In today’s economy, good interviewing skills are more important than ever before. 15 or 20 years ago, when jobs were abundant, a hiring manager could say, “hey, why not? Let’s give him a shot. I’ve just brought in 25 other guys who will definitely work out.” Today, there could be a thousand highly qualified people all fighting for the same job. All of the resumes are good, all of the qualifications are impressive, and so if you’re lucky enough to get an interview you have to nail it to even have a snowball’s chance of landing the job. I don’t mean to scare anybody here but things are bad so you need every possible advantage in this job market. If you get a face to face you need to impress. Here are 5 tips to help you nail your interview and get you off of the unemployment line.
1. Research The Company You’re Interviewing With: When I say research I mean really research. Know the history of the company, know the trends, and know any menial trivia you can get your hands on. Most people will give Wikipedia a quick once over but not everybody is going to be well versed in the ways of the company. If you’re being interviewed by a real “company man” who’s been there for a while this will be especially useful.
2. Don’t Lie or Embellish: A friend of mine interviewed with a guy who was a huge baseball fan. My friend knew this and studied up but when the conversation started to get deeper he started drowning. He studies basics so when the interviewer started talking about earned run average (ERA) and slugging percentage my friend got frazzled and said something about how the Bills were his favorite baseball team (they’re a football team) and needless to say he did not get a callback. Let this be a lesson, be honest. If your interviewer starts talking sports and you’re not a sports fan then say it. It’s honest and you’re not going to be punished for it. You’ll also avoid being embarrassed.
3.Dress To Impress: This is one of the most cliché sayings of all time but when a person is evaluating a hundred people a week in order to fill one or two positions they are going to be looking at every little thing, anything that could eliminate them from the process so don’t give them a reason. Wear a nice suit, freshly cleaned and pressed. Shine your shoes and wear a nice watch. Clean and trim your nails and get a haircut. Wear a nice watch. Try and add nice little accessories like cufflinks or a tie bar. It could work out in your favor and make you stand out and it definitely can’t hurt.
4. Don’t Say Anything That Can Be Perceived As Negative: Don’t say you were fired or terminated from your last job. Say you decided it was time for a change and that you want to explore your options. Don’t say you hated your last boss. Don’t say you get sick a lot. If the interviewer asks what your weaknesses are (I know it’s the stupidest question in the world. Who would ever answer this honestly anyway?) don’t say you’re not a morning person or you don’t know how to use Microsoft Office. Say something like I tend to get very wrapped up in important projects. That’s not really a weakness, get it?
5. Keep It Short And Sweet: When answering questions be thorough yet succinct. Get your point across but don’t offer information that nobody asked you for. For example, if the interviewer asks about an internship you did, stick to talking about the job. He couldn’t possibly care less about intern outings and things of that nature. Also, there’s no need to get into your personal life. Talking about your wife, kids, summer vacation, isn’t necessary. The bottom line is that when you’re on a job interview this is professional setting so keep the personal stuff to yourself.
Article By: Jon DaBove
