How to survive a job interview

How to Survive a Job Interview

We all know people who are always “a ball of nervous energy” whenever they go to a job interview. Since they are nervous, a lot of people make mistakes that cost them the job that they would not have made if they had a clear head. This is understandable since surviving a job interview is such a daunting task to accomplish. Here are some tips that will hopefully soothe those troubled minds.

Dress appropriately for the interview. Kate McInnes, author of “How To Survive A Job Interview,” states that a person looking for a job should “leave the suit and tie at home.” Great advice, because if the place a person wants a job at is not a suit and tie sort of place, the person wearing one will look too “stiff” and “old fashion.” Also, no one else will be wearing one and the person will look awkward and out of place. McInnes also says a person should not show up in jeans and sneakers either. Also good advice because a place might not be a suit and tie place, but it is still a place of work and a person should dress professionally and ready to work. That means no jeans, sneakers, flip flops, showing of underwear, no low cut shirts, and no showing tattoos and piercings. What I am trying to get at is that a person should not dress up too much, but they do not want to underdress either.

If a person goes through the trouble of getting an interview, they should have the common decency of showing up on time. McInnes says in her post that “arriving on time is good,” because it “separates you from the other applicants and every little bit helps.” Showing up on time to a job interview is very important. Being nervous, as well as late to an interview, is not good and will probably cost someone the job. If a person knows they will be late, they should call and ask to reschedule. While being on time to an interview is very important, a person should not show up too early to one either. Showing up too early at an interview can be troublesome and annoying to the interviewer. He or she might be on break or in a meeting and will have to be interrupted to be told the applicant is here. Instead, look around and get to know the place. See if it is a good work environment. A person should show up on time to an interview or only a few minutes before to make the best impression possible.

A person separating themselves from the rest in a good way is crucial, but separating oneself in a bad way could cost you the job. Katherine Goldstein, author of “Arianna Huffington and Getting A Job At Huffington Post,” is a good example of having a positive impact while Bruce Hurwitz’s story on Amy Levin-Epstein’s post “Job Interview Horror Stories” is a perfect example of making a very bad impression. Goldstein was thrown into her interview ill prepared, and, to make matters worse, she was being filmed the entire time. She kept her cool and eventually got the job due to her good attitude and ability to adapt. Hurwitz’s story, however, did not go quite as well. Hurwitz was waiting for the elevator when a man walked up and started talking to a woman also waiting for the elevator. She chose to ignore him so the man started yelling at her about “how he was interviewing for for a great job with a great salary and he could buy and sell her” if he wanted to. Bruce was the interviewer and told the man the interview had been canceled. Now, some people will say all a person has to do to get a job is to know people. While, yes, it is nice to know some people to help out, it is still up to the person to make a good enough impression to get hired. If a person is confident, and makes a good enough impression, more than likely, they will get the job.

To recap all the major points of this advice, dress appropriately, show up at reasonable time, and make a good impression while not making yourself look bad. Now that you know these helpful hints, do you think you can successfully survive an interview?

Doyle, Alison. "What Not to Wear on an Interview." About.com Job Searching. About.com. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewattire/a/interviewnot.htm>.

Kennedy, Erin. "How To Survive A Job Interview." Executive Resume Writers & Professional Resume Services by Erin Kennedy. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://exclusive-executive-resumes.com/interviewing/how-to-survive-a-job-interview/>.

McInnes, Kate. "How to Survive a Job Interview, 10 Tips for Creative Professionals." Adobe Illustrator and Vector Tutorials, from Beginner to Advanced. 04 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-survive-a-job-interview-10-tips-for-creative-professionals/>.

Levin-Epstein, Amy. "Job Interview Horror Stories." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-47540318/job-interview-horror-stories/>.

Goldstein, Katherine. "Arrianna Huffington and Getting a Job at the Huffington Post: My Story." Slate Magazine. Slate.com, 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 15 May 2012.