While our economy is supposedly recovering, many employers are still gun-shy about hiring new employees. As a result, they’ve imposed stringent hiring processes in order to ensure they find just the right person, including several rounds of interviews. According to the Wall Street Journal, job openings that used to take about two months to fill, are therefore taking four times longer because employers are holding out for “the perfect candidate.”
As a Dade County employment firm, we know there’s no such thing as “the perfect candidate”; but there are steps you can take to help you nail your first interview and move onto round 2 (or 3 or 4). Here’s a look.
Speak in memorable sound bites.
What you say will be the deciding factor in whether you get invited back for round two. To ensure you make a memorable impression, prepare a bunch of sound bites about yourself ahead of time. These succinct and unforgettable one-liners – such as “My people skills are my biggest strength, and in fact, in my previous position, I won three awards for excellence in customer service” – will help you answer tough questions and set you apart from the competition.
Analyze yourself.
If you’re going on interview after interview and not getting any callbacks, the problem could be how you’re coming across to the interviewer. So how are you coming across? If you’re uncertain, then video record yourself answering some common interview questions. What is your body language saying about you? Are you answering questions in a succinct and articulate manner? If you see a problem, then correct it through practice.
Match the interviewer.
If the interviewer is friendly and wants to engage in conversation, then be open as well. (Just don’t get too informal.) However, if the interviewer appears more formal and business-like, then you should be too. Also try to match your interviewer’s mannerisms, tone, and speed so they feel more comfortable with you.
Ask the right questions.
Obviously, you should ask questions about the position, what it entails, and what the company’s work culture is like. But two extremely important questions to ask, that most candidates don’t, include the following:
- “Based on my background, are there any challenges you see me facing in this position?” If there are any challenges, such as not enough experience, you have the opportunity to address them at the interview and hopefully help the interviewer overcome them.
- “When and how would you like me to follow up?” The interviewer’s answer should give you a sense of the timeframe in which they’d like to make a decision and also doesn’t leave you guessing about a follow-up strategy.
If you’d like some additional interviewing tips, or help finding a job, please contact Future Force Personnel. As one of Dade County’s leading employment firms, we know where to look to find the area’s best jobs. Contact us today to learn more!