Lately I’ve been interviewing for a couple of positions here at the agency. Due to this, I’ve noticed some things that have surprised me about how candidates are now approaching getting “the” job. What I’ve found is that younger people have a different mindset when it comes to the interview process, so I thought I’d put down my “Top 3” tips to impress someone when in an interview.
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Dress for success – While this may sound like a “no brainer” you’d be surprised how many people don’t dress for the job they are interviewing for. I’ve been shocked to see how casual people have dressed when coming to interview. While we live in a more business casual environment, when interviewing for a new job or your first job, it’s probably best to dress more business and less casual.
Bring your resume – This was shocking to me, and even to a co-worker I had in the interviews with me. We interviewed five people in one day and not one of them brought copies of their resume! How do you expect to sell yourself if you don’t have your resume? Your resume tells your story, it gives the person conducting the interview information to ask you questions, it creates conversation. While I thought this would be a given, surprisingly enough, it’s something that apparently needs to be repeating.
Ask questions – When the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions of me?” Take the opportunity to ask questions. This shows that you’re truly interested in the position and the company. It’s impossible for an interviewer to tell you everything you wanted to know about the position or the company. Asking questions doesn’t make you look stupid, in fact it makes you look smart.
So while these three tips aren’t anything you probably haven’t heard before, it’s amazing how many people don’t practice these basics when trying to land a job.
