We all get nervous at job interviews; it’s only natural. Job interviews are scary, it’s the pressure. You’re there to perform, to sell yourself, to show your potential boss just how brilliant you will be for them. So don’t make it any harder for yourself by messing it up because you didn’t prepare yourself properly beforehand.
No one can stop the nerves from jangling as you sit there waiting to be summoned, but whether you’re applying for Glasgow staff nurse jobs or marketing opportunities in Brighton there are some basic do’s and don’ts that will help you make sure you don’t blow it all before the interview even starts.
Firstly – don’t be late!
Strolling in late is an instant turn-off for any employer. It just gives a bad impression from the word go. So it’s down to you to ensure you have allowed for every possible eventuality, as far as that is possible, and get to the interview on time. No wait, get there well before time. But if disaster does strike, which of course it can, for goodness sake phone them and explain what’s happened and depending how bad the situation, ask if they can postpone the interview until later or arrange a fresh date. The fact you have bothered to make contact is better than just arriving late and then explaining and then finding out that you have kept everyone waiting.
Another faux pas – shoddy dress and poor grooming
Really, there’s nothing worse than turning up to interview looking as if you couldn’t be bothered to make an effort to look smart or you come in with stubble on your chin, bad hair, or smell horrible. This matters because if you can’t make an effort with your appearancethe interviewer will be left wondering whether or not you’ll ever be bothered to do your job properly once hired. And yes, you can guess the answer to that.
Turn-off number three? Arrogance
Yes, it’s important to be confident, if you can, but allow arrogance to creep in and you’ll be making a massively serious error. No one likes a “know-all” and you will soon find out.
Lastly – TALK!
Clamming up is not the way to go about wowing the interviewer and landing that job, nor is relying on the interviewer to do all the work for you. Instead, get your mouth moving and take the initiative in the discussions. Resorting to monosyllabic answers or worse saying nothing at all for long periodscan result in only one thing – interview failure!
By Cindy Smith
Cindy Smith is a daily blogger with All the top bananas, the online recruitment specialists with around 500,000 part-time and full-time jobs right across the UK advertised 24/7. Cindy is single and lives in Liverpool.Other recommended reading – three golden secrets to interview success.
