You got an interview! Yay! Now it’s time to showcase your skills. If it’s been a while since your last interview, and you’re trying to get a job in NYC, you may not know about these interview faux pas. Find out some of the most common interviewing mistakes and how to be your best professional self to win the job, from a professional resume writer in NYC.
Not Showing Enthusiasm
If interviewers feel like you could take or leave the position, they are likely to pass you up and keep looking for an employee who really wants the job. Sometimes, nerves make it hard to express excitement. Other times, you’re worried about appearing unprofessional if you show you’re very interested in being hired. However, it’s better to seem interested than bored. A candidate who is intensely focused on obtaining the position is more likely to be passionate about performing his or her duties long-term.
Making a Bad First Impression
Work to make a good impression from the moment you walk through the door. Be punctual for your appointment (10-15 minutes early is best), and dress in a way that shows the interview matters to you (suit for men, pantsuit or skit suit for women). Put away your cell phone so that you aren’t tempted to look at it while you’re being interviewed. Don’t avoid the interviewer’s eyes and, if you are asked a question you can’t answer, say something – even if it’s a tangent from the original query. Example: “While I don’t have exact sales numbers yet this year, what I can tell you is I have averaged 200% of goal in the past three years.”
Being Unprepared
Always take the time to prep for a job interview. Research the organization and ask questions that show you took time to understand their values. A common interview question involves what you know about the company. Find out how long they’ve been in business, their main products or services, and their mission statement or goals.
Read and re-read the job description, thinking how it applies to you. When you highlight your key skills, connect them to the duties and responsibilities of the position for which you’re applying. If you have experience that relates to job requirements, think of examples you can give that highlight your capabilities.
Look up standard job interview questions, and think of how you would answer them. The interviewer might ask some you didn’t encounter, but the fact that you’re prepared for the majority will significantly reduce your stress level going in.
Not Optimizing Your Resume
Make sure every aspect of your resume is accurate, and review key facts before your interview. You may have created it or hired a professional resume writer in NYC a few months in the past, and details get fuzzy with time.
Go back through your employment history before the interview so you know the experiences and responsibilities you want to highlight from previous jobs. Take a copy to reference if you need to remember employment or certification dates. Omit information that isn’t relevant for the current position so you can focus on what makes you the best choice for the job.
Getting your foot in the door involves a winning resume that allows recruiters to spot value in seconds, and strong interview skills to confidently show hiring managers you’re the right one for the job. Talk to the professional resume writer in NYC that can help you land the job of your dreams when you contact Spring Forward today.