Don’t lose your dream job!
by Elizabeth Best
Often people do all the appropriate work to land an interview – the research, the great attention-grabbing cover letter and resume but then they put themselves under needless stress and risk failure by not doing the practical preparation work which can mean success or failure.
When you’re thinking of changing your job
To gain promotion or advancement or to go up a step on the ladder, consider whether you should go for management or become a highly paid specialist.
Ask yourself if you’re suited to management or do you love the actual work itself and want to continue doing it. Management work is very different from the actual work. It needs different skills and personality type. If you hate to compromise and you’re not that good on negotiation and people and their idiosyncrasies drive you nuts, management isn’t for you.
What sort of organization suits you? Do you like structured/ formal or relaxed/informal? Do you like to work to rules and guidelines or do they frustrate you?
What is your preference on organizational culture – hierarchical or flat?
Before you send off any applications
When you are considering applying for jobs and before you contact any recruitment consultants, consider your voice mail message. What does it say about you? I have been very put off and sometimes I’ve not actually contacted an applicant because of the voice mail message or the voice I heard when I called to ask them for interview. If it’s a cute or fun message or in Mickey Mouse’s voice – beware.
One time I heard.
“Hi,
we’re either having a party and can’t hear the phone or we can’t be
bothered answering right now so just leave us a message”.
I didn’t leave a message and I crossed them off the list.
Careless words can lose you the job
While you’re applying for jobs, you never know who may call you. At this time, callers need to hear a good, appropriate and reassuring message. Cute could lose you your dream job. Go conservative and change your message until you land the job you want.
Often you can’t control the interview time which is set but sometimes you are given options. Consider the locations of the jobs you’re applying for. Are some of them hard to get to at peak commute time? If you were given a choice of 9:30am or 11am interview which would best suit your travel time? If you’ve thought about it in advance and you get a choice, you could lessen the pressure on yourself. However, it’s not wise to insist you have an interview after 9am – it suggests you might not be able to get to work on time if you get the job !
Before the interview day
Be sure you know for sure the exact location of the interview venue. It’s not good enough to “think” it’s on the block opposite Macy’s. It’s even best to know how far from the building entrance is the area where you’ll be interviewed. It could be right at the entrance or it may be a 10 minute walk. You can find out by calling reception.
Do a dummy run, if possible on the same day of the week and same time as you’ll have to do the real trip. Be sure you know how long your journey is likely to be and then add a little time.
Where is the nearest coffee shop in case you arrive much too early?
Think about the clothes you’ll wear. What colors suit you? Do you know? Many people, men and women don’t know what colors suit their skin tone. If you have to wear a navy suit and navy isn’t your color, you can choose a shirt or blouse which is your color to make the outfit more flattering. How do you tell? With your face natural – no additions, hold a few colors up to the side of your head. Do some colors drain the natural color from your face? Do others make you look healthy and well? Go with what makes you look your best.
What style of clothes is appropriate? Mostly it will be formal wear for an interview but there are exceptions. I know one young man, R, who went for an interview for a manager’s job in the music industry. When he arrived in his business suit, everyone thought he had come to repair the photocopier! His prospective boss who interviewed him looked like a tramp compared to R but it’s always better to be over-dressed that under-dressed. It shows you have respect for the interviewer and the interview process.
Make sure your choice is comfortable. A starched collar could make you fidget.
Once you’ve decided what to wear, be sure everything is clean and pressed and ready to be put on
Be sure you know the names of the people likely to interview you. You can ask at reception if necessary. You need some background on the company too.
The night before the interview
If you wear any face jewelry take it out unless you’re sure the interviewer also has a stud in his nose or his eyebrow! Keep ornamentation discrete and to a minimum.
Don’t drink alcohol or stay up late. Tiredness or even a slightly muzzy head won’t help
On the interview day
Give yourself plenty of time to get ready. Get up earlier than you need to so you can calmly prepare.
Don’t take too much caffeine or you’ll shake and be hyper.
Be sure to eat, even if you’re nervous. Food feed the brain and keeps you alert as well as preventing the “rumble-tum”.
Arriving at the building
Get there early – at least 10 minutes ahead of time so you’re stress free and calm. Before you get near the building, compose yourself and smile as you approach the building and walk in because you never know who’s watching.
As you approach the reception desk, the worst thing you can do is to sigh loudly and deeply, brush the hair out of your eyes and say “What a terrible time I’ve had finding this place. I thought I was going to be late”.
Visit the bathroom before the interview to be sure you’re neat and not wind blown BUT beware the spluttering faucet. So many people have turned up to the interview splattered or looking as if they’ve peed themselves.
Beware the walk to the elevator.
Often someone involved in the interview will collect you to take you to the interview or take you back to the elevator after the interview. This is part of the interview too so beware. Many times someone has lost a job because of their reply to a seemingly innocent, casual question on the walk to the elevator. “I guess you’ll be really glad to leave your current job?” “Oh I sure will, my boss is a total jerk”.
Prepare, think ahead and enjoy your interview.
