I was made redundant!

[COMINATCHA]

Ok so my last job made me redundant! I loved it, so I was really shocked & upset when they told me that they no longer needed me. I started to cry & they said I did a great job but people just aren't buying luxury items these days (I worked for a company that sold spas/hot tubs). I am having trouble getting another job. Ive been to several interviews but my nerves get the better of me. Any suggestions on how to pass an interview??

[Crazeyal]

The main thing is to calm down. If you are nervous, take a few breaths and think of something positive. OR something funny. You want to convey confidence and a good outlook. Go back to the job that laid you off and get a recomendation. From what you say, there was nothing wrong with your work, it's just a sign of the times. Getting that on paper should be a confidence builder.

[Rapscallion]

Damn - that's bad news.

One tip I have in your search is to go for work at places that deal in the basic things in life. Food is one such area, especially the cheaper, basic places. People turn to basics in times of low money, or apparent low money. However, the wages there are likely to be much lower than other jobs. That's currently a growth area.

The fact that you're getting to interviews is a good part in your favour - most applications don't get to the interview stage, especially with companies such as your ex-employer throwing people out of work. Just keep applying, but in the current economic climate you may have to settle for something a little less rewarding than you had.

As to calming down, I'm going to read hints and tips on that I suck majorly at interviews.

Rapscallion

[Evil Queen]

Keep smiling. You have no idea how many applications I myself rejected before they even bothered getting near the hiring authority. If you don't smile, something is wrong and it makes you come of badly.

Dress nice but nothing fancy. Nothing ratty looking or torn either (the "Frayed" look clothing looks like shit).

And good luck! I'm rootin' for ya!

[Apallo]

The bigges thing with interviews is to be confident. Even if it is a new industry to you, be confident and give the impression that you are willing to learn, and are also a quick learner. Most times, the interviewer is more interested in your attitude than they are in your experience and qualifications. Smile if it is appropriate for the situation, but don't overdo it, as you can come off as a bit manic.

On the topic of being nervous, you might think about taking a class on public speaking (or take a class where you know you will have to do a presentation). I used to be very nervous around people i don't know, but i took several classes that forced me to learn how to speak in public, and this helped me immensely in interviews.

As for clothes, dress appropriately for the type of work you are applying for. If at all possible, try to go in as a "customer" so you can see what the employees are wearing (I've done this many many times, and it works, but avoid going on a Friday, as this is the almost universal "casual" day) If you show up at a place dressed like the others that work there, the interviewer will be more comfortable talking to you, and might start talking to you like you already work there (this happened with my current job, which cracks me up). The exception to this this rule is uniforms, shorts and denim. If they are all in some kind of uniform, try to emulate that uniform but don't copy it too exactly. Shorts and denim are considered unprofessional.

Well, that's my 2c (or more like $1.40 lolz)

[COMINATCHA]

Thanks for all your advice guys. I have no problems with being well dressed for an interview, its a matter of selling myself to a employer & believing in myself.

I have had a few interview questions which have stumped me, and I don't answer them half as well as I think I should. For example: "Tell me about yourself" - when they have asked me this (which has happened twice) I wasn't sure exactly what they wanted to know? Is this questions meant for them to find out about my past work life? My personal life? A bit of both? Obviously im not going to start rambling my life story to them, but it's just a broad question I don't know what they want.
The other question that I don't like is - "What are your salary expectations?" because I don't want to ask for too much & burn my bridges before I've even started, but I don't want to ask for too little either for obvious reasons. It's hard to know what the salary is that the industry i'm applying for is willing to pay.

Here are my experiences so far:
First job I applied for was for a Personal Assistant to the Executive Assistant. I applied for this one through a recruitment company, however they refused to say the name of the company until I had registered with them & taken an online skills test in Microsoft Excel & Word, & completed a typing test. I did all of this, then went in to see them (I had an interview with the lady from the recruitment company first, not the actual place i'd applied for). After i'd finished the interview with her, she THEN informed me I didn't have the nessesary skills to do the job of a PA. Gee thanks lady, thanks for making me do all the work & then come all the way in to see you & then let me down!

The second job was for an Office Assistant in a suburb that is about 4 minutes away from where I live. The salary was advertised as $50,000 per year, and all the skills required I knew I could do. This was again advertised online through a recruitment company. I sent my application in and got a call back 30 minutes later. The guy asked if I could go to an interview the next day - I said sure! That was really quick - wasn't sure if it was just efficient service or they maybe were desperate?? Anyway, the next day I go to the address I was given, having being told it is for a major fishing company but I would be working at their head office - nowhere near any actual fish, lol. The address is wrong - i'm panicing, i'm going to be late! I call the guy back who apologises & gives me the correct address. I get their 10 minutes late & explain why I was late (the lady interviewing had not been told, so I just looked unreliable.) Anyway, the interview goes for 5 mins then im out the door. I haven't heard back from anyone despite my phone calls (this was last week). So I don't know what is happening.

