Securing a job interview can be as exciting as landing the job! Are you prepared? If you haven’t had a bad job interview you’ve heard from someone else who has. There is no guarantee that nothing will go wrong; accidents happen, personalities differ and expectations could be dashed on either side of the table. The best way to increase your chances for success in any job interview is simply to be prepared.

Some research was needed to compose a personalized cover letter to accompany your resume which got you the job interview but if you intend to ace the interview and land the available position you’ll need to investigate further. Confidence is an extremely positive influence in any job interview and nothing fuels it better than knowledge. How much do you know about the company, the interviewer, current and past employees? Is the position newly created or will you be filling a position previously held? Was the previous employee promoted or did they resign from the position? How does your experience and education compare to theirs?

Don’t leave anything to chance and pay attention to every detail; time, location, appearance, rehearsed  answers and prepared questions. This is not the time to “wing it”! Above all, listen carefully to ensure you provide the appropriate answers. If you do not fully comprehend the question do not guess at an answer. Rather than simply stating you didn’t understand what they were asking for, try rephrasing the question back to the interviewer to obtain a clear understanding.

Amy Levin-Epstein provides some excellent job interview tips in 5 Things You Should Never Say in a Job Interview, CBS MoneyWatch.com.

If you are a senior executive you have probably updated your wardrobe several times over the past few years and would not consider  going to a job interview donning a 20 year old suit. If you are managing an executive career with your sites on moving up the corporate ladder, have you given consideration to updating your wardrobe recently? Equally important, have you updated your physical appearance in the past 20 years? In this competitive job market, employers are looking for the whole package and it is as imperative that you look as impressive as the credentials are that you bring to the table. After all, you know your chances of getting the job are hinged on making the best impression possible.

Of course there are those who don’t think appearance should matter and it is possible that you may walk into your next job interview and sit down with an interviewer wearing an old wrinkled suit and sporting a long grey beard! Seriously, what are the chances? Your opinion of whether your appearance should have an influence on the decision maker is totally irrelevant because we are all human and it will! You will be considered for a postition based on a potential employer’s impression of YOU and not what you want them to think of you! If you want the job, the final decision in landing it will not be yours, it will be theirs!

The value the potential employer believes you will bring to their organization will be evaluated. Do you stay current? Are you innovative? Do you embrace change? Not unlike curb appeal when buying a house, your appearance will influence the decision maker and the answer to these questions. Your ability to move an organization forward in a competitive economy will be questioned if your appearance shows you’re are still living in the 80′s sporting a beard and mustache, wide legged trousers, outdated glasses and a comb over.

Go for the makeover, dress the part, feel good about yourself and exude the confidence needed in an interview to impress upon the interviewer that YOU are the best person for the job! It is a small investment to entice a potential employer to want to investigate further giving you the opportunity to sell them on your many successes and your expertise.      

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Is your professional resume getting you in the door but you can’t get passed the job interview? Were you prepared and confident in providing answers to the job interview questions that were asked? There could be many reasons you were not considered as a potential candidate after your job interview and if you are not aware of the reason, ask! If you are unable to obtain an answer, take the time to carefully reassess the interview to ensure you’re not missing something that could result in another lost opportunity. Revisit the job interview with a  friend or colleague willing to help you with reverse role playing and put yourself in the position of the interviewer. Give consideration to the questions that were asked and the answers that you provided. You may or may not discover some valid reasons for being overlooked as a potential candidate and there is the possibility that the reason was beyond your control. In a competitive job market there may be many equally qualified candidates and the deciding factor could be as simple as a “gut feeling”! However, there is plenty that is within your control including that of a professional and confident demeanour, which has been recognized as highly influential by HR professionals and recruiters. Beyond your qualifications and experience, being prepared to answer the job interview questions you are likely to be asked is your best chance of landing your next  job.         

Interview Questions and Answers by Alison Doyle, About .com Guide provides an extensive list of interview questions by category, best answers and the reasons behind the questions being asked.   

You’ll find, Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them, on BNet.com by Penelope Trunk reviewing the 3 basic questions that you are sure to be asked in any job interview.  

