How to Get Hired

How to Get Hired   The competition for jobs performed by highly qualified people can become quite fierce. In this environment you need every possible edge to help you land the job. Here are eight of the most common trips and traps to overcome during job interviews. Not doing your homework. Employers want more than a warm body in their organization, so it's important to be prepared when you attend your interview. First, do a little homework about the company to make sure you know what they do and why it's a fit for you. Next, ask a friend to help you with a few practice questions targeted to your industry. You may be expected to prove your understanding of this company's business situation and why you're the best fit for the job. Getting too comfortable. Be relaxed but also professional. Don't allow yourself to become overly familiar and say something (even jokingly) that you might regret later. Pretending you don't have any weaknesses. Showing you're human doesn't mean surrendering the job. If you're asked, "What are your weaknesses?" don't pretend you don't have any. Instead, develop an answer (ahead of the interview, not on the spot) that illustrates how you have learned from past mistakes. Talking too much. It may happen—the interview goes silent and you sit nervously wondering if you should "add some color" and details to your last answer. It might also, however, be a tactic to see how you handle pressure. If you have answered the question, keep cool and keep quiet, or politely ask if there is anything else the interviewer would like you to explain. Talking too little. On the other hand, you don't want to be overly brief. Responding with curt "yes" or "no" answers makes the interviewer work too hard. Reply to each question thoroughly and confidently so the interviewer can tell if you're a fit for the position. Not asking any questions. Show your interviewer you've got "higher-altitude" questions about the job, the company's situation in its marketplace and the hiring manager's priorities. You can prepare questions ahead of time, but sometimes the best ones will come from paying attention to the interviewer and allowing questions to spring organically from your conversation. Groveling. Though you may really want (and even need) the job, don't overdo it with brownnosing or lavishing compliments. The key is to not act desperate—doing so can allow you to come across as wheedling and insecure. Being a robot. View an interview as a genuine conversation with someone in which you are truly interested. All you have to do is be yourself and participate. Don't follow rigid interview scripts; you will only make yourself more nervous by pressuring yourself to memorize words. Instead, show what you know and let them lead the way. Sources: General Employment Enterprises, LinkedIn