The last job i've so for applied for is for a Medical Receptionist based inside a hospital (that my mum works at) in the x-ray section. I actually had x-rays done a few months ago at the same place and I speciffically remember the girl who worked there (looked to be my age) was really snobby & rude & I was thinking "I would do a far better job than she is doing!" So maybe they fired here and that is why the position is being advertised, lol. Anyway, I've yet to hear back from them.
If you apply for a job do you normally get a response back whether you are successful or not? Or do only the 'good' ones get a call back? I hate not knowing.

On the bright side, when my last employer made me redundant, they did pay me just under $6,000 to support myself until I get another job. That was 4 weeks ago, i've spent hardly anything so I don't have to stress too much just yet. I can just focus on the job hunt. Also, I can visit this site more now, cause I don't know if anyone remembers, but my last boss was NOT happy when it was found out I was visiting a site called "customerssuck" lol

[SteeleDragon78]

figure i would toss in my two cents .

as for the questions like "tell me about yourself", what they're looking for there is more often than not your verbal communication skills. if you can give a readers digest version of you or just the highlites. some interviewers ask this question because of what you might be doing outside of work. making sure your not a skydiver or deep sea diver in your off time. the reason for this is if you're injured while doing a dangerous sport or something its lost productivity for them. infact i didn't get a job at a bank because at the time i was really into drag racing (really dangerous).

as for salary expectations for a job, a little research into what the industry standard is can help with that. eg. most call center reps make between $10 and $17 depending on experience and geographical location.

but i wish you much luck in your endeavor. SD

[Gurndigarn]

I have had a few interview questions which have stumped me, and I don't answer them half as well as I think I should. For example: "Tell me about yourself" - when they have asked me this (which has happened twice) I wasn't sure exactly what they wanted to know?

They're trying to find out what you think is important. It was actually the question I started all of my interviews with. A good answer is "Is there anything in particular you're interested in?" The response will probably be "No, just tell me about yourself." At which point I would start with a summary of your work history, if you have any specific goals in a job what those are, then a brief summary of anything outside of work you do/did that they might find interesting or help boost your chances of being hired, then a very brief listing of personal interests and hobbies.

As a side note, sometimes this is an employer hoping to find out about marital status, religion, or other things that (in the US) are illegal to ask. Volunteer that information only if you know that it will help you, and avoid it if you don't.

The other question that I don't like is - "What are your salary expectations?"

"I would like to hear more about your company and the position before I answer that." And yeah, have an idea of what the positions pay, in general, before showing up. Figure out where your experience would put you in that range. Then, after you hear about the company, bump the figure you have up or down based on how interested you are in the position/company, and take that figure and nudge it up just a hair. Then say "In the XXX range". If they're interested in you, they'll probably counteroffer somewhere near what you were expecting.

By the way, it probably doesn't need to be said, but make sure that "the XXX range" is a figure that you can live with and be happy about.

As a second aside, even if you really like the company, don't nudge your figure down too much for them. A bit, yeah, but too much makes you look uncertain about yourself. You can also, if the situation is right, try to make deals: "I can accept $YYY, but I'm also interested in [advancement opportunity/other position/etc.] once I've proven myself."

[Madhatter_67_85]

From my experience as a recruiter: When someone ask you to "Tell me about yourself", they are really listening to your verbal communication skills. It is not expected to get too deep in your personal life, stick with your job experiences and any specialized training, certifications you have, etc. It is ok to lightly touch on hobbys you like to do outside of work as a way to try and further communication with the recruiter/hr, but don't always expect that person to go down that road. If I had any knowledge or interest in a persons hobby I would sometimes casually talk with them a little bit about it to help ease any nerves. IT IS OK TO BE NERVOUS!! Hell I've seen a lot of recruiters/hr people who were just as nervous as the interviewee.

