Getting rejection after rejection for jobs that seem like a great fit can make you feel as though the recruitment process is rigged against you. Before you give in to conspiracy theories, consider ways your presentation or behavior may be sinking your job interviews. Employers are drawn to candidates who are passionate and understand how to bring value and efficiency to the role, so don't leave them guessing about what you have to offer.
1. Show Passion
Put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes, and imagine interviewing someone who slumps in his seat, gives short, vague answers, and asks little about the position or company. Enthusiasm should come through in your speech and body language, showing hiring managers you care about how and where you work. Visualize your behavior and personality in a normal, low-stakes conversation, and practice speaking about your accomplishments with the same natural, confident demeanor. Avoid sounding bored in the job interview by emphasizing topics of mutual interest, such as company goals or challenges that led to your professional development.
2. Confront Your Flaws
Sadly, an awkward or off-putting habit can overcome impressive qualifications. Landing a job interview is tough, so if your resume repeatedly beats out the competition, it may be unintentional behavior flaws scaring away hiring managers. Tape a mock job interview with people you trust to determine whether you give off negative energy or have distracting nervous ticks, such as fidgeting, giggling, staring or avoiding eye contact. For many employers, cultural fit is nearly as important as expertise, making it essential to be both professional and likable.
3. Ask the Right Questions
If you don't have questions about the company, hiring managers assume you're desperate, indifferent or devoid of personal standards. Learn everything you can about the company, and think about the duties, challenges and cultural policies you're likely to face on the job. Use the holes in your information to generate thoughtful questions about the chain of command, performance evaluation, product pipeline, employee engagement and training resources. Show your expertise and desire to learn by discussing the technical solutions or obstacles involved in daily operations.
4. Communicate Your Value
Employers care most about the return on investment for hiring you, and they expect you to connect the dots between your experience, skills and value proposition. Whether the job interview involves straightforward or open-ended questions, add depth to your answers with compelling examples of how your expertise and decision-making skills can solve problems or increase profit and efficiency for the company.
5. Rethink Your Career Choice
If you find it difficult to show passion or communicate your value, you may be pursuing the wrong jobs. Debt and financial freedom are powerful motivators, but a stressful job search becomes exceptionally draining when you're only chasing a paycheck. Break out of the habit of looking for familiar job titles, and perform skills-based searches for positions that motivate and interest you.
Positivity, confidence and good salesmanship are essential for acing job interviews. If you can't overcome interview jitters, find creative ways to sidestep the typical recruitment process and build long-term rapport with influential professionals through shared interests, such as trade organizations, volunteer groups and chambers of commerce.
Photo courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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