NORTH BRUNSWICK — For those looking for jobs in a tough economy, “The Art of Interviewing” workshop held at North Brunswick Library Tuesday March 10 tried to help prospective employees boost their chances of landing a job.
Eileen Levine of the Williamsburg Group went through the interview process and gave many “Do’s and Don’ts” tips to the 20-person audience, which included chemists, teachers, artists and a variety of other experienced and entry-level workers.
“Fifty percent of getting a job is your ability to get a job; 50 percent is your personality. You have to marry the two,” Levine said.
Levine said she has 25 years of experience coaching and has worked with companies that had anywhere from eight to 8,000 people. She covered everything from résumé basics to what to say to human resources associates versus managers, and how to follow up with each after the interview.
“A résumé is a legal document when you sign it, so don’t lie,” she said. “If you are entry level, don’t put [a grade-point average] under a 3.2; instead put on some projects you led in college and what your GPA was in your major if it is higher.”
Levine defined entry level as being in the work force for less than two years. She also split up the way you do interviews for people who have been in the work force for over 15 years, who can exclude any work prior to 1985 on their résumé.
One basic hint, she said, to look prepared was to bring three copies of a résumé to every interview, each having your name and contact information on it.
Levine explained that some companies now are doing credit, degree, criminal record, homeland security and identification verification checks to ensure potential employees are fit to fill the job.
If interviewing by phone, “you should always look up the company, print it out and have a copy in front of you so you can say something positive about it,” Levine said.
If the interview is in person, Levine suggests not taking the first or last interview of the week, so the manager is more apt to pay attention.
Levine told the men and women what was proper to wear on their first interview. She also spoke of how to complete an application: not listing dangerous activities, but including activities like the military or the Boy Scouts.
“When you meet human resources first, her job is to figure out why not to hire you; the manager’s job is to figure out why he should hire you,” Levine said.
Levine explained how to answer some questions employers are likely to ask, including behavioral questions, and offered some questions the prospective employees should not be afraid to ask, such as “Why is this position open?”
Once you are being offered the job, it is time to talk about salary.
“The first person who gives an offer in sales usually loses,” Levine said.
Most of the follow-up questions from the audience addressed the issue of talking to a potential employer about salary and benefits, though some included how to get a scholarship or a visa from a company, and how to use job-search websites.
“It was a really helpful presentation,” said Hnnie Williams, who is going on interviews for the first time in America. She said she now understands some important things to say and avoid.
For more information, visit www.williamsburgroup.com.