Job Interview getting the Job Unemployment Employment Interview Tips how to get Hired
You got the interview. Time to get the job.
You got your interview, but that is only half the battle. What can you do to win the other half? How can you get the job? What makes you get picked over the next guy? The old avice is make sure that you have your shoes shined. While true, it is a very small part. It is more like the icing on the cake, but not the cake itself. The answer to a successful job interview is simple. You have to become a tight rope walker.
At this point an explanation for this strange advice is in order. To walk the tight rope, you need one thing more than anything else. Balance. This is the same thing that you have to have when you go to an interview. The advice on how to successfully navigate a job interview is as old as getting the job itself. It is the same advice we have all heard over and over again. Be polite, be confident, dress appropriate, sit up straight, and be truthful . The problem is, this is the same strategy that every other applicant is using as well.
You have to find a balance with all these things. There is a board game that used a slogan in their ads that fits the job interview scenario. The game was Othello. The slogan: A minute to learn, a lifetime to master. An interview is the same, the rules are simple, succeeding takes practice. What are the tips for the balancing act? They are simple enough, but you have to practice.
Confidence: You have to be confident. Even if you are not sure that you are right for the job, make the person interviewing you know you are the person for the job. Make sure that your answers are clear and concise. Everything about you should "reek" of confidence. Just like everything in life, too much of good thing can be bad. This is the balance part. You don't want to cross the line from being confident to cocky. Remember that you are talking to your future boss. You can be confident without being cocky.
Intelligence: This is not just how smart you are. Gather intelligence on the company and position you are applying for. Do some homework. Find out about the company, what they do etc.This will show your interest in the job, but do not flaunt this. Don't quote press releases about the company or stock quotes. You can use the information to answer questions in a way that makes the company remember you instead of the other guy.
Respect: This is the big one. Being polite, and having manners are signs of respect. Use common sense with this situation. Wait to sit down until offered a seat. Make eye contact. Do not use profanity. Answer questions honestly (honesty is one of the highest forms of respect) but make them to the point. The flip side to this, don't be an Eddie Haskel. Unless you are specifically asked, what you did in the 3rd grade does not relate to a job interview. Background information is one thing, droning on and on (and therefore boring the interviewer) is not the way to get the job you want.
Walk into the interview knowing that you are the right person for the job. Hold your head high, sit up straight, and make eye contact, and don't forget, it always helps to make sure that you have shined your shoes.
