Many people feel that the interview is the single most stressful part of the job search process. Any number of things can go wrong, and a big part of being successful is avoiding simple mistakes. The things you should avoid doing are as below:
1. Trying to wing the interview: Practice! Get a list of general interview questions, a friend, a tape recorder, and a mirror and conduct an interview rehearsal. Practice until your delivery feels comfortable but not canned.
2. Not being yourself: Be yourself and be honest! Don’t pretend to understand a question or train of thought if you don’t. The interviewer will pick up on this. If you don’t know an answer, say so. Relax and be yourself. Remember you’re interviewing the company as well as vice versa.
3. Not listening: Focus on the question that is being asked and don’t try to anticipate the next one. It’s OK to pause and collect your thoughts before answering a question. Pay special attention to technical or work process related subjects that are unique to a given firm or organization. The interviewer may have provided information you will need to answer the question earlier in the conversation. Employers will be looking for your ability to assimilate new information, retain it, and, most importantly, recognize that information as useful to you later in the interview.
4. Not providing enough details: When answering case questions, technical questions or solving technical problems, take the time to “talk through” your thought process. Recruiters are much more interested in seeing how your mind works and how it attacks a given type of problem, than the answer itself. Articulate your problem solving process and verbalize your thinking.
5. Lack of enthusiasm: Maintain eye contact, greet the interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake (not too weak, not too strong), and show common courtesy. Don’t be afraid to display your passion for the jobindustry and to show confidence.
Tags: Case Questions, Eye Contact, Handshake, Honest Don, Interview 4, Interview Mistakes, Interview Practice, Interview Questions, Interviewer, Job Interview, Job Search, Mirror, Recruiters, Rehearsal, Search Process, Smile, Tape Recorder, Technical Questions, Thought Process, Train Of Thought
It is extremely important to follow up on all contacts. It is not good to just sit and wait for results to come pouring in when you think that you’ve already done your part because your contact information has been distributed.
Consider two men applying for a prime position at a company. After the interview, the first applicant just sits around waiting to hear from his prospective employer.
On the other hand, the second applicant distributes his contact information to some people that he met in the company. Furthermore, applicant number two does a follow-up on the results of the job interview a few days later. The first applicant has not been heard from, because he just relies on the basic “We’ll call you” routine. Who do you think will have a greater chance of getting the job?
Even though the first applicant is more qualified, since he did not follow up or even send a thank you note to the interviewer, in the end, he does not get the job.
If you are still waiting for that job offer and you do not follow up on your contacts, your chances of getting hired become slimmer. In business, following up on all of your contacts is a sure-fire way to spread the word about you, your business sense and expanding your horizons.
Tags: Applicant Number, Business Sense, Contact Information, Contacts, Expanding Your Horizons, Failure, Few Days, Interviewer, Job Interview, Job Offer, People, Prime Position, Prospective Employer, Sit, Sure Fire, Thank You Note, Two Men
When applying for a job, it is ideal that you identify your strengths and weaknesses and get prepared to address them.
By knowing your advantage, the chances of getting the job that you want will surely get easier. But you should not get too confident since this is one of the common mistakes that plague job applicants. Appearing too confident or as somewhat of a know it all person will only get you labeled by your interviewer as unfit for the job.
Identifying your skills
First thing’s first. You should identify your skills. This is your ticket to get that job and you should be able to articulate your abilities and expertise as best as you can. Many people have a hard time telling their skills and abilities as this may seem to be bragging. But you should not be shy or afraid to discuss your skills.
In fact, it is important that you convey to your potential employer what your talents are. You should be able to sell your abilities to your employer. That is how you will get the job that you want.
It is important that you don’t appear arrogant or condescending but you should also avoid selling yourself short. If the interviewer asks you about your strengths or what separates you from the other applicants, you should be able to readily give a good answer. But before you even go to the interview, your resume should highlight your skills and talents for your prospective employer to see.