Invest the time to review and provide confident and knowledgeable answers for the top job interview questions that are likely to be asked and you will be assured you have the competitive edge in your next job interview! 

Experience, education, job history and your willingness to relocate could easily be influencing factors in a job interview but are you aware of how influential body language, confidence and enthusiasm are? A recent survey of hiring managers found 68% less likely to hire a candidate who failed to make eye contact. The lack of a smile, bad posture, fidgeting, crossed arms and a weak handshake were also listed as significant faux pas in a job interview.

In order to sell yourself as the ideal candidate, show your love! A job interview should not be entered into with an insecure or indecisive mindset. Prepare yourself well and if you need assistance consult with a Certified Job Search Trainer. With confidence and enthusiasm you will have a positive influence on the interviewer and the potential to extend a firmer handshake and assume a comfortable demeanour that will ensure you maintain eye contact, avoid crossing your arms and share more than enough smiles! A firm handshake, a smile and a current and professional appearance will establish a positive and lasting impression.  

In today’s competitive job market, it is unlikely that you will ever find yourself in a position as the only potential candidate for a job. If it should come down to two potential candidates with equal qualifications the final decision could be as simple as selecting the candidate showing the greatest amount of interest. David Perry, Managing Partner, Perry-Martel International Inc. provides an excellent account in, I LOVE YOU TOO: How to close the interview and get the job offer.

“…it is the impression you leave with the interviewer which will be influenced by your appearance, demeanour and level of confidence that will most strongly impact the success of your job interview.”, excerpt from 10 Tips - Get Ready to Get Interviewed.    

If there is one piece of advice you need to follow in your job interview it is to avoid the thought of what is in it for you and concentrate on informing the Interviewer what is in it for them.   

If you’ve made it to the job interview, you have successfully sold yourself in your resume, impressing upon a potential employer that you are a valuable candidate worth interviewing. So don’t stop there! You could just as easily be eliminated in the interview process as in the resume process. Both systems are based on elimination and the goal to find the right candidate is no less important than finding a reason to eliminate you to establish a manageable number of candidates for consideration.

Every aspect of your job interview must be taken into consideration and taken seriously right down to your arrival time! Don’t be too early, as the Interviewer may not welcome the interruption especially if they scheduled a task to complete prior to beginning interviews. Of course if you are late and keep the Interviewer waiting you will probably put yourself at the top of the elimination list. Your appearance and your handshake will create the first impression. If you do not look professional or are unable to put forth a confident handshake, how will you represent their organization? Prepare yourself well. The more knowledge you have about the organization the more confident you will feel. It will also show the Interviewer that you have done your homework and will lend credibility to your assertion that given the opportunity you will exceed their expectations as their new Senior Sales Manager!

What is in it for you does require your consideration but if you want to be considered by the employer, you must convince the interviewer what is in it for them!

Rarely is it in your best interest when seeking a job to be a follower rather than a leader unless, you are in a job interview. In this case, be a follower, not a leader! Allowing the interviewer to lead the interview will provide you with the opportunity to follow their lead to provide the information they require and to discover the person they want to see in you.

This is just one piece of advice from Challenger, Gray & Christmas in their recent report, “How to find a job in a Jobless Recovery”. Although qualifications are important, the report states you won’t be hired because you are the most qualified, you will be hired because the interviewer likes you the best. 

Most people, whether the job interviewer or a new acquaintance will decide within the first few minutes whether or not they like you. So remember, first impressions count! Dress appropriately, listen and learn and follow the lead.  

If you have received specific instructions and rules related to a company’s hiring process, do not deviate from them.  Choosing to make up your own rules will most likely result in a lost job opportunity and a tarnished reputation.  You may even put the reputation of others at risk so follow the rules.

Recently, I learned of an individual who had an inside track on a great job opportunity within his company and chose to share it with an organization giving them very specific instructions how to apply for the position.  Three of four candidates applying followed the instructions as given, however, the fourth candidate chose to ignore the instructions and contacted the principal of the company directly.  Not only did that person violate the trust that had been extended to him, the individual’s reputation was put on the line and the professionalism of the organization was called into question.  Needless to say, only those candidates who chose to follow the rules were contacted for an interview.

