Polly Amora is a Philippines based business woman, entrepreneur and blogger. She is the owner of Magniviq Marketing in Manila, Philippines and she runs her personal blog Polly Defies Gravity. Polly draws on her experiences in the business world to share her secrets to achieving success at your next job interview.

You’ve been waiting for days and you finally received that phone call asking you to come in for an interview. Just thinking about it is enough to make you feel stressed and nervous, right? You’ve impressed them with your CV and now is the time to prove to them in person that you are right for the job.

Here are some tips to help you pass ace your job interview.

PREPARATION

• Do your research. It is important that you familiarize yourself with the industry, the company and the position that you are applying for. The employer does not only want to know you are equipped with the right skills for the job but that you are passionate about the company and have an appreciation for the corporate culture.

• Beforehand, find out where the company is located, if it has multiple branches, how to get there and how long it will take to get to the interview. The last thing you want to have happen is to take off for the interview only to discover it’s on the other side of the earth.

• Think about job interview questions ahead of time so you won’t have a hard time formulating answers right on the spot. Be sure to rehearse your answers so you come across natural and confident.

• Rehearse with mock interviews. Ask someone you are comfortable with to “role play” as the interviewer or try talking to yourself in front of a mirror. This will help you gain confidence in your spoken English and get comfortable with the interview process.

Here are some commonly asked questions:

• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• What makes you unique from other applicants?
• What is something that is happening in the industry at the moment that takes your interest? How do you think this will affect our business in the future?
• What transferrable skills did you develop in your previous employment that you will bring to this new role?
• Why did you resign from your last employer?
• Imagine you work for our firm – Who would be your ideal client and why? How would our business meet their needs?
• Why should we hire you?
• What has been your greatest accomplishment to date?

INTERVIEW DAY

Dress for Success: Present yourself and your qualifications confidently! If possible, avoid anything that is too loud, shows too much skin or figure (like short dresses or tight pants), too casual or anything that will be distracting. Professional business attire is strongly encouraged and highly recommended. Be sure to check your grooming such as your hair, clean fingernails, polished shoes, wrinkle-free clothing and if you wear makeup keep it minimal.

Be Punctual: Try to arrive 10 to 15 minutes ahead of your interview. This will give you enough time to relax and do a last-minute check of your appearance.

Be polite to everyone you meet from security guards to the secretary, show everybody that you are nice and friendly. Remember to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Interviewers often ask other employees whom you have come into contact with what their impression of you was. This is often used as an indicator as to whether you are an appropriate match for the firm’s work place setting and whether you can represent the firm in a positive light outside of work.

THIS IS IT! IMPRESS THEM!

Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake;  and introduce yourself with a genuine smile.

Maintain a good posture. Sit up straight, lean a little bit forward and make frequent eye contact rather than looking at your resume while coming up with an answer – eye contact conveys confidence and interest in what the interviewer is saying. Do not forget to smile.

Follow the S.T.A.R. strategy – Situation, Task, Action, and Result — it will help you give a coherently structured response to questions. This technique is a useful tool as it ensures you do not forget to include any important details and that the interviewer can easily gain the insight from your answer that they are looking for.

Let them know what you have to offer. Talk about your experiences and accomplishments (without bragging) and how your skills can help benefit you and the company. Confidence is the key  but be wary of over-confidence being misinterpreted as arrogance.

Count 5 seconds before answering each question, it helps you process the question and you won’t appear as though rushed (or nervous). This rule will help you avoid sentence fillers such as ‘um’, as you will have already given yourself the time to formulate your answer.

Use a calm yet professional tone of voice, be sure to speak slowly and use emphasis when appropriate. No need to rush!

Do not speak poorly of your previous employers/colleagues. This can give a potential employer the impression that you may be someone who is difficult to work with or who does not work well with colleagues. If you feel it is appropriate to mention a less positive aspect of your previous employment, make sure you phrase it as a challenge that you overcame – framing the experience as an example of positive personal growth.

