The Inquirer Job Market Career Expo is happening October 4-5 at the Trinoma Activity Center in Quezon City. So if you are reading this right now, take advantage of this 2-day event and make the most out of it. Ernie O. Cecilia, a columnist for Inquirer Business, wrote about some pitfalls that you should look our for doing the interview. So before you get on that bus and head out to grab your dream job, make sure you have these in mind.
Interview Pitfalls of Job Applicants and our Advice
Sweaty Palms
According to Ernie Cecilia, he had to wipe his hands dry after a handshake. So before you do that first contact with your future employer, make sure your hands are dry. No one likes a sweaty handshake! Ew!
Freezing when asked Questions
“Tell me about yourself,” “What do you think is your greatest achievement so far?,” or “Why do you think we should hire you?” Interview 101, make sure you at least thought about what you are going to say when asked these questions.
Using memorized lines several times during the same interview
It’s great to practice lines for your interview, but make sure that these are not overused and not memorized. Play of words people! You can do it!
Spilling a glass of water while putting down the glass
Sit down and keep calm. We know that it is nerve-wrecking to be around this kind of environment. But the moment you are offered a glass of water, breathe and relax before you take a sip from that glass, and put down that glass slowly.
Showing a resume and cover letter for another company
Yikes! If you have several companies you want to apply for, make sure you are giving away the right resume for the right company. Make a first good impression with precision!
Stopping in midsentence as if totally lost
Anxiety is something difficult to overcome, but if you really want the job you are applying for, prepare for it. Get to know the company you are applying for: their mission, vision, the job title, job requirements and such. Remember, breathe in and out, relax.
Chewing a gum during the entire interview
It’s all about first impressions. Chewing gum doesn’t really add to that. So before you reach the Career Expo, make sure you had your fill of candies or sweets. Have a bottle of water to keep you hydrated instead.
Asking permission to go to the bathroom in the middle of the interview
Well, let’s face it. When nature calls, nature calls. So before you do any interviews, make sure you visited the loo to avoid cutting the momentum of interviews.
Not looking at me straight in the eye but on the wall behind me
Ernie Cecilia, has done this job for a long time. Make your future employer know that you want this job, that you prepared for this interview and that you are different from the others. Have that eye to eye contact. It makes a big difference.
Sneezing almost all over me by accident
We are human. We sneeze and we can’t help it. If you know that you have the sniffles, make sure you have you have your handkerchief close and use it. It can save your future career.
Punctuating almost every sentence with “ah, eh, uhm, eh kasi, bali …etc.”
Ernie says, if you are a serious job hunter, then you know what you want, and you are sure that you want it. Use words and phrases like, “I know for sure that,” “I am able to,” and such. Avoid the ‘ahs’ and ‘ehs’ and ‘uhms’. BE CONFIDENT!
Asking what he was saying when he stopped talking
You seriously do not want this to happen to you. Your future employer can immediately see if you want the job or not. You asking him/her what you were saying because you were ‘dstracted’ is not such a good impression. So, eye contact, breathe in and out, relax, speak clearly and be prepared for the usual interview questions.
In Ernie Cecilia’s article he says that job interview is the mechanism that can minimize the risk of failure in selection and recruitment. So it is a very critical stage in the hiring process. If you seriously want the job you are applying for, you know what you want, prepare for it, and when you sit down on that interview chair, which we cant to call “the hot seat,” breathe and relax, be confident in answering and again have that eye contact and yes, have a sweat palm free handshake. Good luck!