Reportedly, there are half a million Americans seeking to give up their unemployment status for gainful employment. Considering my negative experiences as an employer with several vacancies, for which I am interviewing applicants, I am amazed that any of these job seekers find satisfactory employment. Job hunting requires skills in the art of finding a job. At this crisis time of unemployment, there could be no better gift to job seekers than tips for getting hired:
a. Request an English expert to review your resume to ensure that there are no misspelled words, and that sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, and spelling are correct and proper.
b. List your skills, rather than your previous jobs. For example, do not inform the employer of your job as a waitress, if you are seeking a position as a secretary. This is confusing to the employer who is trying to place you.
c. Do not instruct the employer to visit your website as a substitute for your resume. To do so, sounds arrogant, lazy, and pompous. Perhaps during your interview you might mention that you have a website with additional information.
d. Please!!! Do not call a potential employer by their first name, unless you are given permission. This over familiarity is not acceptable in a professional setting.
e. Your resume should be on a single page, preferably with your phone number or contact information at the top of each page (if you use more than one). Make it easy for the employer to reach you.
f. Never show up late for a job interview. There are no acceptable excuses, your car broke down, my baby is ill, stuck in traffic…etc.. If you are late for the interview, then the employer can predict that you will have a tardiness problem.
g. Never, ever badmouth your previous employer, your current employer might have the same problem. Employers universally have the same expectations, they want employees who are reliable, self-starters, loyal, do not require much supervision. The less supervision you need, the more you are worth to the employer.
h. Show more interest in your contributions, than your compensation. If you do a good job, you are likely to be rewarded commensurately. Refrain from asking about salary, you will be informed sooner or later.
i. Leave your cell phone in your car!!!! There is no apology adequate for a cell phone blooper. When I read that Oprah, Larry King, and Obama do not have cell phones, I turned in mine. I want to be in good company, not with those parents who are being evicted for non-payment of rent, while paying their five -year -old’s cell phone bill.
j. Learn something about the company before your interview. Be specific about what you can contribute. Rather than, “I will work in any area”, you might say, “I am very proficient in……?”
k. Cover your tattoos, remove the rings from your tongue, nose, or any other visible area, other than your ear lobes. No flip-flop shoes, baggy jeans, baseball caps, or see through blouses. Rehearse your interview with a friend and anticipate questions from the interviewer.
l. Do not over sell yourself. It does you no good to inform the employer that your real goal is to open a competitive business or that you are working on your Ph.D, while you are applying to be a secretary.
Try these tips, for I am confident that you will be successful in your job search.
Dr. Laura Lyons
Dr. Laura Lyons was selected for Who’s Who Among Business Women in America in 2008, master motivator, author “Lyons’ Guide to the Career Jungle”, she is available for consultation at [email protected].
I’m stunned this kind of observation is still possible. I’ve been out of work for nearly two years. I haven’t been guilty of any of these offenses. I feel for the employer/writer, but I have to say that while following rules of business etiquette is necessary, it isn’t sufficient. It sounds as if the writer mostly deals with twenty-somethings?
Excellent tips many of which are new to me, I wish you the best.
i like that,,,, its very informative,,,, for those of us who did not know,,, but college students should have no excuse,,, cause we are taught these interview skills in business english,,,, some of us jus don’t pay attention,,,