After an interview you might want to debrief yourself immediately or have a friend help you.. Some applicants have actually taken a pad and pen along which they leave in the car during the interview.
As they enter the car after the interview they take a few moments to jot down everything they can remember about the interview. They then date the notes and add the company name.
The human mind is a funny thing. While we remember more memorable occurrences for decades, most of what happens each day gets deleted in two or three days or less. In fact, this forgetting process begins the instant you walk out the door.
So write it all down and
you’ll have notes to refer to later. It’ll help you get up to speed for
your next interview.
Some things just have to be kept in balance. Eye contact is one of them. Too little eye contact and your interviewer will assume that you lack character, self-confidence, self esteem and are too submissive to deal with others effectively.
On the other hand most people find too much eye contact uncomfortable and unsettling. Locking your peepers on someone for too long can leave them with a very negative impression of you. They may later describe you as weird or even creepy.
Your eyes are powerful - use them very carefully.
Ask Need Oriented Questions
Very few applicants use this tactic so
it’s especially powerful and influential. Once the interview is
underway, try to ask questions that display your concern for their
problems and needs rather than your own. Most candidates tend toward putting
their ego on parade as they feel that the interview is focused on them
and their wondrous abilities. Very few show any real concern for the
employer’s headaches.
Draw them out and get clarification of the issues until you understand
them well enough to offer some comments.
Probe as best you can to reveal their needs and then try to later
present your qualifications in a way that relates them back to the
firm’s needs.
If the questions you ask are intelligent and show that you’re genuinely interested in solving their problems, you’ll put yourself into a very special category.
Enthusiasm is Key
Always radiate enthusiasm for the job you’re seeking but balance is the key. Too much enthusiasm and your bargaining position will erode. They’ll start to think they can get away with a low-ball salary offer.
In each and every communication written or verbal it’s key that you include some enthusiastic remark or comment. If you’re ever asked how the position looks to you exclaim, “Great, providing the other elements fall into place”. Or a similar remark that makes it clear that your enthusiasm is tempered by practical considerations (like salary and benefits)
“Active” candidates almost always do
better than more passive ones. Again balance is the key. Get to
outspoken and aggressive and you’ll scare jobs away, become too quiet
and reserved and the final result may be the same.
First Impression
First impressions are very important. Practice what you’ll say when you first meet an interviewer. When nervous most of us have a tendency to speak too rapidly, so practice speaking more slowly and clearly.
Say your name slowly and forcefully and
then add something like “Glad to meet you”. Be sure you make full eye
contact as psychologists report that the first five seconds are the key
to all that follows. A firm and confident handshake is also a necessity.
Behind the Buzzwords
When applying for a technical position of any type or when your going after a non-technical position that requires some specific technical skills it’s important that you can use the standard technical buzzwords.
But you can expect an interviewer to quiz you a bit on what one or more buzzwords actually mean. Employers are beginning to understand that there are people out there who can speak the lingo but don’t have a clue what any of it actually means.
Computer manufacturers
who offer certification training programs are changing their tests so
they dig deeper into the individual’s understanding of the principals
behind the buzzwords.
Legal Secrets
If you’ve ever been involved in any kind of legal action (particularly against a former employer), keep it a deep dark secret!
Never mention any form of
legal action to an interviewer or recruiter. In today’s legal climate
employers are scared to death of being sued for anything - even if the
suit has no merit whatsoever.
The most ridiculous suits can force companies to spend millions on legal
battles that can drag on for years or even decades. Your interview will
come to an abrupt and sudden end should you mention your willingness to
defend yourself with lawyers.
Entire Site is © Copyright 2011, Ariza Research, All rights reserved - ABP
