professionalpublishingjobinterviews.com

An interview is necessary to assess the applicant’s suitability against the requirements for the position. It is also the first experience that an applicant has of your organization. If you want to select good people, keep in mind the following criteria that the applicant should possess: the ability to do the job, the valuable contribution to the organization’s effectiveness, and the potential to be developed.

During the interview process, the interviewer’s questions should center on the job description and the person’s qualification. The applicant should be allowed to ask questions and to find out more about the job or the organization.

Contrary to what people believe that presentation is relevant, the information stored on your resume is all companies are concerned about. Putting heavy borders and color schemes will not change the qualifications and criteria of recruiters and most probably it is a waste of ink and paper.

Simple resumes will most likely be checked out first. Fancy resumes will get attention but it is no guarantee for hiring. You are coming as an applicant and not as a designer. Remember that and just show them what your qualifications are. They need a person to fit based on qualifications and not on how they can read an exaggerated resume without matching qualifications.

It is important that the interview room is prepared beforehand to ensure there are no interruptions and that the tables and chairs are set up suitably. It is also important to decide what stages the recruitment process will include, such as:

First interviews – how many, when and who will carry them out?

Second interviews – when, and who will carry them out?

Any type of tests, such as skills reviews or psychometric tests;

When will candidates know the results of the interview process.

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Interviews

A key objective of the interview is to assess an individual’s suitability against the criteria required for the job. Remember however, the recruitment process is also the first experience that an applicant has of an organisation.

Good selection, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), is based upon the following:

- Ability to do the job;
- Ability to make a contribution to the organisation’s effectiveness;
- Potential for development.
- Research has indicated that interviews are often poor predictors of ability and often undertaken by people who haven’t been trained in recruitment. To make them as successful as possible:
- Training should be provided for interviewers;
- Questions should be structured around the job description and person specification;
- Candidates should be encouraged to ask questions and find out more about the job and the organisation.
- Where possible, candidates should be allowed enough notice before the interview to enable them to prepare.

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One of the things that will give you the edge when gunning for a publishing job is a knowledge of both the software used and the printing process itself.

Knowing software is important because it shows prospective employers that you have more than a cursory knowledge regarding the intricacies of the publishing business. So you should be able to familiarize yourself with publication tools and software like Adobe InDesign. Showing your interviewer that you have more than a theoretical idea of how the industry actually works and actually having applied skills in these kinds of software show your potential for career growth as you know more than what is required of you – traits and characteristics future supervisors and managers should have.

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Employers are looking for people who will solve their problems. You have to present your case accordingly.

How?

By answering these questions and including the answers in your resume:

What kind of problems did you solve on the job?

How did the company benefit from your performance?

How did you do the job differently and better than the person before you did?

Did you introduce a new program or system?

If yes, what were the results of it? (Be specific regarding the results.)

What were you most proud of in your job?

What would your supervisor and your co-workers say they would miss most about you when you leave?

How did you make a difference in your job?

How did you affect the company’s bottom line?

Did you save money for the company? How much?

Did you earn money for the company? How much?

Good luck to you! Go get them!

When it comes to applying for the job, before you even get an interview, you would know if the job is really made for your or not. There is such a thing as matching jobs with the right people and it will all boil down to qualifications and experience.

Companies want to place people immediately. They don’t want to go through the motions of having to train people just for a particular position. Hence if you are the right person then congratulations. If you feel it is all just a waste of time, have the courtesy to turn them down rather than waste their precious time.

Waiting for your turn or for the interviewer can really be a problem at times. For sure, you will experience some waiting time since they normally have current work duties to perform. When you are caught in this situation try to be patient. Do not show any form of disrespect and impatience since some companies do this on purpose.

This helps measure you level of professionalism and for sure, you will be graded as well without your knowledge. Waiting is something that is easy to manage if you think about it. It is better not to rush and get the final results. It may waste all the efforts you put into the interview if you are not careful.

While you may consider yourself a VIP, try and shelf that for the meantime you are applying for a job. Go to the office at least an hour before so you can settle down and make last minute grooming to see you are ready for the interview.

Other than looking good, the interviewing party will appreciate your early bird presence. It shows how determined and serious you are about landing the job. These are the points you will not see on the interview sheet. In fact, these may be plus factors that can be added when the final evaluation of your application with the company.

When you are scheduled for an interview, remember that it is a business opportunity for you to consider. It is not a usual social moment where you can just be yourself. This is an interview and you are applying for a position to work for them.

Grooming is assessed together with your resume. Appearance counts. Being tidy, clean-looking and apparently trying to be a model employee are big plus marks that go along with you application.

Approach interviews as professional as you can. It will have a bearing and for sure it can make all the difference when you are applying for a job.