Tips to Help Make Your Job Interview Successful

The Vause Group Inc. has been experiencing a lot of growth in the Central Florida Market since opening our doors in October of 2009.  In the beginning of 2011, our largest client increased our companies budget and our territory in Central Florida.  Generating nearly 9,000 accounts in 20 short months, they are looking for us to triple in size in Orlando by the beginning of 2012, with the expectation of National expansion coming before the end of the year. 

We are currently interviewing candidates for Entry Level positions that can start with our company in an Outside Sales Account Management position, but that we can train and promote from within our organization into more of a Sales Management position.  For our company to be able to meet the demands of our clients and exceed their expectations we need more managers within our organization.  With the current state of the job market we have had an overwhelming amount of responses to our opportunities.  We thought it would be helpful to outline some key points of advice to help make your interview succesful. 


TIPS TO HELP MAKE YOUR JOB INTERVIEW SUCCESSFUL

1. Research.
Find out a little bit about the company you want to work for. Visit the location in person if it is a store or building open to the general public. Visit the company’s Website and talk to anyone you might know who works there. What kinds of products or services does the company make or sell? What types of people work there? What are the typical hours this position requires? What are some of the day-to-day tasks that the job involves?
Make notes of things you want more information about and ask the employer about them at the end of your interview (it’s always a good idea to have a few questions to ask the employer, anyway!). Researching a company and the position make you stand out in an interview. It shows that you are really interested in working there.

2. Practice
It sounds funny – and it looks even funnier – but practicing out loud for your interview will help you sound more polished and concise and less nervous in the actual interview. List a few key things you want the employer to know about you, and review common interview questions. Formulate answers to those questions and answer them out loud while looking at yourself in the mirror. This exercise prevents you from rambling in the interview and sounding unpolished and unsure. It also helps you discover what really does make you the best candidate for the job!

3.Dress to Make a Good First Impression.
In an interview, first impressions do matter. The best way to ensure a good first impression is to dress smart. If you are interviewing for a job in an office, it is usually best to wear a dark-colored, conservative suit (for both men and women). If you are interviewing for a job where the dress code is more casual (at a factory or a construction site, for example), nice slacks and a collared button-down shirt with a tie for men and a nice dress or blouse and slacks or skirt for women are usually appropriate. You should avoid wearing excessive jewelry, perfume, and flamboyant clothes. Good personal hygiene is also important.
If you are unsure what to wear, you should always go with the most conservative, professional option. Most experts agree it is better to be overdressed than dressed too casually. What you are wearing tells employers a lot about how serious you are about getting the job.

4. Be Conscious of Good Interview Etiquette.
This list could go on forever – there is literally an endless array of “dos” and “don’ts” for an interview – and not everyone agrees on every aspect of that list. There are, however, some basic “interview etiquette” tips that are important to remember.
Be on time for your interview. This is, perhaps, the most important. Employers expect employees to arrive on time to work. They may see a person who is late to an interview, when he or she is supposed to be showing his or her best side, as someone who will have difficulty arriving on time to work or meeting deadlines if hired.
Be aware of your body language. When shaking hands, make sure your grip is firm and confident. Have good posture, but avoid appearing like you’re as stiff as a cardboard cutout. Even the most experienced professionals get nervous in an interview – it’s normal. However, if you appear too nervous, the interviewer might draw the wrong conclusions about your ability to do the job – especially if it involves interacting with people! Conversely, make sure you don’t slouch – this could give the impression that you are lazy or uninterested in the position. Maintain eye contact with your interviewer to convey confidence. When speaking, be polite and professional and avoid using slang and profanities. The more confident and polished you appear the more likely you are to leave the interviewer with a positive impression of you.
Keep the interview positive. Avoid making negative remarks about any previous jobs or employers. Also, refrain from complaining about any job-related tasks or responsibilities you were given in a previous position. Employers want to hire someone who is positive, enthusiastic, and able to meet and deal with challenges.

