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In a slowing economy, it’s more important than ever to nail any and all interviews that you get. Assuming that everyone brought in is qualified for the job, focus on the details that will make yourself stand out. Appearing professional is of key importance.
Look the Part
Even if your interview is over Zoom or Skype, it’s important to dress the part from top to bottom. That means do not wear a coat and tie over basketball shorts or flip flops. You never know what’s going to happen during your conversation. Your water bottle could get knocked over, a child or pet could accidently come into the room. You can’t control every situation when you’re at home, so if there is the slightest chance, you might have to stand up hurriedly, make sure you dress the part all the way down to your shoes. It’s also always better to dress professionally even everyone else in the office is sporting business casual. You can adapt what you wear after you get the job.
Complete a trial run of your hair and make-up. No matter if it’s an on-line or in-person meeting, dress the part the day before to make sure you know what you’re doing the day of. If you’re worried about how you look on camera, check out BHMD deep wrinkle filler review, have a friend or family member offer constructive advice on ways to maximize lighting, and dress in your color wheel for best effect on your skin. Make sure you have shaved and that your hair is combed. Keep away from any look that hints at the fact that you’ve been out of work and sitting on your sofa for three months.
Behave Professionally
Early is on-time and on-time is late in the world of interviews. If you are driving to a location you’ve never been before, make a trial run the day before to make sure you know where to park. If your interview is over Zoom, be the first one in the waiting room. No one should ever have to wait to interview you.
Print extra copies of your resume on high-quality paper. It’s an extra step, but it announces that you are a professional. If you are only dealing in electronic copies, create a version in Google Docs, Microsoft Word and as a PDF to check the spacing. Often documents that get transferred from one format to another do not look the way you intended them to. It is imperative that you have several people proofread your resume. Do not rely just on various spell-check type programs. Nothing screams I’m sloppy like a misused word or capitalization error. Sometimes it’s helpful to read your writing backwards from the bottom word-by-word. That way your eye won’t automatically gloss over errors such as spelling mistakes.
Leave your electronics off and out of sight. Unless your spouse was literally having labor pains when you left the house, there is no reason to have your phone out or on. It’s glaringly obvious, even on electronic interviews, if your eyes keep sliding away to check messages. Make sure your ringer is silent and not just vibrate which can often be heard. By the same token, wait to check your messages until you are completely out of the building. You never know when the boss might chase you down the hall to follow-up on a question she forgot to ask.
Do Your Homework
Spend a little time researching the organization you plan to interview with. That way you can ask intelligent questions about specific areas of the operation. Asking about company productivity goals is better than questioning what the vacation policy is at this stage of the game. Plan to ask a couple of questions at the end of the interview. It’s always better to have two or three ready to go in case your first one was already covered earlier.
Interviewing is stressful for everyone involved, but you can reduce your anxiety by making yourself as professional as possible. It’s not a stretch to imagine that with many qualified candidates, the one who is most skilled at presenting him or herself is going to be the frontrunner.