More interviewing tips

Although the majority of our communication is nonverbal, it’s still important to carefully plan what you will say during a job interview. The following tips can help put your best foot forward when speaking to a prospective employer.

No blame games allowed. Though it may be tempting to talk about how your previous boss was incompetent or how the company you worked for was filled with unscrupulous slave drivers, that’s not going to endear you to an interviewer. When asked about your experiences at your past jobs, talk about what you learned from your former positions without trying to make others look bad.

Research, research, research. With all of the information that we have access to, employers expect you to do your homework before an interview. Be sure to read up on the company and impress your interviewer by referencing specific facts that you learned about the organization. Also, use the information you learned as a springboard when preparing questions of your own. Interviewers expect the process to be a two-way street and become concerned with candidates that ask no questions.

Keep it real. When interviewers ask questions about the failures that you have experienced in your career, they are not trying to find the more perfect employee in the pool if candidates. In fact, they want to hear about your real failures—particularly how you handled them and what you learned from what went wrong. If an interviewee claims to be devoid of mistakes, this is a huge red flag to a hiring manager.

Part One: The importance of nonverbal communication during job interviews
Part Two: Nonverbal behaviors during interviews

More Workplace Communication:
Bosses afraid to communicate
Characteristics of e-mail communication
Don’t call me Liz!: Elizabeth Becton incident illustrates workplace communication breakdown
Why texting and job hunting don’t mix

 
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