5 Tips to Help You Land Your Dream Job
1. Get Rid of Self Doubt
If you are holding any self doubt about your abilities, or experience it will be blatantly apparent to your interviewer. The best candidates are poised, secure, and self assured. Even the smallest amount of self doubt will sabotage any interview. Make sure you are at your best before you arrive. Just relax and do a visual check to make sure everything is where it is supposed to be.
Clothes, Hair, Makeup
Make sure your hair is clean and styled conservatively whether you are male or female. Ladies, don’t overdo your makeup. There is nothing worse than looking like you just came from a night of dancing at the club. Your make up should be clean, fresh, and understated. Make sure your clothes are clean without stains, wrinkles, rips, or holes, and also they fit properly. Men should wear a tie and usually a jacket, while women should wear a nice blouse and blazer, and either slacks or a skirt. Skirts should be just above knee length to just below the knee and should be accompanied by stockings. Shorts or mini’s are definitely not appropriate for male or female.
Body language says a lot about what a person is thinking a feeling. Crossed arms often show irritability, discomfort, or dislike so avoid these postures. Men and women alike should sit up straight and not cross the legs. Both feet should remain on the floor at all times during the interview. Maintaining eye contact is extremely important during an interview. An interview is a conversation with another person about your experiences and abilities so make sure you are connecting with them. Wandering eyes often symbolize boredom or disinterest.
2. Practice and Prepare
Before your interview you should practice answering typical questions that you might be asked. Why do you want to work for us? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What accomplishments are you most proud of? Think about what the interviewer is going to ask you and write down the top ten questions. Practice them with a friend, co-worker, or family member. Get the umms and uhhs out of your dialog before the interview.
Write a script and practice it. Be truthful when writing your script and only include what is absolutely necessary. When you go to the interview you will see that the words just roll of your tongue and there are a lot less umms and uhhs. Interviewers love people that are well spoken and organized. This will only improve your chances of landing your dream job.
3. Be Real
Just because you aced the first interview does not mean that you have landed the job. Don’t let yourself be misled; often there is a series of interviews and testing that you have to go through before you get the job. Do follow the advice of the interviewer in respect to what the company is looking for. Don’t alter your personality to fit their mold. Stick with what you know and be real. Any interviewer can tell when someone is not truly genuine, and they won’t forget it. If you aren’t being truthful you are just wasting your time.
4. Stay in Touch
Don’t just wait by the phone after your interview waiting for the company to offer you a job. No one is going to just hand you a job, you have to show you want it. Call or send an email to express your interest in the company, not just the job and send a thank you note to your interviewer. If you had a casual interview with the representative, send a typed note thanking them for their time. If you had a more personal interview it is appropriate to send a handwritten note or thank you card.
5. Get Reliable References
When collecting references it is best to get them from your current employer. You want references from people that know your character and work ethic. If you don’t feel comfortable asking a manager, or boss for a recommendation try asking a colleague or human resources representative. Get references from people that have known you for at least three years and can verify the information on your resume. Managers, co-workers, project leaders, and customers are great sources for references. Make sure that you have a list of at least 5 people you can use. Call them beforehand to ask them if you can give out their name and number, and also what the job is you are applying for. The more information you give them, the better a reference you will get.
Your list of references should include the following:
� Names
� Company Addresses
� Phone number where reference can be reached
� Relationship to reference
� Company Position/Job Title of reference
� Relevant Background Information
