Career Services from Measurability

Even when you have prepared thoroughly some interviews may not go to plan and you can still struggle. This can happen for a wide variety of reasons.

If an interview is not going to plan what can you do?

There are two options:

a) Continue on as you are and accept your fate. Thank the interviewer and leave the interview. You have sealed your fate and you will not get the job.

OR

b) Address the situation and try to rectify it and fight yourself out of the corner. If you are aware of the mistake you can admit to the mistake. You can point out the mistake and explain what you meant to say. If you feel the interview is not going well but are unclear why then just ask the interviewer for feedback.

Let’s face it you may not be able to pull the interview back into a favorable scenario BUT if the interview is not going well you certainly have nothing to lose.

Measurability can help you with all your interview preparation. We offer expert interview coaching and advice. Work with a leading Irish Interview expert.

Ending an interview can be a bit like a first date. You want to play cool and don’t want to seem too keen. Well sometimes you meet the right person and you need to make sure they know you are interested. This is the same as an interview. When you find the right job and have a good feeling about a company should you leave it to chance that the employer knows how you feel? A closing statement can make or lose a job offer. When working in recruitment I often received feedback from a client that my candidate did not seem interested. The candidate had indicated to me that they would take any offer just to get the job. Therefore something went wrong in the communication process.

How do you normally close your interviews?

Do you play it cool? – this can hide desperation and it can also help when it gets the business end – negotiating salary

Do you tell them how you really feel? – this can seem desperate and can put you in a weaker position in negotiations BUT at least the employer is in no doubt that you want the job.

Which statement do you end your interviews with?

“I am interested in the job and I look forward to your response”

Or

“I would love to work here. Can I have the job?”

I guess each individual’s situation is different and you can only assess it on a case by case basis. My point is that if you do an interview and love the job ensure the employer is aware - don’t leave it to chance.

Measurability offer expert interview coaching and advice services in Ireland. If you are struggling at interview and need help from a professional contact us for more information. Interview success is just a phonecall away.

If you are blessed with impatience like me the most frustrating thing about job hunting is waiting for feedback and decisions from Job Interviews. Waiting for a call from a recruitment agency or a company where you have submitted a CV for a job. I would say it is even worse waiting for feedback from an job interview though as you are at the final hurdle.

So how do you manage this to ensure prompt feedback without annoying the potential employer?

1. It is essential to ask the employer when they hope to have a decision. You can do this at the end of the interview. Ensure that the employer has the correct contact details for you.
2. Some will advice you to send a thank you letter. I have never personally done this myself but it cannot do any harm. It will keep you in the employers mind and could help sing a recruitment decision.
3. If you don’t hear within the agreed timeframe – call the employer unless it was clearly stated not to do so. To facilitate this make sure that you have his or her contact details. If you are not provided with a business card at the interview you can request it.
4. Chasing feedback from an interview when managed correctly shows that you are keen and take initiative. But ensure that you do not overstep the line as this can paint a picture of annoyance and desperation.
5. Recruitment processes do not always run to smooth timeframes so stay patient. An employer may provide you with a decision date BUT when this passes it does not always spell bad news. To counter this keep yourself busy applying and interviewing for other positions.

When you do finally get a job offer it is a nice touch to let appropriate parties know this. This can be recruitment agencies or other employers where you are in consideration. This is a nice touch and will ensure you leave a good impression with people as you do not know when you will be back on the job market.

Need help with your CV or interview coaching contact Meaurability.

Probably the most common question I am asked when providing interview coaching sessions is “How do you handle the Salary question?” Simple think of a figure and multiply it by 10 – That would be nice!!There are a couple of points I make clear to job-seekers.1. It is probably best to dodge answering this question because you could price yourself out of the job BUT worse under-price yourself. I advise job-seekers to respond something like “I am currently on x but I am open to salary depending on the role and the location” This side steps answering and it also give the impression that you are not money driven. Or you could answer with a question “What would a role like this pay in your company?” The important thing is that this strategy forces the employer to lay their cards on the table first. If they make an offer under your expectation then you can negotiate. If they make an offer over your expectation – great!!.

2. If you have a minimum figure and money is a key motivation it is probably best to give the client indication of this if asked. Again how you ask for it is important. There is no point dancing round the question only to find after 3 interviews and alot of time invested that they can’t meet your expectations - wasting you precious time.

3. Final point – it is probably best to let the employer bring up the Salary topic. Only time I would go against this if you have to go to great time or financial expense to attend an interview and what to assess if it is worth your effort.

For additional information on Interview preparation, Interview Coaching, Competency Interviews and more check out our website Measurability.

 Happy Job Hunting

This post will look at two reasons why many jobseekers fail at interview and why Interview Coaching can help..

 Poor communication at a Job Interview - I am not talking about verbal but non-verbal communications. Have you ever heard the 55:38:7 rule. 7% of communication is the words you say so 93% is actually non-verbal. This means that honing non-verbal skills is essential for interview success. You have heard the urban myth that many interviewers make a decision within a few minutes of meeting the interviewee. Interview Coaching can help you get the basics right and you can improve your performance greatly.

Not asking questions at a Job Interview - It is essential that you ask questions. Interviewees will be asked if they have questions at a job interview so have must be prepared for this. By not asking any questions you are sending out the wrong message and a lack of interest in the position or even a lack of preparation for the job interview. Not asking a question is a missed opportunity to get valuable information to help you make important career choices. A job interview is a 2-way process and it is an opportunity for you to find out information about the company.

Interested in interview coaching?

I have been traveling quite a bit with work which will explain the lack of activity on the Blog (excuses!!). I am back for the moment but may go missing again before Christmas and it won’t be to shop. I am working on a project for the education sector at various locations around the country which means I have been staying in a number of hotels. This leads me onto this quick topic.

I have always believed in the power of a smile and this was emphasised while staying in hotels in the last few weeks. Let’s just say a few smiles sorted out a few issues. A smile has the power to change feelings, thought and emotions. Smiles are contagious like yawns and when you smile the world smiles back. I don’t think there is enough smiling going on. Let’s just say the reduction in smiling could have something to do with the increased demand for botox.

It is possible to smile your way to interview. Ok that statement is a bit of an exaggeration but it certainly does help. Many jobseekers take their interview so serious that they forget to smile. Body language makes up 55% of all communication and mastering it is essential for interview success but a simple smile is one of the key tools. When you attend an interview do not forget to smile and perhaps read this poem in the waiting room.

SMILING

Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu.

When someone smiled at me today I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner, and someone saw my grin.

When he smiled I realised, I’d passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile, then I realised its worth.

A single smile just like mine could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected.

Let’s start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!