You have jumped through all the enormous hurdles to land an interview: Bravo! If you aren't having luck with landing interviews, please go back and look at my three previous posts.* They will give you tools to get focused, burn your one page resume and create a PPP resume, and network so that you get your foot in the door.
Do You Pass The Smell Test?
The moment you send your PPP resume, an email or make a phone call you are being interviewed. Remember first impressions matter...ALOT. Recruiters are trained to smell the 'confidence' factor in you. You want to exude the 'sweet smell of success' in every interaction they have with you. Here's how to show up -- look, smell, act and react to get the job.
Game On!
Once you are contacted for an interview respond back quickly to the internal employee who contacted you. Get all their contact information and what their role is in the interviewing/ hiring process. Be professional, accessible and engaging no matter what their role. You are being evaluated from this first contact. Take a few moments to breath and get very centered before you call or email.
Get The Gold Medal -- Before You Start
Olympic athletes visualize themselves winning their competition. You can use that same technique. (I do.) See, feel, and hear that you already have the job. Yesterday, I had an interview for a TV show. To be honest I was intimidated since several of the folks involved are big honking stars. On the drive to the interview I visualized that I was simply driving to work since I already had the job. It worked. Before the first interview was over the executives asked me to come back for a second one.
Your Mom Was Right!
All those annoying things your Mom hounded you to do will help you to get a job. Be polite. Stand up straight. Look the interviewer in the eye. Confident not cocky. Often it is your attitude of confidence and enthusiasm in an interview that will land you the job.
Ask!
Recruitment expert Nicole Spicer has superb advice to help you amp up your interview skills. "Make sure you ask for all the basics: copy of the job description, interview location, parking details, several internal phone numbers in case there is a last minute problem and if there is an online application you can fill out ahead of time," says Spicer.
She also suggests that you find out who you who you will be interviewing with and what his or her title is. If you are being interviewed by multiple people, it's often helpful to know in what order these interviews will occur. Ask who there are in the process, i.e. decision maker or influencer. (This is key.)
Do Your Warm Up
Do your homework on the company and the interviewers. The more you know the more confident you can be. Check Linked In, Facebook to find additional information on your interviewer. Set up a Google alert for the company or the industry so that you know the very latest news.
Equally importantly when you research a company and its competitors you demonstrate that you take initiative. In today's job market, you need to demonstrate that you will be terrific at your job from day one.
Map out the drive ahead of time so you known drive time. It is much better to be early than late. Review the job description thoroughly making sure you have all the requirements and can speak to each skill that matches, with examples. If you are a little rusty on your interviewing skills find a friend to role play an interview.
1. Show up early so you are not sweaty or frazzled with unexpected delays (traffic, parking, security checks at interview location)
2.Dress professionally (business suit and tie for men)
3.Be neat and clean but do not wear perfume or cologne (you would be surprised how that might influence a decision)
4.Use your best manners and be polite with everyone you meet at the interview location
from the parking attendant, to the coordinator to the hiring executive.
5.Review your "Professional Promotional Profile" before the interview(s). You will want fresh memories of all roles, responsibilities, accomplishments etc. You do not want to hesitate with answers and details.
6.Review the job description thoroughly making sure you have all the requirements and can speak to each skill that matches, with examples.
7.Bring extra copies of your resume and reference list.
8.Always be honest with your answers, if you don't know something admit it quickly, do not try to BS your way around a subject.
9.Listen to the questions, think a minute before answering. Make your answers complete but concise -- do not talk too much on one question.
10.Have questions for the interviewers.
*Previous How To Get A Job Posts:
How To Get A Job- Get Prepared Inside And Out
How To Get A Job- Burn Your Resume
How To Get A Job- Be A Black Belt At Networking
How are you coping with looking for a job? Please share a comment. You can receive notice of my blogs every Friday by checking Become a Fan at the top. Ask Eli a question at info@elidavidson.com or go to www.elidavidson.com today.
Eli Davidson is a nationally recognized executive coach and motivational speaker. Her book, "Funky to Fabulous: Surefire Success Stories for the Savvy, Sassy and Swamped", (Oak Grove Publishing) has won three national book awards. Eli is a reinvention catalyst, who can transform your professional and personal life from Funky to Fabulous with her ten, trademarked Turnaround Techniques that create rapid and remarkable results. Check out her blog at http://funkytofabulous.blogspot.com/