INTERVIEW TIPS

1. Most common (standard) questions and tips how to answer correctly.
2. Very usefull interview tips. How to prepare yourself to an interview.
3. Language barriers.
4. Keeping your poise.
5. Illegal questions: which are normally forbidden, however…may be asked.
6. THANK YOU LETTER – is the final, but very important part of your interview.
7. As a Guidance: NCL's Prescreen / Questionary

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1. Most common (standard) questions and tips how to answer correctly.

Tell me about yourself.
Ineffective: I am a hard-worker who is good with numbers. After I worked as a financial analyst for a few years, I decided to go to law school. I just finished and now am looking for a new challenge.

Effective: I began developing skills relevant to financial planning when I worked as a financial analyst for three years. In that role, I succeeded in multiplying the wealth of my clients by carefully analyzing the market for trends. The return on the portfolios I managed was generally 2% more than most of the portfolios managed by my company. My initiative, planning, and analytic skills were rewarded by two promotions. As the manager of a team, I successfully led them to develop a more efficient and profitable strategy for dealing with new accounts. My subsequent training in the law, including tax law and estate law, gives me an informed view of what types of investments and charitable gifts would be most advantageous for your clients.

What did you most enjoy about your last job?
Ineffective: I liked lots of things-the people, the challenge, the rewards. Sometimes we had to work long hours, but it always seemed to pay off.

Effective: Of the many things that I enjoyed, I would say that the strategic aspects of my job most energized me. I liked setting concrete performance goals for myself and finding ways to meet them. I similarly enjoyed analyzing markets for trends and identifying when would be the most beneficial time to enter or withdraw from certain funds. When I was a manager, my team and I developed a new approach to accounts that became a standard for the company. Strategizing gave my work a sense of tangible direction and accomplishment.

How would your colleagues or supervisor describe you?
Ineffective: I guess they would say that I am a hard worker who is successful.

Effective: My supervisor and colleagues have described me as a dependable worker. My supervisor has appreciated that I prioritize tasks and manage my responsibilities so that she can rely on me. My bosses tell me I have a sixth sense for markets and I learn new information and procedures quickly. These skills account for my two promotions in three years. My boss was also impressed by how I was able to lead my team.

What can you offer us that other people cannot?
Ineffective: I have a unique combination of skills. I also really want the job.

Effective: I have a track-record of multiplying wealth through investments and developing strategies with teams. Since I have a JD, I also know what legal parameters and loopholes affect families and individuals planning their finances. My CFA training not only shows that I will succeed in the CFP courses, but also gives me a broader view of why financial plans work as they do. Since I am organized and self-motivated, I will add value to the company without requiring much tending and supervision.

What about this job attracts you? What is unattractive?
Ineffective: I like that it is in the field I am targeting. I don't like the commute that it will require.

Effective: As I evaluate my skills and goals, this job maximizes on both. I will be able to merge my knowledge of law and markets while strategizing for the sound financial future of clients. Since this is a small company, I imagine that there will be opportunity for increased responsibilities and challenges. I share the values of the company. I am not eager to do much data processing, but the position is very attractive.

How long do you see yourself with us?
Ineffective: I don't want to make any hasty commitments, and I like to keep my options open. Maybe I will be here for one year, maybe for five. It depends.

Effective: I see myself here as long as we both think that I am contributing to the vitality of the company while still being grown through challenges.

How would you describe an ideal working environment?
Ineffective: A laptop and cell phone on a beach sound ideal to me. Short of that, I would like an environment in which I am able to work as I please, without much supervision.

Effective: It is important to me that my company has clear objectives and strives for success. Similarly, I like having colleagues whom I admire for their skills and perspectives. When communication is clear between colleagues, our energy becomes synergy. In addition, I find that I flourish when given discretion after having gained the trust of my supervisor.

What are your weaknesses?
Overemphasized: I am not a good manager.

Avoidant: I always get my work done on time. When other people drop the ball, sometimes I get frustrated with them.

Effective: I prioritize continual growth and improvement. An area on which I would like to focus is managing others who have different expectations from me. What needs to be done in order to complete responsibilities is intuitive for me, so I am learning how to give better direction to others who are not self-motivated.

Why did you leave your last job?
Vague and negative: Law always interested me, and I was looking for a new challenge. I thought it would be a good time to go to law school. Besides, I had gotten frustrated with the lack of support I felt at work.