As far as salary, Gurndigarn is right in a going with a range instedad of a hard figure. I don't know about Down Under but here in the states a lot of companies will negotiate more freely with benefits, vacation time, performance bonuses than actual salary. So if a company is offering you a lower salary than what you want (provided you can live on said salary) then it is ok to agree to the lower salary but counter with trying to get an extra weeks vacation, eligible for benefits at a quicker pace or some type of performance bonus, but be sure to get an offer letter in writing that states any extra perks negotiated. My current job I accepted a smaller salary (5k less a year) but I negiotated that instead of the normal two weeks of vacation a year that I get four. Also I have certain performance numbers and budget to stay within per quarter and if I meet those numbers then I get a performance bonus ($750 per quarter). A lot of managers have more leeway to negotiate with things than actual salary. They have a budget to meet and therefore not always can give bigger salaries to start off with.

Just keep an open mind, always be polite to the secretary as they have a lot of influence over a candidate's ability to get hired. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people who were rude to the front desk person (that is the quickest way to make sure you never get hired at a company). Just be polite, professional and yourself. The more interviews you go on the better it gets and you will gain more confidence.

[Gerrinson]

Just keep an open mind, always be polite to the secretary as they have a lot of influence over a candidate's ability to get hired. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people who were rude to the front desk person (that is the quickest way to make sure you never get hired at a company). Just be polite, professional and yourself. The more interviews you go on the better it gets and you will gain more confidence.

I don't have much of anything to say, but I do want to second this. When I worked the service desk at the grocery store, I was also a supervisor. People often dropped off their applications with us and management wanted us to take a minute to talk to them and give our opinion of how they'd be to work with. There were more than a few that didn't get a job because they made a bad impression on the supervisor/manager that took the app.

And then there was the one kid who didn't get the job because he was black. That really me off. HR lady was (probably still is) rather racist. She had two choices for a new bagger, straight A really friendly kid who was black, stoner loser who was white. I say stoner because he reeked of pot when he dropped off his application and bought eye drops at the same time. And loser, not because he was a stoner, but because he couldn't manage any type of conversation beyond quoting Beavis & Butthead. Anyway sorry for the

Oh, one piece of advice, if you get the chance (as with folks dropping apps at the store) take a few minutes to talk to people who already work there and let them know you're interested. You can find some good information about the job and company that way and it never hurts to make a good impression on future coworkers who might put in a good word for you.

[Rapscallion]

As a side note, if you do get a job you're not satisfied with, keep looking. It's generally better to look when you have a job.

Rapscallion

[wagegoth]

Take your vitamins, easy on any caffeinated beverages, and tell yourself, "They would be lucky to have me as an employee," and then repeat it until you believe it. It really does help your confidence.

[COMINATCHA]

Thanks guys, there's been a few tips you've given that ive found really helpful.

Im actually going to a job interview in about 20 minutes. Im dressed very nicely - black pants with cream silk collared shirt & black high-heeled boots. I got my nails done, my hair looks good, im feeling confident cause I know I have the skills and the personality, so wish me luck!

I'll let you know how it goes when I get back - gotta go!

[COMINATCHA]

Okay my interview is well & truly over - here's how it went.

Before the actual interview, I went and saw the guy from the job agency i'd been dealing with. He gave me forms to fill out with all my details & what work i'm looking for, so if this job doesn't work out then they will help me get another one. I was up to my second interview - the first one had gone really well. I asked the guy whether anyone else had got to the second interview stage - he said yes one girl had, but they thought although she had the skills, she was very...boring. I thought that gave me an advantage then - if they want someone really bubbly I will give them bubbly! He wished me good luck, and I left the job agency to go do this interview.

The job is an office job for a fishing company (no I don't have to touch fish - it's at the head office). I will basically be in charge of keeping track of all stock and what is caught on a weekly basis & report it to the relevant people. I will also need to be able to cover the accounts department role should they go away on holiday e.t.c, work closely with marketing, and assist others in the office. It's a brand new position they have created due to the already massive company expanding & they plan to employ more people to work underneath me further dow the track. Basically they want me to manage a group of people to keep everything running smoothly.

Okay so that's the background on what I was about to interview for. I go in there & soon realise their receptionist is a bit daft - she calls the wrong person out to see me - twice. I figure she is one of those receptionists that is there purely on her looks, not on her skills. Nevermind, I get to the correct manager & we go into the boardroom to have the interview. It goes really well, he gives me a run-down on the company, asks about my last job, and then we end up chatting about non-work-related-things.The whole time I am aware of the GIANT fish that is mounted on the wall across from me, it's a bit creepy!

He then goes and gets the CEO of the company - this is my final hurdle. He is also very nice but fires ALOT of questions at me. I stay calm, I answer every one of them, and then he pauses and says he would love to take me on board! Woo!

I start on Monday the 11th August, the pay is $10,000 MORE per year than my last job - how good is that??

[SteeleDragon78]

ROCK ON