Mastering Your Job Interview.... a guide to getting a high paying job with no college degree. (STEP 5)

Once you get the call for the interview, landing it can feel like a big accomplishment. But nailing it is the difference between finding a good job and getting one.

Before going to your interview, I recommend creating a resume. You can do it yourself, but I recommend hiring a professional to do it. Either way you can find more information by clicking here to visit my page on resume tips. Now that you've studied for the career tests, and polished your resume, it's time to prepare for the job interview.

(Not ready for this job interview section? Go to high-paying-jobs-with-no-college-degree by clicking here.)

Or if you're not ready for a job interview and want to check out work from home jobs, click here.

Let’s face it: in today’s competitive landscape, it’s a tough market for job seekers. In light of the sluggish economy and rising college tuition costs, many people are turning to alternative careers that don’t require advanced degrees—and some are even taking on two or more jobs just to make ends meet. But if you’re one of the savvy few who are scouring the job market for power plant careers, you already know that you can get high paying power plant jobs with nothing more than your skills and that high school degree you got for free (take that, Uncle Sam!).

The tricky part is learning how to snatch up that opportunity. Job interviews can be the most critical step in getting hired, so be sure to take this section seriously.

You may have been a little stressed when taking your POSS test. But all those practice tests you took have paid off—your prospective employer has filtered through the applications and POSS test results, and selected you from the job candidate pool. Congratulations! You are among the top few who were scheduled for an interview. The POSS test, or Plant Operator Selection System, gave your hiring manager an idea on how you might fare in on-the-job training. But even though you’ve passed this first step on paper, you’re now faced with the challenge to make a good in-person first impression.

Remember, you can rise above the competition and land good paying jobs by mastering the art of the job interview. So take a few deep breaths, focus on success and follow these important steps:

1) Learning the Ropes

Preparation is where 90 percent of success comes from. There are hundreds of applicants who are also vying for the high-paying jobs you’re applying for, and potential employers have mounds of paperwork to sort through before (and after) they get to your application. Even if they’ve called you in based on your application and POSS test results, you still have to beat out the other candidates in person. The key to standing apart from the masses is to do your homework (yes, just when you thought you were done with all that), practice the tough questions and nail that job interview. Here are some pointers to get you started:

Get to Know Your Audience

The first and most important step to getting a power plant job is research, research, research. Okay, so that’s three steps—but it’s important to roll up your sleeves and learn as much as you can about your potential employer so you can knock their socks off with all of your preliminary knowledge.

If you’re brave, you can even call the company and request some literature they have on the premises. Offer to drive down and pick it up, so you can show your face to the receptionist and leave a good impression—just remember to wear something professional. Even better: bring in a business card (preferably not the one provided by your current employer) or a postcard with your skills and achievements and leave it with the front desk as a reminder of who you are, and how dedicated you are to learning about the high paying jobs you’re after. Bonus: if you do go down to the office, you’ll already know the route! Pay attention to the traffic and how much time it takes you to get there so you’ll be at least ten minutes early to the actual interview.

2) Getting the Hang of it

Now that you’ve conducted your background check and passed your POSS test, it’s time to rehearse the initial meeting at the job interview site. Review some of the introductory sample questions in this section by reciting your answers in front of the mirror. Sure, you’ll feel a little strange talking to yourself (and your roommates will never let you live it down), but this gives you a chance to see any weird facial expressions or habits you might have, like twitching your nose or using your hands for excessive punctuation. Practice, practice, practice—but don’t sound rehearsed! Sounding like a robot isn’t going to score you any conversational points.

The next stage is to get an audience and have them ‘test’ interview you. Invite your best buddy over and play job interview—even videotape the session, if you can. (Warning: your buddy will likely want to be rewarded with a frosty beverage.) Remember, the name of this game is beating out the competition with practice and preparation to win one of your targeted high-paying jobs.

