You're Hired! Interview: Tips and techniques for a brilliant interview

225 Pages·2009·5.567 MB·English

by  Judi James

YOU’RE HIRED!
JUDI JAMES is a leading THE CHANCES ARE THAT YOU DON’T ENJOY JOB You’re hired – the words that
expert in the field of body every job applicant wants to hear.
INTERVIEWS – WHO DOES? SO HOW DO YOU SURVIVE
language and behaviour. But with many more job-hunters
She is an author with twenty THEM AND MAKE THAT FIRST IMPRESSION GREAT? than jobs available, the odds are
published books under her
stacked against you. You’re Hired!
belt, including the bestselling
is a series of essential guides for
BodyTalk at Work and regularly
writes advice and analysis T job-hunters, showing you how to
columns in magazines including IP research, apply for and land the
Zest, More, You and Heat. Judi FOR MOST PEOPLE, THE INTERVIEW IS A TRIAL THATHAS S job of your dreams.
has also had her own TV series, TO BE GONE THROUGH IN ORDER TO GET THAT ALL-
&
Naked Celebrity as well as a IMPORTANT JOB AND FOR MANY, JUST THE THOUGHT OF Make sure you’re hired!

nightly slot on Channel 5 News T
during the general election and IT CAN LEAVE THEM FEELING LIKE A NERVOUS WRECK. E
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regular appearances on Big
Brother on the Couch. This practical, informative and fun guide is for anyone facing H
interviews, whether you’re a first- or second-jobber, career-changeror N
Judi is a high-profile name in the corporate field even someone who is returning to work after a break. It reveals the I
q Also in this series:
with 15 years’ experience running training courses secrets behind a successful interview experience and teaches you how
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across the UK and speaking at keynote conferences. to be confident and boost your self-esteem so that you can enter the
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She has spent several years talking to school leavers interview arena ready to answer even the most challenging questions.
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about job interview techniques and has also fronted

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a government-sponsored adult learning campaign, As well as advice on body language and self-presentation the book
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talking about the psychology of learning and also includes valuable insights on answering tough questions and how
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emotional issues involved. to identify what it is the interviewer is really asking about. There iseven

