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The Interview Kit

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The Interview Kit

Wiley,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Text available

What's inside?

Be strategic and don’t sabotage yourself. The more you know before a job interview, the less you’ll regret what you say.

Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Job-finding expert Richard H. Beatty approaches a job interview like a general planning a battle. He talks strategy, from preparation to planning to execution. The target: making a good impression. He provides tips on what to do to win the job and how to avoid making mistakes that doom the interview and plunge you into instant defeat. While some suggestions seem like common sense, you can’t have too much of that in a competitive market. The book is particularly strong in its coverage of specific questions to anticipate and the types of responses to offer. getAbstract.com recommends this book to people who just showed up in the job market and to those in the early stages of waging this war. Most well-established job soldiers already command these skills - otherwise they’d be on the sidelines.

Summary

A Dynamite Interview

If you want to get the job, act like a Boy Scout: be prepared. Many applicants fail before they ever walk into the interview because they don’t do their preliminary research. Come in knowing all you can find out about the company you are targeting and the job you want. How badly do you want it? A dynamite interview is the best way to get hired and the surest method of increasing your chances of getting a solid offer from a great company. You can improve your ability to get a good job, a better contract and a higher salary. It all starts with gathering data.

Preparing for the Interview

Before you go for a job interview - or even decide if you want to join a company or take a job - learn about the corporation and its culture. Research three main areas:

  • The company - Learn all you can about its products and services: markets and major customers, philosophy and values, financial performance (short and long-term sales, costs and profit trends); growth plans and strategies (growth in products and divisions, opportunities for new or expanded markets, current plans); major internal or external problems; and short and long-term objectives...

About the Author

Richard H. Beatty, a leading job-search author, has conducted more than 1,000 job interviews in his 30 years as a corporate employment and consulting professional. He is president of Brandywine Consulting Group, a human resources consulting firm. He spent 17 years as a human resources executive with Scott Paper. His best selling books include The Resume Kit, The Five-Minute Interview, 175 High-Impact Cover Letters, The Perfect Cover Letter and 175 High-Impact Resumes.

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