Following the rules or specific instructions established by a company regarding their employment processes is not something to be questioned if you are interested in obtaining a job with them.  Do you recall your grade school days when tests were given with clear, “read first” instructions?  If you didn’t follow them, you failed!

Innovation, persistence, determination and creativity are all wonderful personality traits and may lead you away from a common path in your job search but if you are provided with specific instructions from a potential employer, I recommend you follow their rules if you want to succeed in obtaining a job interview.

In The Wall Street Journal, “The Power of Nonverbal Communication”, provides some very interesting information regarding the unconscious and nonverbal ways that humans communicate with one another.

Dr. Alex “Sandy” Pentland, a professor at the MIT Media Lab, has written the book “Honest Signals”, based on studies related to unconscious social signals and patterns in how we interact with other people offering insight into our intentions, goals and values.  He claims we can accurately predict the outcomes of situations ranging from job interviews to first dates!

Specific areas of communication included monitoring the levels of nervous energy using a “sociometer“, which indicated excitement, anticipating responses in conversation indicating levels of interest, evidence of mimicry of gestures, correlating with feelings of trust and empathy and finally fluency or consistency in tone or motion, suggesting a level of expertise or of being well practiced.

In studying job interviews, Dr. Pentland says, “We found that if job candidates show confidence and practice, if they’re mirroring the inteviewer’s gestures, if they’re active and helpful, if they act the right way, they’ll get the thumbs up.”

The MIT Press, Honest Signals, How They Shape Our World, says scientific background is presented in this book providing an understanding of this form of communication and shows that by “reading” our social networks we can become more successsful at pitching an idea, getting a job, or closing a deal.

Some of us are firm believers in what goes around, comes around and as professionals, we spend a great deal of our time networking. Successful networking involves sharing information, experiences, and most importantly, our needs. Understanding what we can do for others and what they can do for us and then following through will sooner or later result in what goes around, comes around.

Promoting my expertise online as well as my relentless networking generates many calls to my business line and I do speak directly to all potential clients and associates.  Yesterday I received a call from a potential client that I had never spoken to or knew of prior to the call.  He was rude, disrespectful, abrupt and was quick to relay his needs, “I don’t need a resume, I need a job”, just prior to disconnecting the call.  Although my expertise includes that of a Master Resume Writer, I also hold other credentials, including that of Branding Strategist, Career Transition Coach and Employment Interview Professional.  If this person had had the foresight to listen to what information I required from him, it would have been possible for me to address his needs.

Who you know, is likely to be a key factor in advancing your career, or not!  There is a reason that we are being overloaded with information on personal branding.  First impressions are critical.  It sets the stage and is very likely the only impression that anyone is left with.  Did you leave them with a positive impression?  Did you have a positive impression of them?  Would they recommend you?  Would you recommend them?

Did you know that most hiring professionals have a standard practice after a job interview to ask the individual at reception what they thought of the potential candidate?  The next time you are face to face with someone or the next time you pick up the phone you may want to think about the impression you want to leave with that person.  Someday, that person could be a very influential force in your future because, what goes around comes around.

It is unlikely that you will find your new job within the first month of your job search.  Or the second or third or even the fourth or fifth! The fact is you could be in your job search for longer than you expected and although this is not a comfortable situation for most of us, it is important that you don’t panic!  If you want to advance your career and secure the position you are dreaming of, you must remain focussed and present yourself in a postive, confident and professional manner.  Panic can lead to missed opportunities or a costly decision.

Recently, I heard from a job seeker, who was concerned about how long her job search was taking and was looking for any way, as she said, ”basically to learn anything that would help me get employed faster”. Unfortunately, she is now trying to get her money back from a course that she registered for and later found out that there was nothing about it that would help to speed up her job search.

As in any industry, you must be beware of the many offers that will offer little or no return on your investment.  Many organizations will prey on your vulnerability as you transition through this difficult and stressful period professionally and personally.  If you receive an offer from any company offering to provide career management and outplacement services for a fee, keep a cool head, don’t panic and do your due dilligence to verify references and credentials.

