How to Make yourself more Employable
One of the least known aspects of making yourself more employable is you're much more attractive to the prospective boss if you're already employed.
Unfair? Yes. A bit strange? No. If you're already working when you apply for a new job, it gives you a sense of self-confidence shows in your interview. Even if you don't reveal it, your positive attitude indicates you're not desperate to change. Therefore, you must be a good prospect for a new one. Conscious or not about it, there's a great difference in the appearance between a job seeker who already has a job and one who has been walking the streets looking for work.
One of the first tasks an applicant must do is go into interviews with a very visible positive attitude and enthusiasm says loud and clear: "I'm the best doggone prospect you'll ever have for this job! Hire me and you'll get the best employee you'll ever have!"
What you wear is another important factor. In today's more relaxed business world, it isn't as strict as it once was, but the applicant who takes the time and trouble to look the part of a well-dressed, somewhat conservative person still nearly always has the advantage over the sloppy, super-mod, to-hell-with-you character. Of course, there is a difference in expected appearance between applying for a job at a bank and seeking a permanent gig with a rock band. But, as your mother and teachers told you many times, neatness always counts. C'mon, get rid of the blue hair and the nose ring.
If you know the job you seek draws many applicants, and the competition will be fierce, your efforts must go well beyond attitude and appearance. When you get an interview appointment, you'll know there've been other applicants before you and you can expect many to follow. Therefore, make very moment of the interview count in your favor. Be brief and concise with your answers. Don't volunteer anything not pertinent, and above all, never gripe about your current employer nor any unfair treatment you've suffered in the past. Don't volunteer personal opinions on politics, war, family or anything that has nothing to do with the reason you're there.
Do some homework beforehand. Study up on the company, its products and history, so you'll be able to speak intelligently to the interviewer about your potential value. If you know something positive about the interviewer that relates to the job, you may mention it. But, don't spew false flattery or anything to embarrass or anger the interviewer.
When the interview ends, whether you feel you've nailed the job or not, thank the interviewer for his/her time spent with you, and express some sincere feelings about how the interview was valuable for you. Don't linger with emotional promises of how qualified you are for the job. Just make a quick, dignified exit. And if you did the interview well, you may soon be making a dignified entrance to your new job.