5. Be Prepared to Ask the Interviewer Questions.
This is where your research comes in. Employers want to know if you’re truly interested in the position. They also want to know that you have all the information you need to make a decision, if offered the job. It isn’t a good idea to turn the tables and “interview” the interviewer, but it is a good idea to go into the interview with a few questions in mind. This is your chance to ask additional questions about the business, the position, the requirements, and the expectations of the person who will fill the position.   Remember to ask questions that are relevant to the company and position for which you are interviewing.

6. Follow up with a Thank-You Note.
Make sure you let the interviewer know how pleased you were to have the chance to interview with him or her. Immediately after the interview, send the interviewer a thank-you note, thanking him or her for taking time to interview you. This is not only proper etiquette and a common display of appreciation, but it also allows you to reaffirm one or two key points of the interview. It also lets the interviewer know how interested you are in working for the company. Being polite and professional always makes a good impression.

All of this advice comes down to three important things to remember when you're interviewing: being prepared, professional, and polite is the best way to make the right impression!

Don't Die Until You're Dead

“Make today your masterpiece.” – John Wooden


Wooden’s quote reminds us to stay focused on the present. Don’t live in the past; don’t be overly concerned or worried about the future. Live in the moment and live a life of excellence. This is great advice, however it’s easier said than done.

If only we could live our lives backwards… (article found on-line)

• You start out dead and get that out of the way
• Then you wake up in an old age home feeling better every day
• Then you get kicked out for being too young and healthy
• Enjoy your retirement and collect your pension
• Then when you start work, you get a gold watch on your first day
• You work 40 years until you’re too young to work
• You get ready for High School: drink alcohol, party, and date
• Then you go to primary school, you become a kid, you play,
• and you have no responsibilities
• Then you become a baby, and then…
• You spend your last 9 months floating peacefully in luxury, in spa-like conditions – central heating, room service on tap, and then…
• You finish as a twinkle in another person’s eye.

 

“Don’t die until you’re dead!

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘NO’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment of failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the rap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

- Steve Jobs

Success in Athletics Vs. Success in Sales. Do They Go Hand & Hand?

The President of The Vause Group Inc, Joshua Vause,  played baseball his entire life all the way into College.   As a successful college athlete, he has found that a lot of the same things that made him successful on the baseball diamond, have made him successful with his career in Sales.   Below is an article written by Jeffrey Gitomer, the Author of The Little Red Book of Selling.     

Take me out to the ball game. Take me out to the sale!

Here are the lessons in baseball you can apply to your sales game and your business game once you understand their importance and their impact:

• The baseball team is made up of individual players who know how to play together. Their individual skills contribute to the team’s success. They cannot win alone. The best team wins.
• Every great ball player was once a beginner. They started at a young age because they loved to play. They were encouraged by their parents and coaches.
• Every pro ballplayer starts in the minor leagues. In baseball, like sales, there are no shortcuts. One step at a time. Before they got to the minors, it’s probable they had already been playing some form of organized ball for 15 years.
• Ballplayers are coach-able. Being coached and listening to coaches are key factors in a ballplayer’s success. Most great coaches were once players.
• Ballplayers warm up and practice before every game. They get ready. Even if they’ve been playing for years, they practice before EVERY game.
• Ballplayers learn the fundamentals of the game until they’re automatic. Then they practice them every day. Fundamentals like: Keep your eye on the ball. Know the rules. Know the strategies. Execute the plays. They understand that defense is just as important as offense.
• All ballplayers, even great ballplayers, get into a slump. Coaching, watching films, and practice gets them out of the slump.
• All ballplayers make errors. Sometimes an error can cost you the game. Take errors seriously, NOT personally. Learn from them and don’t repeat them. The secret to error free: More practice.
• Ballplayers love the game. They love what they do, and they play to win.

 HARSH REALITIES OF SALES AND BASEBALL:
• Very few players make it to the major leagues.
• Very few major league players can lead the league.
• Very few players can hit a home run, or even get a hit in the clutch.
• Small errors in judgment can cost you your career.
• All cheaters eventually get caught.
• There is no prize and no champagne for second place.
• Fans have become disenchanted because players have less of a sense of loyalty to them. Sad. But there’s still a lesson: To get loyalty, you must GIVE loyalty.

There are the unspoken rules of the game – both in baseball and sales. You gotta believe in your team and teammates. You gotta believe your team will win. You gotta believe in your coach, your leader.

