Impressing an Interviewer
Impressing an interviewer
I'm a recruiter by trade so I interview people all day long in search for the perfect candidates for my particular clients. It would amaze you, but maybe it wouldn't, just how many have no clue how to interview for the job or career they are wanting at that time.
Just in the last week, I've had potential candidates:
- Come in wearing flip flops and a tank top.- Hit on me, the interviewer (this may be flattering, but it's probably not a good way to get a job.)- Tell me I'm an idiot for not thinking that waiting on tables is very similar to doing Accounting work.- Forget to turn off their cell phone in the interview.- Answer the cell phone in the interview.- Come in smelling like smoke.- Come in smelling like they just finished up with Happy Hour.- Ask me too many questions and not allow me to do my due diligence.- Not research the job they are applying for.- Tell me my offices are "ghetto like"...Which they aren't!
The list goes on and on. It seems like these should be common sense items, but for so many they aren't. Whether it's a cultural or generational thing, I'm not sure. All I know is that if they are acting like that around me, someone they are trying to impress, how do they act around their family or friends...or their employers once they are hired?
So, there are some steps you can take to impress the person you are interviewing with:
1. Dress appropriately. Even further than that, dress for the job you want eventually, not the one you are interviewing for now. If you know the dress is "business casual", wear a suit to your interview. If it's jeans and a nice polo, where Khaki pants and a nice shirt.
2. Sit up straight. Don't slouch over in your chair while in the interview. It looks sloppy, unprofessional, and makes you look like you don't care.
3. Look the interviewer in the eyes when talking. Guys, keep your eyes chin up and girls, don't overtly flirt. Look the person in the eyes when answering your questions. If you look around, look down, you seem less confident and less approachable.
4. Know what to do with your hands and know the importance of good body language. Are you going to fold your hands on the table? Are you going to put them to your side? Whatever you do, understand that this is very important. It will put off a certain body language that tells the interviewer how engaged you are in the conversation. Don't fold them over your chest, don't rest your head on your hands and don't move every 5 seconds like you are fidgeting.
5. Answer the questions that are asked of you. If the interviewer asks you about your previous position and you go off into what sports you played as a child, it shows that you either aren't confident of your previous work, you didn't listen to the question or you aren't capable of gathering your thoughts in a cohesive manner.
6. Don't answer a question with a novel. Answer in a concise paragraph. Don't go on for 5 to 10 minutes with an answer to a question. It shows you can't directly answer something and it makes it seem as though you are fluffing up your answer.
7. Don't push as to whether or not you go the job. It puts the interviewer in an awkward position. Most of the time, the interviewer doesn't know whether or not you will get the job...not matter how well you did. That's because they have to interview many others normally and if you ask this it leaves them with a bad taste in their mouth. Just thank them for their time and say you look forward to hearing from them soon.
If you do these simple things, you will automatically put yourself above 90% of all the other applicants this interviewer is seeing.
Hopefully this helps! Good luck on your interview...
