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Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions

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Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions

Kogan Page,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Conquer your job hunt with skills that will ace interviews, outshine other candidates and yield high-paying offers.

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

You may feel waves of regret as you read this book and imagine how your life might have been different if you had studied it earlier in your career. With actual examples of resumes and a brilliant score of responses to difficult queries, this is an excellent guide for job hunters, complete with corporate fashion tips. Author Martin John Yate delivers savvy advice in plain language. With warnings about the dangers of "windbag" statements, industry jargon and hostile body language, Yate provides a no-nonsense tour through the job-hunting process. The text includes a great worksheet for developing and tracking job leads and contacts. Unfortunately, the author sometimes is gung-ho about specific points so some sections are repetitive. But overall, getAbstract recommends these insights to all job seekers.

Summary

Preparing Your Mental Briefcase

Preparing for an interview involves more than a new suit and a freshly printed resume. Successful job hunters follow tightly researched, choreographed and rehearsed strategies.

Begin with your resume. Avoid pompous jargon and long-winded explanations. Keep your bio to one tight, bright page. Use universal language that a range of corporate types can understand easily. Make your resume chronological if you have a stable work history with a pattern of growth. Avoid a chronology if you have large gaps in your work history or changed jobs frequently. The alternative is a functional resume organizing your work history to highlight experiences that fit the position you are seeking. This format touts your knowledge, while de-emphasizing dates and corporate names. It is ideal if you have been unemployed for long blocks of time or have made frequent career moves. Or, you can combine the two formats. Use a standard typeface and avoid unnecessary flourishes.

Exclude your current or targeted salary from your resume. Figures that are too high or too low could cause your early elimination from the job pool. Don’t exaggerate. Emphasize your problem...

About the Author

Martin John Yate has held top positions in training and personnel for several leading international companies. He is also the best-selling author of Resumes That Knock ’Em Dead, Knock ’Em Dead Business Presentations and Hiring the Best, among other business books.

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