6 Important Keys To A Successful Interview

Interview skills are learnt. Do your pre-interview homework, learn what questions you can anticipate and how best to answer them. Your CV has impressed, your research and networking activities have paid off and you have landed an Interview with your company of choice. Now to make sure you turn this Interview into a pot of gold and secure the job of your dreams. Below are some general tips and guidelines that should assist you through the Interview:
1. Research
Most of you will have researched your company of choice thoroughly in order to get to this point.
For those who haven't, it is essential that you do some background research on the company and the job before you walk in that door. The Interviewer will expect you to know a little about the industry and the company and will be very impressed if you are familiar with specific events, news and concerns relating to the business. Newspapers, industry and trade magazines, local libraries and the Internet are all good sources of information. Feel free to pick up the phone and ask the company for their annual reports and any marketing materials - most companies are more than happy to oblige. The very minimum information you will want to know is what lines of business the company is in, what the requirements and responsibilities are for the job you are applying for and the latest news pertaining to the company. Specific information about the company's new product lines, competitive positioning, plans for the future, vision, mission and values, business objectives and key personnel changes will further impress as will any information that bears directly to the position you are applying for.

Treat knowledge as a primary competitive advantage; the more information you have about the company and role, the higher your chances of success.

2. Be prepared
It is highly advisable that you take with you to the interview a notebook to take notes and extra copies of your CV (in many cases the employer will have misplaced it, have an unclear copy if it was faxed, or simply expect you to provide it). In many types of jobs, you may want to take with you examples of your work eg. past creative work if you are in advertising, design or similar roles, published work if you are a writer etc.You may also want to take with you references and copies of your educational certificates just in case, although these are typically not required at the initial interview stage.
3. Dress for success
Your first Interview is the first impression an employer will have of you and it is essential to make a favorable first impact.You should always plan to dress relatively conservatively for the first Interview even if the job involves casual wear.You can always dress down in later meetings. Generally, the image you want that first meeting is clean, well-groomed and conservative.
4. Be punctual
Make sure you arrive for the Interview a good 15 minutes early. Allow yourself plenty of time for any potential mishaps eg traffic jams, unclear directions, public transportation difficulties etc. Showing up late indicates disrespect for the employer's time and hints at sloppy planning and poor time management and judgement.
5. Attitude counts
This is the time to show off your interpersonal skills. Employers are looking for certain key character traits and you need to demonstrate them at the Interview. Keep the following in mind:  Listening skills. Make sure you listen intently, let the Interviewer complete his sentences and you don't interrupt. At the same time, show interest in what he is saying and ask pertinent and interesting questions. Good active listening skills are essential in any role. Enthusiasm. In many cases, you may not be ideally qualified for the position, or you may have a steep learning curve ahead of you.You need to demonstrate to the Employer that you are extremely interested in the position and have the drive and ambition and keenness it takes to succeed! Enthusiasm is contagious and employers are always keen to add enthusiastic members to their team in the hopes that their positive attitude rubs off on the team and lifts the general spirit of the workplace.Your positive attitude will impress the interviewer as long as it is genuine and not overplayed and he will leave the Interview with a favorable 'feel' about you. 

