A new way to find the job you wanted Are you looking out for a job that you always dreamt about and wondering what to do? Here’s a magic mantra for you. The mantra is Informational Interview. As the term suggests it is an interview but with a different connotation to it. Informational Interview is a means of networking with people having established careers in areas that you want to create a foothold.

  1. The Informational Interview
  2. Interview with Recruiters
  3. Common Job Interview Questions
  4. Lunch & Phone Interview

Level 2: Informational Interview: Some Other Perspectives
Informational Interview could also be a good option to explore for mid-career changes. If you have a good friend with an established career in the area you intend to pursue, it would be a good idea to have a formal informational interview with the person. This will bring out your seriousness of pursuing a career in the area of your friend at the same time the person will not be obligated to provide you a job. He will have the conviction to recommend you to others and give you good references. Overall, Informational Interview is much more effective than any other conventional means for moving closer to your dream job as it emphasizes purely on your initiative and passion for making a breakthrough in to a career of your choice. Details

Interview with Recruiters

Some firms hire a third-party organization to identify a college student whom they can employ. The third-party organization may be recruiting on-campus, advertising the company’s requirement at a career festival, screen resumes received by e-mail or on the net, etc. Many colleges have a recruitment center of their own, which works with these job employment agencies and the students. It would be wise for the students to be familiar with the issues related to the functioning of these job employment agencies. Third-party recruiters are defined as ‘agencies, organizations or individuals recruiting candidates for temporary, part-time or full-time employment opportunities other than for their own needs’ by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Third-party recruiters can be classified as follows:

  • Employment agencies: These have a database of prospective employers as well as employees. They charge when a match is made. If you don’t find the words ‘fee paid’ anywhere in the contract, make sure you know who’s going to be charged before you sign the agreement.
  • Search Firms: Search firms are those that are paid by an employer to find a candidate to match his specifications.
  • Contract Recruiters: Employers hire them, on a contract basis, to represent them in the recruiting process.
  • Resume Referral Firms: As the name suggests, these firms share their database of resumes with employers. When you send in your resume to be included in this database, make it clear to whom it can be sent and the purpose for which it can be used. A fee may be charged to the employer, the applicant, or both.

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Common Job Interview Questions

Being interviewed you get a chance to prove yourself. That is why it is necessary to be well prepared. Preparation increases your chances of being selected.
Be confident and positive:
One of the best ways to get confidence before a job interview is to formulate answers to the common questions and practice many times before interview.
Most Common Interview Questions:
Here are a few job interview questions you might want to rehearse:

Question

Lunch and Phone Interviews

A lunch interview is simply an interview held over lunch. It takes a different approach and different preparation. The interview will probably be slightly longer than normal.
Lunch Interview Etiquette: Do not worry too much about lunch interview etiquette, employers are more interested in your ability to do the job rather than your table manners although a certain level of education and manners have to be shown. If you follow the normal table manners you will be fine unless VIP dining is part of the job. Details