Bonus: How To Ask A Recruiter About Salary
You dont want to seem like you only care about salary in a first conversation, but you also dont want to waste your time if the position would be a step down in pay, either.
So Id recommend asking, in terms of salary, do you have a general range in mind for the position?
This is a very casual, non-threatening way to ask. It sounds better than saying, What does the position pay?
Id never recommend asking that in a first conversation.
One other good option is to offer them some information about your recent pay and see how they react.
For example, you could say, My most recent base salary was $X, and Im hoping to receive an increase in my next role. Does that fit into the range thats been set for this role?
They might say yes, which is great or they might say, no and save you some time.
They might also say no but mention that theres a more senior-level position that could pay better.
Overall the choice is yours you dont NEED to tell them your salary, and a lot of people feel this is private info. But its just one option available to you, to help you quickly figure out if this job is worth pursuing.
What Questions Are Asked At The Interview
Despite the fact that they may differ depending on different companies and positions, you need to be prepared for everything. And the best way to do this is to sort the questions into categories.
The worst thing that can be done is to come for an interview, hoping for your imagination, ingenuity and impromptu. At a critical stressful moment, something will definitely fail, so lets see what is usually asked in an interview.
Introductory Questions
The interview will most likely begin with basic questions, such as:
- Could you tell a little about yourself?
- What do you know about our company?
- How did you find out about this vacancy?
- What motivates you?
Questions about work experience
Of course, the employer is very interested in your work experience, because it can be transferred to a new position. Therefore, expect questions such as:
- Could you briefly tell us by whom and where you worked?
- Why do you want to leave your current job?
- Can you explain the gaps in the history of your work? Why, say, did you have a three-month break?
- Can you describe the situation when faced with a difficult challenge and coped with it?
- What achievements are you proud of?
- Can you give an example of how you took on more responsibilities than the position required and dealt with it?
- What is your typical work day?
Questions about the position you are applying for
Summary questions
How To Behave During An Interview
These rules are universal, regardless of whether you are an extrovert or an introvert.
First of all, you need to understand that the employer rarely hires right after the first interview. Therefore, do not try to meticulously observe the interlocutor, so as not to seem intrusive. The main thing is to leave a good impression. You can do this as follows.
11 tips on how to pass interview successfully. Speak clearly and with confidence
When we meet a person for the first time, we judge him based on three components:
- clothes
- how and what he says
- language of the body.
These components must be used in order to leave the most pleasant impression about yourself. You probably heard the expression: People will forget what you told them, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Of course, this phrase did not refer to the interview , but there is some truth to this.
Be careful: confident speech can easily turn into self-confident, and clarity of speech can become vain.
Body language is also very important. If it does not harmonize with what you are talking about, then you can easily seem insincere or hypocritical. Especially if you overdo it with gestures and facial expressions.
Sincere and true people do not need a loud voice and rants. They are credible. Watch the video with the person you think is authentic. Find out why he makes such an impression. You should not blindly copy his gestures and facial expressions, but take a closer look and take something into service.
Read Also: How To Start An Interview As The Interviewer Example
What This Is Article About
Maybe you were or you will be a candidate for a technical interview. Here, I’ll share my personal experience as an interviewer. I’ll share the best strategies to pass technical interviews considering the interviewer side. I’m sure both juniors and seniors could learn something from this article.
Earlier I published an article with recommendations on how to conduct technical interviews for interviewers. In that article, I recommended asking high difficulty questions first and then moving to simpler questions. In such a way, the interviewer can identify the candidate’s knowledge quite quickly. However, this approach has one disadvantage: interviewed developers might experience a lot of stress. For this reason, companies may follow a different approach.
Signal When Your Answers Are Complete
In the same vein, its helpful for the other person if you signal the end of your answer, especially if its a long one. You can do this through a visual cue like nodding or you can make sure you conclude your answer strongly or ask the interviewer a question. A long silence while your interviewer guesses whether or not youre done can be awkward over video, Eonnet says, whereas in person, its usually clearer that the other person is finished speaking.
Don’t Miss: How To Set Up A Video Interview
Log On Early And Test Setup
Being on time is really being about 10 minutes early. For a virtual, first-time interview, you may want to make sure you are ready to go 15-20 minutes early. If this sounds like a lot, just remember: In a normal interview, you would probably be getting ready, driving, parking and finding the right room before the interview.
In this situation, setting up the computer and logging in is essentially the parking part of your interview process. Make sure everything works and then you can hang out until about 5-10 minutes before the scheduled time.
