Expect the Unexpected
 

If you’re preparing to be interviewed for a job, you must expect the unexpected. Gone are the days when a single interviewer asked questions that simply expanded on your resume. Today, you might find yourself in an interview with employees you’d work with if hired. An interviewer may hand you a sheet of paper and ask you to write down the reasons you should be offered the available job, or you could find yourself, along with other applicants, being asked to solve a problem collectively.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

Regardless of the format, expect team interviews to be challenging. The initial exchanges with the interview team are the most difficult. At this point, you and your interviewers are evaluating each other. Those first few minutes could be the most critical, since strong impressions can be formed in the first few seconds. For this reason, realize the importance of external items and mannerisms. How you enter the room, your clothes and accessories, the way you shake hands, your voice -- all create an impression. If it’s unfavorable, you’ll spend the rest of the interview trying to improve it. If you make a good first impression, strive to make it better during the meeting.

As a candidate, your goal is to find out if the company’s environment parallels your interests and values. Your prospective employer is trying to decide if your personality and background fit its culture.

Essential Tactics

Team interviews are more challenging than traditional encounters. But when handled well, you can show several people at once that you have the right stuff. Since you may not be told in advance that you’ll be interviewed by a team, be prepared for this possibility. Welcome the visibility you’ll gain when an audience watches you think on your feet in response to fast-paced questions. Remember, your interviewers understand how formidable non-traditional interviews can be and want you to succeed.

 

CONCENTRATE ON WHAT YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER

My best job interview was textbook smooth. 

I showed up 15 minutes early in an immaculate, freshly pressed gray 
suit with a white starched shirt and conservative silk tie. My hair, 
newly cut, was neatly combed. 

I brought multiple copies of my resume and professional references. 
I answered questions thoughtfully, and the hiring manager nodded 
and said "very good" throughout the interview. At the end, he took 
me on a tour of the office, introduced me to staff and told me that 
an offer would be forthcoming. I went home and breathed a sigh of 
relief. 

I never got the job.

Almost all of my friends have similar stories, and there's a 
valuable lesson to be learned: The best way to celebrate a great 
interview is to keep looking. 

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THE DREADED QUESTION

"Why did you leave your last job?"

Potential employers only ask this question because they have to. 
Chances are that you care more about the answer than they do. 

Don’t go into a long-winded explanation, but be brief and concise. 
A statement such as, "My company downsized, and I was directly 
affected," will enable you to get off the subject quickly.


JOBS EXPECTED TO TAKE A HIT

While some occupations will continue to grow, others will continue
to decline.

The jobs expected to see the greatest number of cuts are those in 
which machines have replaced human workers or in which computers 
have increased productivity, allowing companies to do more with 
fewer employees. 

Jobs that are being shipped overseas, such as sewing 
machine operators, are also expected to see steep declines.

The occupations with the largest declines for 2000-2010 as 
projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are:

1. Farmers and ranchers
2. Order clerks
3. Tellers
4. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
5. Word processors and typists
6. Sewing machine operators
7. Dishwashers
8. Switchboard operators, including answering service
9. Loan interviewers and clerks
10. Computer operators