a trouble-shooting chapter to help you deal with those last-minute A
interview nerves, helping to make the process easier, more enjoyable, B
and ensuring your interviews result in success. R
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“THE BODY-LANGUAGE GURU’S BRILLIANT BOOK...
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GET IT IF YOU WANT TO GET AHEAD.” I
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Best N
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YOU’RE HIRED!
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£9.99
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IMPRESSIVE ANSWERS
TO TOUGH QUESTIONS
Available from www.trotman.co.uk
YOU’RE HIRED!
INTERVIEW
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
FOR A BRILLIANT INTERVIEW
JUDI JAMES
You’re Hired! Interview: tips & techniques for a brilliant interview
This fi rst edition published in 2009 by Trotman Publishing, a division of
Crimson Publishing Ltd., Westminster House, Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey
TW9 2ND
© Judi James 2009
Author Judi James
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 84455 178 1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic and
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of
Trotman Publishing.
The author’s moral rights have been asserted
Designed by Nicki Averill
Typeset by Refi neCatch Ltd, Bungay, Suffolk
Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Comwall
CONTENTS
About the author vii
Introduction 1
Learning to love interviews: rule 1 2
Learning to love interviews: rule 2 3
Learning to love interviews: rule 3 3
Learning to love interviews: rule 4 4
Suck it and see? 4
How to use this book 5
Chapter 1 Why interviews? 9
When does an interview start? 11
What makes a bad interview? 12
What makes a good interview? 12
How the purpose of an interview is structured 14
How your role relates to this structure 14
Types of interview 16
Chapter 2 Assessing the product: what is it I have to sell? 19
You and your self 20
Using your Shield 26
Different strokes: how intelligent are you? 26
Chapter 3 How to get an interview 29
Key routes to getting an interview 30
How to do your CV 33
Strategy planning 35
How to use a recruitment agency 36
Chapter 4 Mental preparation: how to re-boot your confidence 39
Confidence 40
Diagnosing your problem 40
Self-esteem 41
Challenging your mirrored self 45
How to boost self-esteem in six easy steps 46
Coping with confidence 48
iii
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Dealing with shyness 52
E
N Managing stress 54
T
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Chapter 5 Coping with rejection 61
No pain no gain! 62
Stimulus and response 62
How to shrug 62
Making shrugging work 63
How rejection works from the interviewer’s side 64
Defence mechanisms 65
Discover the truth 66
Ask an expert 68
How to recycle rejection 69
How to be a more motivated person 75
Re-motivate when life sucks! 76
Chapter 6 Impression management: how to create powerful
communications and lasting impact and image 79
Instant impact 80
Silent speech 80
Etiquette rules: OK? 81
Shaking hands 84
Networking techniques 85
How to impress the interviewers 89
Know your goals 90
Congruence 96
Changing your body language 96
Reading your interviewer’s body language 104
Chapter 7 How to dress the part 111
Why smart means safe 112
Grooming 114
Styling 116
Chapter 8 How to talk the talk 123
You and your words 124
Getting the tone right 126
Psycholinguistics: the power of your words 130
iv
C
O
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Making small talk 136
E
Leave a trail of breadcrumbs 141 N
T
S
Chapter 9 The affinity process: getting people to like you
or approve of you 145
First impressions 146
Creating change 152
Chapter 10 Presenting at an interview 155
Feel the fear! 156
What is a presentation? 156
Work naked first 158
Chapter 11 Surviving the Q&A 163
Pre-interview essential work 164
Q&A 170
Chapter 12 Essential exits: what to do after the interview is over 199
Exit interviews 200
Chapter 13 Troubleshooting 203
I get sweaty at interviews 204
I blush easily or suffer from nerve rash 204
When I get nervous I start to stammer 204
I suffer from panic attacks 205
I suffer from shyness 205
I can’t afford to buy a suit 205
I’m worried my English might let me down 206
I’m worried I’ll dry during the interview 206
Sometimes I can’t stop talking 206
What if I don’t know the answer to a question? 207
I can never remember the interviewer’s name 207
I struggle using eye contact 207
I don’t know what to do with my hands 208
I’m worried they’ll ask about the gaps in my CV 208
I’m worried about any maths or written tests 209
What if I’m late? 209
I think the interviewer dislikes me 209
I lack the qualifications for the job 210
v
C
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I’m over-qualified for the job 210
E
N I get embarrassed talking about myself 210
T
S I’ve been told I don’t make enough impact at interviews 211
I’ve been told I seem too aggressive/assertive 211
I’ve been told I’m too blunt 212
After a few bad interviews I get very demotivated and start giving up 212
I’m older than most of the people interviewing me 212
I might be too young for the position 213
vi
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A leading author with 20 published book titles, including BodyTalk at Work,
plus regular advice/analysis columns in magazines like Zest, More, You and
Heat, Judi is also a TV expert in the fi eld of body language and behaviour,
having had her own series Naked Celebrity, plus her own nightly slot on
Ch5 News during the general election, as well as appearing regularly on Big
Brother on the Couch.
Judi is also a high-profi le name in the corporate fi eld with 15 years’ experience
running training courses across the UK and speaking at keynote conferences.
She has spent several years talking to school leavers about job interview
techniques and she has also fronted a government-sponsored adult learning
campaign, talking about the psychology of learning and emotional issues
involved.
vii

INTRODUCTION
Are you a masochist, an egomaniac or an attention-seeking show-off?
If you answered ‘no’ to all the above, the chances are you don’t enjoy job
interviews.
For most people hunting for work, the interview is about as much fun as
chewing off your own elbow. For the compulsive show-off with narcissistic
tendencies it might be viewed as an opportunity to excel, but for the rest of
us the thought of packaging up our fl imsy self-esteem and presenting it to a
stranger to trample into the shag-pile at will can be perfectly horrible.
The good news is that you can learn to love interviews. Even if this book
doesn’t make interviews one of the greatest pleasures of your life, right up
there along with the likes of buying your fi rst Porsche or eating chocolate –
it will help to make the process easier and more enjoyable, as well as
ensuring your interview outcomes are far more successful.
This book is a practical, informative and fun guide for anyone facing
recruitment or promotional interviews, whether you’re a fi rst or second-jobber,
career-changer or even someone who is returning to work after a break.
An interview is a both a ritual and a performance. We’ll be looking at the
simple steps of getting the rituals right – learning how to meet, greet, dress
11