Research a Company

Research a Company - It is the Key to Successful Job Interviews

You have to research a company before the interview if you want to make a good impression on a prospective employer.

When it comes to job interviews, employers can easily pick out those applicants who came prepared and those who did not. From the way a person speaks and acts or behaves, they can easily determine whether he or she is likely to fit in with the culture of the company. The applicants who have some understanding of the goals of the company (as well as information about its competitors) are more likely to get the job.

It helps to have a little knowledge about the company's mission and affiliations. Knowing their market position and their current products or services can help you become more familiar with the organization. Also, it helps you create realistic expectations about the company and potentially even the position you're seeking. When you research a company’s profile, it can help you build confidence and self-assurance in facing a prospective employer. It will allow you to respond more appropriately during the interview process.

Having a little knowledge about the company also sets a common ground where the applicant and the interviewer can establish rapport. This way, an applicant can easily build the employer's confidence in his or her potential of being a beneficial asset to the company.

To enjoy a flawless interview, you should be prepared to answer various kinds of questions. In the interview process, the employer's line of questioning may probe your personality, working profile, accomplishments and attitude. You may be asked some questions like these:

• What do you know about our organization?
• How well do you relate to the company's ideals and positions?
• Are you prepared to do whatever it takes to get the job done?
• Why do you want this position?
• How will you support the company in achieving its corporate goals?

It's easier than ever to research a company. The existence of company websites as well as a number of other resource materials on the internet can help you prepare for whatever a job interview may entail. Company research online should be your first step. Next, the public library can be used for additional interview preparation. One thing that's extremely beneficial about his kind of preparation is that it eases your mind and relieves stress prior to and during the interview. You will feel much more confident and it will reflect in your behavior and attitude.

Although an organized company research can be done with the use of internet, it takes more leg work in collecting materials or information for companies that do not have a website yet. In cases like this, public companies have more abundant research materials than those privately owned companies. Why? Private companies have no legal obligations to keep their financial statements public. An applicant can sift through a company's financial standing via the Securities and Exchange Commission. This information also helps determine how well the company stands with its competition.

The key to a successful interview is preparation. Getting to know the company in which you plan to work can help you make informed decisions about your prospective employer. Who knows? You might find in your research that you aren’t a good fit for the company. Doing company research is very beneficial.

Telephone Interview Tips

Looking for Telephone Interview Tips? I am glad that you are taking your phone interview this seriously. One of the biggest mistakes that many job candidates make regarding a phone interview is that they become complacent by the fact that they are not facing a panel interview, in person. Since you are NOT one of THOSE people, take a look at the telephone interview tips below:

Success Tips for Phone Interviews

Research the Company

Before sitting down for a telephonic interview do some solid company research. Check their background, the area of operation, their future plans and all other facets that affect you as a potential employee of the company.

Know Your Job

There is nothing annoying than appearing a phone interview and not knowing what position the discussion is all about. Before getting into a telephonic interview make sure you understand the job you have applied for. It can be really embarrassing to know that you have been discussing about a job for half an hour that you can never be interested in.

Be Professional, Add the Appointment to Calendar

Of all the phone interview tips you get here this is the one that you should be extra cautious about. Most candidates fail to realize that the phone interview is the real thing like a physical meeting, which in my opinion is a huge mistake. So please take your phone interview very seriously and add the appointment to your calendar. This will keep reminding you of the schedule and have you better prepared.

Who Should Call?

It is important that you are clear as to who will be the one calling. When the interview is scheduled and you hear that from the company’s representative, politely ask him if you should call at the stipulated time or they will be calling you. Usually the interviewer makes a call, but then it’s a good idea to make things very clear right from start.

Schedule the Interview Time Right

A phone interview need not necessarily happen at the interviewer’s convenience. You have an equal right to decide on the opportune time for yourself. If you feel that you have other engagements at the proposed time, then politely convey it to the representative of your prospective employer and request for a new date or time. You may even suggest some of the dates that you feel would be right for you.

Have a Professional Tone of Voice

In a phone interview, the interviewer can’t see you. They will form a picture of you in their mind based upon how you talk and present yourself through your voice. Thus be careful about your tone. Be friendly and professional. Make sure you don’t be mushy or rude.

Get Professionally Dressed

Most of the people I have come across ignore getting properly dressed for phone interviews and strictly speaking that is not mandatory as you will not be visible to the interviewer. However dressing properly gives that extra air of professionalism and makes you feel comfortable and confident. So please be dressed well for your phone interview.

Take Notes and Keep Notepaper Handy

Most telephonic interviews involve in depth discussions. So be prepared to take notes and refer them as needed. Keep a good pen, notepad, pencil and eraser handy at your desk. This simple trick will help you concentrate better and be more involved in the entire discussion.

Keep Your Resume Handy

Usually interviewers ask questions based on your resume. Most of those questions are on the past experience with other organizations. Therefore keep your resume ready for reference. When the interviewer asks a question related to a certain page of your resume you will be in a position to refer that page and answer.

