Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Society of Broadcast Engineers, inc.
Newsletter Article Submittal
Hello
:
If your local or
national members of, Society of Broadcast Engineers, inc., would benefit from the following
career-related article, please feel free to publish in your association’s news
letter, e-zine or website.
Permission to print
intact including ending attribution box.
Category: career and
job-search tips
Title: Top 10 Interview Bloopers...and How to Avoid Them
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Top 10 Interview Bloopers...and
How to Avoid Them
We’ve
all heard stories of job candidates who looked great on paper but who were
absolute disasters in person. With fewer
and fewer interview opportunities available in this competitive market, it’s
essential to make the best possible first impression. You can learn from the mistakes of others and
avoid the top 10 worst interview blunders.
Poor handshake.
The
three-second handshake that starts the interview is your first opportunity to
create a great impression. But all too
often an interview is blown right from the start by an ineffective handshake.
Once you’ve delivered a poor handshake, it’s nearly impossible to recover your
efforts to build rapport. Here are some
examples:
* The Limp Hand: Gives the impression of disinterest or
weakness
* The Tips of the Fingers : Shows lack of ability to engage.
* The Arm Pump:
Sincerity is questionable, much like an over-agressive salesman.
Even
if you’re a seasoned professional, don’t assume you have avoided these
pitfalls. Your handshake may be telling
more about you than you know. Ask for
honest critiques from several friends who aren’t afraid to tell you the truth.
Talking too much.
In
my recruiting days, I abhorred over-talkative candidates. So did most of my client employers. Over-talking takes several forms
:* Taking too long to answer direct
questions. The impression: This candidate just can’t get to the point.
* Nervous talkers. The impression: This candidate is covering up something or is
outright lying.
To
avoid either of these forms of over-talking, practice answering questions in a
direct manner. Avoid nervous talking by
preparing for your interview with role-play
.Saying negative things about your current
or past employers/managers.
The
fastest way to talk yourself out of a new job is to say negative things. Even if your last boss was Attila the Hun,
never, never state your ill feelings about him/her. No matter how reasonable your complaints, YOU
will come out the loser if you show that you disrespect your boss. When faced with the challenge of talking
about former employers, make sure you are prepared with a positive spin on your
experiences.
Showing up late or too early.
The
first lesson in job-search etiquette is to show up on time for interviews. A lot of job seekers don’t realize, however,
that showing up too early often creates a poor first impression as well. Arriving more than ten minutes early for an
interview is a dead giveaway that the job seeker has too much time on their
hands, much like the last one picked for the softball team. Don’t diminish your candidate desirability by
appearing desperate. Act as if your time
were as valuable as theirs. Always
arrive on time, but never more than ten minutes early.
Treating the receptionist rudely.
Since
the first person you meet on an interview is usually a receptionist, this is
also the first impression you’ll make.
Don’t mistake low rank for low input.
Often, that receptionist’s job is to usher you into your interview. The receptionist has the power to pave your
way positively or negatively before you even set eyes on the interviewer.
Asking about benefits, vacation
time or salary.
What
if a car salesman asked to see your credit report before allowing you to test
drive the cars? That would be ridiculous
and you’d walk away in disgust. The
effect is about the same when a job seeker asks about benefits or other
employee perks during the first interview.
Wait until you’ve won the employer over before beginning that
discussion.
Not
preparing for the interview.
Nothing
communicates disinterest like a candidate who hasn’t bothered to do
pre-interview research. On the flip
side, the quickest way to a good impression is to demonstrate your interest
with a few well thought out questions that reflect your knowledge of their
organization.
Verbal ticks.
An
ill-at-ease candidate seldom makes a good impression. The first signs of nervousness are verbal
ticks. We all have them from time to
time—umm, like, you know. Ignore the
butterflies in your stomach and put up a front of calm confidence by avoiding
verbal ticks.
One
of the best ways to reduce or eliminate them is through role play. Practice sharing your best success stories
ahead of time, and you’ll feel more relaxed during the real interview.
Not enough/too much eye contact
Either
situation can create a negative effect:
Avoid eye contact and you’ll seem shifty or untruthful; offer too much
eye contact, and you’ll wear the interviewer out. If you sometimes have trouble with
eye-contact balance, work this out ahead of time in an interview practice
session with a friend.
Failure to match communication
styles.
It’s
almost impossible to make a good first impression if you can’t communicate
effectively with an interviewer. But you
can easily change that situation by mirroring the way the interviewer treats
you. For instance
:* If the interviewer seems all business, don’t
attempt to loosen him/her up with a joke or story. Be succinct and businesslike
.* If the interviewer is personable, try
discussing his/her interests. Often the
items on display in the office can be a clue.
* If asked a direct question, answer
directly. Then follow up by asking if
more information is needed.
When
you allow the interviewer to set the tone of conversation, this can vastly
improve your chances of making a favorable impression. You can put the interviewer at ease—and make
yourself seem more like them—by mirroring their communication style.
Just
as a strong resume wins you an opportunity to interview, strong interview
skills will win you consideration for the job.
You already know that you won’t earn an interview unless your resume
sets you apart as a candidate of choice.
Likewise, you should know that polishing your interview skills can mean
the difference between getting the job offer—and being a runner-up.
Start
your job search with a resume that creates a stellar first impression, then
back those facts up with your extraordinary interview skills. You will have made yourself a better
candidate by avoiding these ten interview pitfalls. And no one will have to talk about you as the
candidate who “almost” got the job.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deborah Walker, CCMC
Resume Writer ~
Career Coach
For more in-depth
information on resumes, job-search strategy and interview skills, check out the
article archive at my website: www.AlphaAdvantage.com
Email: Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com
Toll-free phone:
888-828-0814
Thank you
Deborah Walker, CCMC
888-828-0814
Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com