4 POWERFUL WAYS YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE WITH COMPTIA: PROJECT+ TRAINING BY MAXWELL OWOLADE

Introduction

Do you know how to sound futuristic and still be accurate? I can prove one way this can happen. You just have to follow this story with me….

You just graduated from the college, you have everything well planned out; graduate, get a job, pay off student loan, take vacation-travel the world, get married, live happily ever after….

As simple as a-b-c, you thought. Not as you think…. you soon realize the job market has a lot more homework than your final year in college. Now you are stuck, you need a plan B.

While contemplating your plan B; you decide to improve your job applications skills and resume submission techniques. You explore getting more phone interviews and even consider internship with possibility of no wages for a start…. all in a desperation….

Waoh, you’ll say, it is that hard…. we now need a science, technique or systematic approach in searching for an employment opportunity.

Now you are getting the job interview, you have to impress and prove that you are up to the task, but no working experience…. just fresh from college.

But you can still stand out elegantly answering these 4 questions if you are likely asked any of these;

• What can you do for our organization that other candidates can’t?
• What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?
• What’s the most difficult decision you’ve made in the last two years and how did you come to that decision?
• Tell me about your proudest achievement.

You might be wondering what has all these questions got to do with CompTIA: Project+? You just have to see…in order to learn some great tips…. Ready?

Interview Questions with Qualified Answers…

Be rest assured you will get the job, so put on your best dress, nice shoes and a pair of smiles….and let’s go get that juicy opportunity;

Question fresh grad; What can you do for our organization that other candidates can’t?

Your answer: “As a fresh graduate,

”, then add that your friends were impressed by your courageous action [of generosity, heroic act, selflessness and kind heartedness]….you understand what I mean…

Briefly…you can then explain to the interviewer that you are a determined individual ready to take a lot of risk to advance your career; by learning how to quickly fit into the workforce with little or no work experience.

Ask the interviewer respectfully, “…can I elaborate my risk-taking approach?” …You know they will say….” sure…. please tell us” ……

Explain by telling them …. “I am determined to learn about project management and attempt even a professional certification” …. “that matches my experience” …. tell them that you went online, researched and read all about CompTIA: Project+.

“…Since I do not have an income, I tapped into the last college savings to enroll in an online class; classes were on weekends, and within 4 weeks, I completed the study, preparation and took the exam the following week; and for the first time, I passed a professional certification exam within 6 weeks!”

“With that confidence, most of my colleagues were shocked that I could do this, and as a result, many of them are now motivated to follow in my steps….”

No doubt, the interviewer will be impressed by your account, when you pull out your CompTIA: Project+ certificate to prove the point.

…before the interviewer showers you with accolade; please rephrase the question again and now answer it in a simple sentence; “What can I do for your organization that others cannot do? …. Tell them in a humble tone, “I can use my initiative to research and master any process or operational technique faster than my peers and still achieve my productivity and contribute to team’s efficiency….with the skills I acquired from my certification preparation, I will bring my project management skills to work every day”

You will agree with me; answering this question in this way, or one you may have perfected will have put you in the lead for this opportunity.

Let’s try a personal touchy question…. can you answer this one?

Another Interview Question….

Let’s say, they ask a different question;

The interviewer commended you for answering all their question; then they look you in eyes and asked, “What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?”

I know you might be thinking, these guys are getting too personal now…. or they are trying to get under your skin…. you might presume…. well no, but you are up to the task;

With a simple smile on your face, you looked around the room and said; yes…..I remember….”Graduating from college was a great accomplishment, and I was very happy….but when I realized I will have to pay my bills, buy my food, fulfill all other expenses and no more “free money”, it was difficult to face that transition. That shift in itself was the most difficult time I could recall” ……then…pause…. rephase the second part of the question “how did I deal with it?”

….List all you have been doing after college to make that transition [learned a skill, volunteer, apply to intern, go to the library, read up on marketable skills and even babysit]; then explain your state of mind each time …..[things look stressful, because there seems to be no end to this cycle, sometimes, I have to tap into my last savings…..]….”

“One day, while I was in the library….” You recalled before your interviewers, “I overheard in the coffee room a few friends that were discussing how CompTIA: Project+ helped them land a job fresh from college”…..”then I went back into the library began looking for more information on this certification, I did not plan to sit for the examination, but I only told myself, why not give it a try…..and I did”

“……I borrowed books from the Library, when I got home that evening, I was tired, but I stayed up all night, read everything on CompTIA: Project+ and I realized that the skills acquired from this certification could help me as well…so I set a schedule to begin studying immediately”

“….the next day, I started shopping online for a cost effective training that will not deplete my last savings, I took the risk and in 4 weekends, I completed the training, practiced a lot of questions and my confidence grew from there….I went, sat and passed the CompTIA: Project+ certification exam, from that point, I have been receiving one interview appointment after another”.

Now, recap the question to your interviewers;….pause…then continue…..”even though things were tough, with many phone calls from employers, I realized I have done the right thing, by learning to benchmark good solutions, even though I was not offered the advice directly….while I was in the library”

As you are reading this experience of yours, put yourself in the shoe of your interviewer; what do you think will be going on at the back of their mind?…….I know; they will be saying to themselves, this is the candidate we are have been looking for; to fill this position….be rest assured, that job is already yours!

Can we try a very difficult question now?………

Another Difficult Interview Question….

Are you ready for this one?

You have answered a couple of interview question and you are now feeling pretty good about this opportunity with this employer, then this next question; out of the blue, jolt you to reality; “…..What’s the most difficult decision you’ve made in the last two years and how did you come to that decision?”

