| June 2004 Missouri Regional Newsletter p6 |
| Interview Tips: Well for some of us, graduation has come, and soon the interviews for those coveted dream jobs will be looming on the horizon. For those who are facing this, are looking for a few tips to help them through the interview process I have discovered the following information for your perusal. 9 Things You Should Never Say in an Interview Avoid the following interview pitfalls as part of a strategy that sells your strengths and assets. By Jennifer Rae Atkins, WetFeet 1. "What does your company do?" Ask questions that show you're well informed and eager to work at the company, not those to which you should already know the answers, or that can be easily gleaned from the company's website or annual report. 2. "My salary requirements are very flexible." Compensation is often the touchiest subject in an interview. Certainly you want to know what a company will pay, and interviewers want to know what you're willing to take. It's a negotiation, not a game. When push comes to shove, you should be willing at least to give a range, even if you have to be broad and say, for example, "I'm looking for something between $30,000 and $60,000." But don't pretend to be flexible when you aren't. If you're worried that your salary requirements are too high for the job, you may need to do some serious thinking about how low you're willing to go. Don't sell yourself short, but ask yourself how much you honestly think you're worth. Do research about what similar jobs pay and what salaries are like in the region. If a company comes back with too low an offer, you can always try and negotiate up. 3. "It would be hella cool to get jiggy with this job." Maybe that is how all of your friends talk (and it's become a habit with you), but it's not the way you should speak during a job interview. Using slang is a serious turnoff for interviewers. You may be articulate, intelligent, and confident, but like, you sure won't sound that way. 4. "Bill Gates himself offered me a $100,000 bonus." Don't lie! You'll be found out, and you'll regret it. Someday when you least expect it, someone somewhere will discover that you didn't really increase sales by 999 percent in six months. Interviewers know you'll probably exaggerate a little to sell yourself; but don't cross the line between exaggeration and out-and-out lying. 5. "In five years, I see myself on a boat in the Caribbean." When interviewers ask you about long-term goals, they want an answer that relates to the company. Telling them that you really want to be living on a farm (unless you're applying for an agricultural job) isn't going to convince them that you're an ambitious professional in your chosen field. Even if you don't plan to stick around long, say something that reflects a commitment to the position and the company. This may seem to contradict the previous exhortation about lying, but try to think of it as a rhetorical question. You might still be at the same company in five years, right? 6. "Sorry, I don't know how to do that." Rather than admitting that you don't have a specific skill, stress that you're a fast learner and are excited about the possibility of acquiring new skills. Most companies would rather hire an enthusiastic, smart person who needs to be trained than someone who already has the required skills but isn't as eager to learn. 7. "You see, I just went through a painful divorce. . . ." Even if an interviewer starts getting personal, don't follow suit. You may think you're being open and honest, but you're really just coming across as unprofessional, unfocused, and disrespectful. Keep it businesslike and polite. continued on page7 |