In an interview, worrying about your perceived inadequacies, or what can be viewed as negative items on your history of employment, will get you nowhere. In fact, having a negative focus on things often comes through in the way you answer.

interview questions, and even in your body language. An applicant who shifts, plays with things like their shirt cuffs, or who loses track of the subject under discussion, is sabotaging their own chance at success.

Okay, so you have some weak points. Maybe there was a time two years ago, that you were out of work for eight months. Or the job that is open demands a certain skill level that you havent quite achieved yet. Neither of those things can knock you out of contention like a lack of confidence in yourself.

We have a simple, two-part solution: First, make the best out of your worst, and then make the companys priorities, your own.

Study the weak points in your resume and build on them. If youve had a period of unemployment, think about the experiences you had during that time, the businesses you visited, and what you learned about the current economy and job market. Show that you are attentive to detail, and enjoy learning from unexpected opportunities.

Express enthusiasm for the chance to expand on your present skills. Apply the same strategy to any other weak points you may have. Even a job that you left due to a personality conflict, can be given a positive light by emphasizing the experience you gained. Whatever you do, leave bitterness and pity at home. An employer wants someone with the desire to move onward and upward.

That brings us to the second item: presenting yourself in a way that makes you compatible with the companys needs, and highlights how you can benefit their present or future plans. Study the companys general business, and the department where you are applying, in particular. Find out why they are hiring someone (Did an employee quit? Retire? Are they expanding?) then emphasize the skills and experience that make you not only capable of filling the position, but of bringing new ideas and a positive attitude to it.

Find an “up” to every down point in your work history or resume. Then sell your skills and personality with an eye on the company agenda. The combination of competence and enthusiasm is often the formula for a successful interview.

This article is provided by http:www.101perfectinterviews.com, the best place for learning insider interviewing techniques.

Like preparing a great meal, interviewing requires preparation. Get good ingredients and give yourself time. Prepare the food on the plate to make the meal attractive. All of these go into a great meal. Taking the time to prepare for an interview will give you a huge leg up on your completion.

1. Schedule interviews at times that work for your metabolism. Are you a morning person? Why would you accept a 6PM interview? If you are a person who functions best in the afternoon, try not to accept early morning appointments. If you are a person who needs to be conscious of their blood sugar, try to schedule your appointments at times when you are at your peak. If forced to accept one of your less ideal times, have a quick bite prior to the interview to avoid “fading.” Avoid overeating.

2. Give yourself extra time to get to their offices. There are few things worse than getting to an interview late.

3. Arrive at the office building 7-10 minutes early. If it is summer, you want to wait in the lobby to cool off; no one likes shaking sweaty hands. If its winter, warm up; you don’t want someone’s early impressions of you formed by shaking a cold hand. Take a few minutes in the lobby to get focused on what you will say. Allow a few minutes to get through building security so that you actually arrive at your interview on time and ready to go.

4. Properly introduce yourself to everyone you meet by saying. “My name is __________ and I have a 1:30 interview with ________________.”

5. If you are asked if they can hang your coat, accept the offer; if offered a beverage, accept a beverage. You don’t have to drink coffee or tea. Soda, bottled water or water is fine. Thank whoever helps you. Declining the offer may be rude in some cultures.

6. Take your seat in order to face the greatest number of entry points into the room so tat you can see someone approaching you. Being startled is not a good way to start a meeting.

7. If you are given an application, complete it and complete it accurately and neatly. Do not attach your resume and write, “See attached resume.” An application is a legal document and failure to complete it accurately can be grounds for termination.

8. If you are not sure about the month you started a job or your exact salary, write “approx” (for the word approximately) next to the item. If asked, indicate you are not absolutely certain of the exact month and don’t wish to deceive anyone. Obviously, if you can ascertain your salary or starting date prior to interviewing, do so; for some people, the date or salary may be so far in the past to make it impossible to determine.

9. Write legibly (or as legibly as you can). This may be the twelfth application you’ve completed, but it is the first of yours that they’ve seen. In many professions, sloppiness is seen as a flaw.

