Plurk to Learn!

Day by day I am absolutely astonished by the wealth of information shared by users of the community we call Plurk. So much valuable information is embedded in every one of the conversations I have seen. What is the reason for this post you may ask. Well, as some of you may know I recently went up for an interview for a new job. I decided that this time I wanted to be prepared and absolutely wow the interviewers so I called upon my Pleeps for help. Now I bring you this post to share that wealth of information. If you are going up for a job or plan on doing so soon, then this content is for you!

Now some of these tips contained here may be practical and things you already know, but please keep your attention focused as there are tips here that will blow your interviewers mind (trust me, I experienced it)

General Tips

• Eye Contact - This shows the interviewer that they have your full attention. Try not to lose eye contact for too long, especially if you are talking as that could be an indication of lying.
• Smile - No one wants a sad, depressed, or angry employee. Be sure to be polite, greet with a firm handshake, and be smiling the entire time. (a real smile, as people can tell when you are faking it.)
• Be Yourself - Don’t be fake, because nothing could be worse than your new boss finding out later that you are quite different from what you portrayed to them in the interview.
• Confidence - Employers want someone who is sure of themselves as they would be the best fit for any position that requires many tasks.

In-Depth Tips

• Be Early and Prepared - An employer likes someone who is on time and prepared because it shows them a glimpse of how you will be as a worker.
• Use Their Title - Wether it be Mr. Mrs. or just plain Miss, be sure to always use their title as it shows a sign of respect for your higher ups. Also try to use their name when answering a question as your answer will grab their attention more in doing so.
• Strengths, Weaknesses, and Future Goals -Have these planned out ahead of time and try not to be cliche.
• Ask Questions - Sure you are the one being interviewed but you need to know a little bit about what they expect from you as well. See the next section for some good question ideas.

Now I had a little trouble with the weaknesses part in particular. If you tell an interviewer that your weakness is say organization, and the job calls for a lot of that particular skill, that means you most likely wont get the job. Asking once again for my Pleep’s suggestions this is what I gathered. Be honest about your weaknesses. Do not pretend you have none because everyone does. Instead share how you plan to overcome them. Employers like problem solvers. Again, try not to be too cliche as employers will see right through that.

Questions

• What are the five most important challenges you must solve in the next twelve months, and how are you doing them?
• What kind of boss would you make? What can I learn from you?
• Suppose I’m a member of your team, it’s 30 days later and you tell me I’m doing a great job. What have I Accomplished?

I have to say, I really liked the very last question on that list. That one was suggested to me by Jane Chin, and was probably the one that stuck out in my mind the most. When I went into my interview I used that question and the two interviewers were stunned. They stated that it was a great question, and one they would likely use themselves in the future. Their answers to that question were nothing short of amazing either. That question prompted them to tell me that at least two of the questions they asked me were answered 100% correct. This is a great feat to get accomplished before you leave an interview.

In conclusion, there is so much you can learn from other people on a daily basis, and there are an immense amount of those wonderful people right here on Plurk. So get into the conversation, share your knowledge, and learn from others. I believe that this is the TRUE meaning of TEAMWORK!

If you would like to read more on this topic the Plurks referenced are here, here, and here

I am Thoughtwrong, and you’ve just been pleeped!

Filed under: Pleeps