By Dorcas Karuana,
A job interview can be a scary and intimidating, yet necessary, aspect of securing a job. It is critical that you are well prepared and ready to make your best impression in all phases of your interview process to minimize the chance of making any mistakes that would prevent you from getting the job. From what to say to how to look, you have to cover all bases.
However recruiters will tell you there are things many competent candidates will overlook just because they think it is obvious, and this ends up costing their chance of securing the job opportunity. Here are 8 common sense interview tips that may have not crossed many job seeker’s minds.
1.Be presentable– The first impression you make on any employer is obviously the one that they will remember the most, and before you even begin to speak, the first thing an interviewer will notice is how you dress. Always go into an interview well groomed. The more professional the job description, the more professional your appearance needs to be. Usually, it takes only a couple seconds for the interviewer to make up their mind about how professional they find the potential new hire. Because of this, it is vital to know how to dress appropriately for any interview.
2. Don’t be too early – While you should always arrive at your interview a few minutes early, try not getting there more than 15 minutes before your scheduled interview time. Arriving early, will lead to anxiety on the candidate’s part because they have to sit and wait for an extended period of time, and it will lead to frustration on the hiring manager’s part because they will feel rushed with the project that they are trying to accomplish prior to the interview. If you find yourself getting to the building earlier than you thought, take a walk around the block until it’s closer to your interview time.
3. Know whom you’re meeting with i.e. the interviewer(s) – It is important to find out who will be interviewing you during interview invitation; call or email. Enquire the name of the interviewer so that you can ask for that person at the receptionist’s desk. It’s embarrassing when the receptionist asks, ‘Who are you here to see?’ and you can’t remember. Have this information either in your head or write yourself a note that you refer to prior to arriving in the waiting area.
4. Remember: You are being interviewed as soon as you walk in the door – Most people would never think of the receptionist as being an interviewer, but it’s true. It’s fairly common that the receptionist will report back to the hiring manager how candidates behaved in the waiting area. Don’t be remembered as the one who ate all the candy out of the candy dish or spoke disrespectfully to the receptionist.
5. Make proper eye contact – One of the most obvious mistakes interviewees make is with eye contact, and it costs a lot of people a lot of jobs. Make sure you keep eye contact during introductions, handshakes and job-related questions. To make an even better impression, smile while shaking hands, so you come across as friendly and open. Also, do not stay with just one person. Make eye contact with everybody especially when talking with you, even if it’s only for a few seconds. Otherwise, you risk making the other managers feel ignored.
Eye contact should be natural and simple. For instance, any given eye contact should last about five seconds at a time. And if there’s one interviewer, make eye contact with him or her about 40 to 60 percent of the time. More than 60 percent is intimidating. Less than 40 percent comes off as shifty and perhaps insincere, inattentive and disinterested in the proceedings and can lose the job.
6. Don’t look at your watch or let your phone ring – Block at least two hours of time for the interview. Also, keep your schedule relatively clear on the day of the interview, to avoid feeling the need to rush. Put you phone on silent mode, switch it off completely or don’t carry it in the interview room. A phone rining during interview shows lack of seriousness. Don’t create any form of distractions to your interview.
7. Tell the interviewer you are interested– Don’t forget to tell the recruiter you want the job. If you truly feel the position is a fit, let them know and tell them you would like to get to the next round of interviews. However, be prepared to tell them why.
8. Get business cards from your interviewers — and use them- Wondering how to make an interview follow up? Ask for the business cards of all of the interviewers that you have met and make sure you take a second or two to read their card. This will not only be helpful in remembering each person you met with, but will make it easier to send proper thank-you notes and follow up e-mails, which should always be done within 24 hours of leaving the interview.
Dorcas is the Head of Recruitment at Corporate Manpower East Africa. E: dorcas@corporatemanpower.co.ke W: www.corporatemanpower.co.ke