Job Interviews: Do's and Dont's
Get the Job That You Want By Following Common Sense Tips
With a changing job market come changing interview methods. Be sure that you are up to speed and remember the basics when it comes to securing the position that you want.
Making your entry or re-entry into today’s job market can be a difficult ordeal. There are many aspects in regards to the modern day job hunt that have changed since recent years. For example; instead of seeing the company owner or talking directly to a job foreperson, you now need to go through the rigorous process of the human resource department. This may involve several interviews including phone interviews, in person aptitude testing and screening. These changes in the interview process of late have allowed companies to weed out candidates that are not qualified and avoid wasting management’s time having further interviews with those who they don’t believe to qualify for a position in their company.
There are several hints and tips in regards to successful interviews, and like anything else that you want to be successful at, these skills must be an integral part of your job hunt. Below are several common-sense interview tips that will help you aquire the positions that you are trying to secure in today’s job market.
Interview Tips:
- Dress job specific. If you are going for an interview for a job as a welder you would not show up in a white shirt and a tie. Just the same for example if you were going for a job in an office environment you would not show up in blue jeans and an old t-shirt. Look the part, and dress the part.
- Body piercing studs, rings jewels and dangling chains should be set aside for the time. If it is an office job you are applying for try to make an effort to cover up tattoos that may make some employers that discriminate against such things, judge you by your looks. Many may be of the attitude “If they don’t like it, they don’t have to look.” Well unfortunately they don’t have to hire your tattooed pierced butt either! Go with the flow for the sake of employment. Interviews aren’t necessarily the time to show the “real” you.
- Learn as much as you can about the company that you are applying to in advance. Learn about what they do, how long they've been around, any sister companies that may exist, and so on. Nothing is more impressive than a job candidate that actually understands the nature and the history of the company that they are attempting to gain employment with. This information makes for great small talk when being asked why you wanted to work for the company in the first place. This is a standard question in most if not all interviews, and when one looks blankly at the interviewer, the impression left is not a very positive one.
- Brush up on your basic math and English skills if you can foresee an aptitude test of that sort coming during an interview. Employers these days expect you to retain basic math and English skills that you may have learned in high school. It is not unusual for them to take note of the way you are speaking and determine whether you use a lot of phrases that are not grammatically correct. This goes more for those who will be working in the public service sector of employment or those who will be working directly with the consumer.
- Aftershave and perfume should be worn at a bare minimal if at all. There are many concerns these days in regards to employees who are sensitive to the smell of colognes. Over-doing it may also give off the affect that you are trying to entice the opposite sex as opposed to working hard at your intended job.
- Speak clearly and concisely. Communication skills are high on a potential employers list of qualifications and if you fail express yourself clearly, the employer assumes that your vocabulary is limited and you may have a hard time communicating and co-operating with co-workers. This may not be the case but the old adage about having one chance to make a first impression holds true in the case of the job interview.
- Ask questions that are job related. If you don't seem interested in the company, the potential employer usually isn't interested in you. Listen attentively, but don't be afraid to ask relevant questions when the opportunity arises. Listen attentively especially when the interviewer is explaining your responsibilities and talking about any history of the company. Make eye contact frequently and act as though these were the most important words that you’ve ever heard uttered.
The bottom line is walking the walk. Go into interview situations as if you are already hired for all of the right actions and responses. Prior to the interview visualize yourself in the position that you are applying for. There is much to be said about visualization techniques, and when it comes to job interviews, they can be a powerful asset.
