Tips for a Solid Job Interview

Know What You Are Applying For

There is absolutely nothing worse than when someone shows up to interview for a job and they do not know what the job description is. You do not need to know every little detail of the job that is what orientation is but you should have a general idea of what you will be doing. If you are applying for a house keeping job then it is beneficial to know that. Even more when answering interview questions try your best to provide examples that you could possibly experience in the position you are applying for.

Always spend 10-15 minutes before your interview researching the company that you are applying with. There is nothing more impressive to a manager then someone who knows what they are applying for and the general goals of the company.

Reference Checks- Let Them Know!

When I phone your reference checks I do not want to have to explain who I am, where I am calling from and what you will be doing. My first thought when an applicate does not take the 5 minutes to ask someone to be a reference is that they are lazy. They are too lazy to ask their supervisor to vouch for what a great worker they are, and then I am thinking you might not be all that great.

Making people aware that you are putting them down as a reference shows me that you are serious about the job and have the responsibility to make sure your co-workers/supervisors are aware. Plus there is nothing worse than calling for a reference check to a supervisor who had no idea that you were planning on leaving.

Dress to Impress

I do not agree with the idea that you should dress for the job, but I am a firm believer that you should always dress to impress. I hire housekeepers for a living but I hold then to the same expectation that I would hold myself when applying for a manager job. If you show up in my office with sweatpants or even jeans on I am not going to be impressed. Sure this is a part time job, but you telling me your plans and goals to eventually move up in the company in sweats are not a good impression. I do not what to hire you now let alone into a supervisor position.

I am Going to Judge You!

The entire purpose of a job interview is that I am going to judge you. And not even just in the interview. From the second that I pick up your application and resume I am judging you. When you come into my office I am judging you. Are you a good person, are you an honest person, can I trust you with the lives of the residents that live her. I do not know you and so this 45 minutes that we have together is where I am going to make all my decisions about you. No seconds chances.

If you submit an application (and I have had this) with the wrong date, the wrong position (which you do not have the education for), and the wrong company; I am not even going to bother calling you. It is the small details that I am going look for and I am going to pressure you on. You say that you have excellent typing skills yet you miss spelled multiple words in your cover letter. Is it some freak accident or do you just suck at typing and was hoping I would not notice. If it was some freak accident am I going to believe you when you try to tell me it is. This is the reality of what is going through my head.

Side note I once has an interview where someone showed up with the baby! I am not kidding you. She dropped her resume off, scheduled an interview and showed up for the interview all with her baby. Now I know there may be more to the story then I know and I am sure there is but can you tell me that sitting through an interview with baby is a good idea. Nope. Why is your kid here? Is this going to be a problem? Are you even a reliable hire? This is what is going through my head.

Rehearse

There is nothing wrong with rehearsing questions that you anticipate that you will be asked. I have done it for every job interview I have ever had. Not only does it give you a chance to think of answers but lets you hear what you are saying. Driving home turn the radio off and think of questions you could be asked and then actually say your answer out loud. Trust me it will help in so many ways especially if you are not comfortable talking in front of strangers.

Be Confident

I understand that interviews make a lot of people nervous. There is a ton of pressure when it comes down to it. There I am sure is always more to someone’s story then we could ever know. Showing confident is something that employers always want to see. If you are a little nervous great it makes you human. Letting slip once that you are a bit nervous may be good. I know when I have someone say this I try to slow things down a bit and make sure that they feel they have answered my questions to the best that they can. Now on the other side, do not tell me 15 times that you are nervous. I know from the first time that you are. If you have this much trouble getting through an interview what are you going to do when one of my residents are in a life or death situation. I need a confident employee who will help residents in their tough situations, not make it worse because they are nervous.