Responding to a Posted Position Use the advertisement, the job title, and any other job description information you can obtain when you prepare to interview for a posted position. If the advertisement is vague or too general for your purposes, contact the employer for a more detailed description. The Human Resources Department can often supply information on job duties and qualifications when you call. For a convincing interview you must show the prospective employer how well you match the perfect candidate they have in mind. Here is a simple way to prepare for this challenge. On a piece of paper, draw a vertical line down the middle of the page. In the left column, write the words and phrases used in the job description and qualifications. In the right column, list the qualifications you have that match (or exceed) each of the desired attributes. Write more detailed notes for yourself on how you have used each of those skills successfully. This will help you to respond to your interviewers when they say, "Tell us about a time when you..." Extra Edge Tip - After you have outlined your response to match the job description, think beyond that basic match. What value can you add that was not mentioned? Do you have additional experience or certification that would benefit the employer? Do you have connections in the community or within the profession that make you more valuable as an employee? Thorough preparation enhances your chances for a confident, enjoyable, and successful interview. Good luck! How To Handle Situational Interviews Situational Interviews are becoming the norm in today's business world. Questions you will be asked in this type of interview evaluate your past experience as a predictor of future performance. The questions and requests typically begin with "Tell me about a time when..." and "What would you do if..." These inquiries may seem threatening if you are not prepared. How can you prepare for situational interviews? Have your stories ready! Plan for these questions and practice your answers. (There's that word again!) Here is an exercise you can do now to help you walk into the interview with confidence! Describe instances from your work or volunteer experience when you took action that had this result: Saved money or time Improved quality Increased production or sales Improved morale Met or exceeded a goal Corrected an error or averted trouble Examples (bottom line): Increased sales revenue by 20% within first 6 months on the job Developed new recycling program that cut costs by 15% annually Implemented new employee orientation program; reduced employee turnover by 15% in first year Sold 150 boxes of cookies in 2 weeks (Notice the numbers? Quantify whenever possible!) Filling in the Details  1. Who else was involved?  2. How did you recognize the need      for your action?  3. What was the time frame?  4. Was action to prevent or to correct? 5. What skills did you draw on to perform the action?    6. What was the effect on others?  7. How did this affect other areas of business?  8. What was new about the action?  9. Did change continue? 10. What did you learn from the experience? 11. How would you do this differently the next time? 12.What further changes do you envision as a result? Thorough preparation enhances your chances for a confident, enjoyable, and successful interview. Good luck! Learn the Lingo Every profession has its own special language of acronyms and trade terminology. When you participate in an interview you must be prepared to speak that language. How can you learn the lingo? The easiest and quickest resource is the newspaper business section and classified advertisements. The language you need to know is used in job postings and job descriptions. Trade journals in print or online are also required reading for this information; you can subscribe and read these magazines regularly to prepare for your interviews. If you want to read them for free, they are also available at public libraries. Just remember to go there and read them! Job postings and job descriptions on internet job bank sites are another good resource. Try places like www.monster.com or do a search for the particular industry you seek. The special words and phrases you need to know for job interviews are often referred to as key words. I highly recommend that you read 2500 Keywords To Get You Hired by Jay A. Block and Michael Betrus, a book that contains this valuable information on key words plus other great advice on the whole job seeking process. Check it out!