Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited
Return to career-consulting-limited.com
People |
|
|
 |
When Bad Interviews Happen to Good Candidates
Going through the motions of a bad interview is like peeling back the layers of an onion. Sally learned this lesson the hard way, hands-on during an interview that should have been a piece of cake. Sally applied for a position that fit her qualifications perfectly. When she received an invitation to interview, Sally believed she was a shoo-in for the job. Feeling confident, she approached the interview in a lax manner. She didn't prepare and prematurely celebrated an offer she was convinced would be extended. The day of the interview, Sally was surprised by the level of anxiety she felt. Her apprehension began to build and she began to prepare for the interview at the last minute. By the time she arrived at the interview, she was visibly shaken. Lesson learned: The time to collect your thoughts is prior to an interview, not on your way to one. If you arrive to an interview bewildered, the recruiter will take notice and you run a high risk that you will be not get the offer. The interviewer entered the waiting area and introduced himself. To ease the tension, he asked a common icebreaker question, "Did you have trouble finding us?" Sally has never been a smooth small talker and she answered the question candidly. She confided that she doesn't have a good sense of direction and coupled with the fact that she was anxious, she passed the building entrance quite a few times. The interviewer smiled politely and proceeded to walk towards the interview room. Realizing she goofed, Sally hesitantly followed the interviewer. Lesson learned: Everything you say and do during an interview is scrutinized; from the instant you walk in, to the moment you walk out. An innocent question doesn't exist during an interview and a careless misstep is seldom forgotten. Choose your responses carefully. When Sally was escorted to the interview room, she was surprised to see a panel of interviewers. She was only familiar with the "it's just you and me, kid" type of the interview - the one-on-one. At the start of the interview, she quickly realized that it was going to be a challenge to manage that interview. Lesson learned: Interviews are unpredictable. One never knows the broad range of topics that will be covered and the type of formats that may be presented. Familiarize yourself with all interview settings. Because she was not ready for the series of questions, Sally tripped over her answers. She focused on issues that weren't relevant and provided little information on what was pertinent. She began to ramble and appeared under-qualified for the position. Sensing that she was interviewing poorly, Sally began to lose patience with the process. She failed to maintain eye contact and began to fidget. The enthusiasm she felt for the position and the company slowly diminished as she witnessed the blank looks on the faces of the panelists. She withdrew mentally from the interview, and as a result, appeared disinterested. Lesson learned: Most interviewers expect candidates to be nervous during an interview, and they rarely will forgive you if you fail to demonstrate a sincere interest in working for them. Most hiring decisions are based on whether the interviewer feels a connection to you. The failure to establish a bond immediately is usually beyond repair. After the interview Sally realized that the questions she had been asked were not difficult. She had been overwhelmed by nervousness and that had clouded her ability to communicate clearly and to the point effectively. Lesson learned: Even if you have the "right stuff," nothing is guaranteed. Don't get caught off guard; prepare for interviews; do your homework. About The Author Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers' Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at linda@careerstrides.com
MORE RESOURCES: Corporate Lowe's Careers Careers City of Phoenix (.gov) Working for ICE ice.gov Careers University of Northern Colorado Meet a millennial who quit her tech job, temporarily moved to Paris, and started a baking business in NYC Business Insider How to use AI to get a job interview and nail it – along with the salary you deserve | Job hunting The Guardian Careers at FEMA FEMA.gov Careers City of Ontario, California (.gov) Job Loss Is a Kind of Grief The Atlantic Careers at Prairie View A&M University PVAMU Home Careers | Home USDA (.gov) Jobs Multnomah County Careers and Jobs at CRS Catholic Relief Services Improve Your Chances of Landing That Job Interview IEEE Spectrum Careers - MDOT Maryland.gov Work at Fairfield Fairfield University Careers Baxter Careers Johnson & Johnson Store Hourly Job Areas Target Corporate Career Job Areas Target Employment Opportunities | Game Commission Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) Careers at USCIS USCIS (.gov) Jobs and Training at FDA fda.gov Careers at TWU Texas Woman's University Amazon CEO Andy Jassy shares his top tips for a successful career: ‘Don’t be afraid to fail’ AboutAmazon.com Work at Butler Butler University Careers at Simon & Schuster SimonandSchuster.biz Job Search Results UnitedHealth Group Careers Career Opportunities Gilead Sciences Career Opportunities UMHB IOM career gateways International Organization for Migration Careers at University of Missouri Health Care | University of Missouri Health Care jobs University of Missouri Health Care Careers Washington State University Careers BASF EPA employees rally in Denver against President Trump’s job and funding cuts Colorado Public Radio Jobs at Liberty University Liberty University Healthcare Jobs at Novant Health | Novant Health Novant Health Student internships at J&J Johnson & Johnson Careers Jobs & Employment Monmouthshire County Council Careers | Human Resources Seattle University Jobs Report NFIB Future of Jobs Report 2025: The jobs of the future – and the skills you need to get them The World Economic Forum Why hasn’t AI taken your job yet? Financial Times Work for the City of St. Louis City of St. Louis, MO (.gov) Ready for your next great job? ADP Careers Careers WV Department of Education Our Hiring Process Target Careers The Ocean Cleanup Job Seekers Illinois Human Resources Careers CrowdStrike UF Health Careers UF Health Careers DOGE Terminated Me After I Moved Away From My Family for a VA Job Business Insider Careers Humane World for Animals Careers at Union Union College Internships and Career Opportunities | Home USDA (.gov) Matching Talent to the Jobs of Tomorrow: A Guidebook for Public Employment Services 2025 The World Economic Forum Jobs for Veterans and transitioning military VA Careers (.gov) Human Resources Department City of Phoenix (.gov) As Layoffs Continue, Federal Workers Face Sluggish Job Market The New York Times Careers Euromonitor Job Opportunities Bellevue School District Current opportunities Turner & Townsend Recorded Video Interviews Target Career expert offers advice for frustrated job seekers National News Desk RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY TO POLICY-INFLUENCING POSITIONS WITHIN THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE The White House (.gov) Job application FAQs Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services Surging job market could prove costly for households, businesses as odds of quick rate cuts fade AP News 3. Skills outlook - The Future of Jobs Report 2025 The World Economic Forum WORK AT LVMH LVMH Careers at Jacobs Jacobs Tariffs are 'lose-lose' for U.S. jobs and industry, economist says: 'There are no winners here' CNBC |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Finding Your Ideal Career In the current climate, many people are looking away from the traditional job market towards working for themselves. The massive redundancies and job-insecurity has caused many people to radically rethink their career plans. Career Education Options For Working Adults Ask yourself this question: "Do I like what I do for a living?" If you answered "no", what are you doing about it? Maybe you have a "good" job, but it's not very rewarding to you personally. Maybe you have job with good pay, but bad hours or worse - a job with good hours, but bad pay. Avoiding 10 Deadly Interview Mistakes Too many job seekers set themselves up for failure before the interview ever takes place. They fail to target their audience, demonstrate relevant skills and experience, or present themselves in a way that grabs the attention of potential employers. Networking is the Key to Star Performance in Everything You Do. Many people's idea of networking relates to the 'size of their Christmas Card List, rather than the quality of their relationship with each person on that list. Similarly those people network, but few reap the rewards of zeroing in on their potential. From The WorkWise Collection: Ten Ways to Win the Job Search Mind Game Are you one of the thousands of job seekers who question their sanity, marketability, and capacity to make smart decisions-just because you've lost your job? Are you wondering how to overcome these psychological challenges, rebuild your self-confidence, increase your marketability, and regain your sense of sanity?In today's competitive job market you need more than a killer résumé and great interviewing skills to survive. Twenty-first-century job seekers must be able to deal with ambiguity, maintain a winner's mindset, demonstrate customer focus, and have a blow-your-socks-off résumé and excellent interviewing skills. Work at Home Jobs Vs Self Employment Work at Home Jobs vs Owning a Home Based BusinessNot everyone is interested in owning their own home business, but a lot of people are interested in dropping out of the rat race a little bit. More and more jobs are available where you can work from home. Powerful Phone Interviews Phone interviews are de rigueur with many organizations.Companies conduct phone interviews for a number of reasons. What Turns Potential Employers ON; What Turns Them OFF? According to an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, these are the most important qualities that employers are looking for in a job candidate, in priority order: (1) Communication skills; (2) Honesty/integrity; (3) Teamwork skills; (4) Interpersonal skills; (5) A strong work ethic. Be sure to highlight those skills in your resume, during your interview, and in your thank-you letter. Learn How To Network for HIDDEN Jobs I'll quickly cover the following:A) Why Network With People?B) Five Networking Tips To Get Started.C) Quick Networking Hints. Find Passion for Your Work Most people spend approximately 25% to over 67% of their waking hours working. Eventually, most everyone will want to work in a career that they enjoy and are paid well enough to live a prosperous life. Five Powerful Tips for Interns Interning is about more than earning money during summer break. It's a wonderful way to gain work experience and lay the foundation for your future career. The Group Interview Sometimes, when going on job interviews, you might end up in a situation where you are in a group interview. A group interview is where you are being interviewed along with several other candidates for the job. 9 Tips on Creating a Professional Emailed Job Application With the advent of the Internet, many of us have the opportunity to apply for work through email.However, just because this is the Internet and email is so fast and convenient, that does NOT mean you should give up professionalism and polish!FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT. Death By Workers Compensation Excerpt of Death By Workers' Compensation"The Bleeding Rose"In this Excerpt the time that has lapsed is over an hour after the accident. What you are about to read will sicken you and make you wonder why no charges were ever pressed and why this man was not arrested for his part in destroying another person's life, let alone possibly destroying a unborn child's. Job Interviews: Answering Whats Your Greatest Weakness? Many interview guides advise candidates to answer the common "What's your greatest weakness?" question with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, "I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do," or "I'm a perfectionist. The #1 Job Search Mistake To Avoid: Not Preparing Your Mind! Mental preparation is probably your most important task as you proceed in your job search. This not only needs to be worked on right from the start, but also on an ongoing basis. Dont Quit Your Day Job! Convincing Your Boss To Let You Telecommute (Part 2 of 2) Ok, so you've determined that you have the right skills and qualities todo your job effectively from home. You're sure that your job is wellsuited to telecommuting. Seven Myths You Must Challenge Now To Begin Your Second Career Today * Has it been awhile since you explored career options?* Are you making your 21st century choices based on beliefs that were accurate when Reagan was president of the US (and Thatcher was PM of Great Britain)?* Do you wish you could take a test that would point you to the perfect Second Career?Then you're probably operating on yesterday's myths -- time to move to today's reality!Myth #1: Science supports the traditional linear career change model: test for interests, identify careers and go find a job.Reality #1 Researchers at Stanford and Harvard found that career exploration proceeds in a zig-zag trial-and-error path, almost always with a hint of serendipity. How to Choose Your Ideal Career They say that most people do complete and total career changes at least once often twice in their lifetimes. Very few people chose the ideal perfect career for themselves when they're in high school and blissfully happily work those same jobs for the rest of their lives. Is Your Career Your Calling or Just a 9 to 5? Do you remember your parents asking you what you want to be when you grow up? By the time I was in the 9th grade, my mother started asking me that same question until I graduated from high school. At that time I wasn't 100% sure what career path I would take, but I had several ideas.
|
|
|
| © Career Consulting Limited.com 2011
|