4 have no such prejudices and so could sway the vote in your favor. 

While panel interviews often seem more intimidating than one-on-one interviews, here are some steps you can take to ease your stress and ensure a better outcome.

1. Relax. Remember that being faced by a panel of strangers (versus one) is better for you.

2. Smile. Everyone in the room will smile back and you'll all get off to a great start.

3. Greet each interviewer individually. Shake hands with each person. Repeat their names as you are introduced (everyone likes to hear their own name, and it will help you to remember them).

4. Include everyone when answering questions. Face and make eye contact with the person who asks the question, but then extend your eye contact to everyone in the room. You're speaking to all of them, not just the person who asked the question.

5. Get their cards. Before leaving, get a business card from each person in the room. These will come in handy when it's time to send your thank-you notes. (If they don't have cards, ask for their names again if you don't remember them; jot them down. You can contact the HR person or receptionist later to get their email or mailing address.)

6. Send individual thank-you notes. Immediately send a thank-you note to each member of the interview panel, but don't make the notes identical. Make it more personal by pointing out something that person said or asked. For example, "When you asked me about my marketing experience, I forgot to mention that in addition to my three years as a marketing representative at ABC company, I also participated on several marketing focus groups while working at XYZ company." 

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How to be an A-List Employee or Candidate

Hopefully, we all understand the importance of "marketing" ourselves in our careers - selling our skills, our rxperience, our education, our accreditation, and our professional value to our current and future employers.

What we often forget, however, is the importance of the "qualities" or "attributes" that signal a Top Performer.

In fact, in survey after survey asking managers and leaders what they look for in model employees, ATTRIBUTES are frequently the first mentioned - not skills, not education, not certification, but rather personal attributes and qualities that separate Top Performers from the pack.

Throughout all of these surveys, while many unique features appear, common themes keep coming to the surface. Below, you will find the Top 5 qualities that appear again and again. If you can demonstrate these qualities on the job, highlight them come promotion time, and communicate them in an interview, then you will definitely identify yourself as a Top Performer, separate yourself from the competition, and advance your career.

1. Self-Motivated/Lifelong Learner

Being self motivated refers not only to getting the job done without being told, but more importantly it means taking responsibility for doing whatever is necessary to get the job done, and making certain that you have the tools to get the job done.

In other words, employers are looking for people with a "passion" for self-improvement; people who will manage their own personal and professional development, learn aggressively, and take the initiative to get the expertise required to add more value to the company. Hiring managers very often look to the Education section of a résumé to see if candidates have continued learning and growing as part of their career.

So, take control of your professional development and growth.

2. Interpersonal Skills

Most people will agree that good interpersonal skills are important, but what do we really mean by it? Ultimately, it boils down to this: "getting along." Getting along with others, whether customers or colleagues, is at the heart of fitting in with the culture of a company, being a valuable part of your team, and being successful.

Only in rare cases will a company reward the unpopular, unfriendly "lone wolf" who nevertheless delivers results - it may pay off short term, but in the long term, people just get tired of putting up with it, especially if it infects team performance.

So, get along with those you work with, those you work for, and those you want to work for. "Fitting in" and "getting along" may not be in your performance targets, but it will pay off big time!

3. Think Strategically

Employers want people who not only focus on their areas of expertise, but who also see where and how it fits in with the big picture.

Strategic thinkers are always looking to find out where the organization needs or wants to go next, and then they position themselves to help the organization get there.

In other words, in addition to doing your assigned job, try to see your organization (or your division or department) as your customer, and then seek to meet that customer's needs.

The better you understand your company's strategy, and the more you can contribute to its value, the better job you can do in communicating YOUR value.

Communicating your value is ideally a matter of positioning your skills, experience, and knowledge in the context of what's important to the company - if you continue to think strategically and contribute strategically, you will start to stand out as someone who can really make a difference.

4. Inquisitive/Champion Innovation

Top performers are always looking for a better way to do things, and top employers are always looking for these people.

You don't necessarily have to be the person to build the better mousetrap, but if you keep an open mind, question the status quo, and encourage innovation and out-of-the-box thinking from those around you, you may be the one who recognizes the NEED for the better mousetrap.

So, be inquisitive and ask questions both of yourself and what you see around you. Whether you have the power to influence your organization or just your own desktop, if you can help it stay on the cutting edge, you'll stand out as a Top P erformer.

5. Flexible/Adaptable/Open to Change

This is not a new concept, but it often remains the difference between those that move ahead and those that stay behind. Business is about change - those who embrace it will thrive, and those who resist it will not. It's that simple.

However, embracing or rejecting change really only differentiates the good performers from the poor performers.

If you want to take it to the next level, if you want to be the Top Performer among the good performers, you also need to be able to ANTICIPATE change.

This is especially true for managers and leaders, but still applies to everyone else. Just as I spoke of above with "encouraging innovation," the ability to anticipate change - seeing it coming and sometimes even going out after it - keeps companies on the leading edge, and separates the leaders from the followers.