Keep Your Cell Phone Charged

If you are using a mobile phone for the interview charge it fully. It will look very unprofessional if your mobile phone dies down during the interview.

Send Minutes of Meeting Mail

After the discussion is over and you have understood the action items from your side send an email thanking the interviewers for their time and the opportunity extended to you. In this email mention the action items that will be taken care of from your side and the ones that need to be addressed at the other end. Also highlight the important nuances of the discussion if you feel like it.

I hope these telephone interview tips will help you in the next interview scheduled for you. If you have any interesting phone interview tips then please feel free to write to us. We would love to hear from you.

Carla Bosteder Best-Interview-Strategies.com

Marketing Managers Need Cover Letters, too?

Marketing Managers Need Cover Letters, too?

Well, yes. If they want to get jobs, that is.

A cover letter takes the best of your qualifications and characteristics and makes them exciting and enticing to prospective employers. It’s a carefully crafted letter that leads the employer to the resume to see why you are the best candidate for the job.

Competition for Marketing Managers is keen. You have to stand out from the crowd in a positive, exciting way to ensure you are the one employers are determined to hire.

How do you accomplish this?

If you have already written your resume, the words you need are basically prepared for you. It’s much easier to pull from the resume and reflect on your character when you have put the time in to document your professional personal history.

The cover letter builds on the resume and leads the employer toward it. Its goal is to get the employer excited about the resume. The cover letter is a sales tool, just like the resume is. Sell yourself in a compelling and exciting way. Inject energy and let your best qualities reach the employer through carefully written examples and anecdotes. Don’t just state what you are capable of, show the employer with vibrant language that attracts and invites the employer to want to know more.

Let your personality show, but remain professional.

Are there a lot of Marketing Manager positions available? Yes, there are probably a lot of positions you COULD get, but do you want just ANY old job? Or, do you want a job where you will have opportunities to succeed, make more money and send your career to new heights?

You have to be your very best to get the great jobs. What skills and abilities do you have that you can offer the employer – and – how can you do so in a way that makes the employer pick up the phone and call you for an interview?

Start with your own “marketing materials”. Your cover letter and your resume are your sales resources. Make them work for you.

The cover letter is the first thing an employer sees. Make sure it is impeccable. Proofread it just as meticulously as you did the resume. No mistakes. Not one.

State clearly what position you are seeking and tailor the cover letter, just as you did with the resume, to the specific position and employer.

Mass marketing general resumes and cover letters to a host of employers is a thing of the past. Targeting a resume and cover letter is essential in today’s competitive environment if you are to be successful.

Look at it this way: Your competition is doing it. If you don’t do it, too, who do you think is going to get the job interview and the job offer?

“Employment of advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012, spurred by intense domestic and global competition in products and services offered to consumers.” (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Finding the perfect job in a great company will always take some work, but the rewards will be worthwhile if you take the time to work through the job search process right.

A good cover letter alone isn’t likely to persuade an employer to grant you an interview, but it is part of the whole package that WILL encourage an employer to want to get to know you better. Make it an exciting and enjoyable read and you will find yourself being offered the next Marketing Manager position you apply for.

Best of luck!

Written by Carla Vaughan-Bosteder Best-Interview-Strategies.com

Networking for a Job

Networking can be a powerful thing; many term this the "hidden job market".

Networking is probably the best way to get a job in today's tough economy. Most of the jobs I hear of people getting are from people they know, not from ads they read or from websites they visit. The other thing is that we often think of networking as having to go to some strange meetings with people we don't know and meet/greet, trade business cards and hope we can work something out. That isn't it - although there is a place for that, too. Networking is mostly about keeping in touch with the people you already know. Just drop folks a note or give them a call. Do this regularly - before you need a job. Help them, too, if there is something they need. It works both ways. When the time is right, the people you know will be the ones to help you get your next job.

Here is an article to help with this, too: Networking for a job

It explains more about what networking is and how to keep in touch with people in a "real" kind of way.

Cover Letter Tips

Why are cover letters so important? They provide the prospective employer with a brief review of your skills and abilities – but they are less formal than a resume. In fact, they may point to things that are in your resume or they may highlight qualities you posses that the resume just isn't able to convey.

The best news is that writing one it isn't that hard.

So, how do you write a great cover letter?

The cover letter builds on the resume and leads the employer toward it. Its goal is to get the employer excited about the resume. It is a sales tool, just like the resume is. Sell yourself in a compelling and exciting way. You know how to sell, so put it to good use by highlighting your accomplishments. The employer will naturally want to know more about what you have to offer.

Map out the information you want to place in each section, then go back through and fine tune it. Don't try to write brilliantly from the salutation to the signature in the first draft. Revise it each time you go through it.

What skills and abilities do you have that you can offer the employer – and – how can you do so in a way that makes the employer pick up the phone and call you for an interview? Oh, and that brings up the point that you need to make sure all of your contact information is included in the cover letter as well as on the resume. You never know when someone is going to lose one of those precious pieces of paper.

