Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting Hired
Have you been on dozens of interviews but still have no job to call your own, even though you thought everything went well every time you sat down with a potential employer? If you really have not made any huge interview faux pas there may be other, slightly less obvious reasons why you job search is taking longer than you had hoped:
Job Descriptions – Read it properly. Do you really meet all the criteria? In years past, when there were plenty of jobs to go around a few extra years’ experience could compensate for a lack of skill in a certain area but in a tight job market that is simply no longer the case. If you find yourself discounting (or losing out on) job opportunity after job opportunity because you cannot meet one certain criteria don’t just give up, do something about it.
Words mean a Lot – It is one thing to have a resume that is free of grammar and spelling errors but if that resume is full of “jargon” chances are it is hurting your chances of landing a job every bit as much as a resume that is grammatically incorrect as a first graders English essay. Use keywords yes, they catch the recruiters eye but do not stuff your resume full of incomprehensible nonsense.
Wrong Fit – Your interview suit is killer, you meet every point in the job description and your resume would make Bill Gates blush, but you still don’t get the job. Unfortunately there really is no perfect recipe for getting hired. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of personality or a clash with the unstated corporate culture. You just don’t fit and you will probably never even know why. . It’s all perfectly legal (if a little sad) but the point to remember it’s not you, its them.
Unreal Expectations – Are you simply aiming too high? Are you still sitting in the backyard at home scoring the classifieds for the perfect job while the bills mount up? We would all love to snag our dream job but the fact is you have to settle for one that is good enough. No one says that you have to go to work in McDonalds if you were previously a NASA engineer but you do need to be willing to make a few compromises if you want to end upon somebody’s payroll.
Top Five Things that Will Annoy your Interviewer
Even though many people read article after article about what they should and shouldn’t do at an interview, read up on the company they hope to join and spend a small fortune on a new interview outfit there are still some very common things that many of these candidates do or say during an interview that drives the person conducting it nuts. Annoying your interviewer is never a good idea, so here are the top five things you must not do to avoid ruling yourself out of the running, however impressive your resume (or that new suit)might be:
Too Much of a Good Thing – Preparing to go on an interview is not like preparing to go on a date. Your beau may love that expensive perfume you wear but your interviewer may not. Not only might they be allergic (a lot of people are) but human beings tend to equate certain smells with specific memories so if you show up slathered in the same cologne as your interviewer’s terrible ex used to wear she may subconsciously mark you as doubtful right away.
Clamming Up – An interview candidate who simply won’t talk, or who answers each query with a “yes, no or maybe” really frustrates many interviewers. Most interviewers these days ask deliberately open ended questions in order to try to learn as much as they can about the candidate in the short timespan they have. Go to your interview prepared to speak and keep a question or two in mind yourself when the inevitable ‘Now it’s your turn to ask questions,’ line comes up at the conclusion of your interview.
Using Slang – Even if an interviewer may occasionally use slang themselves in their everyday lives (and most of us do from time to time) they do not want to hear at an interview. Another big interviewer’s pet peeve? Candidates who say “like” or “uh” in every second sentence.
Lack of Eye Contact – You probably are very nervous but avoiding making eye contact with your interviewer because of that fact just does not give the right impression at all. If you really have problems maintaining direct eye contact with someone in tense situations try focusing on his third eye, just above and between the person’s two eyes.
Little White Lies – Every candidate wants to impress their interviewer but lying – even if they are little white lies or slight exaggerations – is never the way to do it. Do not be tempted to over embellish your accomplishments or leave certain things out that you should have revealed, since even if the interviewer does not catch it (which many experienced ones will very easily) chances are that a background check will.
Interviewing with Employment Agencies
Prior to an interview you most likely spend some time preparing: reviewing interview questions, answers, and company information. However, do you handle an interview with an employment agency the same as you do with a direct employer? Do you practice interview questions the night before? Do you dress in a suit? You are not meeting your next potential boss so do you need to take it seriously? In short, yes. Impressing an agency recruiter is just as important as it is for a potential employer. Here are few things to consider before your meeting with an agency:
Resumes Must Have Specific Key Words
“I’m perfect for the position. So why didn’t you call me?” Have you ever thought or said something similar to this?
The answer to that question in my experience is that candidates rarely demonstrate in the resume they are the perfect fit. Most important word is, “demonstrate.”
The Impact of Bad Interviewing Techniques
There are hundreds of articles written to help jobseekers improve their interview techniques. There are far fewer that address the damage a poor technique on the part of the interviewer can have on a company and its reputation.
The Interviewer Evaluation Model – Ensuring a Best Fit
The Interviewer Evaluation Model – Ensuring a Best Fit
It doesn’t matter whether you’re working at a local grocery store or a leading Fortune 500 firm, the manager and team that you work with on a daily basis impacts your job performance and satisfaction. Knowing how you like to be managed or led is critical to finding a good fit. During your job search it seems only right that you would invest an hour or more developing criteria to find that perfect fit, doesn’t it? And, the way to do all this is to use the Interviewer Evaluation Model. I will teach you how to do so in the following pages through a four step Interviewer Evaluation Model.
Job Interview Tips: How to Ace the Job Interview and Get Hired – Even in a Recession
In this challenging economy, where our unemployment rate is high and you have many job seekers going after the same few positions that are actually available, it is very important to be prepared for the job interview. Many candidates are so glad their phone rang or they received an e-mail from Xyz Company requesting they come in for a meeting, that they totally forget to complete their job interview preparation. Once You Get the Job Interview, Here Are Your Next Steps…
