Job Interviews

sufi

lala
But an actually useful tip that I have used successfully is to take notes when they ask you a question, if you are brave enough. Ask/tell them that's what you will be doing at the start
That slows things right down, establishing psychological domination over the panel, but more helpfully it overcomes the inevitable brain freeze as you try and recall the 3rd thing that you wanted to say about the topic.
They ask a question, you jot your note of the 3 things you want to talk about before you start talking, there will be an awkward silence while they wait expectantly, and then refer to the note when you answer - it can even create the impression that you're on top of things, an in control management operator type, quite simple but it does take a bit of nerve

Honestly that's a great tip

My version of catalog's advice is
Show you understand,
Give an example,
Don't bullshit too much

Always ask them to repeat at least one of the questions, especially if you veer off, or forget what you needed to say

Prepare in advance 3 things to say about whatever they put in the jd and always have some questions for them, they always ask if you have any questions at the end and if you are not too cheesed off with the whole thing you can pretend that you are checking out whether they fit your criteria

With these techniquez I tend to get on better at interviews than jobs

Your brain is pretty together craner, you will waltz through it
 
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catalog

Well-known member
i got some good advice about asking questions from someone where i didn't get the job. she said i had wasted my question. she said you should basically use it as an opportunity to show off something that has maybe not come up. so try to ask them a hard question, maybe about a choice they've made with regard to how they do things, where they could have gone another way or something, if you can glean such a thing from the website or what you know about them. it could backfire, if you don't actually know what you are talking about, but if not, it can work well, as it demonstrates your thinking a bit. the other thing to remember about asking questions is that if you genuinely don't have anyone, its ok to just say that, or say that it's been answered in the course of the interview.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Actually, if we're doing serious advice, one thing that someone told me that made a lot of sense is the following - if they ask you what your weaknesses are, don't say a character flaw or something like "I'm lazy" or "I get angry easily" cos that can't be improved, say instead "I'm not good at Excel" or Powerpoint or something cos they'll be like that's no big deal we can just train you.
 

craner

Beast of Burden
Thanks for all the help!

It went well enough, although I have a suspicion the questions were geared towards a different kind of candidate, so not really confident I will get it.

I knicked my motto for the day from the BJ leadership campaign: "Just don't die."

Well, I didn't do that.
 

craner

Beast of Burden
No, but I had to do a 15 minute presentation, maybe I should have shown them highlights of it.
 
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