An outstanding cover letter is also tailored to the employer's needs. If the ad you read states that the employer is looking for someone with three years of managerial experience, then you need to include something in your cover letter that states you have managerial experience. If you do not have that much experience, show the employer how much you have learned and how quickly you learned it. Let the employer know that you are determined to be successful. This is especially important if you are still in school or have recently graduated from school.

A cover letter isn't likely to persuade an employer to grant you an interview on its own, but it is part of the whole package that WILL encourage an employer to want to get to know you better. Make it an exciting and enjoyable read and you will find yourself being offered the next Sales position for which you apply.

Read more about cover letters here: Cover Letters

How Does Your Work Experience Stack Up: A Resume Tip

When an employer is looking at your resume, they are seeking answers to their questions. They want to know if what you have done in the past will meet the needs of their organization in the future. Everything in your resume needs to be evaluated with that in mind. Nothing should be put on your resume if it does not lead the employer to believe that you are the right person for the job.

When trying to decide what to put on your resume in the work experience section, ask yourself these questions:

How do my skills compare with what the job specifications are?
Will my experience translate well into the position I am seeking?
Can this achievement help the employer see my worth as a job candidate?
Does this responsibility reflect the quality of a good employee?

The idea is to highlight your skills and accomplishments so that they best fit with the job you are seeking. One thing that can be very helpful is injecting keywords that identify you as a confident, assertive worker. Using a word like "directed" is a lot different than "oversaw". Use strong, enthusiastic words to create a positive expectation in the mind of the employer.

Another thing to consider is that most job titles are specific to an industry. Unless you are targeting a job in your current industry, you need to make sure that your qualifications explain exactly what you did because your job title likely will not.

Mostly, just remember that what you put in the resume work experience section isn't supposed to look like a job description. It's designed to highlight your job qualifications in a way that excites the employer.

Use this section of the resume to emphasize your accomplishments, your skills and your abilities. Let the employer see just how awesome you are and why you are the best fit for the job.

Best of Luck!

Carla Vaughan-Bosteder, Owner/Webmaster Best-Interview-Strategies.com

Carla is the owner of Best-Interview-Strategies.com, a web site devoted to assisting candidates in the job-search process. She holds a B.S. in Business from Southern Illinois University and has authored several books.

Make a Great First Impression

You have the qualifications, the motivation and the skills to succeed in your field. How do you let a prospective employer know how great you are, particularly on paper instead of in person?

First, here are some key ideas. If you are going get the job, the first step is to get noticed by the person skimming the cover letters and resumes. If you can't make it through the skimming phase you can't get the interview. Second, searching for a job is not that difficult – it just takes time, effort, and perseverance.

Follow the steps outlined here and you will be one step nearer to a job interview. You need to stand out but at the same time stay within the guidelines. After all, most prospective employers seek people that will fit within their corporate culture rather than mavericks who like to shake things up.

Why do we follow guidelines? When everybody agrees to a conventional way of doing things, the system works more efficiently (whether it is job search or driving on the same side of the road). Stick with the "rules" and it will be easy. Abandon them and you restrict yourself.

The two major causes for job search failure are:
1. Some people attempt to beat the system by doing things their own way (thereby disregarding the guidelines)
2. Others choose to take the easy way out and do the bare minimum. They don't set up their resumes using an appealing format that is easy to read.

Here are the guidelines that will help make that great first impression:

Be Thorough – Check your spelling and grammar. Read over your resume and cover letter and have someone else check it over. Typos will not make a good impression. Double check your contact information. Pay attention to everything you send out such as the spelling of the potential employer/hiring manager's name and address. When you think you are done, check it again.

Be prepared – You will need information to put your best foot forward. Here two things you need to know:


• First, you need to know YOURSELF. Why? You need to be able to identify your personal and professional character, your abilities, and your skills. In addition, you will need to relate these positive qualities to the workplace setting. You can apply this self knowledge when you create your resume and also in the interview to increase your likelihood of success.

• Second, you need to find information about the prospective employer/company and the position you are seeking. Find out about the company's size, their products and services, and who they serve. In addition, you want to know their "mission," their history and their future plans. It is also helpful to understand their market and their market position. This way you can target your application information to the company and the position you seek. This knowledge is invaluable when you prepare for the job interview.

Be yourself – Use your self knowledge to present your personal and professional skills on paper and in the interview. There is no need to stretch the truth or lie as this will hurt you in the long run.

Be ambitious – Do your best on everything do what it takes. You want the interview, right? Then be complete and as professional as possible. Focus on the things that matter such as the cover letter and resume. Make sure you get the call and not someone else.

Make your first impression count on paper and with advanced preparation you will have a great interview. Follow the steps outlined here so both your written and interview skills will stand out.

Follow the guidelines and be prepared so your job search will go smoothly.

For more information, please take a look at these articles:

'Suitable Attire'

'Interview Mistakes'

'Interview Thank You Letter'

'Telephone Interviews'

'Employee Selection Process'

'What You Need to Know About a Hiring Manager'


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