The Employer's Perspective
The Employer's Perspective
During the interview process, there are many things that you can do to make yourself seem like a more desirable candidate. We all know what they are - show up a little early, dress appropriately, and know something about the company. If you don't do these things, you aren't going to get hired, period. Unfortunately, outside of these standbys, there aren't many things you can do to guarantee you'll land the job. There are, however, innumerable things you can do to completely ruin any chance you have. Many of them have something to do with ignoring your better judgement, some of them are character traits that are easily spotted, and sometimes it comes down to basic people skills.
As a potential employee you are meeting with a person to whom, if hired, you will look to for instruction, guidance, advice, and raises. Your interviewer has a limited amount of time to determine three things: can they work with you; can you work with the other members of the team; and are you capable of performing the necessary job functions. All of these qualifications are equally important. Unfortunately, the only thing that's even remotely possible to demonstrate quantitatively is whether or not you have the necessary learned skills. The remaining elements are left up to a judgement call. This is why some companies make you take a psychological profile test before you even get an interview. The results from these tests are tallied and matched with the desired profile for the position being offered. In my opinion, however, a face to face meeting is the only real way to get a feel for what you can bring to my company. The interview is everything, but it is where most mistakes happen.
You have two jobs during the interview process:
1. Convince me that by bringing you onto my team - whether it's a team of two or two thousand - that I am acquiring an asset.
2. Determine whether or not this job is right for you.
My responsibility is to ensure that I am selecting the best candidate for the job and that you are committed to being a member of the team. It is crucial that you be honest with yourself regarding the job and how well it suits what you are looking for. The following are some salient points to keep in mind.