Avoiding 10 Deadly Interview Mistakes
Too many job seekers set themselves up for failure before the interview ever takes place. They fail to target their audience, demonstrate relevant skills and experience, or present themselves in a way that grabs the attention of potential employers. Plan for success and avoid these ten deadly interview mistakes. 1. Interviewing before you have a handle on your emotions. Get a handle on your emotions before you interview. Find a way to get past negative emotions ?fear, worry, anger, and embarrassment-because they erode self-confidence. And an employer can spot them a mile away! 2. Failing to research the company before the interview. Do your research and find out everything you can about the company and the interviewer before the interview. You can be sure your competition will! 3. Not knowing what you have to offer or how to offer it. Determine what you have to offer and how best to present it to potential employers. Don't leave it to them to guess what you can do ? they might guess wrong! 4. Worrying about your agenda instead of the employer's needs. Focus on the employer's needs and demonstrate how you can solve his or her problem. 5. Failing to take the initiative in selling your service. Use every opportunity to let potential employers know what you have to offer. Don't wait for them to ask. 6. Not relating skills and experience to the employer's needs. Relate your skills and experience to the employer's needs. Make it absolutely clear how your skills match their requirements. Speak their language. 7. Making negative comments about past employers or co-workers. Find ways to compliment past employers and co-workers. They must have done something well, after all they hired you, didn't they? 8. Offering hypothetical suggestions rather than real world solutions. Prepare at least five real world examples of how you solved a problem in a previous job. Don't be shy about relating these solutions to the potential employer when asked about skills, abilities, job responsibilities, or accomplishments. 9. Discussing salary before you understand the job requirements. Postpone salary discussions until you fully understand the job responsibilities and the interviewer has offered you the position. 10. Asking "What's In It For Me" Questions about salary and benefits. Ask questions that demonstrate your interest in the company and the position--questions that probe for information about how you can help them. Mary Jeanne Vincent is the author of Acing the Interview tip cards featuring answers to the top 20 "killer" interview questions. Also included are tips for interviewing in the new economy, ideas for responding to illegal and trick questions, and suggestions for avoiding 10 deadly interview mistakes. Go to http://www.2bworkwise.com for free job search articles and to sign up for the free WorkWise e-zine. For information on individual job and career coaching or to find out about other practical, easy-to-use career tools call Mary Jeanne at 831.657.9151. | | | | RELATED ARTICLES Top Ten Reasons to Start A Catering Business There is little doubt that Americans still have a deep abiding love for all things eatable. Despite the health craze that has forced Ronald McDonald to sport a jogging suit, Whoppers, Big Mac's, and French Fries is truly why we have fat thighs. So what's the answer? We need great home-grown cooks who are not into the fast food obsession. Do you love to cook and suffer from severe withdrawal when denied the opportunity to prepare your famous spinach stuffed chicken breast served with broccoli and roasted garlic? Do you want to profit from the food you prepare in your kitchen? Free Resume Examples: More Is Better If you ever studied any probability theory in high school or college, you probably remember the marbles. Is A Career a Calling or Choice? How much of our career path is destiny and how much is free will? In my opinion, it is 50/50. We are given a life map at the beginning of our lives, and there are things we are meant to learn, people we are meant to meet, work we are meant to perform. But many of us are not tuned into ourselves and the signs that are presented to us. We often miss important information, and miss out on those lessons, people, and jobs. Wishing and Hoping Years after Disneyland was built, after the completion of Walt Disney World, the story goes that someone went up to Mike Vance, Creative Director for Walt Disney Studios and said, "Isn't it too bad Walt Disney didn't live to see this?" Without pausing, he replied, "But he did see it, that's why it's here." Want to Work for Yourself? Those Dream Jobs Dont Just Happen, Theyre Created While traveling in northern California last October, I happened to tune into a local newscast. The newscaster was telling his co-anchor that the speaker at that morning's Rotary Club meeting had to cut his presentation short because he was being flown down to Disneyland to carve elaborate Halloween pumpkins for the park festivities. The newscaster wrapped up the story with the familiar quip, "Nice work if you can get it." He got the first part right. For a creative kid-at-heart, being a professional pumpkin carver is a dream come true. It was his serendipitous "if you can get it" thinking that missed the mark. The fact is, people rarely "get" great work; they create it!Despite all the emphasis on growth in the "job sector" I am continually amazed at just how many fascinating alternatives there are to the whole 9-to-5 schtick. And just as traditional job seekers can't wait around for "Mr. Job" to knock on the door, people who want to do satisfying work ? and call their own shots ? need to be proactive as well. Francis Bacon defined a wise man as one who "makes more opportunities than he finds." Here's a couple of other wise entrepreneurs who made it by going for it.Sports-lover Don Shoenewald was just 18 when he went to the Philadelphia Eagles management wearing a homemade Eagle costume and asking for a mascot job. They weren't interested. Undaunted, Shoenewald kept showing up at Eagles football games. Pretty soon the fans adopted him as the unofficial (meaning, "unpaid") mascot. Thirteen paid team mascot jobs, four mascot character creations (including ones for the New Jersey Devils and the San Jose Sharks), and 18 years later, Shoenewald started Mascot Mania, the only professional training school for mascots in the world.Despite what your high school guidance counselor might have told you, showing up invited in a bird costume isn't the only route to self-employment. For Dan Zawacki it all began when he was working as a sales rep for Honeywell and decided to give away 120 live lobsters as gifts to his customers. Dan was so bowled over by the response that he decided to open a small side business shipping live lobsters complete