By the age of twenty everyone has experienced their first job interview, yet some people don't do as well as they though they would have. This is due to their lack of knowledge of key-pointers. Sure the cliche tips such as dress nice, smell good, shake the interviewers hand firmly, and research the company before your interview helps, but that will not land you the job. Especially if the company or corporation you wish to work for requires more than one round to determine if you qualify for the position being offered. Landing job after job has made me confident enough to share some information with my audience, here is a few tips on how to get the job you want!
1. Be Specific On Your Resume
Other than how you present yourself, your resume is a huge thing! The more you have on a resume looks great but if it does not relate to the field you are applying for than it is irrelevant. For instance, if you're applying for a job at Anthropology and half of your experience consist of you waitressing, it won't look good for your employer. On the other hand what you can do is demonstrate how much customer experience you have had through waitressing whether it is communicating, recommending them certain things, or made them satisfied with your assistance. That would look great for someone who is applying for a position in retail. If you are the type of person who doesn't have enough experience and can't seem to fill up a page for a resume, here is where being specific comes in handy. You can include projects you have worked on or write a brief description of a course you took that related to the position you are applying for. This will demonstrated your knowledge and skills even though you haven't had the opportunity to use those skills in a work environment.
2. Dress The Image
The way how you introduce yourself both physically and verbally are first impressions, which is the reason why it is so important to not only dress appropriately but dress the image the company represents. If you are applying to Banana Republic you are going to wear Banana Republic gear, if you are applying as an editors assistant you will wear blazers, pencil skirts, low platform shoes, etc. Dress how the people who already work for the company or employer dress like.
3. BE CONFIDENT!
Being confident is key! It shows how eager you are for the position, how you will interact with your coworkers, and how serious you will take the job. You can show confidence through being engaged in the questions being asked and not taking more than three seconds to reply. Also by the way you are seated and how you end your answers.
4. Make Connections & Give Examples
One important thing I have noticed that employers lover is how they ask a question, how you answer, and how you can add to your answer by giving them an example of your personal experience in a certain situation or even relating to something they share with you. It shows to them that you know what you are talking about, how you would handle certain situations, and how prepared you are for the hiring position.
Sometimes people forget that their first impression is as important as their last impression, which is when you leave the workplace you got interviewed. When you leave you want to show professionalism and you do this by smiling at everyone in your soundings or even giving a slight nod and walking straight and confident as you walk out. You never know who you could make eye contact with.
Take these tips into consideration the next time you have an interview, your luck can change!