Dangerous: In the end, my manager and I could not get along. He was driving me crazy and I needed to leave.

Effective: As I succeeded in financial analysis, I became increasingly interested in broader issues of managing money. I wanted to understand how legal regulations and individuals' goals affect decisions about how to manage money. When I gained entrance to my top choice in law school, I seized the opportunity to infuse my financial training with legal knowledge.

How do you deal with criticism?
Disrespectful: When I remember the source, I usually realize that the other person is in no position to criticize me.

Unbelievable: Criticism does not bother me at all.

Effective: Criticism is vital to my continued growth, and I welcome constructive criticism that helps a team operate better together or produce better results. It is important to me to understand where my critic is coming from so that I know how to apply the feedback.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Dismissive: Living in a boat off the coast of Bermuda.

Exploitative: I hope to have gained enough skills here to start my own company.

Scattered: In ten years, I imagine that I will want a change of scene. One of my long-term interests has been ecological protection, and I can see myself working as a spokesman for a lobbyist organization. First, though, I need to make some money and I want to contribute to your company.

Effective: In ten years, I endeavor to have refined my strategic and client relations skills. I intend to be a leading expert in estate planning. After having proven myself as a senior manager, I hope to help shape the strategic direction of estate planning services. I could do this in any number of official roles. The important thing is that I will continue contributing my abilities in a challenging and rewarding environment.

How do you deal with authority?
Concerning: I think it is important to question authority from time to time.

Frightening: In my last job, there was a time when my boss made a financial decision that I knew would be abysmal. I went directly to his superior to explain the problem. His superior agreed that I was right, and my boss had to alter his plan.

Effective: Respect is very important to me. As an employee, I try to respect my boss not only by following her guidance, but also by seeking her guidance. When a trusting relationship is formed, I have often found that my bosses have appreciated concerns or options that I raised to them. They know that I support them, and I know that they respect me.

What do you think of your previous manager?
Evasive: She did her job fine. She was a pretty nice person.

Disrespectful: She knew her stuff, but she did not give my colleagues or me any real guidance. It is like we were fending for ourselves. She rarely stood up for us either. I do not really think she should be a manager.

Effective: My previous manager had excellent technical skills and was very agreeable as a colleague. I would have liked more support from her at times, but her hands-off style meant that I had to become resourceful in problem solving and negotiating with colleagues.

What is the riskiest thing you have ever done?
Too much information: My wife and I conceived our first child in front of the police department.

Dangerous judgment: I play chicken with trains.

Effective: The greatest calculated risk that I have taken was to launch my own internet company. My idea was solid, but I knew the market was volatile. Even though the venture ended, my investment of time and money paid off in terms of the skills, perspectives, and contacts that I made through the process. I feel like I matured-rather than aged-ten years during that time.

2. Very usefull interwiev tips. How to prepare yourself to an interwiev.

Generate concise anecdotes. Once you have created a short-list of skills and qualities that you offer the company, compile a set of stories and facts that illustrate your unique abilities. When doing so, remember a few guidelines:
• Your goal is to convince the interviewer that you are right for the job.
• Be specific.
• Highlight information readily understood as transferable.
• Accentuate accomplishments.
• Connect your past experience to the position you seek.
• Reveal your values.
• Remember your audience and their values.
• Keep your presentation under two minutes.

Identify your basic message. With her skill profile, knowledge of the employer and job, and these guidelines in mind, Suzanne might develop an overall interview message like the following.

"I will bring to this consultancy position a combination of skills and qualities that I am confident would make me a valuable contributor to the company. In my previous position as a Project Manager, I spearheaded the development of multi-media projects that exceeded the expectations of our clients. I could not succeed without my teams. Although my teams and I faced multiple obstacles, I used my problem-solving skills and judgment to overcome barriers in a way that satisfied the interests of our clients, my company, and my teams. I was able to gain the trust and confidence of the team members. My communication and negotiation skills enabled me to lead frazzled and sometimes antagonistic teams of people to work together in a focused and productive way. Since this pressure-cooker experience, I have gained licensure as a court mediator, and I have a master's degree in conflict resolution.

