By James E. Challenger
The first five minutes of the job interview are critical in the selection process. In a job fair situation, five minutes may be all the time a candidate is allowed.
A jobseeker has to be qualified in order to get the job, but there will always be several other people who are equally qualified as far as the interviewer is concerned.
In the end, you will be granted a second interview because the interviewer personally likes you the best, not necessarily because you are the most qualified in the field of candidates. And many interviewers will know whether or not they like you within the first five minutes!
First impressions at a job fair are vital. If you do not make a good impression immediately, the chances are that you will not be able to recover, however excellent your qualifications are for the job. It is a sobering thought to the average jobseeker. It means that you have little margin for error in presenting yourself. If you do make a mistake or present yourself in an unfavorable manner in the interviewer’s opinion, you have erased your likeability factor.
If you wish to sell any product successfully, it is necessary to know all you can about that product. With respect to the job search, the selling is done at the job interview and the product you must know so thoroughly is yourself.
Winning Ways
To maximize your chances of having a successful interview, you should keep the following points in mind:
Look the interviewer directly in the eyes and smile when you meet, with a firm (but not hard) handshake. You may be surprised how important those initial gestures are to the interviewer’s impression of you. If you avert your gaze, you may give the interviewer the impression of being shifty or unsure of yourself. If you give the person a "wet fish" handshake instead of a solid one, the impression may be that you are timid and ineffectual. If you crush the interviewer’s hand, the pain will dim your luster. Smiling sounds simple but is one of the most important rules of the interview. It sets the tone for the entire session, projecting you as a pleasant person. Make it a point to look at the interviewer directly when you are answering his or her questions.
Body language is important. Do not fidget. Assume a comfortable posture from the outset and avoid shifting your position or crossing and recrossing your legs. If you can’t sit still, it may give an interviewer the message that you are uneasy or nervous, which can be interpreted as an attempt to conceal something that you do not want the employer to know.
Know your resume thoroughly and be ready to elaborate on any point contained in it. Resumes do not get jobs, interviews do; but you have to be in mental command of all of your important accomplishments. You cannot risk trying to ad-lib an unprepared answer to a pivotal request such as, "Tell me about yourself." Interviewers are after specific information about job candidates, not generalities. That is why you should commit your major accomplishments to memory before going into any interview.
Always try to be "up" psychologically for the job fair. That is often the most difficult thing to do, especially if you have been job hunting for some period of time, but it is very important for the success of the interview. If you appear downcast or depressed, or are unresponsive to the interviewer’s questions or listless in your approach, you will rule yourself out of consideration. Interviewers want enthusiastic, happy people who show a strong interest in the job. If you do not, another candidate most assuredly will.
Do everything you can within moral bounds to get a second interview and, ultimately, a job offer. Do not be overly concerned about what the job is in the beginning. Get the offer and then decide if you want it! You should listen for clues as to what the interviewer wants and try to be the person he or she wants you to be, within the scope of your own skills, desires and talents. Anticipate the interviewer’s questions as much as possible and be ready with all of your homework done. Then let the interviewer pick and choose what is to be discussed in the interview.
Follow their lead. Bear in mind that job fair recruiters are operating within a limited amount of time and will talk about what is important to them. Therefore, you should be nondirective: allow the interviewer to choose exactly what he or she wants to talk about. Most interviews last 20 to 30 minutes, so that is no time for you to interject with an agenda of your own or discuss points that you think should be covered. Doing that is an invitation to an early exit.
Be relaxed. It relaxes the interviewer. Focus all of your attention on the interviewer. You want him or her to feel witty, charming, urbane. Why? Because it makes the person feel good, and the better the individual feels in your presence, the more likely you are to be making a favorable impression.
Respond to the interviewer’s hospitality; accept anything that is offered. Even if you do not drink coffee, if the interviewer offers it, take a sip or two and then just leave the cup. Let that person be the host and you be the gracious guest.
Dress appropriately: conservative business suits, shirts and ties for men; suits or conservative dresses for women. Avoid any excesses such as long hair, heavy jewelry or earrings for men, flashy outfits or excessive makeup for women.
If you handle all of these matters well, you should make a favorable impression on the interviewer. Which leaves just one last thing – do not forget to ask for the job before you leave.
