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Denis PopovContent:
Have you been invited for an interview? Fine! Do you want to be "on top"? Then take the time to prepare. Even if this is not the first meeting with an employer in your life, excitement is still unavoidable, but it can be minimized.
Remember how you went to the exam at school: you learned the material - you think about the level of assessment, you didn’t learn it - you just dream of “surviving” the exam. The same projection applies to the outcome of the interview. Do you want a higher salary, position, better conditions? Prepare well for your meeting with the employer. Improvisation in this case plays against the applicant.
You cannot know the entire list of questions that the interviewer has prepared for you, but it is in your power to prepare a mini-presentation - the answer to the question: “What can you tell about yourself?” As practice shows, this question is heard more often than others. There are a number of reasons for this.
The ability to present oneself is an integral part of many modern professions. One of the most successful forms of displaying this skill is a high-quality self introduction for interview. How and what the applicant will tell will depend on the entire further course of the conversation. Many are afraid of this question, but in vain. After all, it is in this case that you have the opportunity to build a conversation according to your scenario.
A good self introduction is a dry statement of facts. Retelling, however, allows you to give some of them an emotional coloring, to place emphasis on information, which favorably distinguishes you from the total number of candidates. Moreover, you are given the opportunity to prepare the ground for the “necessary” questions.
So, what should be the life story about yourself? What to focus on - family, experience, education, hobbies, abilities? It is important to remember that you were invited as a candidate for a vacant position, and accordingly, your mini-essay should contain, first of all, information about professional experience. Ideally, the story should be a short but concise excerpt of your resume. The optimal broadcasting time is no more than 4 minutes. Think that it is a pleasure meeting and try to relax.
Most modern companies ask for a self introduction for interview when applying for a job. Usually it is required at the initial stage of selection, so that the recruiter evaluates whether it is worth paying attention to this candidate. A resume says a lot about work experience, literacy, the ability to present oneself, even a sense of purpose and a desire to work in a particular company. At first glance, it seems that filling out a self introduction is simple. However, there are many nuances that are worth paying attention to. Therefore, it is important to know how to write a resume correctly.
A self introduction is a brief self-presentation. A document containing basic information about the place of work, skills, education, courses taken. Completed in written or printed form. The second option is more preferable, as it looks neat, and it is more convenient for the employer to study it.
Many organizations require self introduction from candidates, this is especially important for serious positions. Studying the document, the recruiter conducts an initial selection, and already decides whether to send the candidate to the next stage. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the correct and competent filling of the questionnaire. For serious positions, the smallest nuances are important. Even a simple typo can tell that the applicant is inattentive, sloppy.
Self introduction can be submitted in person or sent by email. Each company has its own requirements for candidates, which should be studied in advance. This includes:
Professional skills.
Requirements for the level of education.
Ability to work overtime, travel on business trips.
How competent is the candidate to occupy the desired position.
Does he have enough experience.
Do personal characteristics correspond to work in the chosen specialty.
Therefore, you need to understand how to write a introduction concise so that the likelihood of getting a position is the greatest. To make it easier for the recruiter to navigate the characteristics of the applicant, the self introduction is filled out according to certain rules. There are also generally accepted requirements that it is desirable to adhere to.
There are three main rules to follow:
Accuracy - there should be no corrections, mistakes, hard-to-read handwriting.
Brevity - the recruiting manager wants to see the basic information about the applicant, and not try to isolate the main thing from a large amount of unnecessary text.
Truthfulness - it is unacceptable to include false information - many facts are now easy to verify.
When compiling a self introduction, you should adhere to a clear structure. Solid text will not work. The employer should easily find any data: last name, work experience, education, personal qualities. If the job interview is printed on a computer, then it is worth highlighting individual blocks. For these purposes, bold type is suitable.
Writing a resume according to a first few speaking moments that all the necessary information will be communicated to a potential employer:
Contacts, personal data.
The item is important, since the employer should easily find how he will contact the applicant.
The purpose of the self introduction - in this case, indicates the position that the applicant plans to get.
Key skills and achievements, performance awards.
Work experience, job responsibilities.
Educational background, courses, advanced training.
Proficiency in foreign languages. In some companies, this skill is required.
Computer technical skills and knowledge computer science, taking part in tech start up.
About me section: personal qualities, hobbies and hobbies.
Let's take a look at writing a job interview step by step.
Self introduction is a cultural event where you should make a good impression. The most important rule for introduction in an interview is to dress appropriately to appear to company culture. Study your future audience. All firms have their own code in clothes. The employees of a large accounting and management firm dress very differently from those of a small record company. People like people who look like themselves, so tailor your look to the general style of your future audience. Dress appropriately appearance plays one of the main roles in job description.
