Do not curb your enthusiasm. Win Sheffield, 57, a coach for the last eight years with the career counseling firm The Five O’Clock Club, says a lot of job seekers forget that one of the most crucial parts of interviewing is convincing the hiring manager that you truly desire the job. Interviewers don’t just look for applicants who have the requisite skills and will fit in with a company. Now more than ever, they want candidates who want them.
Sheffield is absolutely right, says Cynthia Bragdon, owner of Urban Indigo, a gift store in Oakland, Calif. “I don’t know why some candidates miss this,” she adds. “Maybe because they think it seems desperate.” She says the most eager applicants quickly make her A list. “If they seem aloof, I get very worried, because any job requires a full commitment,” she explains. “And if they are aloof in an interview, they will probably be aloof to my customers, which is a very bad thing.”
You can get across your enthusiasm in many ways, coaches say. Sheffield suggests that you prepare an arsenal of stories illustrating your skills, strengths and accomplishments. Rather than bragging in a general way about your abilities, describe specific experiences that show you putting those skills to use. You can speak animatedly about the pleasure and pride you took in overcoming obstacles. One advantage of storytelling over plain boasting, Sheffield says: “It’s the interviewer who draws the conclusion.”
In addition to offering stories that illustrate your strengths, use a direct approach and tell the interviewer how thrilled you’d be to work for her and for her organization in particular. Describe other offers or discussions you’ve got going, and let the interviewer know she is your first choice.
Most applicants understand that they should do their homework, learning as much as they can about a company and a job, before going in for an interview. But Cynthia Bragdon says candidates who haven’t done basic research still show up. “If they ask me what the store hours are in the interview, that shows me they don’t give a rip about getting the job,” she says. “Or they’re just plain stupid–and intelligence is a big, big factor for me.”
Ahead of time, take a notebook, jot down a few points to help you remember your best stories and note three questions to ask about the specific job and the company. Then, when the interview starts, ask permission to take notes. Use your notebook as a cheat sheet.
Before the interview winds up, ask where you stand compared with the ideal candidate. Then ask how you compare with other applicants. These questions emphasize how much you want the job and help you take action after the interview.
Write a follow-up note that addresses any ways you were told you might not fit the ideal mold. Robert Hellmann, 49, like Sheffield a coach with The Five O’Clock Club, says a client of his turned a no into a yes through diligent, enthusiastic follow-up. In the interview, the hiring manager confessed concern about the candidate’s lack of an analytic background. The interviewee wrote a follow-up e-mail that described her relevant experience and offered to analyze some sales data. The hiring manager sent her a terse note with some data attached. She analyzed the data and followed up with a phone call requesting another meeting. She got the job, Hellmann says. “In the interview,” he adds, “sometimes the most important thing you can do is get the information you need to sell yourself.”
Article from Forbes.com
No comments:
Post a Comment