If you are offered an interview from a recruiter, say yes.  You want your name out there and if no one knows who you are, you could be missing out on a potential opportunity.  If you are offered a job interview, say yes even if you are not sure that it is the right fit for you.  Don’t panic and try to make it the right fit because you need a job.  Openly acknowledge it, be honest, maintain your professional demeaner and show appreciation for the opportunity extended to you for an interview.  Recently, a client of mine was called back after a first interview because the company was interested in interviewing them for a more senior postion.

Networking is your best resource in your job search, presenting opportunities to share valuable information and pick up postitive leads.  In your career transition, stay positive, focussed, confident and above all, don’t panic!

Globe and Mail article, Hit the ground running, by Wallace Immen relays the reality of expectations for immediate and measurable success from today’s executives.

Stephen Smith, regional vice-president for Canada of Servisair Inc. said, “There was a huge agenda of things I was expected to do immediately”.  In the first week he had to make personnel changes and renegotiate contracts for ground support, baggage handling and aircraft cleaning services.

Bruce Wood, chief executive officer for the Hamilton Port Authority, was given 30 days to make a progress report to the board of directors.  Before actually starting the job he spent two weeks examining the existing operation and developing a progress report which included a list of accomplishments within a clearly defined time frame.

Both Mr. Smith and Mr. Wood implemented similar strategies in order to get to know everyone associated with the organization.  “When you are coming in as a new leader and pushing the envelope, you’ve got to make very sure the entire organization is following you”, Mr. Wood says.

John Burdett, a partner of Bedford Consulting Group offers some great advice to avoid stumbling when you hit the ground running, starting with finding a mentor, through to a forward focus.

As a career expert, I am also quoted in this article and advise executives to ask companies at the job interview itself to open up about their expectations and agenda.  “In fact, companies will think of you as a stronger candidate for being realistic about the challenges involved.”

I am proud to acknowledge Stephen Smith and Bruce Wood as past clients and offer my continued support in their executive roles.

How much time and money have you invested in your soft skills? Developing soft skills and hard skills are equally important in moving forward in your career. Despite this fact, you’ve likely invested a great deal more in your hard skills.

Investing in hard skills, such as a university degree, is an important element in your career.  Your hard skills will be impressive on your resume and may get you the job interview you wanted.  But once there, you need your soft skills! The ability to greet people in a professional manner is critical to your success. Needed are a  good handshake, eye contact, appropriate attire, confidence and clear communication.  Your soft skills include your ability to be persuasive in the way you share what your hard skills can do for the company you are interviewing for. If you want to shine above the competition, your soft skills are critical.

Noticing, adapting, developing and strengthening your soft skills is a sound investment guaranteed to open up new opportunities. It is your soft skills that will ensure a memorable first impression!

The job interview is over and you would love to know how you did.  You may already have a good idea that you will receive an offer, or not.  If you really are not sure the following questions may provide you with a little better insight.

Did the interviewer provide you with a specific date or timeline for when a decision will be made?

Were you asked about your timeline?

Did the interviewer spend time selling you on the position, company, etc.?

Were you in the interview longer than scheduled?

Were you introduced to others in the company after the interview?

Since the job interview have you heard that the employer has contacted any of your references?

There is no one question or sure sign that guarantees you’ll receive an offer but if you answer yes to all of these questions you can at least be assured that you did well in your job interview.

Recently I had a discussion with a colleague about a blog I had written, Job Interviews and Tattoos and was surprised that the feedback I received was their belief that most potential employers have a negative perception when it comes to tattoos and body piercings.  It is highly likely that many of these people are also sporting tattoos and possibly body piercings too allbeit, discreetly, as most professionals understand that any potential distractions should be eliminated.

Have you seen the Tide-To-Go Interview commercial of a man being interviewed that has a large stain on his shirt?  An exaggeration, yes, but still a great example of an interviewer faced with a distraction.  The interviewer is unable to concentrate, (hearing instead, “blah, blah, blah, blah”), on anything the job candidate is saying because the stain on the front of his shirt is too much of a distraction.  So too can a sloppily dressed person, a loud shirt, tattoos or body piercings create distractions.