Job Vacancy , Indonesia Job , Job Indonesia
The first five minutes of the job interview are critical in the selection process. In a job fair situation, five minutes may be all the time a candidate is allowed.
A jobseeker has to be qualified in order to get the job, but there will always be several other people who are equally qualified as far as the interviewer is concerned.
In the end, you will be granted a second interview because the interviewer personally likes you the best, not necessarily because you are the most qualified in the field of candidates. And many interviewers will know whether or not they like you within the first five minutes!
First impressions at a job fair are vital. If you do not make a good impression immediately, the chances are that you will not be able to recover, however excellent your qualifications are for the job. It is a sobering thought to the average jobseeker. It means that you have little margin for error in presenting yourself. If you do make a mistake or present yourself in an unfavorable manner in the interviewer’s opinion, you have erased your likeability factor.
If you wish to sell any product successfully, it is necessary to know all you can about that product. With respect to the job search, the selling is done at the job interview and the product you must know so thoroughly is yourself.
Winning Ways
To maximize your chances of having a successful interview, you should keep the following points in mind:
Look the interviewer directly in the eyes and smile when you meet, with a firm (but not hard) handshake. You may be surprised how important those initial gestures are to the interviewer’s impression of you. If you avert your gaze, you may give the interviewer the impression of being shifty or unsure of yourself. If you give the person a "wet fish" handshake instead of a solid one, the impression may be that you are timid and ineffectual. If you crush the interviewer’s hand, the pain will dim your luster. Smiling sounds simple but is one of the most important rules of the interview. It sets the tone for the entire session, projecting you as a pleasant person. Make it a point to look at the interviewer directly when you are answering his or her questions.
Body language is important. Do not fidget. Assume a comfortable posture from the outset and avoid shifting your position or crossing and recrossing your legs. If you can’t sit still, it may give an interviewer the message that you are uneasy or nervous, which can be interpreted as an attempt to conceal something that you do not want the employer to know.
Know your resume thoroughly and be ready to elaborate on any point contained in it. Resumes do not get jobs, interviews do; but you have to be in mental command of all of your important accomplishments. You cannot risk trying to ad-lib an unprepared answer to a pivotal request such as, "Tell me about yourself." Interviewers are after specific information about job candidates, not generalities. That is why you should commit your major accomplishments to memory before going into any interview.
Always try to be "up" psychologically for the job fair. That is often the most difficult thing to do, especially if you have been job hunting for some period of time, but it is very important for the success of the interview. If you appear downcast or depressed, or are unresponsive to the interviewer’s questions or listless in your approach, you will rule yourself out of consideration. Interviewers want enthusiastic, happy people who show a strong interest in the job. If you do not, another candidate most assuredly will.
Do everything you can within moral bounds to get a second interview and, ultimately, a job offer. Do not be overly concerned about what the job is in the beginning. Get the offer and then decide if you want it! You should listen for clues as to what the interviewer wants and try to be the person he or she wants you to be, within the scope of your own skills, desires and talents. Anticipate the interviewer’s questions as much as possible and be ready with all of your homework done. Then let the interviewer pick and choose what is to be discussed in the interview.
Follow their lead. Bear in mind that job fair recruiters are operating within a limited amount of time and will talk about what is important to them. Therefore, you should be nondirective: allow the interviewer to choose exactly what he or she wants to talk about. Most interviews last 20 to 30 minutes, so that is no time for you to interject with an agenda of your own or discuss points that you think should be covered. Doing that is an invitation to an early exit.
Be relaxed. It relaxes the interviewer. Focus all of your attention on the interviewer. You want him or her to feel witty, charming, urbane. Why? Because it makes the person feel good, and the better the individual feels in your presence, the more likely you are to be making a favorable impression.
Respond to the interviewer’s hospitality; accept anything that is offered. Even if you do not drink coffee, if the interviewer offers it, take a sip or two and then just leave the cup. Let that person be the host and you be the gracious guest.
Dress appropriately: conservative business suits, shirts and ties for men; suits or conservative dresses for women. Avoid any excesses such as long hair, heavy jewelry or earrings for men, flashy outfits or excessive makeup for women.
If you handle all of these matters well, you should make a favorable impression on the interviewer. Which leaves just one last thing – do not forget to ask for the job before you leave.
Job Vacancy , Indonesia Job , Job Indonesia
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