Pro Tip: ALWAYS act like your interviewer can hear and see everything you are doing. Getting in the habit of feeling watched during the session will help you not do something strange because you forget people are in the room or dont realize your camera is on. From the moment you log in until the moment you close the screen, just assume they can hear and see everything.
Make Sure To Follow Up After Your Interviews
Think about how much time and energy it takes to get interviews from writing your resume, talking to your network, applying for jobs online, sending endless scheduling emails, and finally taking time off from work to go to the interview.
So after the interview, doesnt it make sense to stay organized so that you can follow-up, check for feedback, and thank interviewers for their time to boost your chances of getting get hired?
I recommend you track everything in a spreadsheet including:
- How many interviews youve had with them
- Date of last interview
- When they said theyd send feedback
- Whether youve followed up already or not, and on what date
Then send thank you emails a day after the interview, and follow-up emails after 5-6 days if you heard no response.
Don’t Miss: How To Prepare Google Interview
Dont Forget About Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication plays a major role in a job interview. Are you looking at your feet? Do you have your arms crossed? Do you lean on the back of your chair? All these signs will show inward-looking attitudes to the interviewer and he wont feel free to get to know you better. Make sure to keep this in mind. Also, employers will be looking at your appearance and how you present yourself. Dress sober and clean.
Tip: Dont forget to give a nice and firm handshake to the employer before and after the interview.
Explain Any Long Pauses
Because of the various limitations of video calls, it might not always be clear to your interviewer what youre doing if no one is speaking. Tell them if youre pausing to write down a few notes, pull up some information for them, or even just formulate your answer to a question. This shows that youre aware of their experience while also reassuring them that no technical glitches have occurred.
Read Also: How To Say Thank You For An Interview
How Long Has The Position Been Open
This is a great question to ask recruiters because it will give you a sense of how the search has been going, how many candidates are in the companys pipeline, etc.
If a position has been open for a year, its tipping you off to the fact that the hiring manager is either extremely picky, or nobody wants the job.
This is usually a red flag either way. It could also mean that the hiring manager doesnt really know what he/she is looking for and keeps changing the requirements.
At the same time if a position has only been open for one week, you can expect a delay in the hiring process even if you interview right away. Hiring managers usually like to see two or three candidates face to face before making an offer.
What Steps Have You Taken To Improve Your Skills
Look for candidates who have attended voluntary skills training or external courses, especially those with industry-related certifications. This will indicate a desire for growth and a willingness to take on additional challenges.
Red flags: The candidate has only attended work-mandated skills courses or none at all.
Don’t Miss: How To Transcribe Interviews For Research
Tips For After The Interview
When the interview is over, give yourself the best chances of moving forward by doing the following:
20. Ask about next steps. After your interview, it is appropriate to ask either your interviewer, hiring manager or recruiter about what you should expect next. This will likely be a follow-up email with results from your interview, additional requirements like an assignment or reference list or another interview.
21. Send a personalized thank you letter after the interview. Ask for the business card of each person you speak with during the interview process so that you can follow up individually with a separate thank you email. If you interviewed in the morning, send your follow-up emails the same day. If you interviewed in the afternoon, the next morning is fine. Make certain that each email is distinct from the others, using the notes you took during the conversations.
S To A Successful Interview
Step 1 PREPARE for the InterviewGather InformationFirst, make sure that you know the time that the interview is scheduled for, where the interview will take place, the name and job title of the person who will interview you, and whether you need to bring anything to the interview.Then gather as much information as you can about the company. Having this background information also makes it easier for you to think of questions to ask the employer during your interview. Find out the essential elements of the job and think about how they match your skills and interests.Knowing in advance where the interview will take place increases your confidence and decreases the possibility of arriving late. Allow extra time for unexpected delays. If the place of interview is in a busy part of town or where parking spaces are limited, you may want to consider using public transportation.What to Bring
- Paper and pen for taking notes
- Your driver’s license
- Samples of your work
- Copies of transcripts, educational certificates, and professional qualifications
- Copies of your résumé
- A copy of your application
- Your reference list
- Your list of questions that you would like to ask
Step 2 DRESS for Success
- Get a haircut
- Groom your hands and nails
- If you have a beard or moustache, trim it so it looks neat
- Lay your clothing out the night before so you are sure it is clean and all there
- Get a good night’s sleep
Step 3 PRACTICE Makes PerfectStep 4 The INTERVIEWQuestions to AskDiscussing Salary
Don’t Miss: What Do I Need For Disability Interview
Use Facts And Figures To Demonstrate Your Achievements
When you’re answering questions about what you have achieved in previous roles, use data to back up your statements. For example, if you have experience in sales, explain that you were responsible for increasing sales by 20% in that role. If you have had success with previous customers, give details of your positive feedback and how your customer satisfaction rating has been consistently higher than average.