It is impossible to make a good first impression if something is getting in the way, a distraction!  When conversing with someone sporting a tongue piercing, are you able to look them directly in the eyes or are you staring in their mouth?  If you meet someone with a large tattoo on their arm, do you notice the “snake picture”, (and you hate snakes) or will you see a well dressed, sophisticated, confident person?  You love the brightly coloured polka dot shirt that the job candidate is sporting and whether you want to know where it was purchased or you are thinking that it is not appropriate to wear to a job interview, it is a distraction and takes away from focussing on the candidate and their talents.

Yes, some distractions will be negative, but whether negative or positive, it is the distraction that is the problem.  So if you are entering into any meeting and want to exude a professional, confident and highly successful impression, hide the tattoos, remove the obvious body piercings, change the mohawk hair style, don a conservative suit and make sure you are wearing a clean shirt!

In a recent survey, OfficeTeam asked executives to recount the most embarrassing job interview moments they had heard of or witnessed.  Yes, in a job interview, the time you really want to put your best foot forward.  The opportunity you are given to present an exemplary first impression!

The following are just a few of the responses:

“The candidate sent his sister to inteview in his place.”
“A candidate fell asleep during the interview”
“A guy called me by the wrong name during the entire interview.”
“We’re a retail company, and when we asked the candidate why she wanted to work for us, she said she didn’t want to work in retail anymore.”
“An interviewee put his bubble gum in his hand, forgot about it, and then shook my hand.”
“The candidate stopped the inteview and asked me if I had a cigarette.”
“An applicant was doing really well in the inteview until she got to the reason she left her other job. She told us everyone was out to get her.”

You’ve heard it so many times because it is important, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression”.

You have presented an impressive cover letter, an enticing and professionally written resume and you are contacted for the job interview.  Once there, you are nothing less than brilliant during your interview in front of a panel of three!  So why was that the last time you heard from them?  One of the most common reasons a highly qualified job applicant is eliminated as a candidate is a BAD JOB REFERENCE!

Potential employers are going to check your references so be sure your due dilligence goes beyond the cover letter, resume and job interview and secure those positive job references before you apply for a new  position.

As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Coach and fearless networker, I never miss an opportunity to get a reference.  Here is just one of the many references I have received:

“On relocating to Canada from the UK, I realized that without employment experience in the new country I needed an all important edge to find that new career. My old résumé was out-dated and not tailored to the employment requirements in Canada.

I researched and contacted several résumé writing services but Elite Résumés from the very outset was different. You treated me professionally and with integrity but most importantly you treated my time as a valuable commodity.

The all important interview process where your expertise and experience left no career stone unturned, was a process where I surprisingly learned a great deal more about myself. The great attention to detail and effort you applied resulted in a résumé where all my experience and skills were clearly specified far beyond anything I expected.

After the résumé writing process, I discovered the real value of choosing Elite Resumes. The numerous phone calls to check on my progress and always being ready to offer valuable assistance and advice were greatly appreciated, especially from someone with vast experience and a network of human resource organizations and contacts. You referred me to a network group where I found the job notice for the position I secured.

It was this advice and knowledge combined with the résumé, which led me down the path to new employment in Canada, meeting many of my career expectations in five short weeks. I feel sure this would not have been possible without the services and added assistance you offered me.”

— J Richmond

“Tattoos can mark a career”, a recent article in the Toronto Star says Toronto employers advise job candidates to “be sensible” when meeting a prospective boss for the first time, and that includes hiding any tattoos or body piercings in order to make a good first impression.  Marc Belaiche, president of TorontoJobs.ca says most employers view tattoos negatively.  “It’s common sense” he says.  ”It’s like knowing you shouldn’t wear jeans to an interview.”

The results of a tattoo and body piercing survey by career website Vault.com found that 85% of employees who responded recognized that body decorations can hinder a candidate’s chances of getting a job.  Obviously people are getting the message, as last years survey resulted in only 19% agreeing that tattoos could impede their potential to land a job!

Belaiche said, “If it’s a mechanics job, the employers don’t care but if it’s a white-collar job – meaning downtown corporate banks or financial institutions – they’re more against tatoos showing or even nose rings.  They don’t want anything out of the norm.”

