Landing an interview can be a task. Since you have to work so hard to land an interview these days don't let these five silly mistakes kill your job prospects. Pay attention to the small details and make every interview a success.
- TMI – That’s right! Too much information… an interviewer doesn’t need to know about the amount of time you spend on MySpace, your addiction to military video games, your drinking habits and such. Be sure when you are interviewing your responses, body language and presentation represents you in a professional, well-respected manner. Don’t forget many interviewers check social networking sites to see what type of person you really are, so be sure to clean up your MySpace and FaceBook entries.
- Not researching the company – There is nothing worst than showing up for an interview and not knowing anything about the company. If the interviewer is going to take the time to get to know you and assess your fit into the company you should have done the same. Be sure you research the company at least three days prior to the interview. Read the information more than once so you can speak intelligently about the company in the interview. Things to look for, how long has the company been in business, corporate culture, number of employees, services offered by the company, etc.
- Arriving late – If you can’t make it to the interview on time you are better off pulling over to the side of the road and rescheduling for a day you can make it on time. Arriving late on an interview is a sign that you either are irresponsible, or are chronically late, neither of which look favorable. By calling, before your scheduled arrival time, you will save some face and you may still have a chance at the job.
- Bad Hygiene – A sure way to blow a job interview is to show up with bad hygiene. You may not think your hair doesn’t need to be washed, but I can assure you if you have to think about it… you should wash it. Special attention should be paid to your attire, always wear professional clothing. It is better to be over dressed than under. Make sure you nails are clean and your breathe doesn’t stink. If you are a smoker be sure you wash your hands and arms after smoking, You should also bring mouth wash and a toothbrush to rinse your mouth of any smoke smell that may be lingering.
- Watch your mouth – Be sure you don’t slip. HR people will often make a interview a comfortable and relaxing experience. Don’t get too comfortable. Never use profanity and don’t ever talk bad about a previous job or supervisor.
Utilizing these five tips will help increase your interviewing skills. Suzanne is a career coaching specialist and contributing writer to Computer Coach. She possesses more than 10 years career counseling and coaching experience. Helping more than 5000 IT Professionals, throughout the US and the Caribbean with their computer and administrative careers by earning valuable computer certifications, increasing general computer skills thorough affordable online computer training solutions and increasing job search skills., Suzanne prides herself with her knowledge, skill and dedication to her client's success. For more information about career success check back on www.computercoach.com for other interesting career coaching articles and tips. Email Suzanne@computercoach.com for more information.
Computer Coach - www.computercoach.com - offers online IT Certification training and software skills training to thousands of individuals and company's throughout the world. Providing flexible, interactive courses at affordable prices, Computer Coach exceeds its client's expectation by offering online computer training classes that help individuals get the skills they need to be successful in today's rigorous and changing workplaces. For more information about Online Computer Training Classes check out Computer Coach online.
