Interview

Google Behavior interview techniques or Character interview techniques to get an idea of some of the questions that you might need to prepare for. Good Luck

Be prepared to talk about yourself, your experience as it relates to the field and your interests. More specifically, when I interview someone I ask them what qualities they bring that would enhance the position (organization, well-spoken, good listener, good synthesizer, etc) as well as what they think their weakness is. Be honest and don't hesitate to take a moment to organize your thoughts before responding.

Last spring I went on a series of interviews and used this phrase frequently when I didn't have a "prepared" answer... "That's an interesting question" which indicates that you need a second. Honestly, as an administrator who interviews people all the time, I would much rather you take a minute to compose your thoughts and come out with a coherent response than listen to someone ramble through an answer!

Good luck- and remember that it is always a good thing to be a little "over-dressed". You can always dress to their code once you start!

Questions I have commonly asked in interviews and have been asked when interviewed:

what is your biggest weakness? The worst answer to this is to take a positive and make it sound like a weakness. An honest response of your shortcomings is the best answer.

What do you know about our company? Why do you want to work for us?

What you like to see yourself doing five years from now?

There is probably a lot more related specifically to your field. But these are common questions that commonly stick people up in any kind of interview!

Good Luck!! Relax and be yourself. That is what they want to see. If the natural you isn't a good fit to them, then you don't want to work there anyway!

Potential questions
What made you apply for this job?
Why are you the best candidate for the job?
What was the longest gap between jobs and why was there a gap?
What advice would you give to a new mother who is frustrated and complaining of hurting during feedings?
or how would you encourage a mother to .......

Best wishes

One interview item you will want to have prepared is the "final sell". At the end of the interview, they may ask "Why should we hire you?" but if they don't and go with the generic "Do you have any other questions or is there anything else we should know?" then be ready for your sales pitch. What is it that sets you apart from other candidates for this position? Why are you unique?

You need to convince them that you are absolutely, positively the best person for them to hire. Rehearse this in the car on the way there so that it comes off as confident and without uhs, ums, and likes.

One that I find challenging, but you can definitely prepare ahead is "what are your strengths and weaknesses." As someone else said, don't inflate your strengths. Be honest. But don't be too hard on yourself with your weaknesses.
Good luck!

Hi Shaun - I used to spend a lot of time interviewing people before I became an at-home mommy so I hope I can add a few things to the good advice you've already gotten. First of all, I agree with googling "behavioral interviewing." Even if the person doesn't use this technique, it's really the best way to answer. Read the job description or ad and think about what they are saying is important. What are some concrete examples of things you have done in the past (on the job or as a volunteer as others said) that fit the description they are looking for. Review your resume and be prepared to elaborate on anything on your resume, including gaps in employment.

Have a few questions of your own or be prepared with some knowledge of the company you are interviewing with. This helps the interviewer know that you are serious about the job, and that you took the time to do a little research. Be able to say not only why you are interested in the job, but why you are interested in that particular company. You can check out the "about us" section on their website and see what they are proud of. This shows that you "get" what they are trying to accomplish at their company and would be a good fit in their environment.

As others said, be honest. Don't try to sound perfect or just tell the interviewer what you think they want to hear. I always felt much more comfortable hiring a person who was self-aware and confident enough to admit a few flaws. If someone admits no short-comings and speaks in cliches, you have no idea who you are really getting. No person is 100% perfect for the job and everyone has things they need to learn or to work on. Being upfront shows maturity and indicates that you are a team player who is willing to learn.

Lastly, and this is my opinion, but I think if you are nervous it's best to smile and say, "I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous." Interviewers expect you to be nervous, and unless you are trying to get hired for a position that requires you to really think quickly on your feet and interact with new people all the time (like sales) they are not really going to be concerned about your nerves. Speaking from my own experience, people who are a little nervous give the impression that the job is really important to them and they want to be there! If someone comes in totally relaxed and with no energy whatsoever, you do tend to wonder if they are really interested in this job or if there's something else they really want.

Good luck! I'm sure you will do great. The fact that you care enough to prepare is going to put you ahead of other people! You'd be surprised how unprepared some people can be.

One of the questions the company I work for asks is give 3 adjectives that describe you. Whatever you do, don't lie about your capabilities. For example, if asked "on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate yourself on your knowledge of Excel and using it". The last interview I sat in on, someone gave themselves a 7 and when asked how you would handle a simple task in Excel, they had no idea how to do it. Obviously, they were stretching the truth a lot. I ended up hiring someone who didn't know a lot about one of the programs we used, but she admitted it and said she would love to learn the program. You have to sell yourself in an interview, but be honest.

Good responses so far. Make a list of your current strong points. Try not to use cliches like "I like to work with people." Strong points could be empathy, fast learner, good listener, things you think are important in the job. Employers want a loyal employee, someone reliable.

They will definitely ask your weak points. Don't have a laundry list of all your perceived failings! You might say you don't have a lot of experience in a particular area but you are looking forward to building skills there and hope for a chance to do that. For example, my weak area is developing budgets so I might say I don't have a lot of experience there. Don't pick something that doesn't apply at all to the company.

Sometimes interviewers ask about your management or teaching style - I tend to say that I lead by example and am fairly laid back, not authoritarian, that I have strong teaching skills and work cooperatively to help the other person build on their existing skills to bring them up to another level.

Don't be afraid to work your non-employment skills into an interview. Have you done things on a volunteer basis that show abilities? Organizing school fundraisers, leading Scouts, etc. - these show ability to work with others, being proactive, being detail oriented, skills at running meetings, perhaps writing skills, and so on.

Don't be afraid to pause or to ask the interviewer to rephrase or clarify a question so that you don't ramble on unsure of what she's looking for.

Good luck!