"In addition to my ability to mobilize teams by overcoming conflict and confusion, my company made use of my organizational skills and my self-initiative. I was able to work with a minimum of supervision, but consulted the company directors when I needed their input, guidance, or support. Since I was responsible for creating the concepts and content of the projects that I managed, my self-direction enabled me to balance multiple responsibilities while still carving out time to generate winning ideas and write content."
Identify the bottom line. Knowing that she wants to communicate her basic message throughout the interview, Suzanne then clarifies the core of what she has to offer:

"I offer your company and this position effective negotiation and communication abilities, creative problem solving and project management skills, inner drive and initiative, and strong writing skills. My colleagues here would find me dependable and flexible."

Interview Background
Since you need to connect with the person responsible for the interview, it is helpful to discover as much as you can about that person as well. Is this your prospective boss or someone screening applicants? If possible, discover what the person is interested in and where he or she previously worked or went to college. Gather information that will help you establish an easy rapport.

Your quest for information can seem elusive without the ability to conduct an audit of the company's financial statements or at least interview employees of the company. With a bit of networking, the latter might be more feasible than you would initially think. Several other resources will help you:
• The company website
• Company statements and brochures
• Newspaper and magazine articles
• Reviews of best and worst companies
• Employees of the company
• Public records
• Information held at local job search agencies

Know Yourself
by ResumeEdge.com - The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service

When the interviewer asks you where you see yourself in five years, what will you say? How about describing your ideal working environment? What are your strengths? And what are your weaknesses? How do you take criticism? How do you deal with conflict situations? What motivates you? What is your management style?
Yikes. If you are not prepared for these kinds of probing questions, they will undermine your interview. Pondering Socrates or Freud is not necessary preparation for your job interview. Still, taking time to do some soul searching is helpful when it comes to presenting yourself in an attractive way.
Each question posed by your interviewer requires that you sift through a repertoire of professional and personal experiences, gazing at your life in an instant and conjuring up an answer to the basic question: who are you? Doing that on the fly is bound to be confusing. You should know yourself before you shake the interviewer's hand and flash your first friendly smile. The prospect can daunt even for those of us who are in touch with our inner child.

To make substantial headway in self-reflection, spend some time on the following exercises. When considering your responses, think beyond your professional life and current circumstances. Include instances as far back as your youth.
• Make a list of five accomplishments that you enjoyed.
• Make a list of five things you have done that make you proud.
• Describe three scenarios in which you felt highly motivated to accomplish something.
• Describe three scenarios in which you lacked motivation.
• Think of three scenarios in which you felt appreciated by other people. How did they communicate that appreciation for you?
• Make a list of how your colleagues, staff, and supervisors describe you. Include the positive and negative feedback.
• Make a list of how friends and family describe you.
• Make a list of ten of your best personal qualities.
• Think of two small and large decisions that you have made. Describe how you went about making those decisions.
• Describe two situations that seemed risky to you. What did you do?
• Describe a conflict situation between you and someone else that was resolved to your satisfaction. How was it resolved?
• Describe a conflict situation between you and someone else that was not resolved to your satisfaction. What happened?
• Complete this sentence: When I am responsible for leading or supervising other people, I prefer to. . .
• Complete this sentence: When I want to show appreciation for other people, I usually. . .
• Complete this sentence: I work because. . .
• Complete this sentence: From a job I want. . .
After you spend an evening or afternoon reflecting on your life, you might wish to have others explore your responses with you. Look for themes and trends in your responses, finding information that overlaps. Focus on what energizes you and what saps your spirit. Notice your preferences. Consider for example what we can discover about Suzanne's professional aspirations and tendencies from her responses.
Example: Five accomplishments that I enjoyed include:
• Launching an anti-drunk driving campaign in high school.
• Training an intern in critical thinking.
• Negotiating with diverse teams to get creative projects completed.
• Finding the overlap between different company's interests so that they can establish mutually beneficial relationships.
• Seeing my college students think in new ways.
Five things that make me proud include:
• Going to France by myself to learn French.
• Setting a high performance goal for myself and meeting it.
• Having vision for what needs to be done in different situations.
• Being in shape.
• Listening to the concerns of my friends and honoring them.
Three times that I felt highly motivated to accomplish something include:
• When I had tons of work to do to meet a product launch deadline and had to stay extremely organized and focused in order to complete the work.
• When I came up with an idea for panel discussions at my church, which led to much improved communication and many new friendships.
• When I worked on projects with colleagues and had to complete my work so that we could discuss things and move to the next stage.
Three scenarios in which I lacked motivation to accomplish something include:
• When I worked all by myself after my boss died and my new supervisors were not accessible.
• When I had to process details all day, day after day-entering data, completing forms, and other rote tasks that only challenged my patience but did not engage my mind.
• When I felt like my employer was making decisions that sacrificed his employees.
I felt appreciated by people when:
• I got a significant raise after having my value to the company reconsidered.
• My supervisor and colleagues verbally praise my efforts and thank me for my way of working.
• My supervisor expressed confidence in my abilities and did not micromanage me, but spent time helping me when I needed support or ran into problems.