Eye contact. Maintain professional eye contact with the Interviewer. Looking away continuously suggests being distracted or disinterest.
Looking down suggests shyness and lack of confidence. By all means though keep it natural and feel free to nod your head and smile and even laugh where appropriate. Try to avoid staring the employer down, nodding superfluously or fixing a fake grin on your face out of nervousness.
    Emotional Intelligence. You need to demonstrate to the Interviewer that you have a high level of emotional intelligence and are willing and able to detect and adapt readily to new environments, demands, people, work styles etc. The Interview is a good place to demonstrate this.
Be sensitive to the Interviewer's personal style by paying attention to his general behavior, his demeanor, his office space and the types of questions he asks, and tailor your answers and tone and pace of delivery accordingly.
Professionalism. Above all, be professional. Respect the Interviewer-Interviewee boundaries at all times and do not behave in an overly friendly or casual fashion with the Interviewer.
Avoid bringing up your personal life unless in a directly relevant manner, do not comment on politics, religion or any other controversial topics dear to your heart, do not stray from the Interview topics and keep your answers factual, honest and professional.
6. Have the answers
There is no telling what style an Interviewer will take and what questions he will come up with.
 Interviews range from the very structured and professional to adhoc conversations where the employer may simply ask you to talk about yourself. In most well-established corporations however, certain questions are quite standard and we recommend you take the time to really think about them, develop answers and find evidence to support your answers from past experiences and qualifications. Read up on common and uncommon interview questions before the interview in preparation and know your CV inside and out so that no question about your career takes you unawares. Take time to introspect and reflect on what has enabled you to succeed in the past and how you intend to succeed in the future in the new role. Practice mock interviews with friends or run through possible scenarios in your mind in advance of the interview.
 Practice visualization - if you see yourself already in the new role and succeeding in your new capacity, chances are the interviewer may see you in that capacity too; just make sure you are fully aware of what it is that has enabled you to obtain the role and what it is about your skills, qualifications, character traits and experience that has enabled you to succeed so you can communicate these factors clearly, honestly and and convincingly to the employer. All the best and wishing you success in all you do.

Simple Teaching Tips To Make Mathematics Easy For Children

I don't know about you, but when I was young I was pretty much intimidated by mathematics Temporarily ...hehe...

There are kids that would have natural math skills, many of my friends do, but for some children (like me), math can be really difficult sometimes, Before I Conquered it.

Knowing this fact would actually help us have motivation to make math classes fun and interesting.

For some children, the biggest math challenge is becoming interested in the subject.  The subject can be very boring since children find it difficult to understand, if they cannot understand something they would lose interest in it, it's plain simple.

 But, you as a teacher, can make it different through the following ways.

• Knowing basic addition and multiplication would go a long way.  If your child knows how to add and multiply very well then it fractions and other math problems would not be of a big problem.




If your child or your student is showing any sign of difficulty on this field, then make sure that they would be mastering this part first.

• Teaching math does not have to be just numbers.  You can use different methods or approaches, math can be illustrated too.

So you use different kinds of pictures to illustrate concepts.  Children would easily understand if they can visualize it.  This would be great if you are teaching fractions, addition, multiplication and other topics.

• Aside from using pictures and images, you could also use or incorporate games into your classes. You can determine a specific date of the week that you would be able to play games to exercise their math knowledge.

You can give small gifts or incentives to students who have won.  But to do not scold those who do not win, praise them still for their improvements.

• Sometimes, teachers tend to approach formulas in an imposing manner.  They would force students to understand and follow the formulas, just explaining its basic concepts.

But you could still make it interactive. You can encourage students to interpret and explain the formulas themselves.  Let them share their opinions.

They could learn a lot from their discussions with each other, compare to when you stay in front of them lecturing about formulas.



• If you find playing games too rowdy and noisy, then another thing that could make math lessons interesting, is by encouraging students to answer a math challenges.

 You could also give them small incentives for taking  part or answering the problems correctly.
• Research is essential.  Whether you are a teacher, tutor or parent, there are numerous ways or techniques that you can do to make learning fun for your kids and students.

There are numerous books, websites and resources that can help you come up with your own teaching technique and style.  Do not just rely on your school textbook.

• Tests and exercises do not have to be boring.  You can create a different kind of exam like puzzles, riddles or brain teasers.

To be an effective teacher, you would have to love what you do.  For math teachers, you can make the subject interactive, creative and fun if you really love the subject.

 For example, if you love doing something then it is natural that you would like to improve yourself in that field.  The same applies with teaching and Many other things we do.

Your love for the profession and eagerness to impart Knowledge will manifest on your lessons and how you strive to make your students learn something in your class. All The Very Best.