You know that the appearance is made up of the following components: more formal dress, shoes, hair, hand grooming and posture. Your clothes make the first impression.
A business suit for a presentation is somewhat different from a suit for a first meeting or a regular business suit. Let's define these details.
First rule: Meet your audience's expectations. According to the same principles of business development and etiquette, you must show yourself as a person who knows the professional standards of the business kind. If you don't, you're violating audience expectations.
So, you need to make a proper introduction of your product or service. You have already drawn up a plan and text. Now you need to decide what clothes will best represent you and your product. Only after you understand what the audience will be, you can decide what to wear. If you know the audience well, then you must understand well what they expect from you, that is, in order for the audience to believe in you, your appearance must reflect their expectations from you, including in choosing a costume. If you are giving a presentation in front of business people, your appearance should be strict and conservative, but if your audience expects something artistic from you, for example, you represent a design company, then you should not dress like a banker.
In normal business situations, a business, conservative, well-tailored suit, combined with a blouse or shirt (of course, well-shielded) will always suit both business men and business women.
Second rule: your clothes for introduction in an interview should reflect your status. At the presentation, your clothes should look an order of magnitude higher than the formal level of the audience, but in no case lower. That is, when preparing a wardrobe for a presentation, you should dress a little more formally than your audience. In this matter, women have more choice.
Currently, there is no need to wear only a strict business suit. If you like dresses and they look good on you, then wear them. Only two points should be taken into account: the first - the dress should be plain, the second - it must be business-like in style. This means not too close, but not romantically free either. A set of dresses with a jacket is well suited for presentation.
The third rule: the color scheme of clothes is determined by your emotional background and generates the emotional background of the audience. Give preference to a conservative approach to determining the color scheme of a business suit for a presentation. Gray and blue tones are most suitable for men and women. Such clothing should be worn with light blue, wine red, milk or gray shirts, ties or blouses and scarves.
There is another look that is becoming more popular nowadays. Some European business image specialists suggest that their clients wear shirts, blouses, ties and scarves (but not the main suit) that differ in color from the traditional ones. Namely: turquoise, light green, blue, scarlet. Men can wear mauve shirts with ties that match in color but are deeper in tone.
Strong and offbeat colors will probably only grab the attention of the audience and help lift the spirits. A conservative suit with a few loose colors of a shirt and tie does not bother at all. Moreover, you can enhance the color of the suit. But do not forget that the combination of colors with the color of your hair, eyes and skin is very important. Look at the color of your eyes, if warm tones, then you need to choose clothes in warm tones, and vice versa.
It is also necessary to take into account the product itself associated with the presentation. It would be appropriate to advertise sports products in sportswear.
Even if the presentation takes place in an informal place, such as in nature, in the countryside or on the beach, it is necessary to dress for this place. But under any circumstances, remember the main rule of clothing that was formulated above: clothing should be an order of magnitude higher than the formal level of clothing for the audience.
Three precautions on what not to wear:
1. A business woman who wears pants is in danger of losing her effectiveness as a presenter.
2. Both men and women should not use shades of brown in a suit.
3. White shirts no longer attract attention, and probably we should not talk about white socks, they are good only for the presentation of a sports product.
If you want to attract attention and make a good impression, remember that clothes should never be wrinkled, torn, stained or buttonless, or out of fashion. Your shoes should be in perfect condition and shiny. It probably makes no sense to talk about stockings with hooks or with dropped loops. The lining of the jacket should not peek out from the back. You have to remember that vests make people a little fat, double-breasted jackets will only suit slim people.
As for the psychology and ethics of relationships, overweight people more often experience a lack of trust, respect and influence. Therefore, be careful when choosing clothes so that they do not emphasize your fullness.
Remember that despite all your professionalism and qualifications, the audience will instantly notice the clothes that do not suit you. Such clothes will make you insecure, careless and slovenly, and as a result, incompetent.
If you want to make a positive impression, remember that your hands are always in sight, they must be well-groomed. You can tell a lot about a person just by looking at their nails. A speaking person, like any other person, must have clean and well-groomed hands. Expressive hand gestures reflect your speech and focus on specific points, so your hands should not have bitten or broken nails, or made up with too bright varnish, especially studded with rings. Check out our hand care tips:
Do the necessary actions with your nails the day before the presentation. It is better for women to make sure that the nails are not too long or sharp in shape. Nails painted in natural tones look great on many women.
It is better for men to refrain from painting their nails.
