OH Sh%T I have got an interview...now i just hope they are not interviewing me becasue they feel they have to

[beety]

and I have to teach a lesson...not sure what yet...

oh, my god not sure I want it now...

(Head of performing arts job)

it does help beety cos we forget what it is like when we havent had one for a while. You only had to watch 'the apprentice' last week to see how unprepared people are

"what colour is your parachute?" is a fabulous book aswell- it is a bit american but on the whole is very helpful

i think dh has that osmewhre

well a bit more excitement please...far more intresting than bitcy threads

beety when i got a job interview last October, not having worked outside the home for 10 years, I was petrified. But then i thought, hang on, I've had 2 children and I'm a grown-up, how can I be so lacking in courage? And I felt instantly confident and I got the job (not an exciting job like yours though)

So aren't you the mother of 4 (?) children, all of whom are bright and successful at school and happy and that's because you gave birth to them and brought them up.

What's a little interview by comparison?

hey CAM, good thinking.

I also remind myself of my best mate who died two years ago and how brave she was. I think, if she can die with such dignity then I can go to a bloody interview...

Good luck Beety, you can do it!

I googled "interview questions" and got loads of advice. I always strugled with the bit where they say have you got any questions. I have learned now that I haven't done myself any favours by saying no I think you covered everything.

I had a big interview today and managed not 1 but 3 good questions that had the interviewer chatting away like a budgie .

oh and how did the interview go??

Well......

2 of the interviewers were late so I sat stewing for 15 mins, then the personnel person gave me a job description as she thought I hadn't had one sent out, said have 20 mins to have a look over it and takes some notes. She had given me a description for another job alltogether but in the same place, so I sat there thinking well I have really buggered this up, thankfully she was returing with a glass of water so I got the chance to see if I had got confused. No it was he mistake.

Eventually I went in with 3 interviewers, the main guy was going on about how informal he wanted it to be. OK so I have 3 people in suits at a desk taking notes and asking questions like so what can you bring to this job. NOt my idea of informal.

I think I did OK, I got a bit tounge tied but i hope they will forgive me. I manage to get accross a lot of what I had planned and it got a bit more chatty as we went on. The main guy was really interested in what I had done previously and asked a few questions which he admitted were just out of his personnal curiosity. I managed to compliment the place and say how lovely it would be to work there because of A, B & C.

I think I was a late entry to the interveiw process as I found out they were interviewing last week and a member of staff I quizzed thought they were all done. I just got the phone call on friday, so I think they hadn't found what they needed. I think my form might have been late too.

I know what you mean about thinking you are just there to make up the numbers, but believe me they wouldn't waste their time interviewing you if they didn't think you were a viable candidate.

wow that sound like it went well.

I am not sure what sort of questions they will ask as I have never done an interview like this before. I always get my jobs from word of mouth..

beety - they won't interview because they feel they have to (believe me - I have done enough interviewing in my time to know it doesn't work like that...) You are on the list because you are in the running......
Re interview - keep calm, answer clearly and concisely, think before you speak, ask them to repeat questions if you aren't clear what they are driving at, don't waffle! Try to think of at least one question to ask them.
Be yourself....

Agree with not waffling, but the interviews I've been successful at were ones where a conversation was struck up or naturally ensued rather than a stiff Q & A session.

I tend to ask questions as I'm going along rather than wait till the end and this usually makes "them" relax.... and don't forget to smile....

A happy face goes a long way.
Most of all, just be your warm and witty self and you'll do fine

Definately smile!! Try to take your cue from them - agree with Cam on a lot of this - when I said be concise I don't mean terse, I mean answer the question you were asked so that they are clear you have answered.
The worst interviews from an interviewers perspective are ones where its either like extracting teeth, or you can't shut the person up! Nerves are fine, all interviewers will expect someone to be nervous....

SMILE ok I will smile

teaching a lesson infront a mate is slightly strange though! Maybe I should make him go in role

Well beety, for one of my current part-time positions I had to be interviewed by dh

He asked me really hard questions

bastard

You'll be fine, just concentrate on the lesson (remember all those god awful teaching practices with your tutor watching and marking you and the kids playing up 'cos they knew your arse was on the line? - can't be worse than that can it?)

god yes, i remember those and NOit cant be worse...at least theses kids are nice

there you go - piece of cake

they won't spit on the door handle

LOL ...Good luck, have a great weekend and expect to hear the good news next week....

You are on the list because they like the sound of you.

I am currently sitting a teaching diploma (for Early Childhood music so very specialised), as an assessment I have to run a couple of sessions in front of the examiner. I am going to try very hard just to do what I normally do and concentrate on the children, any decent interviewer would stay out of your line of sight. surely.