Last week we talked about diagnosing a job search that isn’t yielding any interviews. This week, let’s move on to a job search that isn’t turning interviews into job offers. Job seekers can often fall into bad habits after being out of the workplace for a while (these bad habits include being too nervous during professional meetings), and this can cause job interviews to go poorly. Here are some possible interview problems to check out when performing job search diagnostics.
You make classic job interview mistakes
It’s OK to make mistakes, as long as you can recover from them gracefully. Some job interview mistakes are completely inexcusable though. Being late, messy, and ill-mannered are common interview mistakes that can happen to anyone. (The first two, especially.) Check out our article for some tips on how to recover from these bad interview mistakes, but do be aware that in some instances tardiness and sloppiness simply will not be tolerated. Employers can find plenty of job seekers who are on time and look professional, so they won’t waste time with interviewees who make these silly mistakes and pick up bad habits.
You don’t prepare appropriately
It can be difficult to know how to prepare for a job interview. That’s actually why Spark Hire created a complete interview guide for job seekers to help. Why is interview preparation so important? Employers want to know that job seekers want to work for their company. One of the best ways to convey interest is to learn about a company prior to the interview, so job seekers can speak specifically to the challenges of the position and the company at large. In short: being able to talk shop with interviewers is impressive.
You get too nervous and aren’t yourself
This is a common problem for a lot of job seekers. Luckily, Spark Hire has some great tips for boosting confidence before the big day. If you feel that you have prepared appropriately and are avoiding other job interview bad habits, try these 10 Things to Say to Yourself Before an Interview. Also, be sure to check out How to Improve Your Interview Confidence, and these Job Interview Tips for Introverts.
The job isn’t right for you
The purpose of a job interview is to find out whether this position is a good fit for both the job seeker and the employer. If the job simply isn’t a good fit- doesn’t compliment your personality, interests, or background— then interview preparation isn’t going to be much help, anyway. Be sure that your job search includes the right kinds of jobs: jobs which you are qualified for and enthusiastic about. A poor fit for a new job is an unfortunate situation for both employers and job seekers.
Worried that you have developed bad habits during your job search? Send me a tweet, @ithinkther4iamb, or leave a comment below. We’ll see what we can do to get your job search problems diagnosed! #badhabits
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by pciet
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