Resources to prepare for interviews for experienced candidates

[spooks]

I am planning to relocate to another region and am starting to look for a new job.

I have been with my company for about 4 years, straight out of college, and all my experience with interviewing has been from the other side.

Does anyone know of any good resources to help with interviewing skills? For example, any books on the subject that you found useful, or actuarial materials (magazines, etc.) that would be a good idea for me to start reading to get a broader view of the industry?

Thanks in advance.

[Love Actuarially]

What is the issue you're having with interviewing? Is it the talking part (eye contact, body language, nervousness, etc) or the skills part?

If you think you have the skills required for a job, but are not getting any offers, then the issue lies in how you present yourself. Be personable yet professional, and don't be afraid to self-promote.

If you lack the skills for the job... I guess you could become a BS master, but you'll be caught pretty quickly once you actually start working.

[glassjaws]

Talk to a recruiter. Unless you have the job you're looking to leave for lined up already, they can give you tips on things like this.

[spooks]

What is the issue you're having with interviewing? Is it the talking part (eye contact, body language, nervousness, etc) or the skills part?

If you think you have the skills required for a job, but are not getting any offers, then the issue lies in how you present yourself. Be personable yet professional, and don't be afraid to self-promote.

If you lack the skills for the job... I guess you could become a BS master, but you'll be caught pretty quickly once you actually start working.


I have just begun my job search and have not gone on any interviews yet. Depending on the job, I know I have the right skills.

The issue I forsee having is nervousness (freezing up). For example, when someone recently asked me what I liked about my job (a pretty basic question) I froze up and my eventual reply was completely moronic. I think a way to avoid during an actual interview would be feeling prepared with the knowledge that I have good examples for all the standard questions. I was hoping this board was a good place to start to learn how to get prepared.

[Love Actuarially]

How do you prepare for an interview? I try to think of those types of questions and how I would answer them. You won't freeze up if you've prepared your answers beforehand.

I also try to think of 5-10 things I've done that I'm proud of and show off certain skills. Then when those HR-type questions come up I can twist one of those 5-10 examples to answer the question.

[Dr T Non-Fan]

Use your list of behavioral questions (or find one online), and be prepared to answer them using your experience.

Whatever there is on your résumé, be prepared to make it the most fascinating thing the interviewer has ever heard. Positive spin usually helps, but if there's drama, throw that in as well.
"Your hobbies include skydiving. Tell me a little about that."
Example of a poor answer: "Well, we strap on a pack, get on a plane, jump out, pull cord, land."

[vjvj]

The issue I forsee having is nervousness (freezing up). For example, when someone recently asked me what I liked about my job (a pretty basic question) I froze up and my eventual reply was completely moronic.

One really helpful thing is to record yourself in a practice interview. When you watch it, you'll probably find that what you think are painfully long pauses actually look quite natural. If you're aware of this, it helps to keep you from freezing up. Don't sweat the pauses. Take the time to think before you talk.