By analyzing even these first five questions, we get a sense of what kind of job would fit Suzanne well. For example, we see that Suzanne enjoys influencing people; each of the accomplishments that she enjoyed includes affecting the way that other people think or act. She also feels gratified when she is able to bring people together for a common purpose they might have overlooked. The things that make Suzanne proud are a bit more diverse. Some include a sense of meeting difficult challenges-like learning French through immersion and raising the bar of performance or being in shape. Having vision means that she has something to offer that affects common purpose. Acting ethically toward people also seems important to her.
It already begins to make sense, then, that she would feel motivated to accomplish things when she initiates them, when she is accountable to other people, or when she needs to meet a specific goal. Deadlines appear to affect her in positive ways by helping her to focus when she might not otherwise. Contrarily, her energy and drive are sapped when she works in isolation without gaining feedback, when the tasks are rote and do not require creativity or initiative, and when she perceives that people are treated badly. She feels appreciated by her employer when her supervisor recognizes her vision, drive, and ability to focus and gives her the space she needs to excel while still staying connected with her. She feels appreciated when her company gives her a raise for good work, but also when others verbally praise her. And, even though she likes to work without tight supervision, she feels appreciated when her supervisor has time for her.
Intriguing as these discoveries might be for Suzanne, she cannot unload her personal psyche on the interviewer. She still has to formulate professional responses to specific questions. Knowledge about the company provides guidance for how to craft these materials. Self-knowledge provides the raw materials for devising compelling responses.

3. Language Barriers
by ResumeEdge.com - The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service

For candidates whose primary language is not English, interviewing can be intimidating. While Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not allow employers to require that English is the only language used in the workplace without compelling reasons, language difficulties can cause problems during interviews.

The importance of your English fluency as a candidate depends in part on the job and company. If you are working with numbers or computer programming, refined English skills are less important. If other colleagues speak your primary language, you need not rely as heavily on English. If you are applying for a job as a manager or you will be interacting with English-speaking clients regularly, language fluency could be significant.

In addition to the job itself, language skills can pose barriers during interviews. Employers need to feel like they can connect with you. Even if you are friendly and accomplished, interviewers will begin to feel uncomfortable if they cannot communicate with you effectively. People feel weird about themselves when they cannot understand you or are not confident that you understand them. If interviewers feel uncomfortable around you, they will feel uncomfortable with you. The last thing you want to do is leave an interviewer with the impression that you are nice and talented, but that he could not tell if you understood what he was saying. Feeling like you cannot express yourself well can also cause you to lose well-deserved and much needed confidence.

There are ways for you to overcome these negative outcomes. Language difficulties are best resolved by learning English very well. The more fluent you are, the better and more confidently you can connect with the employer. If you are still struggling with English, consider these other tips:

Before the interview:
• Memorize answers to common and difficult questions after having someone edit your responses for grammar.
• Write down a few notes to yourself that you can refer to during the interview if you get intimidated.
• Prepare and memorize questions that you wish to ask the interviewer.
During the interview:
• Remember that you are a qualified person who speaks more than one language-an accomplishment that many interviewers cannot claim for themselves.
• If you do not understand a question during the interview, ask the interviewer to clarify the question. You might begin by saying, "I want to make sure that I understand what you mean. Are you saying. . .?"
• Address your language proficiency in the interview, mentioning to the interviewer how you make certain that you understand instructions and giving examples of working situations in which you excelled despite limitations in English. Do this casually if possible.
• Tell the employer about your plans to take advanced English classes or tutoring in the evenings.
• Take notes.
• Summarize what the interviewer says at the end of the interview, touching on the important responsibilities of the job and needs of the company. Briefly repeat how you could meet these needs. Inquire into when you can expect to hear from the company.
After the interview:
• Be sure to write a thank you note that highlights your fit with the position. Repeat what you have to offer the company and what enthuses you about the company. Be sure to have someone edit the note for grammar before you send it. This way, the lasting impression of you should focus on your abilities and not your English.

