In times of fierce competition, it has become difficult to find a suitable job.
You have to go through different obstacles just to secure a job.
You have to do interviews, aptitude tests, and written tests which has made landing a job challenging.
However, there are some small things that you can do to help you to land a job without much effort.
Today on the blog, I will share with you four things that you can do to help you get the job that you have always wanted.
1. Research the Company Beforehand
Before you attend an interview, do an ample amount of research about the company.
Learn when the company was founded, why it was founded, the company culture, their mission and vision statement, and see if they are featured in any publications.
This will help you understand the different dimensions of the company and how you can potentially contribute to its growth and success.
There are other things that you can review too such as recent challenges in the company, see what their successes are, and review what their customers are saying about them online.
Also, if you can find publicly available finances review those as well. It can really impress the interviewer and empower you with the knowledge that can come in handy when you start employment. This will definitely give you an edge over your competition.
I want to share with you an experience that I had recently.
This is what you shouldn’t do when you are inquiring about a job.
I was sending out LinkedIn inMail messages, with details about the company and the job description for one of my more technical roles, and a candidate wanted to learn more about it.
I asked this candidate “What caught your eye about the company?”
And they responded with, “Oh, I honestly didn’t look at it”.
Not a good first impression that you want to make.
As you can imagine, the rest of the conversation was mostly about me talking about the company and not learning about him and what he had to offer.
2. Be Aware of Your Body Language During Your Interviews
An experienced recruiter can easily judge the personality of a candidate by analyzing their body language.
We underestimate how obvious our body language is to other people.
Non-verbal communication constitutes more than 80% of our total communication.
When interviewing face-to-face or on the phone you should sit up straight, be alert, try not to cross your arms, and take deep breaths after every question. This will help you feel more confident and powerful during your interview.
Other tips for a successful face-to-face interview:
- Start with a firm handshake.
- Build rapport by properly introducing yourself.
- Mention how you have been looking forward to the interview.
- Maintain eye contact with the interviewer while occasionally looking away.
- Take a notebook and pen to write down important company or job information for future reference.
If you are interviewing with a panel, then you will want to use the Lighthouse Technique.
With the Lighthouse Technique, you are spreading out your eye contact from one end of the table to the other end while answering a question. Then circling back to the interviewer who asked the question.
By utilizing this technique it will help you avoid staring at one person during the entire interview.
3. Leave a Handwritten Thank You Note with the Receptionist
You may be thinking that the job search etiquette of leaving a handwritten thank you note is outdated in the modern world of emails, hangouts, and text messages. And this is not true.
This small and simple gesture will differentiate you from your competitors. It will instantly create a more personal connection with the interviewer.
Use this opportunity to highlight your favorite part of the interview. This can be anything from a question that was asked or a tour of the facility/office.
4. Have a Positive Conversation with the Receptionist
Don’t underestimate the power of a positive conversation with the receptionist.
A 15-minute conversation with the gatekeeper can sometimes provide more information than you think.
This ‘insider’ will know the preferences of the panel members, internal discussions of the job you have applied for, and the company culture.
Strike a good conversation with the receptionist before your interview starts.
Once the interview is over, ask him or her to pass the thank you note(s) to the interviewer(s).
They are likely to say something nice about you when they pass your note along.
Now It’s Your Turn to Take Action
Use these four tips to become a front-runner at your next interview.
Don’t forget to let me know how it goes!
Feel free to reach out to me at recruitgyan@gmail.com for a mock interview session.
