Even though companies are not hiring as many people as they did a year ago, they still are hiring. Today’s employment market is demanding that if you interview, you MUST stand out from the crowd. To do this, follow these interview tips for a tight job market, and you will separate yourself from your competition.
1. Do not be negative about anything. This includes your current or former employer, the economy or the traffic driving to the interview. It is very easy to sound negative especially if you can’t stand your current job or you have been out of work for awhile. It is easy getting caught up in your own personal situation. This is a sure fire way to eliminate yourself from consideration.
2. Know how you will add value to the job you are interviewing for directly. Before the interview, make sure you know exactly what the job is and the responsibilities of that job. Employers today are looking for exact job matches. Have great examples of your skills that are needed by using examples from previous employers. If you are selling insurance, make sure to mention that before you leave the interview so they know your selling style and actual success.
3. Research the company AND the people who are going to interview. Just like companies go to your facebook or LinkedIn to check you out, you can do the same to them with great results. What if the person who is interviewing went to the same college? If you knew this before the interview, sharing that information at the right time during the interview will score points. It is also great to know what types of jobs those interviewing you had before they got their current job.
4. Ask for the Job! If your interview goes well and you think it is a great fit for your career, ask for the job BEFORE you leave. Too many times, the interviewer has no idea how you feel about the job you just discussed. “I really am impressed with the position we discussed today and could see this job being a great career move for me. I am very interested in this job”.
5. Do all the normal things WITHOUT fail! Tips one through four are the most important. However, they will not mean anything if you don’t do all the other things well. These include not being late, dressing poorly, using poor grammar, not showing enthusiasm and interrupting the interviewer.
Companies are looking for the best and the brightest. You have to have a great interview and following these tips will help. Finally, make sure you send a hand written thank you note to the company immediately after your interview. (Remember the United States Post Office?)