Practice Interviewing Will Boost Your Confidence
This part is crucial for you. This is one of the best ways to prepare for a job interview. Take your time and practice your presentation and answers on the essential interview questions. You can even role-play a forthcoming interview with your close friends and family members. Involve them in the process, give the information about the company, job description and explain the format of the interview. Give them a list of questions you want to rehearse answering. After this practice, it will be much easier for you to pass an interview for a job.
Read Also: How To Interview An Attorney
How To Behave After The Interview
As we already said, the interview ends only when you close the door and leave the office. But still, what you do after this is also important, although it does not affect the receipt of this particular vacancy.
Some people breathe a sigh of relief after an interview, and then wait with their fingers crossed. However, this strategy can be improved.
Arriving home, ask yourself:
- What can I learn from this experience?
- How could I be better?
- Am I suitable for this company?
- Am I suitable for this post?
Such questions mean a lot more than they seem. Even if the interview went not very smoothly, life does not end. Make the right conclusions, work on yourself and be wiser next time.
Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Company
This is in most hiring managers’ top ten interview questions and is also one of the standard interview questions in any solid interview process.
The candidate should focus on the positives about why the job they’re applying for offers them better learning or career opportunities, chances for advancement, aligns more closely with their long-term goals, or is a better fit for them.
Red flags: Complaining about or blaming their former job, boss, or colleagues. Also, having no good reason.
Recommended Reading: How To Get A Job Interview
What Can You Offer Us That Someone Else Cannot
A solid candidate can name specific skills, abilities, or understandings they have that apply directly to the job that other candidates are unlikely to have, or that are in short supply.
Red flags: Going negative â if the candidate starts trash talking other candidates, it’s a sure sign of a bad attitude. Also, if they can’t provide a solid answer, it may show that they lack thorough knowledge of the skills the job requires and an understanding of where they fit in.
Being unprepared for basic interview questions like this is also a bad sign all around.
What Are Three Positive Things Your Former Boss Will Say About You
This is another way of asking “what are your strengths?” Except, in this case, the candidate can name anything that they feel will be advantageous to the company including soft skills, hard skills, personality traits, or work experience.
Red flags: The candidate doesn’t think their former boss would say anything nice about them, or the candidate simply names skills listed in the job description.
Recommended Reading: How To Develop Interview Skills
How Would You Deal With Working Under Someone Who Is Younger Or Less Experienced Than You
It may be difficult for some candidates to work under a manager who is younger or less experienced than them. In today’s corporate environment, this is a very real possibility and candidates should be able to respect and work hard for their managers no matter who they are.
Red flags: The candidate doesn’t know.
Let The Other Person Finish Speaking
This is good life advice in general, but over video chat, jumping in with your response too soon can mute the other persons mic and cut them off entirelymaking you seem rude even if you didnt intend to be. Plus with internet lag, its not always immediately apparent whether someone is done speaking or just pausing. So once you think your interviewer is done, take a beat before you answer. If you have trouble with this, get in the habit of muting yourself while the other person is speakingthat way the action of turning the mic back on forces you to give them a little extra time to keep talking.
Don’t Miss: What To Answer During Job Interview
How Are Virtual Job Interviews Different
If you are preparing for a job interview , you may be wondering how virtual interviews differ from in-person interviews.
Job interviews have always been daunting for employees of all experience levels because they include a fast first impression and could put you on the spot to prove yourself. There is an even higher chance for things to go wrong if your prospective employer wants to chat face-to-face online.
Not only do you face potential connection issues or tech problems, but it can be harder to read someone virtually. You will have to change some of the things you think about during the interview. For example, women wont have to worry about whether they should wear flats or heels, but they will have to worry about sitting in a space with adequate lighting.
You may find the format is different as well. Depending on the type of online interview you are participating in, there are some instances where you are just recording your answers instead of conversing with a live person on the other end. This can be stressful for some candidates. Just remember that being brave enough to take the plunge and show initiative during an unfamiliar interview process is already a positive step in the right direction!
Going through an online job interview for the first time can be scary, but we are here to help! Here are 15 tips to help you succeed:
