This is important for everyone who stresses out and forgets things, which unfortunately includes all of us. The thought of applying for a job, you may or may not be over the moon about, can be enough to stress most of us out and make us forget important things. At important times like for job interviews, a painfully obvious checklist cannot be avoided. Even job hunting veterans need to double check just to be safe rather than sorry.
- Do not be late: To get this point out of the way first will help relieve most of your worries. The problems to prepare for include, planning your journey, having enough sleep, waking up on time, getting dressed and leaving with time to spare. If you get to your destination too early, do not waltz in there announcing your arrival. Instead, you should find a nice place like a coffee shop where you can have something to eat if you wish, but mostly to give yourself a quiet place for reviewing your interview notes. If you apply for digital jobs in Manchester and your future employer would have you working from home, waking up and doing things in your own time. This luxury does extend to meetings and certainly not an interview for a role you do not even have.
- Take care when walking – confidence vs arrogance: That fine line between the two is a tough walk, especially if you are applying for a role that requires you to be super confident and quite pushy, such as sales roles. Yes, you may wish to show your undeniable desire for the job, but do so in small doses and try to gauge the interviewer in a positive sense. Be polite and respectful, do not ever tell them that you wish to be very successful and have their job someday, maybe go with “I look forward to working alongside yourself as soon as I have proven myself”.
- Complain about current or previous employers: Give it some serious thought – would you hire someone who just shoots down people in order to get ahead in life and get a new wonderful job? You certainly would not, or at the very least you would be wary of them. Be diplomatic regarding negativity if you are asked about bad situations from previous jobs, and try your best to come across as a “team player”. Trust is key.
- Focus: You want to be attentive and wide awake – like a sponge ready to absorb what the interviewer says and be present of mind. Try your best to understand them and reply with a clear focus on what they actually want to hear rather than rambling on and getting sidetracked. As an extension to this, get sufficient rest before interview so you can function at your best. Nobody likes talking to people who cannot even look them in eye, slouching and constantly yawning unless they are the one talking. Your body language speaks for itself, and it is an interviewers job to figure out who in the best candidate for their company. Therefore, try to speak and well not only through your speech but how you present yourself as a whole.