Post 60: Are you Going for an Interview ? Here are Some Tips.

This morning while browsing the net, i've found one thread about what should you prepare before going for bank interview. I have shared with them, then i thought why should not i share it in here. Hence, this entry :)

I was graduated on August 2009, since then i have been through an interviews for so many times i've lost count. I was graduated with a Degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering majoring in Electronic & Communication. Few months before graduated, i have started to apply for various job positions, some related with what i have learned while the other some just wasn't. From undergraduate internship programme, to sales, to management, to engineering and most of it were to IT, from well-known and established companies, MNC to the smaller ones.

I remembered my very first interview was with UEM Group Berhad in Menara UEM, just beside KL Sentral (if i have not mistaken) . I still remember when one of the interviewers asked me on why did i applied for the post of Management while i am from Engineering based. He was very doubtful i can really see from his face. He even told me that i applied for that position because i have not getting any offers from engineering company. The truth was i just finished my studies a few weeks before the interview, so that would be my very first. I don't have any problems whenever the interviewer questioning me on why should i applied something which is very different from what i have learned. But the thing is do not ever questions someone's interest. If i never ever been interested in that position, i would not be in your room attending the interview and i would not applied the job at the very first place. I wish i could answered that. However i managed to calm downed myself and behaved. Hihi

So, what should you do before attending any interviews other than needed documents ? As for me, i would make sure i have all of these:


1. High Self-Confidence

Some of the interviewers, staffing and recruitment persons or HR usually see on how the potential candidates reacted. How you entered the room. Your posture when sitting, your body gesture when explaining things, your intonation while talking, how you are reacting over some issues being raised etc. Walking to the room with smile, sitting straight, introduce yourself when being told. Talk slowly yet sounded firm, do not show them your nervousness. Voice out your opinions so that they could see that you are actually bold but be careful to show your other sides that you are tolerable and humble enough to listen to others opinions.


2. Speaks fluently

I know for most of us(Malays) who rarely speak English at home will encounter this kind of situations or problems. But remember, practice makes perfect. Plus you don't have to use such extravagant vocab, try to make use of the basic and simple ones. The important thing is you could express yourself while being interviewed and the interviewer can relate on what you are talking about, so that it could not washed out your chances of getting placement.


3. Mock interview.

I did this every time before going for an interviews. Asked yourself some familiar interview questions and answered them. You can asked your dad, your mom, your sis or your friends to become your interviewers. So exciting right? Hihi


4. Be true. Be honest.

You are trying to sell yourself, i know but do not ever pretending like you know all. You could answers " Sorry Sir, i never experienced this before " or " Sorry Sir, i never learned about this before " The trick is, after you are saying such things that might be wiped off your chances, you should then asked the interviewers, " Sorry sir, can you kindly explain to me what is that ? " That shows you are actually interested towards the job but you are somewhat inexperienced. Don't be surprised if you had the offer and they are willing to teach you from the start, they might be as well assigning you your buddy, someone senior to guide you doing job before standing alone. Please be careful not to ask so much before they found out that you are actually annoying. Hee


5. Do you have any questions ?

Make sure you have questions to asked, even one ! That shows your interests for the post you applied. I always asked something about career growth and development, and also scoped of the job you applied, i mean this is the only time to get more info ! Sometimes, when you are starting to asked them questions, they will tend to ask more about yourself, means what ? You have more time to sell yourself ! This trick worked almost 95% to me. Make sure to try this out for your next interview :)


I think that's all for now. Hope it could at least help you. Good luck for anyone who are going for the interviews in the nearest time. Always do your best so that you don't have anything to be regretted.

Night.

Post 59: Selamat Hari Raya

Well maybe it is not too late to wish all my fellow friends or reader(s), Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin .. i believed most of us have had a wonderful raya celebrations with our beloved ones. Insya-Allah.

So i just came back from Johor this evening after a whole week of holiday, and do you know what was the first thing i did after reaching home ?


First: TURNED ON MY LAPTOP !


Second: OPENED THE OFFICE OUTLOOK.


Third: CHECKING ALL 33 UNREAD MAILS FOR WORK RELATED


Ehem.

So, i questioned myself, do i actually missed my usual routines, like checking office mails even though out of office hour OR do i actually love my job ? Hehe

I preferred the second one as i saw myself went through the office mails more than i checked my Facebook updates, and i often updating something work related through my Twitter account more than i talked about my personal life. Heh :)

And i counting the days to hold the support phone. Err. I am pretty much nervous you don't have any ideas ;p

Hopefully everything went well and okay.

Nitey :)

Post 58: Umbrella - Scott Simons

You have my heart
We'll never be world apart
Maybe in magazines
But you'll still be my star
'Cause in the dark
You can't see shiny cars
That's when you need me there
With you I'll always share

When the sun shines, we'll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath, I'm going to stick it out 'till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand under my umbrella

Under my umbrella

These fancy things
Will never come in between
You're part of my entity
Here for infinity
When the war has took its part
When the world has dealt its cards
If the hand is hard
Together we'll mend your heart

When the sun shines, we'll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath, I'm going to stick it out 'till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand under my umbrella

Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh
Under my umbrella
Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh
Under my umbrella
Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh
Under my umbrella
Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh, eh

You can run into my arms
It's okay, don't be alarmed
Come into me
There's no distance in between our love
So go on and let the rain pour
All because...

