Interviewing Tips
When you are about to interview (compete) for your first job, the one that could launch your career, the stakes are high. Undoubtedly you will be nervous, but there are ways you can minimize your anxiety and put yourself in a position to win the job by preparing for your interviews thoroughly. Here's how: 1) Do Your Homework Before the Big Interview Whether it’s fair or not, your interviewer will expect you to know quite a bit about their organization. Luckily for you, there are many free, diverse resources, available on the Internet that can enable you to achieve that competitive edge if you're willing to put your nose to the grindstone, or computer monitor for that matter. Browse the organization's Web site, - Your prospective employer's corporate website is the best place to see the company as it wants to be seen. Do check out that annual report, but also look for a "press room" or "company news" page that links to recent news releases. As you browse all this information, consider how the position relates to the company's mission. - But don't stop there. Use the company’s site search facility to query the names of the hiring manager and any others on your interview dance card. You may retrieve bio pages or press releases that give you insight into their most visible activities at the company. Read as many of its marketing materials as you can. Look for articles about the organization in major periodicals or industry trade journals. If you can, dig even deeper by talking to some of the company's current employees. - You can get some vital statistics and independent perspectives on your prospective employer. Hoover's Online provides: capsule descriptions, financial data and a list of competitors for thousands of large corporations. 2) Identify What You Have to Sell Pinpoint what the top three skills or experiences you have, that other applicants may not possess. Make sure you identify them before the interview, and then determine how you'll communicate them to the interviewer. 3) Prepare Examples It’s easy to make claims in a job interview, but make sure you can back them up. Think about some actual stories you can tell from previous work experience (if you have any) to support your statements. A way to really impress an interviewer is to consider developing a career portfolio and using it as a presentation prop during the interview. 4) Develop Some Intelligent Questions At some point during your interview, you will be asked whether you have any questions. This is one of the most important parts in an interview. By asking intelligent questions you are demonstrating your level of interest in the job. So be sure you develop a few ahead of time, and if any arise jot some down during the interview. This is sure to score you a few extra points.
5) Develop Your Close Successful salespeople know how to effectively close meetings with clients to win sales. Similarly, you need to learn how to close your interview to win the job. Regardless of your style or how you choose to close the interview, there are some key points to keep in mind: 1. Leave your interviewer with the right impression of you. Think of at least five skills/traits you want remembered after the interview. 2. Ask if there is anything else you can provide, such as references, background information or work samples. 3. State your interest in the position. Don't be overly anxious, but act interested. Remember to mention the added value you can bring to the job. 4. Ask about the next step in the process. It's important for you to know the next step so you can follow up. Ask for the decision date. 5. Find out how to contact them. If you don't hear back, you will need to know who to contact and whether they will accept calls to check the status.
Practice makes perfect!
At most campus career centers, you can sign up to do a mock interview with a career counselor. But lucky you, this is what you will have the opportunity to do October 6th with RES. Please take advantage of this helpful service so you can get a sense of what an interview situation is like. You have the opportunity to interview with professionals from every aspect of the Real estate field and with professionals that are impossible to reach otherwise. Below are some common questions you might be asked in an interview: Common Interview Q’s 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Where would you like to be in your career five years from now? What attracted you to this company? What are you looking for in terms of career development? Why should we hire you? What do you know about this industry? What do you know about our company? Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle it? What's the most important thing you've learned in school? What are three positive character traits you don't have? Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them. How do you feel your time here at SDSU has prepared you for a job in the real estate industry? Why are you interested in a job in real estate? How are you different than your peers? What job do you think you would be best suited for and why? Other than your experiences at school, do you have other experiences that are applicable to a job in real estate? As a job applicant, what do you feel are your weaknesses? What are your long term goals and how do they relate to a job in real estate? What makes you more qualified than most for a job in real estate? Can you tell me any recent news related to the real estate industry? What perceptions do you have about your work schedule, job tasks and responsibilities, and other demands of a job in real estate? How do you plan your day? How do you keep on track with work and/or school commitments? What tools do you use to prioritize your responsibilities? How do you deal with deadlines and/or stress? How do you feel about traveling? Do you prefer to work in an office or out in the field? Do you prefer to work as an individual or in a team? How do you think ethics have played a role in the way real estate professionals interact with clients, co-workers, and third-parties? Why should I select you for a position in real estate?
Image matters!
You need to look your very best for the interview. Here are some pointers: Get your hair cut and styled Buy a professional outfit or two. For woman, don’t wear something too revealing; minimize cleavage, if you wear a skirt make sure it’s not to short usually no more than three inches above the knee. Wear the right shoes, no flip-flops or 7 inch heels. Sometimes casual is ok, but no shorts, caprees or t-shirts. Your image matters because it shows your attention to detail and gives the interviewer a good idea of how you'll represent their company to clients. The visual message you send makes a big difference in how you're perceived and, ultimately, whether or not you get the job."
Make sure you come prepared
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Know Where You're Going – Literally! You cannot be late for interviews – period!!!
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So get good directions to the company ahead of time, and if you are not familiar with the location it may not be a bad idea to take a test run during the same time your interview will be. This way you can see how traffic will be and know where you will be going.
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Rest Up Get a good night's sleep before your interview so you'll be as physically, psychologically and emotionally ready for it as possible. Plan to Bring Your Resume to the Interview
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In fact, bring several copies. Your interview won't go perfectly. And most interviewers understand this. You'll probably struggle with some questions, and you may forget to make some important points. If you accept this ahead of time, and you'll take some of the pressure off yourself so you'll make fewer mistakes and omissions during the actual interview.
Make peace with mistakes – you will make some.
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Six Answers Interviewers Need to Hire You
During the typical job interview, you'll be asked a lot of questions. But do you really understand what the interviewer needs to know? There are 6 key questions every interviewer will need to be answered in order to make a hiring decision. 1) Do You Have the Skills to Do the Job? The very first thing an employer must determine is whether or not you have both the necessary hard skills (technical or administrative) and soft skills (also called people skills) for the position. An example of hard skills might be the programming knowledge for a database administration job or the writing chops to be a newspaper reporter. Some key soft skills might be the ability to work well on teams or the ability to face challenges with eagerness 2) Do You Fit? An interviewer needs to pinpoint whether or not you will match up well with both the company’s and specific department’s and whether you'll complement the talents of your potential coworkers. 3) Do You Understand the Company and Its Purpose? A company doesn’t want someone who takes the position because it's simply a job and it fits their skills, you'll naturally be motivated to do good work, and stay long term if organization fits well with your career aspirations. Companies want their employees to be excited about their mission and what they do.
4) How Do You Stack Up Against the Competition? You're being evaluated in relation to other candidates for the job. In other words, this test is graded on a curve. So the interviewer will constantly be comparing your performance with that of the other candidates'. 5) Do You Have the Right Mind-Set for the Job and Company? Interviewers look for candidates with a can-do type of attitude; they want someone who wants to be challenged and is internally motivated to do well. 6) Do You Want the Job? Interviewers know better than to believe everyone they interview actually wants the position being offered. They understand they’re also in a way being “interviewed”. Some candidates are exploring their options, while others are simply using an interview with a company they don't care about to hone their interview skills. You need to prove you really want the job. Remember the ditch-digger analogy: Many of us can dig ditches, but few are willing to, and even fewer want to.