It’s your turn to ask. Remember this is not a one-sided interrogations but a rather two-way conversation. Throw relevant questions such as ‘What are the prospects for growth and advancement?’ If you are finding it difficult to think of a question to ask your interviewer, then simply ask them about their job. Find out why they like working for the company and how they foresee they role within the company developing as the industry evolves.

 When the interview comes to an end, do not forget to thank the interviewer and offer a handshake. Small gestures can make big impressions. It is always good practice to email HR after your interview thanking them for their time in organising the interview, regardless of whether or not you ultimately get offered the position.

Your employer is looking for the ‘best’ person for job. So show them that no other candidate is going to fit in with their team as seamlessly as you will.

Good luck!

photo credit: pasukaru76 via photopin cc

Alongside this reduction of benefits Cameron has pledged to stop more than 500,000 British jobs being advertised across the EU. Previously under the EURES scheme, all positions advertised in the UK had to be offered to EU citizens as well. On top of this, the scheme provided European workers with funding to cover travel expenses for interviews within the UK, relocation costs, English lessons and gave UK firms up to £1000 if they hired foreign workers. Arguably, the fact that of the 2.4 million jobs advertised on the EURES site, 1,138,847 were UK based jobs indicates the root of the UK’s immigration issue and subsequently the high levels of unemployment experienced particularly amongst young school and college leavers. Thus, Cameron’s calls to clamp down on recruitment agencies that only seek foreign labour and to reduce the advertisement of UK jobs within the EU should see employment benefits for the UK’s younger population, but these changes have wider implications, especially when considering the impact on the UK’s economy.

Cameron’s immigration policies are certainly intended to paint a more promising future for Britain, with the suggestion of many more jobs available and a reduction of benefits being allocated to non-nationals. However, critics have scorned this as nothing more than a cheap attempt to win voters especially considering that these policies go directly against the economic advice of the IMF who have warned that restrictive immigration policies within the UK could hinder productivity growth. This follows from an IMF report, which outlined that:

‘relaxing immigration requirements in areas with labour shortages such as manufacturing could provide a boost to productivity and facilitate the rebalancing of the UK economy.’

Thus, surely Cameron’s calls to reduce immigration are set directly against the IMF’s recommendation and indicate that he values pleasing the Eurosceptic punters above fostering the UK’s economy? This is, however, perhaps unfair as Cameron has clearly stated within all of this that the immigration changes still recognise the economic value of many immigrants and that the UK will continue to grant visas for graduate entrepreneurs and those of exceptional talent who will contribute to its growing economy. As Cameron has said, this is all about

‘carefully and painstakingly…building an economy that has real opportunities for our young people’

and should his projected outcomes of these policy changes prevail, the benefits should be seen directly in youth unemployment levels.

How does your country find a balance in this political hot-topic? Do you think the UK is handling it in an appropriate way?

Feature image: source

I don’t mean that you have to be a “yes man” or woman or submit to sexual favours, simply that by saying yes you will open doors to experiences that you would otherwise remain oblivious too.

If you think that every time you say no you are closing a door, not having an experience or learning about something you will understand.

Sometimes you do have to say no and that is fine. “Do you agree with the current strategy we are following?” May well require a “no” with a good thought out rational reason as to why not. You will be expected to have an opinion if you are to show your future potential however I am referring to the request to visit a client out of hours or stay and work with a new member of staff or any other request that you might ordinarily consider saying no to.

Every task you do, every conversation you listen to as well as take part in is a learning opportunity. I can guarantee that the person who says yes with a willing heart will learn more, gain more experience and progress through the business faster.

So when you are asked to do something that requires some extra endeavour try saying yes. You will be surprised were it may lead too.

- The Management Tour Guide

The Management Tour Guide is an experienced manager with an MBA who has helped to build an international consumer goods brand.  MTG has been hired over the phone, asked to leave in person, been head hunted and passed over on many occasions.  MTG has worked on start ups, wind downs and lost causes as well as successful businesses.  It all counts when it comes to gaining experience.

Who’s Advice: Alok Bhardwaj

Worst First: Before you do anything else, do the least desirable things on your to-do list.

