The Interview!
So you’ve passed the first hurdle of sending your resume and cover letter in, and now they’ve asked you to come in for an interview. Should you be worried? Not completely… But if you are nervous or anxious, that’s probably a good thing.
No doubt you have heard tips on what to do in an interview over and over again, but employers are continuously finding themselves with people who do not step up to the interview quality platform.
Hopefully these tips will help you cruise through the interview and leave with a job by the end!
Make sure you know about the company you want to work for. Nothing is worse than the employer asking you questions about the company when you don’t know about it. Show that you actually want to work there.
First impressions are very important, and no one wants to employ someone who doesn’t take pride in their appearance. Make sure you dress appropriately for the interview no matter what the job is. An applicant in a suit will give a better first impression than one in jeans and a t-shirt.
I know – it sounds like the easiest thing in the world, but being late to an interview COULD cost you the job. If you ARE running late, make sure you call the employer in advance and let them know. You never know, they might be running late too.
Although you would have addressed the job criteria in the cover letter with the resume, go over the criteria again and talk about what some of the points and how you fit them. Don’t make it obvious though – just slide it into conversation.
No one likes a grumpy person and no employer wants to employ a negative person. One of the biggest mistakes is interviewees bagging out previous employers. WHATEVER you do – DON’T do that. No matter HOW much you dislike your previous employer, it certainly doesn’t make you look good to your potential boss.
Make sure you make some eye contact during the interview and don’t look at the floor or out the window the whole time. Having said that though, keep yourself relaxed and natural [not TOO natural though – you’re not at home watching TV] and don’t stare at your interviewer… that will just freak them out… [trust me…]
- “Do you have any questions?”
At the end of the interview, the employer will usually ask if you have any questions. It looks really good on you if you have questions to ask. This is a great time where your knowledge on the company can come into play.
Remember, you want the employer to employ YOU. Not some version of yourself who you think is “better”. And let’s be honest – the only person who is best at being you, is YOU!