The most difficult thing after a root canal appointment undoubtedly is a job interview, and if you nodded a yes while reading this, then I am with you, my friend. Being someone who has frequently switched jobs at the beginning of my career, sitting down for interviews almost became a part of my routine. Don’t get me wrong when I say that I switched several jobs. I did that because I wanted to travel the world and so kept looking for new jobs in different states and countries.
And because I’ve been part of several job interviews in various states over the years, I’ve tried and tested several methods to impress and almost influence the hiring manager to hire me during the interview process. Since many of you are still struggling to get jobs in Florida, I thought of sharing my experience and breaking down the secret for you all.
What Are Hiring Managers Looking For In Their Candidate?
Before we jump into the ‘hows’ of the situation, let’s start with the ‘whats’. It is of utmost importance to understand the mindset with which your hiring manager is sitting on the chair opposite you, browsing through your resume while you nervously sit and wait for them to speak. As someone in charge of hiring people for the company, a manager not only wants you to be academically qualified or experience for the job, but they also expect you to fit in the office culture and show sincerity towards your responsibility. A few of the key points that they look for are:
- If you will fit in their Culture
- If you will cooperate with the Management
- If you have the Core Skills for the job
- If you will understand your Roles and Responsibilities
- If you are Excited about the opportunity
- If you will deliver Long Term Services to the organization
How To Impress and Influence The Hiring Manager?
Now that you’re aware of what is expected out of you during the interview, I will take you through each point and how to ace at it to check through all the boxes of the hiring manager.
1. Do A Thorough Research Of The Company
Before you step in for the interview, do your research right. Try to read up about the company and the culture they follow. Read employee reviews to understand if the company has a friendly, relaxed, or absolutely corporate culture. Once you know what you’re getting yourself into, it’ll be easier to present yourself as a good fit. If the company portrays a relaxed office culture, then talk about things on similar lines. Tell them that you’re looking for an organization that gives you your creative liberties and there is no strict hierarchy so that you can communicate your concerns to the person in charge there and then.
2. Be Excited and Expressive About The Opportunity
When you sit down for an interview, the hiring manager looks through your posture and your body language when you talk to them. You need to convince them that you are really excited about this job and that you are willing to cooperate with the management in whatever capacity you can. Express your interest by asking questions about the company or by telling them that you have kept a tab on the company stats for a while now because you wanted to be part of the team someday. These things make the manager believe that you are truly interested in the job and are not there to waste everyone’s time.
3. Talk About Relevant Skills
Always be careful when you start mentioning your skillset. Make sure that you only talk about the ones that are relevant to the position you have applied for. Do not unnecessarily keep going about mentioning basic skills or made-up talents. That never works! If you’re right out of college, you can still play around a little since you don’t have any previous experience.
My advice for kids – Do tell them about your exceptional coffee-making skills. Trust me it’ll take you places!
4. Be A Good Listener Too
What nobody tells you about an interview is that you don’t just have to talk well in that room, but also have to be a great listener. Your hiring manager will ask you questions and keep talking in between, do not cut them or ignore what they said. Always take a break in between your talking and hear them out. That shows your respect and attentiveness. the manager takes you for someone who is humble, cooperative, and mindful. Plus, taking a little break gives you time to think about what to say next. That really helps!
5. Ask Questions If You Can
Most hiring managers always end the interview with “Do you have any questions?”. Try to make use of it. Since you have done your research well, try to come up with a relevant question that leaves a good impression. Don’t jump onto questions like What is the salary? What is the notice period? These will leave a very negative impression. Instead, ask about questions like I was going through your magazine while waiting for my turn and read that the company joined hands with an International client recently, that must have brought in a lot of new opportunities for the company? Or ask something that is relevant to your profile. For example, if you are applying as a fresher, ask them about the average age of the office staff so that you can know if you’ll fit well or not. These are pretty much all tried and tested in one or the other interviews I gave, so I can assure you that they work brilliantly. Prepare well but do not stress too much. Interviews can be fun if you know what are you looking for. Just give these methods a try and let me know in the comment section below if they worked for you too!