10. When you hear your name announced, stand, and smile, shake the hand of your interviewer and immediately size them up as a person. Are they smart (or not). Aggressive (or not). If you were meeting this person socially, I’m sure your instincts would be right. Unfortunately, because people think interviews are important, they think they have to feel the interviewer out. Doing that is a mistake. Hard and fast impressions of you will be formed during the next ten minutes that will be difficult to change. If you tend to be right in social situations about the people you meet, trust your instincts in professional ones, too.
Using these ten steps as a check list will get you started well than your competition. What you do after that is up to you. Good luck.
By: Muhammad Sadiq Javed – Sameers
http:www.constructionjobsnet.co.uk
Construction Jobs Network – The easiest way to find your next UK construction job.
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Negotiations happen in our daily lives. We might not be aware of it, but many situations require good negotiation skills, including the simple act of buying an item from a store, talking things over to save a relationship, and trade agreement between nations, among others.

It would be worthwhile to consider the factors that may spell success or failure in the negotiating table:

1. Everyone aspires for negotiations to turn out successful; otherwise, it is senseless to sit, talk, and explore (sometimes for hours) each others position to no avail. For this to be so, exert every effort to favor the other partys whims while still coming out satisfied or contented with the outcome of the negotiation. This should be your objective. Come to terms as easily as possible. Stipulate details in black and white with a tint of trust to seal the negotiation in favor of both parties.

2. Mutual respect for each others priorities must prevail. Never focus on your own objective alone. Think of how the other party would be satisfied with the outcome.

3. Get to the core of the discussion and work from that core outward, concentrating on the details.

4. It is not difficult to trace the presence of sincerity in a negotiation. As long as you have this in mind and you see the other partys sincerity as well, the progress of the negotiation will sail smoothly.

5. You may have a set of rules that are guiding you to get what you want. Modify if need be as long as it is practical and does not deviate to become a disadvantage on your part.

6. Negotiating is not a contest on who is better between the parties involved. There is no battle to win. Neither is it a stage to display ones wits. It should be a two-way process.

7. Be true to your word. What you say must be congruent to your action. Any deviation should be tackled beforehand to avoid the element of surprise, which usually leads to anxiety.

8. Keep your options as open and as diverse as possible. They may come in handy, especially when slight differences pop out.

9. Watch for reactions to proposals through body movements. They may help to make you and the other party come to terms more easily.

10. Be a good listener. Pre-empt what the other party may say, but only in your mind. You could be right, but you could also be wrong. It is better to sound affable than be sorry afterwards.

A thank you letter after you accept a job offer shows good taste, gratitude, and in general shows a new employer that they made a wise decision in hiring you. Most new hires do not write one, so if you are one of the smart few people who do, your relationship with your new employer will get off to a great start.

When you write this type of letter, the main goal you wish to accomplish is solidifying the new relationship. You can do this by re-stating the qualifications you have that will be beneficial to the company. Remind the hiring manager in this way of the reasons he had for hiring you. You are, in this way, congratulating him on his good sense, but doing so in a non-offensive, and non-egotistical manner. Be matter of fact, and to the point, because that is businesslike and you and he are there to conduct business. With luck you two will have a very long and mutually rewarding relationship.

If you are accepting a job in sales, marketing, promotions or a related field, then your letter should remind the hiring manager of accomplishments youve had in the past in sales or marketing. Tell the hiring manager that you are motivated and looking forward to working with your new team, adding sales to their gross and profits to their bottom line.

If you are accepting a job in retail management, your letter should re-emphasize to the reader your strong skills in customer service, your work ethic, willingness to be an active and cohesive part of the management team, and your ability to work well with the general public and your co-workers, leading by example and presenting a positive company image to the public.

A person working in education, as a teacher or administrator, should have a letter that emphasizes a willingness to work as part of the education team, teaching your subject to students and in the process, hopefully instilling in your charges a contagious enthusiasm for learning.

Your letter may also be a place to elaborate on goals you may have during your tenure with the organization. A salesman may mention his desire to increase sales by a certain percentage. A project manager may mention his or her desire to participate in a particular project that is important to the companys success. A teacher may mention school organizations that he or she wishes to sponsor.

While your resume made your first impression, and you during the interview obviously made a positive second impression to have been offered the job, your thank you letter after youve got the job will reinforce those impressions, taking away any buyers remorse or cold feet the hiring authority might have later. It will service to convince them that they made a good decision in bringing you on board as a part of their team.