Below are some basic job interview questions you can play with, along with key insights into how to answer them. Keep your answers short, concise, and to the point—hiring managers talk to a lot of people, and really want to get to the meat of the matter. The job interview is your time to shine, so think of each answer as your personal sales pitch. Lead with benefits, identify your strengths, and make connections to your achievements and the qualifications the job interviewer is looking for—this will help you garner one the good paying jobs your competition is also seeking.

“Tell me about yourself.”

Okay, this isn’t technically a question. But it’s one of the most common job interview questions. And you don’t have to panic or fumble around for words because you’ve prepared for this question, right? This is your chance to show your potential boss what makes you stand apart from the rest of the applicant pool—so sell yourself! Talk about your greatest accomplishments, what you’re most proud of, even volunteer work you’ve done or training you’ve had. Just don’t talk about your kick-butt karaoke skills or how well you can carve up a wave—save that for office chat after you’ve won the job.

“Why should we hire you?”

Well, why not? (Hint: do not lead with that answer!) This is a variation on the question above, but it doesn’t mean the job interviewer won’t ask you both of them. Again, here’s an opportunity for you to showcase your past achievements—how you boosted bottom line or increased productivity. This is also a good time to show what you know: you worked long and hard to learn about this company, and you’ll impress your job interviewer with this base knowledge and be in the running for a high paying job.

“What are your strengths?”

This is not about your weightlifting benchmark—but you already knew that. Some career experts say you should have a prepared list of four main skills that you can highlight. Things like never being late, helping out your co-workers, or having a knack for solving complex problems are good things to talk about.

“What are your weaknesses?”

While this seems like a tricky question, this is just another chance for you to showcase what a fast learner you are and how you can overcome challenges. Maybe you tend to take on too much and burn out—turn that into something like ‘I like to take on as many challenges as I can, and sometimes I’ve tried to tackle too much at once. But I’ve learned how to communicate this with my employers and coworkers so we can balance the workload and no one gets let down.” Just remember that we all have weaknesses, and employers won’t buy it if you act like you’ve never taken a tumble. Let them know you always get back up after a fall—with confidence and poise.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

This is always a tough question to answer, unless of course you were gifted with ESP (in which case, you may not need a high paying job at a power plant). You may really see yourself as the power plant manager in five years, but don’t say that to the hiring manager.

Do Take:

• Directions (or a map)

• The office number, in case of a flat tire on the way

• The name of your interviewer

• A copy of your resume

• Pens and paper to take notes

• Breath mints (pop one right before you walk in)

• A professional demeanor, confidence and a sense of humor

Do Not Take:

• Your pager, cell phone, mp3 player, or alarm clock

• Gum—nothing says ‘unprofessional’ like chewing gum

• Cigarettes—wait until after your interview to smoke

• A list of the other employers you plan to interview with

• Your favorite pair of cut-off jeans—or a fancy suit. You want to look professional, but comfortable (because this is a power plant, not a pajama party or a night club)

• A perfume or cologne shower—employers want to interview you, not smell you

4) Swinging into Action

The first rule when heading off to your interview: leave early and get there on time. Nothing says ‘Don’t hire me’ like showing up late before you’ve even started. When you walk into the office for the first time (or second, if you’ve stopped by earlier to get some insight on the company), greet the receptionist and remember her name. If you say “Goodbye Sally” on your way out, you’ll leave a good impression on the front desk personnel (unless of course her name is “Sue”)—and they often have more say in the hiring decision that you may think. Here are some pointers on how to make a good initial impression on your job interviewer (and win one of the high-paying jobs at a power plant!):

• Jeans and a polo shirt—if you want a power plant job, dress the part. Nothing too fancy, nothing too laid-back

• A firm handshake to show that you’re confident

• Eye contact—keep good eye contact, but don’t stare (you don’t want to intimidate.

