At the Interview
You’ve made it on time and you sitting in a small stuffy room across from your serious interviewer. By now, you are feeling unsure about yourself. Maybe you’re just not right for the job, right? Wrong, don’t think that way, be confident. If you feel confident, you will look confident, and they want to see a confident candidate.
Sit up straight in you chair and always look them in the eye. Now, don’t freak them out by staring them down and never looking away. Use your own discretion as to what is appropriate. Speak loud and clear and avoid ums and uhs. I will admit, it is hard to do, but try to minimize them the best you can.
Make sure you look pleasant. Don’t frown or scowl. You may find yourself doing this if you are trying to concentrate. Make sure you look happy and glad to be there. Smile, without going overboard, and laugh at their jokes. Try to be a good conversationalist.
When you are asked a question, take some time to think over the question, without ums and uhs, of course. Don’t just stare at them while you’re thinking, but look like your thinking. You don’t want to just throw out a stupid answer you’ll end up regretting, so take the time and think. Again, use discretion and don’t take too much time. You don’t want to waste their time or make the interview any longer than it needs to be.
Questions that are asked in the interview will vary depending on what job you’re applying for. If you are applying for a job dealing with customers in retail or supermarkets, they will most likely ask you about how you would deal with certain customer situations and some questions on integrity. Some of the questions, depending on the seniority of your position, may seem obvious. You’re best off giving the obvious answer. If they ask you, “Do you think it’s alright to steal?” or some sort of variation of that, it’s not a trick, say no.
Another question that’s asked in most interviews is, “Why are you right for this job?” This is something you should have prepared before hand. Think carefully and jot things down a couple days before so that you are ready. Try to think about what responsibilities the job will entail and emphasize your best qualities pertaining to this job position.
They will most definitely ask you about punctuality and dependability. Employers don’t like people who have a habit of taking sick days. I once heard a lady say that when she was in an interview, she told them up front that she’s usually late for work. Surprisingly they still hired her, but don’t count on it.
Give your best answers to every question and answer them with confidence. If you are unsure about a question, come up with something that at least sounds good. It doesn’t look good to say, “I’m not sure.” Any question can be answered.
When the interviewer asks if you have any questions, ask away. Try to have questions prepared before hand. Try to think of something to show your interest in the job. What will the hours be like? Do I get any holidays off? Who will I be working under? Just try to think of something.
When the interview is over, shake their hand and say, “Thank you for the opportunity.” Or something like that. Sometimes you may be able to tell if they like you based on some of their responses, but worst case scenario, wait for the call.
They should call you within a week. If not, call them to at least see if you didn’t get the job, which hopefully is not the case. If you interviewed well and you are confident with how it went, you can feel confident that you’ll get the job. If you don’t, just know that it wasn’t meant to be and keep looking for the job that’s right for you.