Job Interviewing Tips???

[flipflop]

Hi,

I graduated from college in late December and I have been interviewing at several companies and actually had a job with enterprise car rental but I turned it down till a later date because I met someone who worked for a business insurance firm, Brown & Brown www.bbinsurance.com and I have been talking with them for about 1.5 months now. I have gone to 2 interviews but both offices were small offices....I finally got an interview at a large office where they train new sales people and I am wondering if anyone has any interviewing tips that would get me the job 😛. I have looked at some interview questions online and have been studying them I also bought a new suit, shoes, tie etc. My interview is 5 hours away from where I live so I will have to get a hotel and it wont be a cheap trip. I would really like to land this job because it has great potential for me to make some serious bank...

I know most of you are older than me and been in my shoes before, just hoping you could share some of your knowledge with me..
Thanks !

I am interviewing for a sales position also known as a producer.

 

[Al Patterson]

You might want to check if you have any facebook or myspace pages that might not project a professional image. People have aced interviews only to fail a google search where the prospective employer finds a picture of them smoking weed or doing a beer bong or something along those lines.

Best interview advice I'v eseen was in 'What Color is Your Parachute". I can't remember it all, but the library may have a copy so you don't have to buy it. Better to spend the money on a shoe shine and a haircut a few days before the interview.

 

[RF-Addict]

Tough question, esp. not knowing you at all, but here are some pointers ( I used to have my own company and we hired 500 people in three years - many of them I interviewed myself).

Clearly what they want to figure out is if you'd make a good salesman. As you have no expertise yet in this area (if I understood your question right) they will look at your personality and character (I know big words).

Don't act shy, be assertive, look your interviewer in the eyes when you answer their questions. There is nothing worse than a candidate who never looks at you - esp. for a sales position. Be prepared to answer a question like: Why should we hire YOU, given you have no experience yet - if they don't ask that question, make sure you answer it anyway!! Remember this is about sales, so you need to sell yourselves. They will want to see a certain agressiveness in you without being arrogant.

Of course, be on-time. Being nervous is OK, as long as you get over it during the interview.

I wish you good luck and let us know how it all turned out!

 

[Xmas]

Interviewing is like tossing a coin. And you cannot expect to come out with the killer one liner, ...
What colour is my parachute has real good tips about what to do, like dry clean the suit, wash, wear a non perfumed deoderant, no garlic, floss...
If you dont have a copy, you need a copy... If you are happy in your job you still need a copy...
Noel

 

[ferider]

- be assertive but not overly so, being nervous is OK.
- make your outfit fit the job. Don't over-dress, either.
- do some background search on the job, employer and interviewer(s).
- be a good listener. Be prepared to take notes.
- have some printouts of your resumee with you.

Good luck,

Roland.

 

[MikeL]

Number 1 rule, don't B.S., people can smell that from a mile away. Number 2 rule, have a good idea of what you do and don't know, so that you don't break rule Number 1. Number 3 rule, don't be fake. Personality wise you are either a good fit or not. You don't want a job that doesn't fit your personality traits. Number 4 rule, don't listen to me.🙂

 

[alexz]

I would have offered probably some worthy advises would you be hardware (electronics) egineering graduate, this is the only field I'm familiar with...

 

[VinceC]

Be absolutely truthful and honest.

Look upon every interview opportunity as a chance to improve your interviewing skills.

I work in a fairly creative field where, if you make to the interview stage, they've already selected your work and already want you, but they just want to make sure you're not too strange to work with. So my interviews have usually gone well.

I don't think of the process as job hunting. I think of it as boss hunting. I'm sizing them up as much as they're sizing me up. Having this attitude helps you to not appear to be desperate.

 

[mich8261]

be prepared for "competency based assessment". Where I work, this means you won't be asked "How do you feel about customer service?" or "How do you feel about working in a team?" rather you'd be asked "give me a specific example where you exhibited (enter appropriate behaviour here)". Everyone can say they think the customer should always come first, but having an example that proves you actually believe this is much better. Write down a lot of your past experiences and bring the notes. If appropriate and necessary, ask if it's okay to refer to your notes. It should show you are organized and that you have planned for this.

YMMV.

Good luck.

 

[steve garza]

I have been a producer for about 7 years and have experience in several lines of insurance. The company you mentioned is a well known commercial brokerage. Insurance is a great career....especially if you love sales. Try to stick w/ commercial lines if you can. It's tough to get in as a trainee, but worth the effort. Insurance gets into your blood. I personally, love it. Here are some tips.

Insurance types are big on technical knowledge and professional certificates. Research the Insurance Institue of America (IIA) and CPCU professional designations. Let the interviewer know you want to advance your knowledge and will continue studying after you're hired. Also, check the licensing requirements in your state and let your interviewer know that you are familiarizing yourself with the process of licensing and continuing education.

Reserach the company and exactly what they (they are brokers---they buy at one price and sell at another with a fee for their services) do. Also, look at the competition---know the names at least.

Determine what lines the brokerage is strong in--tell them you want to specialize in those lines.

Insurance types love stability and the truth is, it takes time to build your "Book of business" so convey that you in this for a long term career and you are worth putting time and money into as an employee.

