By Jackie Simmonds, NEJS Blog Editor
I ran across this article written by Adriana Gardella that reminds all of us that our interviewing skills need to be polished. Let’s face it; none of us has enough interview experience to have the entire process down pat. More often than not we interview sporadically and in the time between interviews we are not practicing. Anyone who has ever tried to learn golf or any other sport for that matter knows that you can never become great at something you only do once in a while.
What can you do to make the process as smooth as possible? Prepare. Understand the questions that are most likely to be asked. Practice your answers. Practice in front of others. And try not to make the common mistakes that Adriana points out in her article.
Mistake #1: Drop your guard in front of “the help.”
Interviewing is stressful. Sometimes you just want to explode. But don’t. At least not in front of anyone who could influence the hiring decision.
Employers know that job seekers interact with receptionists and other support staffers — often with their guards down. “They don’t see those people as decision makers, so they tend to be more genuine in their interactions with them,” says Ron Panaggio. But employers routinely ask these employees for feedback. “We like to see whether the interview persona matches the unscripted persona that walks through the door,” says Panaggio. Consider that the next time you’re waiting for a tardy interviewer (who’s probably busy and making do with a reduced staff).
Mistake #2: Over share.
Candidates worried about explaining employment gaps on their resumes have been getting way too personal, says Wanda Cole-Frieman, an executive recruiter for Blue Shield of California. While she enjoys building rapport with the applicants she meets, certain topics are off-limits — or should be. They include descriptions of your medical conditions and information about your sick parents or childcare woes.
Mistake #3: Assume your resume speaks for itself.
Your resume may have helped you get the interview, but it won’t get you hired. Susan Strayer, a career coach who also works in corporate HR for a Fortune 500 company, urges job seekers to go out of their way to connect the dots for interviewers, highlighting their work experiences with stories that clearly describe what they accomplished in each role and how it relates to the position they are seeking. Don’t assume that your interviewer is familiar with obscure acronyms and non-intuitive job titles that have no significance outside the organizations that use them.
Mistake #4: Show the interviewer how important you are.
You’ve got places to go and people to see — we get it, you’re a big deal. But when an employer has taken the time to meet with you, your undivided attention is a must. “You’d think it was a joke, but employers tell us about candidates who check voicemail and e-mail, text, and even take phone calls during the interview,” says Corinne Gregory, president of Social Smarts, a program that teaches social skills, primarily to young people.
Note to Gen-Yers (and iPhone addicts of all ages): Acing the interview is your primary mission. If you lack the impulse control to keep your hands off your phone, leave it behind.
Note from NEJS: Your phone should be turned off before you enter the building!
Mistake #5: Talk the employer out of hiring you.
Especially in this tight job market, you may find yourself interviewing for positions you would ordinarily consider beneath you. That’s what happened to Russ Merbeth, now an attorney with Integra Telecom when he applied for an in-house counsel position with another company. During two days of interviews, Merbeth says he expressed his doubts about the position, which he viewed as poorly conceived and not perfectly suited to his talents. “I basically rewrote the job description for them,” he says. Not surprisingly, they hired someone else.
Mistake #6: Stalk your recruiter.
There’s a fine line between enthusiastic and desperate, and you don’t want to cross it.
Mistake #7: Treat social media communications casually.
These days, many employment relationships begin — or end — with social media.
“Whether you’re using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or instant or text messaging, you still have to be professional in every communication related to your job search,” says Mark Sullivan. So, keep yourself in the running by proofreading before you hit “send.”
To read the complete article, click here.
