Attribute: Forbes magazine

Coming in late or unprepared. A few months ago my company hired an entry level sales representative. He came in a few minutes late and asked if he could use one of our printers because he didn’t have a chance to print out his resume. Against my better judgment, a manager hired him. His performance aligns pretty well with his initial interview. He is one of the weakest, if not the weakest performer in his group. Your interview is your first impression and it’s important to make it a good one.

Dressing inappropriately. One of the recruiters in my group was hiring a tax manager for a major division of our group. The company paid for his flight from another state so that he could interview with our senior management. Imagine how surprised they were when he arrived to the interview in a wrinkled polo shirt and slacks. No matter if you are applying for a $30,000 a year job or a $200,000 a year job, you should always wear a suit or very neat corporate attire to an interview. Men should come in clean shaven with a short, neat haircut. Women with long hair should wear their hair tied back, women with shorter hair should style appropriately. It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. Certain startups, retail stores, and manual labor jobs may not require corporate attire on a regular basis, but it’s good to dress well for an interview. It means you take the interview seriously.

Asking the wrong questions. Avoid questions such as, “How much vacation do I get?” or “What is your company policy on short term disability?”  It is also a bad idea to ask about salary during your first interview, unless if the manager brings it up. Traditionally, salary is discussed only after an offer is made. The counterargument to this practice is that candidates don’t want to waste time on interviews if the salary might be too low. The way to combat this is to let the manager know how much you make and that you are interested in making more, not the same or less. Additionally, it is bad not to ask any questions at all. One great question to ask is, “Can you describe an ideal candidate for this position?” Managers love answering that one.

Overplaying and/or underplaying your qualifications. Don’t say you’re an expert in Microsoft Word if you don’t really know how to use it. Don’t pretend you have extensive experience in an area that you have only recently entered. Be honest with your recruiters and hiring managers, and they will have a better understanding of who you are and where you would fit in best. By overplaying what you know, you can be setting yourself up for disaster in the long run. At the same time, you do want to underscore what you’re good at. If a manager points out something negative or lacking in your resume, explain it and then add how well you’ve done in another area. Highlight your positive attributes and accomplishments.

Bad body language. Slouching, avoiding eye contact, chewing gum, slurring your words, crossing your legs awkwardly, and fidgeting can make you look very unprofessional and even bored during an interview. Stand and sit up straight, with your feet flat on the ground. Lay your hands on a table or on your lap if there is no table. Laying one hand on top of the other means you are open and friendly. Keeping your hands folded means you take your interviewer seriously. This is a sign of respect. Opening up your hands and showing your palms means you are telling the truth. This is a great way to show your eagerness to work well with others. For more tips on body language, it’s good to watch some videos on body language and observe others.

The interview process can be very stressful. It is finally your chance to meet with hiring managers who might give you the job you want. As much as you want them to like everything you’re saying, it’s important to show them how much you care. That’s why it’s crucial to come in prepared, well dressed, in a cheerful mood, ready to ask the right questions. Avoiding some of the common blunders and highlighting your strengths can get you one step closer to the job you’ve always wanted.

This guest post was written by freeresumebuilder.org

What you can find in this interview:

• The motivation behind founding the company
  

• How Gradtouch can help make the interview process easier for you

• What makes their advice service different

• Who can apply to them

How to connect with Gradtouch:

www.gradtouch.com

@gradtouch

www.facebook.com/gradtouch

How to find a job in a recession.

Are you finding it tough to get a job in the ongoing recession we find ourselves in? I certainly did. With the level of competition for graduate/entry level jobs at an all time high we really have to grind it out on the job hunt in order to stand any sort of chance in even getting an interview. Surely there must be other ways to put ourselves at the top of the pile?

In this interview with Denise Taylor I find out about the methods we can use to find a job in a recession.

Denise has been a career strategist and chartered psychologist for the last 15 years. She has also written the books, “How to get a job in a recession” and “Now you’ve been shortlisted”. More recently she founded the career-coaching consultancy, Amazing People, and is considered a thought leader within her field.

In this interview you will learn about:

• How to get a job in a recession
• Why you should target the job hunt as much as possible
• The biggest mistake job hunters make
• Whether social media deserves more attention than traditional networking
• How Denise can help you find a job

Denise’s details:

@amazingpeople

denisetaylor.co.uk

amazingpeople.co.uk

Buy Denise’s book, “How to get a job in a recession” here

Whether you are going through a recruitment consultancy, or applying independently, always make sure you push your interviewers for feedback. If you never actually get any honest, genuine feedback you will never know where your faults lie, and therefore will not be able to iron out mistakes in your interview ensemble. Obviously we are all hoping that this interview will be ‘The one’ and we won’t need any feedback, just a start date and a contract to sign. Unfortunately this is not always the reality, and in these difficult economic times, the situation may get worse before it gets better. We need to be honest with ourselves and pay heed to the fact that the graduate-candidate job ratio is not a healthy one.

Granted, some companies openly state that they do not provide interview feedback. For the ones that do, make sure that you not only get feedback, but you get feedback, which actually makes sense! If not, write back to the company and ask for more comprehensive and concise feedback. This is information, which can inadvertently play a part in finally securing you a job.

 Follow-up and make sure companies give you interview feedback!