I've been applying to jobs for over two months now and I have just landed an real interview, I've had a few phone interviews that have gone nowhere (employers tend not to read my CV, phone me and find out that I'm not what they're looking for at all).
I don't know if I'll land the job since I've never had an interview before but the hard-on bearer has read my CV and my lack of experience has not deterred him so I guess I have as good a chance as anyone, the only downside is that I'll have to travel 1.5 hours on train (£££) to the place for the interview and I am running out of what little savings I had .
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congrats and good luck! i'm still searching. my old job is hiring again, but if i were to go back, i'd have to wake up at 2:30am every day. I don't know if i could function that way.
trainee sales and marketing exec at a communications business. pretty much the job i've been looking for all along, just to get my foot in the door making b2b sales...
i am researching the services they provide now and trying to practice answers to "common" interview questions.
3) Always remember that your business degree has taught you theory and analytical skills which are to be applied to real conditions. So if your lack of experience comes up, make it seem like you learn quickly, even if you don't know everything about the business. Don't pretend to know everything. You are human, no one knows everything. But don't get stumped on basic questions.
4) When asked about your weakness, don't bullshit that your "perfectionism can sometimes lead to problems". The interviewer is not a jackass, he can detect bullshit answers. Answer honestly. If the reason for your bad grades at university was your procrastination, then say it, and more importantly, follow that up with how it has taught you a lesson, and what you intend to do to fix that weakness. Always maintain at the core that you are an intelligent individual who is trying to fix his weaknesses.
5) Understand the office environment, and try to project an impression that you are good at interpersonal relationships. Office politics is one of the worst plagues at any workplace, and leadership skills (which also are tied with your interpersonal relationship handling) are one of the most sought after attributes. So the interviewer will want to know that the person he is going to hire will get along fine with everyone else.
6) When asked about examples where you've led, or handled something well, all I can say here is...prepare your answers before hand.
I forgot to mention, your communication skills become doubly important for a sales job. You'll be interacting loads with people. Infact, you'll be in the front lines possibly in that one. So do your homework on proving that you're good at dealing with people. Your convincing ability etc. Again, how good you are dealing with people, convincing them etc directly has bearing on how good a leader you are.
thanks, i have to travel there tomorrow and i'm studying now but i'll read on the train... hopefully put myself in an interviewee mindset.
i'll have to go into why i didn't do that well at university, of course i could have worked harder, but economics is full of mathematics, that was my downfall >_<
The thing is... this job is in Halifax, 1.5 hours away on train (excluding the walking to and from stations I will have to do). They say they're expanding, there are going to be 150 new jobs available, but I don't know where they're expanding to... so I feel a little blind going in. I'll ask a lot of questions (because I have a lot) and try to keep a conversation going, rather than have me stop and wait for the next question... that'd be awkward.
and yea, communication skills... gonna have to blag a lot.
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