Kevin Final, a temporary-services co-ordinator at Temps4u tells any potential employee to cover up before going to an interview or assignment and says hiding tattoos does not stifle a person’s individuality.  “There are a lot of things that are part of a person that expresses who they are, but that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate everywhere they are.”  He says clients don’t specifically ask for workers who don’t have prominent tattoos because it’s typically an unspoken understanding.  “You just don’t do it.”

If you are interested in working in work pants or jeans for the rest of your life you will likely not be negatively affected by sporting your body piercings or tattoos.  However, if you choose to seek a high profile position it will be necessary to cover up or begin a long term investment in plastic surgery to fill in the holes and remove the ink.

We have all heard it so many times before but it is a reminder that needs to be said again and again, ”You do not get a second chance to make a good first impression”!  Your look, your information, your voice, your words; everything you say and do creates an impression and if you want the job you better do whatever is necessary to create a positive and professional impression!

What is your impression if someone…….

…sends you documentation expecting a response but neglects to include their email address or phone number?

…leaves you a voice mail including a phone number but you’ve listened to it ten times and still can’t understand it?

…enters the room you are in and their perfume or cologne is so overpowering that you have to leave?

…has so many tatoos and body piercings that you can’t help but stare?

…walks into a job interview unshaven and in casual attire when applying for an executive position?

…shakes your hand with with a very limp handshake?

…reeks of booze and cigarettes?

…enters into a conversation with you but never looks you in the eye?

…spends most of your meeting preoccupied with their Blackberry?

…is comfortable engaging in foul language on your first introduction?

…sends you a letter and your name is spelled wrong?

First impressions are lasting impressions!  Get it right the first time because, “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression”!

Are you prepared to address the questions and concerns of a decision maker during a job interview?  Are you aware of the questions and concerns prevalent throughout the various levels within a company?  The following questions, even if they are not asked, will be ones that you should be prepared to answer or at least take into consideration:

Hiring Manager; Will you make me look good without being a threat to my job security?  Can you do the job?  Can you get up to speed quickly?  Will you work well with the team?  Will you fit in with my management philosphy?

Boss’s Boss; Do you understand the strategic company-wide impacts of the position?  Do you fit into the “big picture”?  Are you promotable?

Human Resources; Do you have the competencies for the job?  Will you be a good cultural fit?  Will there be any compliance issues?

Technical people; Do you have the certificates, degrees and experience to do the job?

Sales and Marketing; Can you help make this organization more competitive?

Managing/Finance Directors; Can you help make this company more profitable?

Peers; Will you be easy to work with?  Will you be a grand-stander, seeking all the glory, or will you contribute collaboratively and uphold the acronym for TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More.

Subordinates; Will you be easy to work for?  Can you give us what we want, rewards, recognition, responsibility?

As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, many of these concerns will be covered in your resume but you will still need to be prepared to address any questions or concerns from the various company contacts that could be the key decision makers during your job interview.   Be prepared to assure them that you are the right candidate for the job!

You will not get a second chance to make a good first impression in a job interview so you will want to be conscious of your body language.  Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

When you walk into a room, look confident and as if you belong there.  At the end of the interview, avoid exiting the room with your back to the interviewer.

Standing tall with your head high or sitting without slouching and leaning forward slightly will send a signal of confidence and interest.

Eye contact should be steady without staring.  Avoid looking away when asked a question as it may be seen as a sign of untruthfulness.  Direct eye contact when answering a question is usually a sign of honesty.

Gestures are acceptable as long as they are kept to a minimum and are not too outrageous.  No one will ever forget Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah’s couch.  Although he felt it was a harmless gesture it was clear that it went beyond the comfort level of most people.  There is nothing wrong with enthusiasm, but don’t overdo it!  Keep your feet on the floor, your hands below your shoulders and offer an occasional nod indicating interest and understanding.  Remember by keeping your body still it is an indication that you are listening intently.

Avoid any physical signs of nervousness such as nail biting or jiggling a foot or leg.  Do not chew gum or wear sunglasses on your head or eyes.

Be aware of an individuals comfort zone when it comes to their personal space.  It varies per individual but when their eyes dart away, it’s a clear indication to back off, you’re too close.

If you are able to keep your body language in check, take a closer look at your interviewer.  You may learn more from their body language than you will from their verbal communication.