Why We Like It: This seems like the best way to enjoy the rest of your day and get rid of that nagging voice in your head telling you that should be doing jobs you don’t want to do.

Who’s Advice: David Allen

2-minute rule: When new tasks come in and they can be done in 2 minutes or less – do them immediately.

Why We Like It: This keeps your to-do list clear of menial tasks, which we think is the definition of productive.

Who’s Advice: Timothy Ferriss

80/20 rule. 20% of your activities are responsible for 80% of your output. If you identify this crucial 20% of key tasks then you can prioritise your workload more appropriately.

Why We Like It: It cuts time wasting through having a good understanding of what your activities achieve. We think this is a good tool for motivation as it can be easier to work most efficiently on tasks you see the value of doing.

Who’s Advice: Tony Hseih

The ‘Yesterbox Technique’ – Use yesterday’s emails as todays to-do list.

Why We Like It: Rather than a piece of expensive software, this is a free email management technique, which anyone can decide to adopt at any time. No expense is crucial for young business professionals and entrepreneurs.

  Who’s Advice: Francesco Cirillo

The Pomodoro (tomato) Technique: Break down your work into 25 intense minutes, and follow it up with a 5-minute break.

Why We Like It: When you know you are allowed a five-minute break it keeps you focused. If you don’t know when your next break is or you are not one of those people who can focus for multiple consecutive hours – this technique is incredible handy. A good procrastination cutter too!

Considering their recent structure overhaul, I was keen to see how the bank was evolving in the wake of significant legislative change surrounding financial markets. With 48 million customers worldwide, Barclays is moving forward from their recent time in the media spotlight with new values of respect, integrity, service, excellence and stewardship.

The structural changes have included the consolidation of some areas and the general reduction of size to create a simpler architecture, with the legal counsel acting as the gatekeepers to legal risk, stakeholder management and business strategy.

Panel presentations allowed various lawyers the opportunity to share their journey into the legal profession, many of which were slightly unconventional and therefore gave food for thought about the endless possibilities in the legal world. What became quickly apparent was the synergy between business strategy and law, meaning that the in-house lawyers acted in a dual role of both legal and business advisory.

The negotiation and advocacy workshops drew out the personalities of my colleagues and I, as we discovered the roles in team collaboration that we naturally take. Whilst advocacy is not a keen interest of mine (I am pursuing a career as a solicitor, not a Barrister) the negotiation exercise proved rewarding. The arts of tactical diplomacy and team collaboration were the key skills we practiced under the supportive supervision of an in-house lawyer. My negotiation team won, and admittedly my previous experience in the role of being a negotiation competition judge may have given us an advantage, as I was aware we were not to make any concrete commitments to the proposal presented in the exercise as we are acting on behalf of a client. Another crucial point to remember in a negotiation exercise is never to draw assumptions from the information you are presented with; you can only work with what your client has told you.

Commercial awareness, or commercial interest, depending on your preference of term; was a significant topic we covered through presentations and group discussions. My group defined commercial awareness as:

“An interest and appreciation for the relationships and implications of actions between your clients stakeholders within a political, economic and legislative sphere.”

On the second to last day of the internship I was fortunate to shadow a lawyer working within investment banking. Through discussions with the lawyer I shadowed I learnt of the wider implications of the market crash and how the tightening grip of UK legislation is a response to this. We appear to be moving toward the American approach of having highly restrictive legislation, forcing banks to adopt strategies with lower associated risks. One such aspect is the holding back of some capital to act as a buffer against market instability, with the objective of protecting against the issues faced in 2008 by the investment bank Lehman Brothers, for example. This is arguably a far more sustainable approach to conducting business. Furthermore, these legislative changes are mechanisms by which the reputation of financial institutions can be safeguarded and the publics trust left in tact.

The pertinence of the experience in a time of such significant paradigmatic shifts within the legal sphere meant that I left feeling that I had gained an insight into the very real implications of the evolving business environment. The message I have for others following my visit is that building in sustainable attributes to your business model is non-negotiable; risk has to managed effectively and reputations maintained in order to thrive in a hyper-competitive environment.

Image Credit: Telegraph

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