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Here are some things I go through before every interview, no matter how menial the job.
The night before the interview
- launder and iron a long sleeve, white dress shirt and hang it back up for the next day
- shine/polish my dress shoes
- run a lint roller over my suit pants and jacket and then give them a light ironing on low heat
- shave my face and neck(front and back) the traditional way (shaving cream and disposable razor)
- trim nosehair, eyebrows, sideburns and other spots (if necessary)
- prepare written notes on the company and questions to ask the interviewer(s)
The morning of the interview
- go over my face with the electric razor to eliminate any 5 o'clock shadow
- gather relevant paperwork (directions, job description, extra copies of resume, email correspondence with HR/recruiter)
- get dressed and inspect suit/tie to ensure perfect appearance of clothing
At the interview site before entry
- run the lint roller over clothes one last time to catch lint/debris from inside car (I keep one in the car and one in the house)
- turn off cellphone
- final inspection of face in rear view mirror to ensure absolute cleanliness
- double-check notes and paperwork
I was laid off April 15th and by May 15th I had two permanent full time job offers with compensation higher than the job I lost. FYI, my layoff was due to declining company performance, not an individual issue. I consider what I outlined above to the be minimum people should do for any job interview.
Practice Practice Practice. You need to work on your interview skills in mock situations. These mistakes would have been better addressed in a safe environment, before going on actual interviews.
People question the value of mock interviews. You would be surprised at the number of innocent mistakes like chewing gum or cell phones that people make. These things are deal killers.
I knew not chewing gum was basic etiquette but even though I arrived 20 minutes early, the guy was outside the lobby waiting for me. I was caught up with the conversation and totally forgot I had gum in my mouth. I plan on utilizing the career center and go in for a mock interview though. Thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life
You could have sold yourself. If you understood sales, you would know that it all depends on personality. He can train you to do everything else.
I guess I should smile more, I realized I should sound more enthusiastic about the job. It was a commission only job so I wasn't that enthusiastic in the first place, and perhaps the reason I didn't even bother wearing a suit jacket.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RoadWarrior12
"And not to chew gum" - Holy ****! You went into an interview chewing gum? In real life?
Lessons learned, I didn't realize it would be a deal breaker though. Won't happen again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by G-fused
Well, you're a new grad so I'll cut you some slack. Lesson learned right? That's good feedback you got. The interviewer assessed your experience and sales ability through the interview questions and the discussion. It's not hard to do. If/when you interview people you'll understand how easy it is to tell if a person isn't a good fit.
Definitely learned my lesson. I'm always learning more and more about the art of interviewing after having interviews so hopefully one day I'll get the good news call.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RDH35
I think we are starting to get a glimpse into why you are having trouble landing a job. It's all in the details. Too bad it's hot out, it's a job interview. You wear the suit. ALWAYS. You forgot to spit out your gum, then you swallow it.
Look at this as a good learning experience. Most interviewers would not have bothered to answer you back or tell you the truth.
Just because you have a degree doesn't mean everything. Why is someone going to hire you if you present poorly. You are a reflection of the employer and if that reflection is sloppy and shows a lack of social grace, then they are going to pass on you. Degree or not.
I suggest you use your google skills and start looking up and reading articles on how to dress and interview. You need the practice.
I felt that it was due to the gum after I got the rejection email. It's not gonna happen again. I've realized the degree is just to pass through the door and nothing else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by D. Scott
Very true. A well fitted suit is important, As well as polished shoes, trimmed/manicured fingernails. A sharp immaculate appearance along with the right attitude go a long way to getting hired.
I always iron my suit etc. But I wonder just how much of that is important, I know missing a suit jacket is bad, but the fit?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaypee
"Just BS questions like tell me about a time when you had a difficult customer"
Apparently they weren't BS questions after all.
I told him that difficult customers are people that I feel I can handle with no problem. In that I had a scenario where a customer bought Beats by Dre and one side wasn't playing any sound. I told him how I handled it, in which I empathized with the man, knowing that I would also be very upset after having bought such an expensive item. I let him vent for a few seconds and then offered him two options. The man decided to go with option B, and I made sure to follow up with him to make sure he was satisfied. Thus, he was a regular customer as he always had been. And then I told him what I learned from that experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by joe from dayton
Consider yourself lucky to have received an feedback at all. As you found out, little things are important.
Fortunate you got feedback. Your image shows your respect to the interviewer...or potential client.
Yep. Lessons learned!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AtkinsonDan
Here are some things I go through before every interview, no matter how menial the job.