When the sun shines, we'll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath, I'm going to stick it out 'till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand under my umbrella

Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh
Under my umbrella
Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh
Under my umbrella
Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh
Under my umbrella
Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh, eh


Umbrella by Scott Simons

Post 57: Count on Me

If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea
I'll sail the world to find you
If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see
I'll be the light to guide you

Find out what we're made of
What we are called to help our friends in need

You can count on me like one, two, three
I'll be there and I know when I need it
I can count on you like four, three, two
And you'll be there cause that's what friends
Are supposed to do

If you toss and you turn and you just can't fall asleep
I'll sing a song beside you
And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me
Everyday I will remind you

Find out what we're made of
What we are called to help our friends in need

You can count on me like one, two, three
I'll be there and I know when I need it
I can count on you like four, three, two
And you'll be there 'cause that's what friends
Are supposed to do

You'll always have my shoulder when you cry
I'll never let go, never say goodbye

You can count on me like one, two, three
I'll be there and I know when I need it
I can count on you like four, three, two
And you'll be there 'cause that's what friends
Are supposed to do, oh yeah, ooh, ooh

You can count on me cause I can count on you

Post 56: Find Your Inner Geek.

Social networking alone can link you up with what's going on in many different parts of the world. By tweeting here or blogging there, you can touch the lives of hundreds of people. Quite simply, knowing your way around the computer connects you to the rest of humanity. And that is a real confidence-builder.

Hoyeah

Post 55: Smiles and Laughter Are a Way of Bonding.

I smile a lot, like always smiling since i believe it would be able to create positive energies surrounds me. It is as easy as ABC. You meet someone, says Hi and smiles. Do it every mornings, it might helps you a lot, especially when you are all stressed up with tones of work.

. . . . .

Robert Provine found that laughing was more than thirty times as likely to occur in participants in a social situation than in a solitary setting. Laughter, he found, has less to do with jokes and funny stories and more to do with building relationships. He found that only 15 percent of our laughter has to do with jokes. In Provine's studies, participants were more likely to speak to themselves when alone than they were to laugh, Participants were videotaped watching a humorous video clip in three different situations: alone, with a same sex stranger, and with a same-sex friend.

Only 15 percent of our laughter has to do with jokes. Laughter has more to do with bonding.

Even though no differences existed between how funny the participants felt the video clip was, those who watched the amusing video clip alone laughed significantly less than did those who watched the video clip with another person present, whether it was a friend or a stranger. The frequency and time spent laughing were significantly greater in both situations involving another person than when participants was alone.

Laughter occurred much more frequently during social interaction. These results demonstrate that the more social a situation is, the more often people will laugh and the longer each laugh will last.

Taken from The Magic of Smiles and Laughter(Pg. 84 - 85) of The Definitive Book of Body Language - Allan & Barbara Pease

Post 54: Embrace Your Fears.

I have been included in on-call support list for next month. The problem is i am still new with my workloads(requests etc.), and to handle Support Mailbox which is full with complex issues is something that i never think about and scared of. I doubt my confidence level since i think i am somehow lack of mainframe knowledge. How to boost my self-confidence ? Hence this post, i found this reading materials that might help me, and you :')

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward, it is not a compliment to say it is brave - Mark Twain

Logic would dictate that overcoming something that frightens you make you stronger and more self-reliant. By embracing your fears, you are creating a much more efficient and practical way of dealing with them. You don't have to climb Mount Everest or jump out of a perfectly good airplane to move through your anxieties; oftentimes just dealing appropriately with the stress and worry of daily life can increase your self-confidence.

One of my friends is a successful physician who says that he is scared every day, and he welcomes it because he truly believes it makes him a better doctor. He is more careful and doesn't take unnecessary chances with his patients. It drives him to be his very best and makes him a more confident practitioner.

I was once told that faith is the opposite of fear, and whereas i see how having a belief in a higher power can make you feel safer, I also think that understanding why your fears exist, and learning the lessons they can teach us, are also very powerful tools.

For most of us there is a payoff to our fears. Yes, they can keep us physically safe so we don't step off a cliff or try to pet a tiger, but there is often more to our fears than just keeping ourselves protected. Fears can make us more introspective and help us see exactly where we need to make adjustments so that we have the strength to accomplish the task at hand. Having the confidence wrap your head around your fears and look at how they help or hurt you is a great exercise to help you not only overcome them, but also use them to accomplish your goals.

I don't know anyone who has overcome or embraced their fears and not been better off and more confident for it. Whatever it is that scares the hell out of you should be tackled with the insight that, by hitting it head-on, you will vanquish the demons that reside in your mind.



- Taken from Embrace Your Fears(Pg. 31 - 33) of 100 Ways to Boost Your Self-confidence - Dr. Barton Goldsmith