By Gina Beckman
So you have been landing a bunch of first and even second interviews without getting a single job offer. The good news is that your resume is doing exactly what it is supposed to do, which is spur employers’ interest and get them to want to meet you. And that, my friend, is super!
But now you need to figure out what is going on at those job interviews that is stopping you from landing an offer.
I will be frank; interviewing is not easy. And even though I talk and write about this stuff all the time (you might even say that I am an expert on the topic), I confess that even I don’t interview as well is I probably could. Nevertheless, I have some great tips to combat some of the biggest interview mistakes:
- STOP TALKING. What? One’s professional polish can be quickly sidelined by his or her tendency to be overly chatty, to go off subject or to speak too fast. When asked an interview question, be sure to speak deliberately (neither too fast nor too slow), say what you need to say and then be comfortable enough to stop speaking when your answer is done.
- MAKE EYE CONTACT. I have personally interviewed people who quite honestly seemed to find the wallpaper in my office way more interesting than my face. Just think how you would feel if someone refused to look straight at you. It can be a little creepy.
- BE CONFIDENT IN YOUR ABILITIES. Many people (particularly women) tend to downplay their talent and successes; don’t be one of those people. It is vital that you give you and your skills due credit in an objective way so you neither sound like you are boasting nor belittling yourself. When asked about their spreadsheet skills, which of the following three candidates do you think is most likely to land a job offer? The one that responds “I am super good at Excel!” or the one that says “I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I can use Excel pretty well, I guess” or the one that says “I have strong Excel skills and take a yearly brush up course to keep current on the updates.” It is all about positioning yourself in a positive, professional, polished light.
So if you are landing those job interviews, your resume is opening the doors that it was designed to open. Now it is your turn to brush up on those interview skills and close the deal on that job offer.
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