Wasim El-Haj
Is Chris Evans’ charm linked to his neatly groomed hair?
Your phone rings. “Unknown Number” the highly-intelligent device informs me. Should you answer it or ignore it? You remember you have a few job applications in progress and take a leap of faith, sliding the ‘answer’ tab and inhaling deeply with anticipation…
How do you start the conversation? “YO!” “Hey bro!” and “Whaddup!” are NOT ways to answer a phone with a potential employer (unless of course if you’re applying for a rapping artist position perhaps). Remember that every interaction you have with a potential employer is shaping the person’s perception of you. Your resume and cover letter make the first impression. When you accept that call, it will likely be the first few words your future employers hears from you. Start with a worthy greeting. “Good afternoon, Bob speaking.” That’s plain and unoffensive. Great!
You get asked to come in for an interview. Be decisive when asked “is 12:30 a good time for an interview?” Usually that means that’s when they would like you to come in and does not mean they are actually wanting to reconsider another time for you, unless you’re a highly sought after person.
You end the call with “Thankyou for your call. Have a good afternoon.”
Now this is what you do next!
- Research.
RESEARCH the role you have applied for, inside and out. Take notes if you need. Know exactly what the role is and what an ideal candidate for this job would look like. Become that person and own it.
* - RESEARCH the business. What does the employer or business hope to achieve through this position? Go in knowing more than you were given in the position description and you will be certain to impress!
* - RESEARCH the panel members. If you’re fortunate enough to have been given the names of the panel members, look them up online! LinkedIn is a fairly useful site…so is Google! Your friend might call it creepy, I say it’s resourceful. Why wouldn’t I use all legally accessible resources at my disposal to achieve my goal? You might find you have something in common with the panel member (did they go on a holiday to a destination you recently visited?) and you could slide a mention of it into your interview, if the opportunity arises. That would give you a chance to have a conversation about something less serious and more open to warmth.DISCLAIMER: I do NOT recommend that you mention you went through their social media posts and found their recent holiday destination. You would need to work in the mention of your experience and then hope that the panel member responds with their experience. However, if you found something common via easily accessible information on their business website or LinkedIn profile, then that is perfectly fine to mention.
* - Find out as much as you can about the interview. The more you know, the better. Where? When? Who? What should I bring? Also, let the employer know of any significant points to avoid shock or embarrassment on the day. For example, if you know you wont be shaking hands due to a cultural or religious practice, calmly state that either over the phone or via email, stating that you want to let them know to avoid any offence being taken (you can’t control if offence is still taken, but just as you would like to know more about your interviewer, they would want to know any special requirement about their interviewee ahead of the day…I don’t know any employer who likes to feel like they are learning from an interviewee during the interview).
- Prepare documents in advance. Get your portfolio together. Even if you haven’t been asked to bring a portfolio folder, what looks better than coming in with a neat folder (I’d go with a nice black folder and avoid hot colours or political stickers…remember everything makes an impression). Then, when you’re asked, you would produce whatever documents you needed from the folder, and maybe have a chance to flaunt some of your other achieved from within the folder, if they’re relevant.
* - Groom yourself. Men, get a haircut and, if you have facial hair, make it neat. I keep my beat trimmed and neat. If you tend to avoid the barbers (like me!) then treat yourself a few days before an interview. Let the experts do what they’re good at and make you appear presentable. Humans are judgemental creatures, and you will definitely be judged when you’re going in for a job interview! Does it look like Chris Evans takes chances when it comes to his immaculate hair?
* - Prepare answers for possible questions. Depending on the job, you may have an idea of what sort of questions you might be asked. Prepare a response for them and maybe even act them out with someone in a role-play. Furthermore, it is a good idea to come in with more than just responses if the job requires you to develop or introduce a program. Come in with a plan. How impressive would that be?!
* - Read your application the day before the interview. You WILL be asked about things mentioned in there. Prepare to elaborate or give other supporting examples of different points made.
On that note…I received a phone call from a “private number”. My interview is coming up. How will it go? It will go well. I know because I am prepared. Either I will get the job, or I will go in prepared, gain interviewing experience, and expand my network. What is there to lose?
Persist and have Hope! Almost nothing is impossible!