Tags: Address, Applying For A Job, Failure, Good Answer, Hard Time, Interviewer, Job Applicants, Job Skills, Prospective Employer, Resume, Showcase, Skills And Abilities, Strengths And Weaknesses, Talents
A survey conducted by a staffing and consulting firm based in California which corresponded with 1,400 chief financial officers concluded that candidates for employment made most of their mistakes on their interviews. Some of the mistakes they made include:
1)Arriving late
2)Having little knowledge about the company
3)Having little knowledge about the position applied for
4)Having a superiority complex
5)Behaving arrogantly
The body language of the applicant must also denote that he is confident yet not overpowering. He must maintain eye contact, have a strong handshake, and avoid looking defensive by the act of crossing the arms. Wearing the right clothes is crucial for projecting a confident stance. As they say, it is better to go to an interview over-dressed than being under-dressed.
Answer questions smartly
A common mistake of interviewees is that they tend to get tense and forget the questions that are given to them, which has the effect that they are not prepared for the interview. It is important to research the company and the position applied for to prevent being side-tracked during the interview.
If you do not know the answer to the questions being asked, it is better to admit you don’t know the answer to the question and add that you can research about it. Look for the skills or expertise that the company is looking for so that when interview day comes and the interviewer asks about your strengths and core competencies, you will be able to match it to what they need.
Getting the necessary referrals
Having a referral from one of the company employees can go a long way toward landing an interview. A typical company may receive job applications in the hundreds and usually 35% to 60% of all job vacancies are filled by referrals. The odds of getting hired when you have a referral are very high if you have another 200 to 500 applicants vying for the same position.
If you do not know anyone from the company that may give you a referral, it is a good idea to network the alumni of your college or university, trade groups, social networks, and professional associations. Remember, having a referral greatly increases your chances of getting the position.
Tags: Answer Questions, Body Language, Clothes, Consulting Firm, Core Competencies, Eye Contact, Failure To Appear, Handshake, Interviewees, Interviewer, Job Vacancies, Little Knowledge, Match, Mistake, Necessary Referrals, Odds, Referral, Superiority Complex, Survey, Typical Company
There is a type of dress code when it comes to a job interview. There are dos and donts when it comes to what to wear.
Many times the first impression that you make with the clothing that you wear to an interview is the most important.
You will never get a second chance to make a first impression.
It is better to over dress for an interview. If you are truly unsure of what type of dress is expected at a job, it is better to dress your best for an interview.
This means a suit and button down top. This basic interview outfit will be overkill for many interviews.
The upside to choosing this tried and true look is that you will look pulled together and there is no way that the interviewer will think that you are under dressed.
There are many interview situations that do not require a suit. Many jobs are more casual then a suit and there for you can dress down a little bit.
For men, a button down shirt and tie with a nice pair of dress pants are ok for a more casual interview. Women can pair a nice blouse with dress slacks or a skirt.
The most important thing to remember when choosing an interview outfit is to make sure that you err on the conservative side. Tops should not be low cut and skirts should be no shorter then knee length for women.
For men, you will want to keep the color choices for your outfit on a muted scale.
All interview outfits should fit you well. An ill fitting interview outfit shows the interviewer that you do not take the time to make sure that your clothes fit. They will wonder if you will take the time to make sure that your work has no errors.
You also need to make sure that your interview clothes are pressed and wrinkle free. This will give you a clean crisp look.
You hair should be neat and tidy. Any makeup that you wear should be subtle and understated. Perfume and cologne should be skipped on the day of the interview.
You want to make sure that your accessories do not make an impression for you. You want to make sure that the interviewer is concentrating on what you have to say and not on what you are wearing.
It is a good idea to have 2 to 3 interview outfits that you can go to. Many jobs require more then one interview. You will need to have different outfits for each interview that you go on. Set these outfits aside in your closet so that you know they are what to wear to an interview.
What Not to Wear
Sweat pants
Jeans
Sneakers
Open toe sandals
Flip flops
Sleeveless tops
Low cut tops
Clothing with stains and holes
T-shirts
Baseball hat
Sunglasses
Workout clothing
Shorts
Skirts shorter then knee length
Lots of jewelry
Perfume and cologne
Bright makeup
Tags: Blouse, Button Down, Casual Interview, Cologne, Color Choices, Conservative Side, Dos And Donts, Dress Code, Dress Pants, Dress Slacks, Interview Outfit, Interview Situations, Interview Women, Interviewer, Job Interview, Knee Length, Perfume, Second Chance To Make A First Impression, Shirt And Tie, Skirts
