Getting the Job You Want

First Contact!

So after days of waiting with one hand scrolling through your email and the other on the phone, they finally got back to you about your application! I always thought this was the most exciting part about the job hunt. Somebody is interested in me! Savor the feeling, and let’s get back to business.

Be polite. A simple “yes sir, no sir, thank you sir” speaks volumes about who you are as a person. Say “yes” rather than “yeah”, and stay far, far away from slang. Saying “yeah bro, that’d be sweet!” can be the difference in getting an interview and getting your resume placed ever so carefully into the trash can.

Be honest. They’re going to find out sooner or later if you don’t tell the truth. You can talk your skills up a little bit, but don’t say you are proficient with Microsoft Excel if you’ve used it to make a table for a school project three years ago. If it’s part of the job description and you say you are a wizard with it, they’ll realize pretty quickly you lied. It’s much better in the long run to say you used it once but you would love to learn, and you usually pick up new technology in no time. Trust me, you’ll look like an idiot if you lie about anything, no matter how small it seems.

Pay attention. As soon as you see the caller ID, step away from whatever you’re doing. Turn off the TV, get away from the computer, turn off the car stereo and find a place to pull over. Give your full attention to the person on the other end of that phone call. An easy way to make a terrible impression is to have to say “sorry, could you please repeat that?” over and over because your favorite show is on TV, or to cuss out that guy that just cut you off in traffic while your prospector employer hears everything you say. It’s ten minutes of your life you have to dedicate to a phone call – it’s definitely worth taking the time and eliminating all possible distractions.

Let the interviewer be the interviewer. I know it’s all too easy for me to stick my foot in my mouth when I’m nervous, so I like to sit back and let the interviewer direct the conversation. Answer their questions politely, be friendly, but don’t talk the person’s ear off with information that they don’t care about. Speak slowly and confidently, and to the point. It’s good to be friendly and laugh, but you want to make sure you come off as someone that seriously wants this job. At the end of the conversation they will usually ask if you have any questions. It is usually a good idea to write down questions you have as you go along and then ask them at the end, rather than interrupting them during their questions.

Hopefully everything has gone well up to now, and you’re preparing yourself to go interview for the job you always wanted. Make sure the time and date you planned is one that you will have plenty of time before hand to relax, prepare yourself, and be able to arrive on time.

Good luck!