 |
Are You Making These Common Job Interview Mistakes?
Going to an interview without a plan of action is like going out on a football field without a game plan. Total disaster! Suppose I were to ask you right now.
"What are your skills or attributes?" Could you give a good answer?
Suppose I were to ask you the question that's in every interviewer's mind.
"Why should I hire you?" What would you say?
All of the interviewer's questions that you will see in this section have a purpose, and that is to put solid meaning into your interview preparation. So, do study them, all of them.
Interviewers have different styles, some you will like better than others. The keys to any successful interview are the four B's.
Be likable
Be able to give complete answers
Be on time
Be yourself
Never forget, that first impressions are very important. They help the interviewer decide whether he or she wants to hire you or not. Please make sure that you take advantage of this tremendous information that is so powerful, that I am convinced, it will catapult your efforts. As you read the reasons for rejection given below, ask yourself how you would rate in relation to each. There are 5 areas that you as a job seeker must be aware. One high level interviewer says MOST of the applicants she sees are rejected for not attending to the items listed below.
YOUR APPEARANCE
Dress in clothes you would wear on the job. Wear conservative colors and avoid flashy fashions. Avoid too much jewelry or strong scents.
YOUR MANNERS
When you meet the interviewer, stand up, offer a strong handshake, and thank the interviewer for taking time to see you. In the interviewer's office, don't sit down until invited to do so. Address the interviewer as "Mr." Or "Ms." Unless they tell you otherwise. Accept a cup of coffee or a soft drink, if offered, but decline a cigarette or telephone, use a pay phone. If the telephone rings, don't appear to listen in to the conversation. Review your resume. If someone walks in during the interview, stand up to greet him or her. In concluding the interview, shake hands with the interviewer and again thank them for taking the time to see you.
YOUR BODY LANGUAGE
Stand up very straight. Do not exhibit nervous gestures by tapping your feet, drumming your fingers, twisting your hair, rocking in your chair, crossing and re-crossing your legs, etc. Take pride in who you are what you offer.
YOUR ATTITUDE
Attitude is the most important attribute for being hired. Through body language, facial expressions and gestures, you'll show that you are motivated to work. Look alive. Know the points you want to make and make them. Have an honest smile. Use your hands to illustrate points. Ask questions! Don't tell jokes, but do show humor.
REMAIN CALM
Some interviewers may seem to dislike you. Usually this isn't true. Their questions may seem personal or insulting. Don't get upset. Their job and the job you want may involve pressure. Before some interviewers offer a job, they want to see how well applicants can "take the heat". If you are offended, you may not get this job. When the interview is full of pressure, stay calm, cool, and polite. You may be tested by a "stress interview". If a question or other interviewer action truly is out of line, remind the interviewer in a polite but firm manner.
Brian Stephenson is the author of, "Job Search Boot Camp", the most hard-hitting, step-by-step job search course that takes each student by the hand and shows them how to create powerful resumes that get results, stunning cover letters that command interviews, and winning interview thank you letters that get you hired? Imagine for a moment what is possible for you if you had access to these forbidden secrets. For more information on the Job Search Boot Camp course, visit http://www.JobSearchBootCamp.com
|
|
|
|
CAREER TOPICS
Could You Write Performance Reviews For Money?
Writing performance reviews can be an excellent way to earn a living. Who wouldn't want to go from place to place watching actors, singers, and chefs perform at their best (and maybe their worst)? Getting paid to do something like this just seems like fun, doesn't it? But, in reality, these jobs are not easy to come by nor are they easy to do.
How to Make Money as a Reflexologist
Being a reflexologist is one of the top five career choices in the field of holistic health. The trend shows that more and more people are turning toward holistic practices to enhance traditional medical therapies.
Who Should Write Your Resume?
This is a question we get a lot. It seems rather easy to do it yourself if you have access to a word processing program and printer and feel comfortable writing your job history.
A Career in Image Consulting
You might have seen them while watching TV shows such as Extreme Makeover, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, or What Not to Wear. Or you might have heard that Martha Stewart needed them to give her advice on how to look sympathetic to a jury.
Listening for Interview Success
Yes I know that we usually think of interviews as us doing all the talking, but the reality is different. At least 40% of the time we should be listening, and what we hear will have an enormous effect on what we say.
Can You Actually Fail A Personality Quiz?
Q. I didn't get a job that I interviewed for.
Interview Tips - Ten Top Dos & Donts for Winning Interviews
In this day and age it can become increasingly difficult to even get your foot in the door and get an interview; once you've accomplished that you will want to make sure you continue to put your best foot forward and nail the interview as well. Unfortunately, as great as their skills, experience and education are; the interview is where many people lose a job opportunity to their competition.
Giving Notice: 6 Things to Do To Prepare to Leave
After days, weeks, months or longer of interviewing, you have received a job offer that meets your needs and have decided to give notice to your employer and resign your current job.1.
5 Ways to Combat Job Burnout
Job burnout happens when the stress or prolonged frustration of a job or career contributes to emotional and physical exhaustion. The ability to cope with general life stressors outside of work is strained.
What Not To Include In Your Resume
Do you have a difficult time determining what does not go in your job resume? The rule of thumb is to only put enough information about your qualifications in your resume in order to get the employer interested enough to contact you about an interview.If the information doesn't highlight your qualifications, keep it out.
What Turns Potential Employers ON; What Turns Them OFF?
According to an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, these are the most important qualities that employers are looking for in a job candidate, in priority order:
(1) Communication skills;
(2) Honesty/integrity;
(3) Teamwork skills;
(4) Interpersonal skills;
(5) A strong work ethic.
Be sure to highlight those skills in your resume, during your interview, and in your thank-you letter.
Fear of Being Outsourced? Fight Back
Me, outsourced? Impossible. How could they replace a business-humor columnist? But my brother-in-law, the radiologist, told me his hospital was threatening to cut his position because they had found a medical group out of India that would read MRIs at half the cost.
Self-Knowledge: The Key To Finding The Right Career Direction
Your career, like any journey, has a beginning, an end and a direction. For many people, the present direction of the career is probably not a result of entirely their own choices.
A Career With The FBI
Do you have what it takes to become an FBI special agent? Do you have a sincere desire to enforce federal laws and investigate crimes?This job requires hard work and can often times be dangerous and stressful. You'll undoubtedly be in close contact with crimminals and victims of crime.
Discuss Your Accomplishments During the Interview
When preparing for your interview, you need to be ready to discuss your accomplishments. Surprisingly, many people are reluctant to talk about their accomplishments.
7 Deadly Cover Writing Sins
Don't start off your job search with one (or more) strikes
against you by committing any of these common cover letter
blunders. Each is easy to avoid, but they can sink your
chances of an interview if you include them in your letter.
From Bumbling Bosses to Cranky Co-Workers - How to Overcome What Makes You Hate Your Job
I'll be the first to admit that I hated my job. It took many years for me to come to this realization since I kept accepting promotions in the hopes that the awful ache inside of my chest would go away.
Gray Hair, Black Prospects
If you're reading this article, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that discrimination has become much more sneaky than in the past. No one comes out and say, "We're not hiring you because you're too old.
Tell Me About Yourself
The need to tell people about yourself may present itself during an informal conversation with a colleague, on the Little League field with a neighbor, on the phone with a past acquaintance, or in a face-to-face meeting for a job opportunity. "Tell me about yourself" is a favorite question that has befuddled many an unsuspecting candidate.
Dont Let Difficult People Derail Your Career
Unless you are among the luckiest people in the world, or you are totally free of all relationships in the real world, you have to cope with difficult people in the course of your work.Difficult people are everywhere.
|