Finally, and very importantly....sales require good interpersonal skills, but insurance is a very technical legal subject. Play up on your analytical skills. Show them you understand the concepts of insuance. You can order books from the IIA that should help you learn something.

That's about it for now. Let me know if you have any other questions.

sgarza@pwcapital.net

Steve

 

[mpt600]

For what it's worth, just try to enjoy the interview. Seriously, you're not on trial, it should be fun. You want to enjoy work, work starts at the interview. Not knowing an answer isn't the end of the world, the interviewer wants to see if you're ok, if he can work with you, if he likes you. That's what I've done over the years and interviews have turned out ok. Too many people I know see interviews as an ordeal. They're not. The panic should only set in when you've got ythe job and have to perform. Worry about that later.

 

[BillBingham2]

Eye contact.

Have specifics as to how you have done things in the past.

Do some test interviews with folks asking hard questions (e.g. give me an example of when you had a problem on the project and how you solved it).

Read about the company on their web site. Try to find out why you are a good fit (other than you want to work there) and sell yourself and how you want to learn their way.

Ask for the job! I missed out on a sales job once that I would have been great for because I did not ask for it.

More if I can think of it.

B2 (;->

 

[popstar]

You're getting some great advice above. One thing I would add is to come prepared with questions for the firm. An interview is an interview for the company as much as it is for you.

I know companies/HR people that expect to be asked questions and note if the applicant has none. Most companies don't want someone that would take just anything they offer and want to see critical thought in the job hunting process. Ask more than about vacation accrual and sick time though. If you have the opportunity to talk to the hiring manager and not just a HR rep, ask how they would describe their management style, how they receive critical feedback, how they discipline/motivate as appropriate, etc. There are some great companies with individually bad managers. You have to do your part to figure out if you'd be a good fit for the company/team.

Good luck! Let us know how you make out! 🙂

 

[CameraQuest]

Why Interview when you can Own?

Why Interview when you can Own?

in today's internet world, it is easier than ever to start your own business.

find something you like,
maybe several businesses in the initial stage,
and then see what takes off.

Stephen

 

[f8&go]

This will sound too simple.

Listen. Listen very carefully to your interviewer
and don't open your mouth till he's finished
(part of being a good listener) and you've got
something to say. Always try to be positive.

Otherwise, what everybody else said.

Best of luck to you!

 

[JoeFriday]

good advice so far... especially the parts about researching the company and the job they're offering.. have a good idea of what they are hiring for, and be able to explain why you are the guy to fit that position.. specific examples of how you handled certain situations would help a lot

also, be friendly.. a good sense of humor helps, as long as you don't come across as a clown.. be professional, but also act like the kind of guy that you'd like to work with.. remember, they want to hire someone that helps the company, but they also want to hire someone that they don't mind having to spend time with.. just be a normal person, basically.. and yes, it's perfectly fine to act a little nervous as long as you also come across as someone who is assertive, which is important in sales

pay attention.. don't dwell on company benefits until everything else is covered.. ask questions about specific aspects of that job.. what their sales goals are or training methods, etc

sit up straight, don't cross your legs when you sit, don't fidget, and it's ok to think for a second or two before answering a question rather than just blurting out the first thing that comes to mind

and it helps to go into the interview with the mindset that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.. after all, you don't want to waste your time (now and for the next year or so) working for a company that you don't like.. so keep your eyes and ears open and think about whether you WANT to work for them.. don't assume that you do.. that also will keep you from acting too eager (ie, desperate).. but definitely keep an open mind

good luck!

 

[Graham Line]

Show up sober. I was always surprised how many applicants had trouble with that one in the '70s.

 

[wlewisiii]

I don't think of the process as job hunting. I think of it as boss hunting. I'm sizing them up as much as they're sizing me up. Having this attitude helps you to not appear to be desperate.

I'd say this is the best advice so far in the thread. When all is said and done at the end of the interview, you need to be able to walk away if it isn't right. Get your mind into that space & it all the pieces just slide into place.

Brett's comment about thinking a moment about your answers is extreamly good as well. Many other good bits here as well.

Google your name. If you have _ever_ posted to usenet, search google groups as well. If there are any missteps out there, you can at least be aware of them.

Good luck! I recently drastically changed career & am still sometimes wondering about it :bang: :bang: :bang: 😀 but knowing yourself will get you further than anything else.

William

 

[MikeL]

One option is to bring a nice looking notepad for the interview. Some questions I'll write down in shorthand. This gives you the slight pause that William and Brett mentioned to formulate your answer. When I was advised this by a friend at first I thought it would get in the way and not look professional. After both inteviewing and being an interviewee I see the wisdom in it.

I prefer well thought out answers rather than rambling, repeating, and not knowing when to end the answer/response. No one gives a rats rear if you can't respond instantly. Your answers can appear more polished due to the thought and organization. Because you can pre-think what you are going to say you can spend the leftover brain power on delivery and clearly communicating (eye contact, intonation, etc.). They'll be plenty of more casual questions where they'll get a feel for who you are. Just 2 more cents.

Lastly, I'll have the questions I want to ask them (very important) on a page and a quick glance is all you'll need.

 

[flipflop]

Thanks guys! Lots of good tips here!