Secure a Job Interview

There are several ways to secure a job interview, but basically you either initiate the process yourself or have someone else do it for you. It is best to learn how to secure your own job interview, because by doing so you demonstrate initiative to a potential employer and put yourself in control of your own career.

To begin the process of securing your own interviews, choose to pursue several of the sources that are most available to you and that you feel most comfortable with. While you may have looked at these resources initially as a good way to obtain information about available jobs, you can now use these same resources as a means of actually pursuing a job interview. The key to your success will be to take the initiative to act on these sources and know what to ask for.

The following sections present some ways to obtain a job interview using the resources available to you.

A resume or curriculum vitae is the first impression that a prospective employer has of you as a worthy applicant. It should be well written, have complete information (name, address, contact info, school, the works)and should be creative but has a business-like tempo. It could be on paper when you apply in person and it could be e-mailed electronically (paperless) through the internet. There should be extensive explanation of your work experiences and it would really help a lot if your grades when you were in school were of honor grade. And then, it would also be beneficial that you were active in extra curricular activities. Like for example, you expressed through the resume that you were the president of the Student Government Council in school, or that you were the student head of the school chapter of the Rotary Club. This will show to your prospective employer your potential to "go out of the box" and maximize the potential of the company. There are many different formats of the curriculum vitae and you can find them on the internet.

You need to place theses telephone calls yourself.

• Respond to classified ads where telephone calls are being accepted.
• Follow up on a cover letter and resume you have already sent.
• Make inquires about available positions that may be unadvertised.

You should plan ahead what you will say once you have initiated the call.

There are times when it simply may be better to have someone else initiate a call for your.

• Your placement office at school may be able to get through to an employer directly more readily than you can.
• A friend who already works at a company you are applying to may help make the employer aware of your expertise.
• An employment agency may be more successful with setting up an interview for you directly because this may be what the employer has requested.

Recognize when it might be helpful to have someone else initiate a request for a job interview for you, but be ready to follow up properly on your own immediately after the contact has been made. In the end, the interview and, of course, the job offer will come to you because of your initiative, not due to someone else.

Interviews fall into two basic categories: informational and traditional. Informational interviews may help you explore a career to practice your interview skills. The traditional job interview is the real thing; rather than seeking information, you are seeking a job interview.

An informational interview is designed to help you gather more information about an industry, a specific employer, or a type of job. There are two types of informational interviews. The first involves your interviewing an employer about what jobs are generally available for someone with your background and finding out more about the company itself. You may obtain more knowledge about the career paths in your field and the qualifications sought by a particular company.

The second type of informational interview involves your speaking to someone who is already working in your chosen career and has the job you think you want. During this interview you can clarify your career goal and gain a better understanding of day-to-day responsibilities of a particular job.

Informational interviews are helpful because they provide you with an up-to-date perspective on your industry and on your desired job. By having a general feeling for what is happening in these areas, you will be better prepared for a job interview.

1. 1
   Compile a list of employers for the occupation in your career field.

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2. 2
   Review your list of employers and mark those you consider the most attractive.

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3. 3
   Mark those employers located where you are able to travel and visit on your list.

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4. 4
   Draft a separate list of employers to contact for arranging interviews.

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5. 5
   Contact the employers you are considering.

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6. 6
   Schedule your information interviews.

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7. 7
   Leave your phone number or address so your interview subjects are able to contact you if rescheduling becomes necessary.

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8. 8
   You may want to practice mock interviewing with a classmate, friend, or relative if you have not had experience in interviewing.

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9. 9
   Be familiar enough with the questions you want to ask so that you will not continually need to refer to your list.

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10. 10
    Reconfirm interview times, dates, and locations on the day before each scheduled interview.

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11. 11
    After interview is done, remember to get the name of the interviewee.

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12. 12
    Take time to send a thank you letter to your interviewer after each interview.

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A traditional job interview is one where you meet your interviewer, in person, to be interviewed for an actual job. this may occur at your school, on-site at the company, or on-site at a job fair. While the goal of an information interview is to practice your interviewing skills, the goal of a traditional job interview is to obtain an actual job offer.

• The interviewing process is a necessary and important part of your job search.
• The interview is a key factor in most hiring decisions.
• You stand the best chance of receiving a job offer if you have demonstrated initiative and preparation to the perspective employer.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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