Even if your hands are very beautiful, then one or two rings is the maximum for a female hand. Men should only wear a wedding ring. For some people, diamonds or other stones in a man's ring may be unacceptable.
Do not keep your hands in your pockets or jingle change or keys while you speak. This will clearly indicate that you are nervous or upset. If your hands are trembling slightly with excitement (and this is inherent in all people), lightly grasp the edge of the table or podium, but do it naturally. If there is no special lecture table or podium, hold your notes in your hands or place your hands at the waist, slightly bending them at the elbows, but do not interlock.
Do not clench your hands into fists and do not twirl the ring on your finger - this is also a sign that you are nervous. During a speech, any manipulation of stationery in your hands will make it clear that you are afraid.
If you sweat, you should always have a clean handkerchief in your pocket or tissues on the lecture table. Don't be embarrassed to take a tissue and apply it lightly to your face - it's not as provocative as sweat dripping down your chin.
Pay attention to body language. We have already written about three important areas in human perception. Your hair is in the top zone. Therefore, the requirements for hair must be very high. Never try out a new hairstyle just before a presentation. If you yourself do not like it, then this will immediately become noticeable to the audience. Don't let your hair cover your eyebrows, it's more important for the audience to see more of your face. Moreover, eyebrows are an important part of the face of a business person. The farther the hair line is from the eyebrow line, the clearer these two lines are, the more businesslike and confident you look. Don't let dandruff appear, shoulders strewn with it look terrible. If your hair is too soft in structure, use gels and hold sprays to maintain the shape. By the way, this applies to men too. Body language is very important, maintain eye contact. You will look like confident and friendly person.
Too long hair looks more romantic than businesslike, and may not always please the audience. Just like long hair on men. Be sure to paint over gray hair (this applies to women).
If we talk about a beard or mustache, then the mustache should be above the line of the mouth, and the beard is well-groomed.
Always remember that your appearance contributes greatly to a great presentation because the audience is looking at you.
Say hello after going to the interview room and introduce yourself. Prepare a "summary" in advance - a brief description from which it will be clear what kind of specialist you are. For example, "a builder of durable houses of cards with ten years of experience." Write a few sentences, choose the best one, and learn how to pronounce it fluently. Speak in numbers, talk about the annual sales volume or the percentage of the plan completed.
What do you do? This question requires a very simple, concrete answer. If you say that you do everything or a lot of things that at first glance are not related, then your potential investor may get the good impression that you do not know how to do anything right (and there is no point in investing in you). Tell a few narrate life stories to lighten up the mood.
Mention outstanding results. If you already have work experience, then success must be found.
Prepare specifics: facts, examples, numbers. How many projects have been done, what goals have been achieved, in what time? If you want to present your ideas, they should also be specific. Well, if they have a visualization. To prepare it, it is not necessary to make a presentation in a boring PowerPoint, you can use the Vizualize.me and Piktochart services that allow you to work with templates, or create a whole cartoon using Plotagon.
It is worth mentioning only the education that is relevant to the type of activity in question, even if these are only courses. Agree that it is unlikely that a diploma in economics will be a trump card for a person applying for the position of a designer. The best option would be to mark the courses, master classes and competitions in which the applicant took part.
Today, education is usually not the main criterion for choosing a candidate, but it is important to indicate it in a self introduction.
In what order should I write information about basic education in a job interview? Or right after the “cap”, which contains the name, surname, desired position (the option is preferable for young specialists), or after the block with work experience (for experienced candidates).
The classical wording:
the full name of the university,
years of study,
faculty,
specialty,
form of study,
educational and qualification level.
But it can be reduced only to the name of the university and specialty.
If you have a high GPA or an honors degree, you can mark that as well. But such information is relevant for young professionals who have nothing to tell about the results of their work. If you are still studying, you can indicate the year you started studying and the year in which you will graduate from the university (or just a course - the second, third, etc.). You can accent that you were an active student, it will work in your favor.
And if you have several diplomas, what order of universities should be observed in the self introduction? There are two options. The first is chronologically. But better than the second one, begin talking with the one that has the highest value for the current job you are applying for. After all, often the first education is not related to the candidate's career, and it is not a priority in the self introduction.
Incorporate online courses into additional education.
In what order to write information about post graduation educational background and courses in a resume, for example, about trainings, courses and master classes for marketing manager. Here, according to our expert, there are also two options.
The first is to list the programs after work experience: indicate the topics, if desired, the organizers, and the year of study.
