Having interviewed job-seekers daily for more than 22 years, I have seen many job-seekers shoot themselves in the foot and lose themselves the job not due to a lack of skills or experience but due to a silly error. Here are a few do’s and don’ts when job-seeking. I hope these tips help you to make a great first impression and ace the interview–
Do –
Be yourself. Try to be as natural as possible. Smile and maintain eye contact. You have to stand out from the crowd. Only one person will get the job so you need to make sure that you don’t sound like everyone else.
When you do get an interview with a company, do as much research on the company as possible. Know about the company and their products and services and always have a few well-thought out questions to ask the interviewer.
Be realistic about your salary expectations. The market is cheap and many employers are not paying top salaries. Try to be realistic so that you can get a job soon. I have seen too many job-seekers approaching me after many months of fruitless job-hunting, to inform me that they are finally prepared to drop their salary expectation. Sometimes a half a loaf is better than none.
Don’t –
Don’t be negative about your old boss, the economy and the job-seeking process. Try to reframe any negative experience you have had by explaining what you have learned from it. An example would be that even though your last boss was terrible, you learned to be more patient and tolerant and you believe that you have matured from having worked for that company. You don’t want to be remembered as the negative candidate.
Never say that you are looking for “any job”. Nothing smacks of desperation more than this phrase. Make it clear that you know what work you are applying for and why you believe you are suitable.
Don’t rely on one agency or one form of job-seeking. Register on a number of portals, go for interviews with a number of agencies and apply directly. Treat job-seeking as a job.
