Posts Tagged ‘Interviewing’
Focus on the Interviewer and Interview
If you want to increase your chances of getting your perfect job, you want to make
sure you do well at the interview. One of the most important things to remember is
to remain focused on the interviewer and the interview. There is no quicker way to
fail at an interview than to allow the interviewer to see you looking out the window
or daydreaming rather than focusing on him or her and the interview. It is not only
rude but it makes the interviewer feel you are not interested in the interview itself.
Some people just feel as long as they are listening to what the interviewer has to
say there is no need to maintain eye contact. Unfortunately this is an incorrect line
of thinking and in fact makes the interviewer feel you are not really interested in
anything he or she has to say. Keep in mind that the interviewer is sizing you to
see if you are a good fit for the company, so if he cannot read your eyes because
you are staring into space you may as well leave the room because you have
already lost any chance of getting that perfect job.
Even if you find interviews boring, and most of us do, you still have to maintain an
aura of interest if you expect to be hired for that perfect job. Its not difficult to
pretend to be interested for the few minutes you will be talking to the interviewer.
Remember, if you fail at the interview you will have to continue the process but if
you present a good image and are hired you do not have to go to any more
interviews.
If you have trouble focusing when you go to an interview, try practicing at home so
that you can get into the habit of maintaining eye contact with your interviewer in
order to increase your chances of getting that perfect job. Learn to look at the
interviewer instead of out the window, into space or down at the floorworse yet,
looking at messages on your cell phone. Your focus and attention need to be on the
person who is interviewing you and not on anything else in the room. Remember
the interviewer has other things to do and has taken time out of his or her busy
schedule to interview you for the job.
Evaluating Your Qualifications for the Job
Looking for the perfect job sometimes means choosing something that is not
exactly what you were seeking because of your qualifications. Many people are
tempted to apply for positions for which they are not qualified because they happen
to meet their definition of the perfect job. The problem is you are setting yourself
up for disappointment and making yourself look foolish in front of the interviewer if
you even have an opportunity to reach that step. In most cases, lacking
qualifications will not allow you to reach the interview stage, so you are only
wasting your time and that of the person doing the screening for the position.
When you have found what you perceive to be your perfect job, make sure you
qualify before you go any farther. You dont want to set yourself up for
disappointment by applying for a position when you dont even meet the minimum
qualifications. Most companies have required qualifications and preferred
qualifications. If an advertisement says you must have a Bachelors degree, do not
apply if you only have an Associates degree because your resume will find its way
into the trash bin rather than in the hands of the hiring manager.
The key to getting the perfect job is spending as little time as possible interviewing,
and you accomplish that by only applying for positions that you can match to your
qualifications. That doesnt mean you should never attempt to make career
changes, but when you do choose something that matches to your qualifications
rather than attempting to break into a field in which you lack experience, education
and expertise. Nothing is more irritating to an interviewer than being approached
by someone who doesnt meet the minimum qualifications of the job.
Review every advertisement thoroughly before you submit your resume so that you
know whether you have a chance of obtaining that position. Dont think you will be
able to sweet talk the interviewer with claims of being a quick learner or being
willing to go to school to learn what is necessarythese are things you must
possess before you will be hired for the job. There are exceptions such as when the
advertisement says certain skills are preferred rather than required or says they
are willing to train the right person. When you fail to read minimum qualifications,
you make yourself look less than professional to the interviewer and may even
prevent yourself from consideration for future positions for which you may qualify.