Job interviews or a series of job interviews are still one of the most common ways of recruiting people to a vacancy. Sometimes you will succeed in job interviews and sometimes you will be unsuccessful.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that there is some magic formula for success. While you can take some steps to improve your chances of success, there are some realities to be aware of.
Reality 1: The Best Candidate Does Not Always Get The Job
While this might be hard to accept, it is often the candidate who is the best interviewee who gets the job. These days a lot of people are coached on how to perform well in job interviews and by having some coaching you can significantly improve your performance.
Reality 2: You Cannot Over Prepare
I am consistently surprised how poorly people prepare for job interviews. Think about it you are asking an employer to make a major investment decision. Surely this is worthy of some effort on your part.
Reality 3: Sometimes Employers Are Going Through Motions
Sometimes employers already have a candidate internally who they want to give to do the job to but are required by their own procedures to go through the interview process. There really is nothing you can do to overcome this.
Reality 4: First Impressions Matter
When do you think the interview starts? When you meet the interviewer? If so you may already have blown it. The interview starts the minute you walk in the door. Increasingly employers ask receptionists for their view on the candidates.
Reality 5: You Will Never Be Perfect
Yes we might want to believe that we need to give a perfect polished performance. Reality is that under the pressure of the situation of a job interview you are never going to be perfect. Accept this and don’t dwell on the less than perfect answer.
The Bottom Line: All that you can do is give yourself the best chance of success and at the end of the day there are no guarantees in job interviews.
Duncan Brodie helps accountants andother professionals achieve more career success. Learn more here
Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.