Job Interview Career Search Tip
Here's your opportunity to present yourself, your skills, and your abilities to a prospective employer. As awkward as it may seem, you are the salesperson selling a product—your knowledge, skills and abilities.
Sell Yourself
Practice interviewing: Working with a friend or your spouse, have them review interview questions found here on this Web site or in the many books available on interviewing techniques.
Be informed: Learn as much as you can about the company and position by asking your recruiter and/or research the company on the Internet.
Be energetic: Be enthusiastic about the interview and make eye contact with the hiring manager. Stay energized and interested in the company and your potential responsibilities.
Be positive: About your previous employers and about the opportunities of this position. Remember that every good salesperson asks for the sale and you can too. End your interview with a closing statement, reiterating why you'd be a good employee, it's just the type of position you've been looking for and that you'd be a good addition to their team.
Appropriate Dress for the Interview
Here are some general guidelines with regard to a dress code for interviews.
Here's your opportunity to present yourself, your skills, and your abilities to a prospective employer. As awkward as it may seem, you are the salesperson selling a product-your knowledge, skills and abilities.
Management, Senior Technical Personnel: A suit, dress shirt and tie are acceptable for men as well as a suit, dress with jacket, or professional pantsuit for women.
Mid-level professional or technical positions: The previous suggestions are always acceptable. However, for those men with more limited wardrobes, a nice sports jacket with coordinating slacks, shirt is acceptable. For women acceptable dress would be a nice jacket with coordinating skirt or slacks or a dress with a jacket.
Commercial or industrial positions: Though the dress is more casual, for men and women, the acceptable standards are a nice shirt or blouse and pressed khakis or slacks. You should always avoid wearing tennis or athletic shoes.
Do's and Don'ts
Here's your chance to find out how well you'll like working with them. The company is interested in your abilities, whether you'll fit in with the company and whether the prospective team will like working with you. Remember, here's where your sales ability really counts. Be careful that you don't inadvertently sabotage your chances of landing a new position if you don't prepare well enough.
Uninformed candidate: Interviewers know when candidates are unprepared for interviews and aren't likely to give them a second chance.
Inadequate communication: Candidates who can't clearly communicate in writing and orally won't earn offers.
Poor body language: If you don't show enthusiasm, the interviewer may think you're uninterested in the company and the position. During interviews, express yourself in a lively, confident manner and make eye contact with the hiring manager, even if you are nervous. Wanting too much - Unrealistic salary and benefits-package demands will lead to immediate rejection. If you're working with a recruiter, they will have most of this information prior to the interview.
Emotional baggage: Avoid discussing your personal problems as they may appear to hinder your job performance.
Useless references: Don't use friends. Ask former supervisors or contacts who are familiar with your abilities and accomplishments to serve as references.
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If you’re looking for more permanent employment – TEKsystems has permanent positions on our staff both in recruiting and sales and other internal jobs.
If you haven’t already: Submit your resume, and be part of our network when the perfect job becomes available.
Not sure how to begin this process? If it’s your first time working with a staffing firm, we can help walk you through things. We can even help you with your resume and give you lots of other career advice in our career tools center.