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Your Most Important Asset

When you're looking to get hired or get promoted, what do you think is your most important asset? Your experience? Knowledge? Skill? Talent?  While all of those are advantages that will help you achieve your goals, there's one thing that's more important than all of them combined.  Your attitude!  I attended a board meeting recently. It should've been spelled "bored." Just about everyone's eyes were glazed over or nearly closed with fatigue as one dull presentation after another was foisted upon the board members, staff and audience.

Then something changed.

Someone who had never spoken at a board meeting before got up, went to the lectern, fired up her PowerPoint presentation, and totally blew everyone away!

People perked up in their seats and listened attentively to her every word.

When she was done, people clapped! (If you've ever attended a public agency board meeting before, you'll know how remarkable that is!) The board president said, "I've seen hundreds of presentations. This is the first time I've ever seen one that elicited applause!"

Was this presenter more experienced, more knowledgeable, more skilled or more talented than all the others? Absolutely not. As a fairly new employee, she was actually inferior in all of those areas.

What made the difference? Her attitude.

She was enthusiastic, positive, upbeat, energetic and truly excited about what she was talking about!

It wasn't the quality of her presentation that impressed people, it was how she made them feel. Her enthusiasm was contagious, so the audience greatly enjoyed listening to facts and figures that, presented by someone without her energetic attitude, would've bored them to tears.

Everyone in that room will remember and think very highly of her--not the more experienced, knowledgeable, skilled or talented presenters--because of her attitude.

You know why companies conduct time-consuming, labor-intensive job interviews instead of simply hiring people based on the qualifications presented in their resumes? One of the reasons is to find someone they'll enjoy working with.

This can only be conveyed in person, by your attitude.

Think of your own co-workers. Who do you enjoy working with? The smart guy who has all the answers but acts superior? The woman who has the most experience but whines or complains whenever she's asked to do something in a new way?

Or the person who always smiles, listens to you, stays positive, friendly and supportive no matter what? 

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Sales Experience

by Alistair McIntyre

The thought of a career in sales can be a very daunting prospect, especially if you have no previous experience. In this article I will try and talk you through some of my own personal experiences.

Sales, is all about your personality. The difference between a great sales person and a poor sales person generally all comes down to the nature of the individual involved.

If you are bright out going and able to communicate with different people on different levels then you may well find that sales is for you. There is no template for the perfect sales person and there is no true technique that will work for everyone is all comes down to you.

One of the biggest factors that I think comes into play with sales people is money. You think money when you are selling. The money factor is often the catalyst that makes sales people perform. It’s almost like waving the carrot for the donkey.

Sales jobs are very often commission based so the recruitment process is usually very relaxed. In most non-sales jobs employers can pick and chose whom they want to employ.

Sales is different, if you don’t perform you don’t get paid, it really is that simple. There are a few exceptions where you will be offered a salary but generally a sales persons wage is directly reflected by their performance. This could be a big factor when deciding if you want to take a chance with a career in sales.

I was lucky enough to land a placement that included a salary plus bonus. This acted like a safety net. If I had a bad month I still had my basic wage to fall back on.

The commission only package does have other implications, for example, saying to your bank manager you are only paid on a commission only basis may not go down to well when your are applying for a mortgage. These are just a few considerations you should take into account when deciding if sales is for you.

How do you land a sales job?

Most companies that sell either products or services have a team of sales reps that are there to promote and sell their products to the public or businesses.

The sales team are very often the public face of the company and are in effect representing the company’s brand. Conduct is very important in this role. A good sales rep will always try and show the company in good light and be polite and courteous at all times.

The types of companies that are often looking for sales reps are utilities companies, telecommunications and the insurance and financial sector. It is always best to look for companies that are within travelling distance and forward your CV to them. Generally most people would leave the personal statement out of their CV.

In the case of sales I would strongly advise you include it. The reason for this is they really need to know quite a lot about you as a person before they can evaluate your application.

As I have said before the making of a good sales rep all comes from your personality. Put your self across properly and you will do well. Another important point is to try and apply for companies that operate in a market you understand.

For example I would not apply for a sales job selling financial products because to be honest I have very little understanding of this field. Try and stick to things that you either understand or could easily pick up.

Most companies offer full training but it is often good to have a grasp of the basics before you start. When you apply you will generally be given an interview. In sales the interview tends to be very aimed towards you as a person, again it is all about personality.

You need to come across as the right sort of person for the job. Try and be confident, don’t hesitate on questions and generally act as if you are enjoying the interview. 

Training

Most companies offer training to any new starts within the company. Try and take in as much of this as possible. They will offer you tips and tricks to help you out when you are out selling. They will also try and make you a fully aware of the products or service they offer. Training is very often ongoing and you will be brought back in for refresher courses once in a while. At the time they seam pointless but in the long term they do help.

Good sales all comes down to the following

• Well presented to your customers
• Good overall product knowledge
• Confident
• Well spoken
• Good listening skills

All these factors play a part in making you a good sales rep There is no magic formula that will make you perform in sales it is all just a learning process. What works for one person won’t work for another. It all comes down to fine-tuning your own personal skills.

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