| In today's tremendous, competitive job environment; | | | | 6. Not knowing when to stop speaking - Gluttony is a |
| what you must not do is nearly as important as what | | | | terrible sin. Not knowing when to stop speaking is like |
| you must do right. With hundreds of qualified | | | | not knowing when to stop eating at your first dinner |
| applicants for every good job; a recruiter or human | | | | with your girlfriend's or boyfriend's family. It is terrible. |
| resources professional spends as much time shifting | | | | Your answers must be brief and to the point. If the |
| through and disqualifying people as they do looking | | | | interviewer asks for more clarification, then certainly, |
| for people to hire. The following 8 tips are geared to | | | | you should answer more in depth. But you should |
| keep you off the disqualified list. | | | | speak for no more than half a minute to a minute. |
| 1. Not Dressing in a conservative business suit - The | | | | Time yourself; 30 seconds is a long time. I have read |
| only appropriate dress is a conservative, 2-piece suit | | | | that you should keep your answers under 2 minutes. |
| for a man or pantsuit for a woman. For men, you | | | | 2 minutes is a very, very long time. |
| should wear a simple, white shirt with a basic, solid | | | | 7. Not asking for the next interview - This is the |
| color tie. This is not the time to be creative, flashy, | | | | whole point of the interview. You want to move |
| or to make a fashion statement. | | | | forward to the next interview. Unless you are |
| 2. Not presenting a well-groomed appearance - In | | | | applying for the minimum wage position, you will |
| concert with the above point, you must be | | | | interview several times before getting a job offer. |
| well-groomed. This has nothing to do with hair length | | | | Do not end a great interview with a handshake and a |
| or body composition or any of that. It is about being | | | | goodbye. You should ask what the next steps are |
| showered, clean, trimmed fingernails, and no | | | | and who you would expect to be meeting with. No |
| noticeable perfumes or colognes. | | | | need to be presumptuous or arrogant here, but do |
| 3. Not having a resume tailored to the job and | | | | ask firmly. |
| company involved - At a minimum, you should edit | | | | 8. Not sending a follow-up letter or thank you letter - |
| your resume to reflect the language and wants of | | | | Do the things that will set you apart. A very, very |
| the job description at issue. A generic resume will not | | | | brief letter contains 3 sentences. It should include |
| necessarily hurt you, but speaking in their language | | | | thank you for meeting with me; here's the most |
| will always help. | | | | important thing that came out of the meeting that |
| 4. Not being on time - This can be a complete deal | | | | should make you hire me; and looking forward to the |
| breaker. By not being on time, you demonstrate poor | | | | next contact. |
| planning, lack of respect, irresponsibility and so much | | | | The dynamics of a job interview is fluid. It would |
| more. A former colleague survived being late by | | | | foolish to try and define a list of actions that would |
| presenting tremendous credentials and establishing | | | | guarantee success in a given job interview. While |
| great chemistry with the divisional manager. But that | | | | trying to pinpoint what to do is very important; it is |
| is not a hill you want to have to climb. | | | | also vital not to sabotage yourself. |
| 5. Not having a list of questions to ask - A job | | | | In some ways, getting a job is like a video game. |
| interview is a 2 way street. Not being able to engage | | | | You must get avoid all the traps, obstacles, and bad |
| in a meaningful discussion with the interviewer is, in | | | | guys to get to the next level. And being mindful of |
| most cases, a deal breaker; unless you are | | | | these 8 negatives, you increase your odds of getting |
| interviewing for a minimum wage job with no | | | | to the next level. |
| opportunity for advancement. | | | | |