Okay, so you actually made it through to the job interview – congrats! Your resume is perfect, you’ve gone through the company’s website, studied their every move and now you know their work culture by heart. Your best outfit is laid out on the bed and you set your alarm to make sure you’re there early. Now what? How do you make the best impact so that you actually land the job? Here’s how in 8 simple steps:
1. First impressions still count
There’s a little secret that most companies do now want you to know. They actually ask their front of house staff to report how you introduce yourself when you arrive for an interview – shocking! With that being said, courtesy always pays off so once you’re inside, make eye contact, shake hands confidently without breaking someone’s hand and SMILE! Don’t mumble or speak so softly they can’t hear you. This will not get your name on the short list!
2. Don’t talk too much
Remember, your interview is not a monologue – it’s a dialogue. Don’t lose your mind and dominate the interview just to “impress” someone. Find out how the interviewers view the company and what their goals are. This will help guide you when answering their questions and can often be very illuminating.
3. Use a method called STAR
The STAR method will ensure that nothing gets left out when answering questions:
S – Start with the situation
T – Move on to the task
A – Talk about the action
R – Take the dominant element and finish off with the result
4. It’s okay to talk about your weaknesses
The question “What is your greatest weakness” always comes up in an interview. If your response is, “I’m just not on the same wavelength if they don’t have the same passion, dedication and diligence to their job,” no one is going to believe you. Failures are what make us strong and unless you’re perfect, you’re going to have them. They want to know what happened, how you dealt with it and what you learned from the experience.
5. View your previous work experiences as positive
When we go into an interview and start bashing our previous employers, we confirm that we are indiscreet and probably a big whiner. Once we start down this rabbit hole, it is almost certain that we will not make it on the hire list.
6. Forget the trivial questions
Ask searching questions instead of the trivial ones like sick pay, salary and bonuses and holidays – everyone asks those questions. Don’t fall into that trap! Find out what the company wants from you and what they expect you to achieve in the first 3-6 months. Keep in mind that these questions might come up during the interview so stay alert and use it to make yourself stand out. It’s okay to ask them what they thing their company will look like in a year’s time when it comes to their products, revenues, marketing or whatever you feel is relevant. This is also a good time to ask them what you need to focus on so that you can make a positive impact in your first 3-6 months. It is also a good time to ask about any challenges this position holds and how you will need to solve them in the long term.
7. Energy and Passion is a must
In dealing with job candidates over the years, I’ve seen a pretty even spectrum from the very shy to the show offs. The one thing to keep in mind is that you need to actually convey the energy and passion you have for various parts of your work such as skills sets and achievements in order to stand out. Don’t get all crazy, be modest but show that these are steps on a ladder which will show your energy, enthusiasm, passion and confidence about your ability to do the job. Being passive, dull and negative won’t land you the job.
8. Show them the work
We can say that we’re organized and that we do great work but you need to show these as well if they are relevant to the interview. For example, if they ask you about a role you had in a fundraising event you headed up at your last job; show them any relevant documents or online publicity that you helped to organize. These should be in your portfolio so you can whip them out in a flash. Just make sure you label them so you’re not fumbling through paperwork.
These simple steps will help ensure you get noticed and that you make an impact so that your chances of getting the job are much better!
Follow these techniques to make sure that you are going to be noticed and that you make a positive impact. If you do, your chances of getting the job will be much better.
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