You slowly repeated the keywords in this question and look at the ceiling with a frowning smile trying to process the question as quickly as possible, while buying time for fresh ideas…….”difficult decision….in the last two years…..and how did I come to that decision?

You have come up with something…. the smart you!

You adjusted yourself and started slowly……”there are many difficult decisions in the last two years, even before I graduated from the college (please stay professional here, no bad story from friends and family….ok good!)…..”the one that stood out the most was when I was asking myself…..should I quit college and just wander away….because of too much academic workload…because a number of my friends and course mates said they could not take it anymore……”

“….after three weeks of back and forth, I sat myself down, with a paper and pen to outline the benefit of leaving or staying…I decided to stay and I promised myself, I must have something to show to justify my decision, that I will not stop at my college certificate, I will move on to professional certifications….with the hope of positioning myself for a better opportunity after graduation….”

…..Pause and repeat the second part of the question… and “how did I come to that decision?”……You continued with a smile on your face…..and started by saying…”I used SWOT analysis…Strength, Weakness Opportunity and Threat Analysis…..back when I was in college, I did not know that I was performing SWOT analysis”

Then the interviewer interjected……” did you move on to achieving any professional certification after college as you promised yourself?”

……Please don’t say yes or no…. but use this opportunity to explain how you did it…. then you can say yes in the end, let me show you how….

Start by saying……”it was rough after graduation, no job, no interview, no internship, the interviewers did not even return my calls…. because I felt, I need a job to pass a professional certification…and none, no one is calling….”

So, you continue….” I went online and begin searching for certification that can help a fresh graduate land a job in any field; then I came across CompTIA: Project+, I spent a week, reading on Project+ certification, …..went to the library, and used google search….and I stumbled on a site that will train me in 4 weekends, and they will even ship textbook and study guide at the fraction of the cost, so I opt for it, ready to take all the risk to reward my promise….saying to myself…what can possibly go wrong again?”

Look the interviewer that asked the question in the eye, and respectfully repeat the question…..”to your question; to cut the long story short, I passed my CompTIA: Project+ within six weeks, and ever since, I have been recommending same to all my friends…..”

Let the interviewers know that even though it was difficult, yet you accomplished your goal, that is why you have the opportunity to be here today, interviewing!

Classic? …..Right? You just nailed a difficult question….

But what if the question is a tricky one….and this one is all about you…. how will you handle it?

Answering a tricky interview question….

The interviewer told you they will be brief, so after two questions, then this tricky question land on your lap….; “Tell me about your proudest achievement.”

To begin with, you are a humble person…. now they are telling you to climb on the table and beat your chest and stomp your feet……how will you that?

I am sure you are perplexed…. thinking….” what is the objective of this question…. this one is very tricky…are they looking for something I don’t know?……So to compose yourself, you tried the delay tactics…….by repeating to yourself loudly with a smile….”my proudest achievement…uhm……”

…Now you are ready….” After graduating from college, all I was thinking about was my student loan…. how do I pay this debt off? I have been reading about others saying they did it in 2 years, 5 years….and their story sound appealing, but here I am, I have no income to even start making the minimum payment….”

“So, I asked myself, I need a better opportunity, one that will help me stand out from the rest…. I attended a lot of job fairs; I went to Unemployment office, set many appointments, in the hope something positive will come off it …I spoke to recruiters….it was all promises, check back today, call me next week…..very frustrating”

“….After I submitted a resume to this recruiter, she looked at my resume and said, I have no experience, this employer is looking for experienced workers ….and that it will be difficult for me to be considered…..out of desperation, I asked her…”please what do I need to do to fast track my opportunity?.

Pause…and explain step by step what the recruiter suggested to you?

“……she said I should attempt to pass a professional certification, like CompTIA: Project+, that if I can do it in three months, she will consider me for an upcoming contract opportunity with one of their clients”

“…. I have not tried any certification training before now, let alone sit for any certification exam, and three months looks like forever, …. but I need a job as soon as possible”

“….I went home, googled everything I could find on CompTIA: Project+; then I started searching for a cost effective training, I found one online, they will even train on weekends, I was looking to attempt it in three month…that is 12 weeks, but surprisingly enough, I completed it in half the time”

“When I received my certificate in the mail….I was very proud of my accomplishment, I never thought I could beat that timeline, ….in fact, I was hired by that recruiter for a 9 month contract opportunity afterwards as she had promised….when I look back….at how event played out, I will humbly say, this is one of my recent proudest moment…because I accomplished what I thought I could not, but I set my mind to it, and got it done,…..in fact, that give me the confidence to apply for this position, that I am currently being considered”

Please tell me what you think……there is no interviewer that listen to these accounts of yours backed with fact that will not offer you that job immediately……Do you know why?

Employers are looking for creative employees, they are looking for employee with good initiatives, can-do-spirit, ready to learn and apply skills they have acquired….and proved productive….

……Employers are looking for meticulous workers, one that will find solution to problems…and carefully follow through……guess what? You have just demonstrated all of these unique skills, with all the questions you just answered….

The next million-dollar question now is; how can you put action behind these experience that you will be relating to your prospective employer and make them your own……with a Project+ certificate to show for it?

Let’s wrap this up….

Visit Project Managers Academy Inc. website and visit their blog site, they have all the researched information on CompTIA Project+, you can even download some of these materials…and even watch videos…..when you are satisfied, then you can register for the weekend class, it is 4 weekends; you can study in the comfort of your own home, there will be no need to commute to any classroom.

Study guide and practice questions will be shipped to you, select a month you will like to attend the training…. the opportunity is open from December 2019 to December 2020.

Put in the leg work, just like you will like to explain in your next interview; with your certification in your back pocket…. time to start is now……Register, study, prepare and pass your CompTIA: Project+….

The investment really worth it!