4. Keeping Your Poise.

by ResumeEdge.com - The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service

Interviewing requires poise even in ideal situations. When you face additional psychological obstacles due to difficult circumstances, staying poised requires perspective. Without suggesting that you look yourself in the mirror every morning and say, "you're worth it," there are useful tools for maintaining a clear and positive sense of direction and potential. These tools bolster your confidence as you search for a job. They also provide you a strategy for addressing vulnerable topics during interviews.

Laid off or fired:

Losing a job disrupts a worker's sense of stability and career plans. For those people whose work is a source of personal pride and value, the sudden loss can be disorienting. When Jim was skimmed from his pharmaceutical company in order to reduce costs, he suddenly felt disoriented. Despite his understanding of the financial reasons for eliminating his position, it seemed to him as if his company had rejected him. Since he had managed multiple teams and thrived on the ability to influence others, he felt frustrated by his loss of power and the sense of significance that it had brought him. Jim knew that he was staving off a depression only through the encouragement of his family and friends. He did not feel that he exuded the confidence he needed to successfully pursue other jobs.

Then Jim refocused. After all, the layoff was not the culmination of his professional history or the exhaustive evaluation of his merit. Instead of dwelling on his loss, Jim made a list of his professional and personal accomplishments. For example, he had successfully launched a new drug, taking it from experimental testing through marketing. He had initiated and developed a new employee mentoring program in his company, effectively training other mentors to provide guidance to employees. As a result, the morale of the office and communication flows improved. After highlighting several other accomplishments, Jim made a list of the constructive feedback he received from his team, colleagues, and managers. Several people had noted his initiative and his organizational abilities, others had thanked him for his encouragement and accessibility. Still others saw him as an excellent negotiator. Two of his managers had commented on his attention to detail in quality standards. He could see on paper that his colleagues respected him.

As Jim considered his career at the pharmaceutical company, he began to gain an appreciation for his experience and contribution there. In addition to helping him feel better, the process refined his goals. Jim saw more clearly what kind of position enabled him to flourish. With a renewed sense of confidence in his objective achievements and value, Jim launched himself into the search.

Prolonged job search:

Jim searched for an extended period. His layoff had occurred during an economic downturn that dampened the entire industry, and now he found himself networking, searching job databases, and dragging himself to job fairs. Discouragement began to seep into his psyche, and his enthusiasm for his skills and achievements began to dissolve. Knowing that he had previously overcome sapped confidence, Jim pulled back from his immediate emotions to reflect on his overall situation.

Jim identified the facts: he had usable skills and qualities and had a proven history of adding value to his company. He wanted a job that would challenge and grow with him, enabling him to build his career. He knew himself well enough to realize that he thrived in large companies rather than small ones and in positions in which he was able to assume significant responsibility for outcomes and people. He also had specific salary goals and minimum requirements. He did not want to settle for any open position. His circumstances would have been discouraging for anyone, but he needed to find the right fit. His extended search did not reflect upon his worth as a viable candidate or person.

Eventually, an attractive company invited Jim for an interview. Since his resume indicated that he had stopped working at his previous company five months prior, he anticipated that the interviewers would question him about this gap in employment. He carefully prepared an answer, focusing on his desire to find a job that matches his specific abilities and goals. He could guarantee his skills, but he could not control the availability of positions.
Lack of experience:

Gwen had a formidable obstacle to overcome as well: she had little professional experience in her area of interest. A recent graduate from college, Gwen majored in English Literature and Political Science. Now she wanted to break into the marketing field. She was confident that she could learn the job quickly and contribute creative ideas. Her friends envied her ability to anticipate and ride trends. As a child, she used to make up commercials and present them to her family in the living room. She was sure that she had raw, untapped talent on which she could capitalize. Still, she would have to convince the Marketing Manager that her inexperience as compared with other candidates was trivial.

This task seemed impossible-Gwen did not have a portfolio to share or raw numbers to reveal her success. But she did have abilities, and she began to focus on describing these. Making a list of her transferable skills and personal qualities, Gwen referenced things that she had accomplished in school and through part-time jobs:
Transferable Skills Personal Qualities
Writing Creative
Editing Self-starter
Organization Team Player
Team Leader Excellent Communicator
Event Planning Attentive to Detail
Networking Perseverant
Fast Learner
Dependable
Reflecting on the tangible things that Gwen could offer an employer, she realized that she could excel if given an opportunity. Still, competitors for positions probably had many of these skills and qualities as well. But what was she going to do, pretend to act out a commercial the way she had in her living room dozens of times? Perhaps the idea was not farfetched. During an interview, she could request an audition. The employer could test her and her competitors' abilities by giving them an assignment to complete. Using this method, she could demonstrate her creative potential in a tangible way. Instead of dwelling on her history, Gwen strategically encouraged the employer to dwell on her future.