with pot, crackers, butter and bibs to crustacean-lovers from coast-to-coast. That is until his boss heard him pitching Lobster Gram, Inc. on a local radio station and promptly fired him.In the beginning, Dan worked out of his bedroom, storing his lobsters in a used tank in his father's garage. His first year he netted only $4,000. Ten years later, his company sells about 9,000 lobster packages a year for $99 plus shipping. All and all, not a bad tale.If you dream of making the transition from employee to self-bosser, the first thing you need to do is belief that you can. Then, the next time you see some entrepreneur doing what they love, try thinking: "Nice work ? now, all I have to do is get it! Career Success: Take Charge of Your Career People react very differently to the waves of change that suddenly flood the work and marketplace. Some, who feel confused or unsettled struggle to keep their heads above water gasping for air. By contrast, others, who may not even like or agree with the changes, nevertheless accept them, get on with their lives and swim forcefully to their new destination. The following three tactics will help you mobilize your resources to take charge of their careers. The Top 10 Ways to Achieve Balance in Your Life 1. Define Success for Yourself Find Free Resumes Online Have you been spending money on countless job boards, only to find that they don't offer the types of candidates you need? If the answer is yes, don't fret any longer, you're about to learn crafty techniques to help you find free resumes on the net. There are numerous free resources online that offer resumes. These include: Free Resume Databases; Free Member Resumes on Association websites; Free College and Alumni resumes on University websites; Free Resume Newsgroups; Free Resume Blaster sites and active and passive resumes hosted on individual candidate websites. All of these resources can be found by using simple search techniques. The Role of a Medical Assistant in a Modern Medical Practice Many physicians are unsure of what tasks are appropriate to assign to a Medical Assistant. It is important to remember Medical Assistants are not licensed to make independent medical assessments or give advice. Although many Medical Assistants may have advanced training in certain clinical areas it is ultimately the responsibility of the supervising physician or other licensed health care provider to assure that their staff and Medical Assistants working in the office are performing duties in compliance with all governing laws. How To Take The Pain Out Of Performance Reviews The Painful Approach Outsmart Other Job Seekers by Showing These 5 Key Strengths Getting an appointment for an interview these days is an accomplishment. It indicates that you have a good resume, and/or that networking has paid off. Bravo. Now for the all-important in-person phase of the process. What Can I Do To Improve My Job-Interviewing Skills? Whether you're a student job seeker or a polished and proven executive, the first thing you must come to terms with is, "Regardless of the position you seek, you are now in sales!" The product you are selling is YOU! The interview is your opportunity to differentiate yourself in the eyes of your customer [the interviewer] when compared to your competitors [other job applicants]. Feedback: Take It or Leave It ... But Get It The expense was substantial. An immersion workshop with twelve participants sharing a common goal to hone their skills. With nervous eagerness like kindergarteners embracing school, we received input, critique, and suggestions about our work. Some of the feedback I used. Some of it I didn't. But all of it was helpful. Switching Careers - 7 Key Steps Are you thinking about switching careers? If you are, you're not alone. Most Americans switch careers three times in their lifetime. Nevertheless, switching careers is scary. And it's especially paralyzing the older you get. But making a career switch is very possible and much more common than you might think. Before you're ready to leap, realize that it's a heavyweight decision that deserves some time and solid thought. Here are seven steps to help you on your way. Making The Best Of Yourself At Interview You are just about to leave university You are just setting out in the job market You have a number of hurdles to get over before you have the job you have been dreaming of. You find the thought of an interview daunting. You want to make a good impression and succeed! How To Find A Job Writing Grant Applications Do you have what it takes to land a job doing grant writing? Many people are looking for ways to develop a freelance business, but unless you know what it takes to do so, you might as well stop trying. There are several fields in which you can learn and have many jobs waiting for you. But, in others, you will need to properly be prepared for them before they pass you by. Here, we will talk a little about how to find jobs in grant writing. I Quit! More and more people are calling it quits to successful careers to create some personal leisure time or to pursue another career. This trend is becoming more popular and common. Years ago few people voluntarily quit a job midway through their careers, no matter how unhappy they were. It was not acceptable to leave one job without having another job to go to. There was a stigma present that you were damaged goods if you did so. Resume Tips To Take You From SAHM to WAHM When looking for a telecommuting position, it is very important to have your resume in tip-top shape. This is often the only thing that a potential employer has to base a hiring decision on since they most likely will not be interviewing you in person, your resume has to make that great first impression for you. Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow This article relates to the Job Security competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. After a large scale cut in personnel, this particular group of employees needed some extra support. Examining the issue of job security measures how your employees view their job security within your organization. In today's often volatile or contingent labor market, it's crucial to understand the level of security your employees feel about maintaining their jobs. Studies show that employees who do not feel secure in their jobs are less likely to be committed to best assisting customers. Evaluating this competency can be especially useful if your organization has suffered recent layoffs or firings. The Interviewable Resume It is rumored that the only word William Shakespeare wrote on his resume was "Available." We'll probably never know if that is true. But it raises an interesting question. How much information is too much and how much is too little when dealing with resume copy?
|