• Answer questions slowly—but not too slow; you don’t want to stutter and blurt out gibberish (that’s why you practiced), but you also want to avoid awkward silences

• Avoid talking about salary, but do talk about long-term benefits like 401k’s to show employers you're committed over the long haul versus fishing for a big paycheck

• Do not bad mouth ex-bosses or ex-coworkers (Remember the first date analogy? Don’t say anything that would kill your chance at meeting again)

• Memorize your resume—you might be shocked at how many job interviewees draw a blank when asked about their previous employment—don’t be one of them

Hiring managers may want to make sure you’re a good fit before asking you back to jump through the next hoop. But you might face some sticky job interview questions in the first heat, like:

“Why did you leave your last job?”

Even if your last boss really was a raving psychopath, DO NOT reveal that to your job interviewer! Think of tactical ways to answer this question if you were fired or laid off, like “while I enjoyed working there, I found that the environment wasn’t quite right for me and I’m looking for a better fit,” or “I’m looking for more challenging work.” These are not cure-all answers, but they’re a good start. Be honest, but objective; confident, not sassy, and you just might get that high paying job.

“Why have you had so many jobs?”

Here’s another fun one to wrestle. Maybe you’ve had a lot of odd jobs to make ends meet, or you really have jumped ship (or a fleet) because you weren’t happy at your previous jobs. Whatever the case, this is one of the high paying jobs you’ve been dreaming of, so remember to be strategic with your answers. This is the one you’re holding out for—so emphasize that it’s your long-term goal to work at a power plant.

“Are you applying for any other jobs?”

Your job interviewer probably knows that you’re a smart cookie and you’re checking out the market for other high paying jobs. So be up front about the other opportunities you’re exploring, but don’t try to play hardball and swindle higher pay or better benefits at this point. Conversely, don’t skimp out on your answers or lie and say this is the only job for you—this might make you look desperate. And we all know that desperation is not attractive.

“Power plants have a lot of idle time. What will you do when things get slow?”

The key to answering this question is….you guessed it, being prepared for your job interview! Talk about how you’re eager to learn new things and “idle time” is just another chance for you to help coworkers who might be busy, or learn a new skill from fellow employees who are also experiencing some down time.

“Do you have any questions?”

YES. You ABSOLUTELY have questions. If you don’t, your job interviewer will think you’re not really interested in the position and your resume is sure to go straight to the shredder. Plus, a surprising amount of job interviewees fail to think of any questions beforehand—that’s why you came prepared. Maybe you’re wondering how your potential boss got his or her position and what s/he has found to be the most valuable lesson or learning tool. Or perhaps you’re curious about the toughest aspect of the position you’re after. Ask the tough questions back (but don’t be a bully or interrogator) and get your job interviewer to talk about themselves a bit (people feel good when they get to share their passions and knowledge). Since the whole conversation has revolved around you up to this point, it’s time to turn the tables around.

5) Tying the Knot (or at least, Vying for the Big Question)

You made it. Well, not quite, but you have survived the first date! How do you make sure you get the call that says, ‘You’re hired’?

• Get feedback from your job interviewers.

At the end of the interview, ask the hiring manager if they have any thoughts on the way you presented your answers. This shows that you’re interested in hearing their feedback, and would likely do this as an employee—a good sign to your future employer that you’re an avid listener and solid team player.

• Conduct a phone survey.

If it’s been a while since your interview and you haven’t heard back, remain positive—it can take a while for hiring managers to make a decision. A crafty way to get the scoop is to call the company to see if they have made a decision yet. Reiterate your interest in the position and if you haven’t already (see the following tip), ask if you can see some additional material that could help you in your new power plant position. You can even offer to drop by and pick it up, which is another opportunity for you to show off not only your job interviewing savvy, but how dedicated and committed you are.

• Send a thank-you note.

Consider this as TOP PRIORITY. Immediately after your interview, start a typed or handwritten thank-you note on nice paper to your potential power plant supervisor.

Go to STEP 6 to see a sample interview thank you letter .

Or return to the high paying jobs with no college degree homepage.