The Interview Success Plan - Inappropriate Questions

Step 4: Inappropriate Questions

A majority of private companies and public service agencies have policies regarding inappropriate questions. There are also state and federal laws which govern the hiring process. These policies are usually available from the personnel section or central human resources function.  

Interviews should be based on "job-related" criteria and questions based on those criteria.  If you've been asked an illegal question, talk to the personnel section, human resources, or an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) specialist.

Here are examples of inappropriate topics and questions:

The Interview Success Plan - Answers and Answers

Step 3:  Answers, Answers, Answers

We've found a number of ways that people use to prepare their answers to interview questions. Some people will write specific answers to as many specific questions as possible and memorize the answers. Another way is to write outline answers to specific questions and memorize the outline answers. 

Our choice is to look at categories of questions. For some categories such as the "General Experience", you can prepare an answer covering all your relevant experience. The key is to be able to think during the interview and adjust your answer to fit the question. For example, "How does your current position qualify you for the job?" is simply a variation of "How does your experience qualify you for the job?". The answers to questions on your education should always focus on the aspects of your education that are a definite benefit to the job that you’re interviewing for.

The Interview Success Plan - Potential Questions

Step 2:  Potential Interview Questions

Match the underlined words to the question headings or keywords in the Interview Question Bank. For example, many of the underlined words from the example above fall under the category of "Personal Qualities".

Read each list of questions carefully. Many of the questions are similar. We’ve tried to include as many variations as practical. Too often, people make the mistake of studying specific questions. When you study only specific questions, it’s easy to be thrown off when a different question is asked.

Review your Interview Wraps from previous interviews. Use your experience from previous interviews to help you on this interview.

The Interview Success Plan - The Job

The Interview Success Plan is a step-by-step plan that identifies the key requirements of the job that you're interviewing for, gives you practice interview questions, and then helps you build a series of practice job interviews.

Step 1:  The Job

Review the job announcement or job advertisement. Identify the skills, knowledges, and abilities specified for the job. On a job announcement or job advertisement, the skills, knowledges, and abilities may be found in the description or under headings such as: 

The Job Search

Being organized will greatly aid your job search.

Here are some tips for an effective job search

1. Make a list of important things to do every day. Outline daily activities to look for a job.

2. Apply for jobs early in the day. This will make a good impression and give you time to complete applications, have interviews, and take tests.

3. Call employers to find out the best times to apply. Some companies take applications only on certain days and at certain times during the week. 

4. Write down all employers you contact, the date of your contacts, people you talk to, and special notes about your contacts.

During Interview - What you can ask

It is important to remain calm during the interview. The following is a list of some typical questions which are asked during an interview. Study them carefully and prepare well-thought-out answers. This will help you overcome your nervousness.

During the Interview..... Do ask:

1. What are the responsibilities of the job?

2. What qualifications are you looking for in this job?

3. What type of person are you looking for in this position?

Resume Tip - Make an effective Resume

Your resume is an advertisement about you. 

If you are working with an Employment Agency, have your resume ready before your first face-to-face meeting with them. Agencies may or may not help you develop your resume. Many are not experts in writing resumes, but they certainly see a lot come through their offices. You can use a professional resume writing service, however if you follow the sequential information provided here, you will save yourself a lot of money.

Have you ever heard the statement, "Don’t judge a book by its cover"? Because your resume is the first thing a potential employer will see, many will judge your resume whether or not they will grant you the time for an interview. Keep in mind that many companies don’t only look for experience, they look for accomplishments, whether you can handle more than one task at a time whether you are a stable individual with a proven track record. You are probably thinking, "How could I ever portray that in a resume?"