And as one of the title songs from the epic Broadway musical Damn Yankees says, “You’ve gotta have heart.”

NOTE WELL: Millions have played the game. Maybe even you. Thousands have played in the major leagues. But there are only 289 players in the Hall of Fame. It’s all about their ability, their devotion, their dedication, and their practice. How’s yours?

Who are you playing for?
Are you a winning player?
How much do you practice every day?
How much of your heart is in the game?
Who are you giving your loyalty to?

--Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Little Red Book of Selling and eight other business books on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development. President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts Internet training programs on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development at www.trainone.com. Jeffrey conducts more than 100 personalized, customized seminars and keynotes a year. To find out more, visit www.gitomer.com. Jeffrey can be reached at 704.333.1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com

The Champions On Your Side

 

April 27, 2011

by Amber Rae

 

Resistance is the enemy to great work, says author Steve Pressfield. But with enemies come allies. Consider, who and what will push you through the dips and help you do the work that matters.

Here’s an excerpt from Do the Work about the champions on your side:

1. Stupidity
2. Stubbornness
3. Blind faith
4. Passion
5. Assistance (the opposite of Resistance)
6. Friends and family

 Stay Stupid

The three dumbest guys I can think of: Charles Lindbergh, Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill. Why? Because any smart person who understood how impossibly arduous were the tasks they had set themselves would have pulled the plug before he even began.
Ignorance and arrogance are the artist and entrepreneur’s indispensable allies. She must be clueless enough to have no idea how difficult her enterprise is going to be—and cocky enough to believe she can pull it off anyway.
How do we achieve this state of mind? By staying stupid. By not allowing ourselves to think.
A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.
Don’t think. Act.
We can always revise and revisit once we’ve acted. But we can accomplish nothing until we act.

 Be Stubborn

Once we commit to action, the worst thing we can do is to stop.
What will keep us from stopping? Plain old stubbornness.
I like the idea of stubbornness because it’s less lofty than “tenacity” or “perseverance.” We don’t have to be heroes to be stubborn. We can just be pains in the butt.
When we’re stubborn, there’s no quit in us. We’re mean. We’re mulish. We’re ornery.
We’re in till the finish.
We will sink our junkyard-dog teeth into Resistance’s ass and not let go, no matter how hard he kicks.

 Blind Faith

Is there a spiritual element to creativity? Hell, yes.
Our mightiest ally (our indispensable ally) is belief in something we cannot see, hear, touch, taste, or feel.
Resistance wants to rattle that faith. Resistance wants to destroy it.
There’s an exercise that Patricia Ryan Madson describes in her wonderful book, Improv Wisdom. (Ms. Madson taught improvisational theater at Stanford to standing-room only classes for twenty years.) Here’s the exercise:
Imagine a box with a lid. Hold the box in your hand. Now open it.
What’s inside?
It might be a frog, a silk scarf, a gold coin of Persia. But here’s the trick: no matter how many times you open the box, there is always something in it.
Ask me my religion. That’s it.
I believe with unshakeable faith that there will always be something in the box.

 Passion

Picasso painted with passion, Mozart composed with it. A child plays with it all day long.
You may think that you’ve lost your passion, or that you can’t identify it, or that you have so much of it, it threatens to overwhelm you. None of these is true.
Fear saps passion.
When we conquer our fears, we discover a boundless, bottomless, inexhaustible well of passion.

 Assistance

We’ll come back to this later. Suffice it to say for now that as Resistance is the shadow, its opposite—Assistance—is the sun.
Friends and Family
When art and inspiration and success and fame and money have come and gone, who still loves us—and whom do we love?
Only two things will remain with us across the river: our inhering genius and the hearts we love.
In other words, what we do and whom we do it for.

Get your copy now. Do the Work is available for free on Kindle for another three weeks only (thanks to GE) and for purchase in hardcover, 5-pack, 48-pack and audio.

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Article by Amber Rae

Amber Rae is The Domino Project's chief evangelist. A creative catalyst and starter of meaningful things, she lives for inspiring people to act on their ambitions. You can find more of Amber at heyamberrae.com or on Twitter @heyamberrae.