You may have heard some of these before, but we guarantee in here are several GREAT original ideas you won’t have come across. Every person we know who has taken these on board has got their job!
- When you’re invited to interview – email back to thank the person – promptly. This creates a great impression and also helps to cement the person’s name in your mind.
- Be current – follow your potential employer’s website for updates like contract wins, new products, trade shows they may be attending etc. This helps you look ahead of the game. Also keep an eye on the news for issues relating to their business.
- GREAT TIP!………. Research the person who will be interviewing you – anything from their current position to previous jobs, papers they may have written or conferences they’ve attended or held. This gives you an insight into them – anything from their politics to their ways of working, to their management styles so you can be prepared. And in a worst-case scenario, it helps fill any awkward gaps in conversation.
- Be well presented from head to toe. Polished shoes, smart hair – it’s not a crime to be well dressed, but don’t overdo it. Keep it smart, professional and polished.
- Be in the area with 30 minutes to spare. This way you can arrive calm and visit the bathroom to freshen up before meeting your interviewer.
- ONE YOU WON’T HAVE THOUGHT OF!……… Don’t wear overpowering perfume or aftershave (in fact, try not to wear any at all – it really is a gamble). Strong chemicals are actually as anti-social as smelling bad – not everybody likes strong smells. If your interviewer is prone to headaches or migraine, they won’t want to employ somebody who wears strong chemicals around the office!
- Turn off mobile phones – it’s bad manners even to leave it on buzz. You won’t have time to respond to it, so why leave it on at all?
- Offer a firm handshake on meeting, look them in the eye and smile in a friendly manner – this shows you’re firm but approachable.
- TOTALLY ORIGINAL! ……….. Make sure you can back up all the claims you’ve made on your cv. Take a presentation or a report, or a hand-out to demonstrate what you’ve done. Or (here we go – we love this one) – how about making a mini-movie to demonstrate what you’ve done. Windows Movie –Maker (for example) is intuitive to use – simply put together a montage of pictures and video clips where necessary to demonstrate your achievements. Caption them up, add some music (you can get great backing tracks cheaply from sites like www.ameritz.co.uk), and you’ve a totally original presentation that knocks the socks off some boring old Powerpoint!
- At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for their time. It’s okay at this stage to check on the next steps, like when you’d expect a decision to be made. Give another firm handshake on leaving and then email within 24 hours to re-confirm your interest in the job.
The rest is up to the company – but if you’ve followed the points above, even if you’re not successful this time – at least you know you did your best. If you don’t happen to get the job this time don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and constructive criticism to build on for the next opportunity. Good luck!
This is a post by Ruth from Rivo Software, a world class provider of incident management software and risk assessment software to help businesses manage risk and compliance.