The night before the interview
- launder and iron a long sleeve, white dress shirt and hang it back up for the next day
- shine/polish my dress shoes
- run a lint roller over my suit pants and jacket and then give them a light ironing on low heat
- shave my face and neck(front and back) the traditional way (shaving cream and disposable razor)
- trim nosehair, eyebrows, sideburns and other spots (if necessary)
- prepare written notes on the company and questions to ask the interviewer(s)
The morning of the interview
- go over my face with the electric razor to eliminate any 5 o'clock shadow
- gather relevant paperwork (directions, job description, extra copies of resume, email correspondence with HR/recruiter)
- get dressed and inspect suit/tie to ensure perfect appearance of clothing
At the interview site before entry
- run the lint roller over clothes one last time to catch lint/debris from inside car (I keep one in the car and one in the house)
- turn off cellphone
- final inspection of face in rear view mirror to ensure absolute cleanliness
- double-check notes and paperwork
I was laid off April 15th and by May 15th I had two permanent full time job offers with compensation higher than the job I lost. FYI, my layoff was due to declining company performance, not an individual issue. I consider what I outlined above to the be minimum people should do for any job interview.
Thanks for the information. Do you feel putting gel on the hair is important? Also what knot do you recommend for job interviews?
On Thursday I had an interview for a sales trainee position. The company was looking for new college grads so I decided to give it a shot. I thought I had a pretty good interview, answered questions like why work here? Why this college? etc. On Friday I received a thanks but no thanks email. So I asked the man for some feedback.
"You have little work experience and my concern was your sales ability. In general I would always suggest a suit and not to chew gum."
Not sure why this guy decided to interview me in the first place if he thought I had too little work experience and sales ability. In fact we never even talked much about my work experience and sales ability at all. Just BS questions like tell me about a time when you had a difficult customer. I asked him if I addressed all his concerns and he said yeah. It was an extremely hot day so I decided to not wear a suit jacket, but I still wore a tie etc. I forgot to spit out my gum before I went into the interview room.
Clearly you are taking to heart the important things you are learning from feedback. That's one of the best characteristics of an employable person. You can talk about that the next time an interviewer asks you what sets you apart from other candidates. Good luck in your job search.
Thanks for the information. Do you feel putting gel on the hair is important? Also what knot do you recommend for job interviews?
I keep my hair very short, basically a military style. I haven't used hair gel in well over a decade. As for the tie, I have always used a half-Windsor knot. Truthfully I have never found these details to matter. That being said I am not of the Wall Street or white shoe law firm breed.
Not sure why this guy decided to interview me in the first place if he thought I had too little work experience and sales ability.
Because you needed the practice. This person was kind enough to write you back and tell you what to improve? Count your blessings! I bet you'll never make these mistakes again. Good luck to you.
Here are some things I go through before every interview, no matter how menial the job.
The night before the interview
- launder and iron a long sleeve, white dress shirt and hang it back up for the next day
- shine/polish my dress shoes
- run a lint roller over my suit pants and jacket and then give them a light ironing on low heat
- shave my face and neck(front and back) the traditional way (shaving cream and disposable razor)
- trim nosehair, eyebrows, sideburns and other spots (if necessary)
- prepare written notes on the company and questions to ask the interviewer(s)
The morning of the interview
- go over my face with the electric razor to eliminate any 5 o'clock shadow
- gather relevant paperwork (directions, job description, extra copies of resume, email correspondence with HR/recruiter)
- get dressed and inspect suit/tie to ensure perfect appearance of clothing
At the interview site before entry
- run the lint roller over clothes one last time to catch lint/debris from inside car (I keep one in the car and one in the house)
- turn off cellphone
- final inspection of face in rear view mirror to ensure absolute cleanliness
- double-check notes and paperwork
I was laid off April 15th and by May 15th I had two permanent full time job offers with compensation higher than the job I lost. FYI, my layoff was due to declining company performance, not an individual issue. I consider what I outlined above to the be minimum people should do for any job interview.
This post should be a sticky.
I follow a routine very similar to the above myself if I'm seeking a new position. Like this poster, I found myself on the short end of a reorganization layoff in a March 8, 2013. By April 8 I had two written offers.
On Thursday I had an interview for a sales trainee position. The company was looking for new college grads so I decided to give it a shot. I thought I had a pretty good interview, answered questions like why work here? Why this college? etc. On Friday I received a thanks but no thanks email. So I asked the man for some feedback.
"You have little work experience and my concern was your sales ability. In general I would always suggest a suit and not to chew gum."
Not sure why this guy decided to interview me in the first place if he thought I had too little work experience and sales ability. In fact we never even talked much about my work experience and sales ability at all. Just BS questions like tell me about a time when you had a difficult customer. I asked him if I addressed all his concerns and he said yeah. It was an extremely hot day so I decided to not wear a suit jacket, but I still wore a tie etc. I forgot to spit out my gum before I went into the interview room.
wow...dude, those are such slacker mistakes. Gum? wtf really? You swallow it if you need to. Tell me about a time questions aren't BS, they are the interview standard and most companies will use the same situational questions. Lastly, a tie alone is never an adequate dress for a college graduate. You had a chance to get some very valuable feedback, most people don't. Hopefully you will use it.
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