The second option is to include information about education in the “Work Experience” section of your self introduction. That is, to fix: the period of work in the company, position, functional responsibilities, result, and succinctly - the training completed. For example, training in effective communications or obtaining professional certification.
Don't forget about online highlight special training and post graduation education. Today, for many employers, the format of obtaining knowledge does not matter, the main thing is the result. In this case, you can specify the name of the courses and provide links to them.
It is worth describing only those experiences that correlate with the purpose of the search. At the same time, it is not necessary to list in detail all the time frames in which it was received. Note the total experience.
Do not quote self introduction and do not use: "From July 2013 to May 2015 ..." Your task is to summarize all your experience and highlight from it the main responsibilities that will characterize you as an expert in this field. Leave a “place” for clarifying questions for the interviewer, and for yourself, answering them, an opportunity to appear in a favorable light. Otherwise, you run the risk of being interrupted in mid-sentence or pushing the hiring manager or other concerned person to ask you much more tricky questions. Interviewer pay attention to your reaction and behavior.
For a number of specialists, information reflecting the quantitative indicators of past experience will be relevant, which increases the degree of their qualification. For example, for an accountant and a personnel officer, it is important to note the size of the staff of the company where they previously worked; it is advisable for the project manager to indicate the total number of recently completed projects, etc.
In the absence of experience, indicate the professional knowledge of primary selling points, skills and abilities that you acquired in the course of study. Information that you are a permanent member of professional communities or attend seminars and trainings will also be useful. Say about your final year project and results.
No academic achievement or membership in professional clubs? No problem. Tell us about what you can do better than others. What do you do much faster. What you learned on your own. What are your abilities primarily help in resolving life and work situations. How you can receive sales planning.
There are general requirements for a self introduction that you should follow. The listing of work experience in the resume occurs in the reverse order, that is, the first is the position in which the applicant worked at the last place of work. The description is made with dates, positions, job responsibilities. The reason for leaving is also indicated. It is advisable to indicate the contacts of previous managers so that the employer can verify the information provided and request a recommendation from a previous job. It is worth contacting the previous place of work and warning that they may be called to verify the data.
It looks like this:
Date of employment and date of dismissal.
Company name in full.
The direction of the company.
Job title.
Main responsibilities, preferably in detail.
Acquired skills, professional achievements.
Reason for dismissal.
You have to be careful with the last point. It is not recommended to write in the summary: did not get along in the team, there were conflicts with the authorities, a shortage was revealed. In this case, the chances of getting a position are significantly reduced. It is better to write: of your own free will, for the purpose of career growth, you are interested in working in this company.
If it is not clear how to write a brief introduction, it is better to create a resume in our constructor. Our template has all the points that employers are interested in.
The modern employer wants to know everything about his subordinate. Information gives power. The more you know about a person, the easier and more constructive it is to build relationships with him, including labor relations. Information about hobbies can tell a lot about a person: how reliable he is, whether he likes stability or is ready to take risks, whether he has the ability for the specialty he represents, or works through force. All this, even before being hired, at the stage of a self introduction and viewing a resume, can have an impact on the emerging attitude towards a potential member of the workforce.
The main rule is not to pay too much attention to extracurricular activities. However, this is additional information, not the main one. Also, the employer may be scared away by the applicant’s too serious enthusiasm for any type of activity - because then he will not be able to devote enough time to his direct duties.
Therefore, a few don'ts:
Professional sports - if a specialist is sent on a business development, but he needs to go to competitions, the recruiter will look for someone more free.
Active social work is a plus to a certain extent. But if charity or membership in a public reputed organization takes too much effort and time, such a way person will be politely refused.
There are interests that go well with certain positions. They can additionally characterize the applicant on the positive side. A few tips of speaking moments to make a good impression:
Manager. For a financial consultant interview who manages a certain area of work, it is simply necessary to communicate with people and find an approach to them. The best option would be psychology and team sports - football, volleyball, hockey. It's a really good idea for a customer service manager.
Sales executive. And again, marketing - it will help identify needs and convince of the need for a purchase without imposing it. Oratory or a theater club is also suitable for a marketing manager.
Lawyer. Chess, enjoying watching movies and crossword puzzles form thinking aimed at the search activity of the brain. Reading relevant literature is a big plus.
Programmer. Oddly enough, computer science engineering - it helps to temper patience. Also, the boss can moderately, for the sake of sports interest, engage in intellectual card games - this helps to see people through and form the necessary strategy for the entire department or even the holding.
As mentioned above, hobbies, interests and hobbies in the self introduction should characterize you in a positive way. We will be glad if our examples will help you when preparing your self introduction.
Everyone who was looking for a job faced standard questions.