5. Illegal Questions
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Employment laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace apply to interviews as well. As a result, questions that probe race, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, marital status, family situation, or disabilities are illegitimate in an interview. However, many interviewers are not familiar enough with the law to know when they have passed into potentially discriminatory territory. A few interviewers ask illegal questions reasoning that they are protected by your desire to obtain the job. In either case, dealing with illicit questions is delicate. Know what can be asked, what cannot, and what to do if the interviewer asks anyway.

Forbidden Questions about Race
Examples: What is your skin color?
What is your race?
Is your spouse Caucasian/Hispanic/African American/Asian, etc?

Exceptions: There are no fair questions about race in an interview or application, but an employer can allow you to voluntarily indicate your race on your application.

Forbidden Questions about National Origin
Examples: You sound like you have an accent; where are you from?
Where were you born?
Are you an American citizen?

Exceptions: Employers are required to hire only those employees who can legally work in the United States. For that reason, employers can ask whether you are eligible to work in the United States.

Suspect Questions about Age
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 protects workers over 40 in private companies of twenty employees or more and government organizations.
Examples: When were you born?
When did you graduate from high school?
How old are you?

Exceptions: The act does not prohibit interviewers from posing questions about age, but does prohibit discrimination on these grounds unless age directly affects the job. An employer can rightfully inquire whether the candidate meets the minimum federal age requirements for employment (usually 14-17 years old).

Forbidden Questions about Religion
Examples: Do you go to church?
Are you religious?
What religion are you?
Do you take time off work for religious purposes?

Exceptions: Organizations that have a specific religious orientation might ask questions relevant to religious practices and beliefs.

Forbidden Questions about Disabilities and Health
Examples: Do you have any disabilities or medical conditions?
How serious is your disability?
Do you take any prescription drugs?
Have you ever been in rehab?
Have you ever been an alcoholic?
How many sick days did you take last year?
Do you have AIDS?
Have you been diagnosed with any mental illnesses?
Have you ever received worker's compensation or been on disability leave?

Exceptions: Employers may ask whether you have any conditions that would keep you from performing the specific tasks of the job for which you are applying. They may also require that all candidates for a certain position pass through a medical examination that is relevant to the responsibilities of that job. Employers can subject candidates to illegal drug tests or ask you whether you take illegal drugs.

Forbidden Questions about Family Situation
Examples: Do you have small children?
Are you planning to have children soon?
What is your marital status?
What is your maiden name?
Are you pregnant?

Exceptions: Employers can inquire whether you have ever worked under a different name or whether you have personal responsibilities that could interfere with requirements of the job like travel or overtime hours.

Forbidden Questions about Sexual Orientation and Political Affiliation
Executive Order 13087 acts as a guideline against sexual discrimination or party discrimination in the federal government.
Examples: Are you straight or gay?
How do you feel about working with gay or bisexual people?
Who did you vote for in the last election?
Do you belong to a party?
Exceptions: This executive order does not bind all employers, but protections exist at least for federal civilian workers.

Now that you know what is permissible and what is discriminatory, consider how you might prepare for a situation in which the illegal arises. Your action depends on your goals and what makes you feel comfortable. Three basic paths lie open to you.

You could forfeit your rights and answer the question, hoping that it will deepen connections with the employer rather than incite bias. There might be times when you discover that your interviewer goes to a certain church or has family from a certain country that is similar to yours. You might not feel threatened to disclose information about yourself that could be subject to discrimination.

Alternatively, you could discreetly refuse to answer the question but persist in trying to secure the job. For example, you might avoid answering the question directly but address the concern that it implies. If asked whether you plan to have children, you might reply: "I take strides to balance my work and my personal life. I can assure you that I will be focused and committed to my responsibilities here, and my personal life will not interfere with my performance." If you elect not to answer the question but you wish to secure the position, take pains to set the interviewer at ease. If the interviewer feels embarrassed or chastised by your response, the interview could plummet rapidly.

