How to handle pre-employment testing in the job interview

In the IT industry, technology tests and screenings are very common. They are used to determine your exact technical aptitude, so you should definitely be ready for these. However, some companies also administer pre-employment tests to determine if your personality and attitude will be a good fit for the company and position.

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The dreaded “weakness” interview question and the worst answers out there

1. “I’m a workaholic!” This implies that to improve on your weakness, you have to work less. Plus, employers want well balanced people, not people who never come up for air from their work.
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Maybe you’re nervous or maybe you haven’t interviewed in a while. Either way, here are a few tips, brought to you by Henry and Bill on video!

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While there’s plenty of companies out there who will make the hire after just one interview, you have to be prepared for the fact that there are also many companies who have long interview processes. There are a number of reasons for this.

Maybe the first interview was technical, to determine your skill level, and the second interview is more personal, to see if you’d be a good fit with the team and work environment. Sometimes each interview is with a different person with whom you may be working. Other times, the interviewer is hung up between a few final candidates and thinks another interview will help them make a decision. (more…)

Who will you look at? It’s not uncommon for two or more people to interview you at once.

Maybe they’re from different departments, or maybe one will ask the questions while the other will watch your body language. Whatever the reason for there being multiple interviewers, it can make your interview just a little more challenging if you’re not sure how to handle it. (more…)

It’s one of the most common interview questions, but you may still be uncertain about how to best answer it.

You know the basics: don’t tell your life story from childhood through today, and don’t ramble on for hours. But beyond that, what exactly is the best answer? Ultimately, it depends on what the interviewer is looking for in a candidate. (more…)

If nervous sweating, trembling, and stuttering sounds familiar to you, take comfort that you’re not alone. Taking job seeker advice is one thing if you’re confident and outgoing, but if you’re shy, spitting out those words and giving a successful job interview performance is a whole other story.

Typically, shyness is a fear of being rejected combined with negative presumptions. So when it comes to interviewing, how do you get over your shyness to get the job? (more…)

So you were fired. Laid off. Let go. And now you have an interview, where it’s probably pretty likely you’ll be asked why you left your last position. What do you say?

The most important thing to remember is not to bash and blame the company, your boss, or other coworkers. Avoid rambling and complaining. Take full responsibility and learn what you can from the experience. Get to a point where you’re comfortable with what happened, so that you’re comfortable in giving an answer. (more…)

It’s a simple tip, that you probably have the common sense to figure out.

Surprisingly, though, more people get lost on the way to an interview than you’d think. Getting lost is the worst excuse on the face of the planet, even if it’s the real reason you’re late. So get to know exactly where you’re going before you make the journey. (more…)

Obviously, it’s important to dress and appear professional when you’re in a face-to-face interview, but what about a phone interview?

When you’re feeling professional physically, chances are you’ll come across more professional, too. Why? Because when dressed in a fresh shirt and pants, it’s likely that you’ll automatically correct your posture. And when you sit up straighter, you get more air in your lungs, which affects the tone of your voice. (more…)