It is easy to prepare answers to them in advance - and this is the main disadvantage for the employer, because many candidates are cunning in order to please the interviewer. However, these follow up questions often continue to be used.
“Name your strengths and weaknesses.” Remember the job description. What qualities will help in the performance of this work, and what, on the contrary, will interfere? The Internet is full of advice on how to answer this question. Recruiters usually laugh that all applicants, judging by the answers, are terrible workaholics and perfectionists. Try to go against the norm and really name a couple of your weaknesses. Of course, not one that is incompatible with this work (and if there are, then this work simply does not suit you). You will be surprised, but often this is exactly what is expected. The ability to evaluate yourself objectively and name your “growth zones” speaks of maturity. Just don't confuse admitting to individual weaknesses with listing all your sins.
"Where do you see yourself in five years?" The employer does not expect a reliable answer and will not check in five years. He is interested in something else: what are your desires focused on and what are your ambitions about sales planning. If your goal is a managerial position, and the company is looking for a person for a vacancy without career growth, then for the employer this may be a sign that you will not last long in one place. Or vice versa - they are looking for a very active and in a good sense ambitious, who will build a unit from scratch, in which at first you will have to spin alone, and you would be satisfied with just a calm, stable job.
“Why should we hire you for this position?” Summarize what has been said, describe the experienced candidate for the position and find something in common between this portrait and your qualities: “If I understand correctly, you are looking for an attentive and responsible secretary. At my last job profile, I was the only assistant who never received a fine from the accounting department for errors in documents. I think I'm perfect for you." Of course you can say that you really love managing team and want to do it again with pleasure.
Experienced innovative HR manager, over the years of practice, develop their own set of unique questions that, in their opinion, help to reveal the suitable candidate well. Do not be surprised if you are asked about something that is not directly related to the job - the interviewer is just trying to better understand your motivation and other things that are important for this job profile.
What you do after a self introduction is one of the most important and least understood aspects of the job search process. Even if you feel like the interview process didn't go well, continuing to behave correctly will put you in a favorable light and increase your chances of getting the job, try to make final positive note.
If the interviewer does not tell you how long you need to wait before accepting the answer, feel free to ask him about it. Ask how long it will take to make a decision, what you will need to do, or who to contact and how (phone, email, skype) It is important to ask this because it gives you an idea of who you are soon to be in touch.
Send a thank you letter to the office contact email. You must send it immediately after the interview. It doesn't have to be long and detailed, just thank the interviewer for their time and remind them that you're really looking forward to the final answer. Send the letter as soon as you get home from the interview. You can even do it from your phone. In any case, you must send the letter no later than 48 hours later. The timing of the letter is important because it gives an indication of your level of interest in the job and ensures that the employer does not forget your candidacy. Besides, it's just good manners.
Take notes about the interview. Once you are free, sit down and take some notes on the topics covered during the interview. This is useful for several reasons: It allows you to evaluate your skills, experience and personal qualities that you want to highlight. It will also help you prepare for your next interview, helping you tailor your answers to the interviewer's preferences. This will help you remember the questions you were asked and determine if you answered them correctly. Even if you don't get the job, this kind of information and experience will certainly be useful for your next interview. Detailed self introduction notes will help you write a better thank you letter, you will be able to mention a few points that were discussed in the interview. This will help you stand out from other candidates.
A week later, write a formal thank you letter. Sending a formal letter a few days after the self introduction is optional, but quite a complete step. This letter should be more detailed than the previous one.
It should remind the interviewer of your individual strengths, politely state the reasons why you should get the job.
If you have talked with several people, do not be too lazy to send a letter to everyone personally.
Never be annoying! You should be friendly person. If you don't get a response, don't send another message. Instead, you can call by phone, but this is an extreme option.
If you haven't received an email response after a few weeks from job interview, contact your employer by phone to check on the status of your application. A phone call is the best way to contact the HR manager. In addition, most people appreciate this type of communication more. After you make a phone call, name the person you want to talk to, and not just leave a message. If it doesn't work the first time, please call later. It is best to call early in the morning or in the evening when there are no meetings.
Before you call, prepare a plan and script. You must know exactly what to say. Practice a few times before making the call. Write down the key points on paper: you must know exactly who you are talking to, you must know what you are talking about and what goals you are pursuing. Make sure that nothing interferes with your conversation. Be polite and speak in a confident voice, make eye contact. Be careful, do not forget to thank the manager for taking the time for you.
Knowing how to properly get good self introduction for a job, a job seeker can create an effective self-presentation and fill a vacant position without any problems.
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