You could also determine that you have no desire to work in a company that probes in potentially discriminatory ways. You might sense bias or negativity in the interviewer or feel like the environment is somehow hostile to you or other people. If you decide on the spot that you do not want the job, you can take overt action. You could go so far as to excuse yourself from the interview and even file a complaint or suit. If you decide to pursue formal recourse, you can contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

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6. Thank You Notes
by ResumeEdge.com - The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service

Companies differ in their expectation of a thank you note after an interview. In some offices, interviewers take offense at the absence of a note and malign negligent interviewees. In other offices, politeness is a superfluous rather than central part of the culture. Rather than spending your time deciphering the expectations of your interviewers, invest in making the thank you note clinch your candidacy.
You should consider the content of your thank you letter as carefully as you considered the content of your cover letter.
In addition to showing appreciation for the time of the interviewer and establishing another point of contact, your thank you letter should include a reaffirmation of your particular value to the company now that you have more information about the job. Use the note to market yourself. By referencing specific concerns and needs of the company as expressed by the interviewer, you show the interviewer again that you paid close attention to what she said. By citing particular ways in which you can address those needs and concerns, you do the work of connecting the job requirements with your job skills. Making connections between yourself and the job not only fortifies your aptness for the position, but it also tangibly demonstrates your interest in the position. The greater care you take to customize the note, the more personally it will affect the interviewer. For this reason, it is also helpful to comment on something specific that you appreciated about the interviewer or what she said. (Note: be sure that your comments are appropriate and professional.)
If there is something important that you forgot to mention during the interview, you think there might have been a point of miscommunication, or the interviewer indicated concern over some aspect of your qualifications, you can address these in the thank you note. When doing so, be certain that your tone is positive, forthright, and confident.

Consider a sample thank you note:

Dear Mr. Thompson:

Thank you for taking the time to interview me yesterday. Your dedication to ensuring that clients receive what they need from Svens Consulting in the timeframe they need it is admirable and makes me confident that I would fit into the culture at Svens.

After speaking with you, I reflected on some of the skills and qualities you indicated are most important in this position: analytical acuity, project management, flexibility, and the ability to establish strong relationships with clients. In my experience as project manager overseeing the delivery of complicated knowledge management systems to five major clients, my success depended on these same skills. You had mentioned that miscommunication between Sven's and your clients periodically causes glitches in providing services. Since I am adept at developing a strong rapport with clients, understanding their objectives and expectations, and keeping communication lines open, I would immediately add value to the team at Svens.

In short, Pat, I am convinced that the Director position would be a good career move for me and that I would contribute to the success of Svens. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Roger Wallace

Not only does the thank you note communicate respect for the employer and reaffirm your case as a candidate, but it also provides you with an easy excuse for calling the employer again. When you make sure that the note arrived, you can take the opportunity to discuss certain aspects of the position, ask the interviewer whether he or she has any additional questions for you, and reaffirm your interest in the job.
Thank you note reminders:
• Send the note within 24 hours of the interview if you send it via the mail service and 48 hours of the interview if you send it digitally.
• Send one note to each person who interviewed you. The interviewers will likely compare your notes.
• Make the note personal, but professional.
• Keep the tone positive and confident.
• Keep the note brief; use your words economically.
• Refer to specific things that the interviewer said during the interview.
• Reaffirm how you can add value to the company.
• Be certain that there are no grammatical or spelling errors in the note.
• Follow up the thank you letter with a phone call a week later, if you have not heard from the employer.

As a Guidance: NCL Prescreen / Questionary

• 1. Why do you want to work for Norwegian Cruise Line?
• 2. If offered a position, when can you start work?
• 3. What is your current or most recent salary?
• 4. What is your current employment situation?
• 2. What motivates you to improve and progress in your career?.
• 3. What kind of work environment and activities would define your ideal job?
• 4. What do you consider to be your strengths for the position you are applying for?
• 5. What is essential to providing a high level of service to a guest?
• 6. Discuss your current or last position as indicated in your application?
• 7. What is essential to providing a high level of service to a guest?
• 8. What do you feel is critical for the successful management of a facility with multiple areas of operation?
• 9. What kind of training have you delivered to your employees?
• 10. What technical skills do you think are necessary to be a great manager for the department you are applying for onboard the ship?
• 11. Please describe the qualities you feel make an ideal boss?
• 12. Describe your financial responsibilities in your current or most recent position.

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