How to Prepare for the Interview In order to get the perfect job you have to first pass the interview process and get to the hiring manager. That means you have to know how to conduct yourself at the interview in order to even pass the first stage. There are some places that will hire you directly without going through the hiring manager but you still have to pass the interview process to be hired. Many people just go to an interview and have no idea what they need to do or how to conduct oneself and end up losing the job because of it. One of the places many people go wrong at interviews is not having a clue about the company or the position. Not all companies ask that question but you have to be prepared. It makes you look foolish if you don’t know anything about the company. They assume if you want to work for them you will take the time to find something out about the company. You do not have to know a great deal, but you should at least know what the company does and the types of products or services they provide. Before the interview you should also prepare a list of questions you want to ask the interviewer. Most of the time the interviewer will ask if you have any questions, and if you don’t have any, the consensus is that you are not concerned enough to ask any questions rather than that the interviewer covered everything. However, if he or she does not offer the information, you do not ask about the salary at the interview. This is something that is against interview protocol and should never be asked until a job offer is made. Most interviewers will discuss the salary as part of the interview process but if that is not the case, do not ask. If you are not sure where the company is located, leave extra early for the interview or do a dry run the day before your interview. You want to avoid being late by getting lost, and though this may not be possible if the company is out of town or you are leaving from another job, make every effort to make sure you know exactly where the company is. If you are not sure and cannot leave early from another job, make sure you obtain explicit directions from the company where you are going. Choosing the Perfect Job Once you have already defined what the perfect job is to you it’s time to begin looking for positions that meet those requirements. The way you do that is by putting all of your attributes together and connecting them with available positions. You want to be realistic when you take this step and not try to find the job that includes every attribute on your list. What you want to do is find something that closely matches what you perceive to be the perfect job rather than trying to find something that has everything you want. One of the problems many people run across when they are looking for the perfect job is expecting too much. For example, you may feel you are worth $30,000 as an experienced administrative assistant but there may not be available positions to support that. Be willing to accept less than what you want in order to get into the position of your dreams. That does not mean you have to take something you do not really want but you do want to leave some leeway for compromise. In order to make the right decision you want to look at the list you have made of attributes you seek in a job. If you have not already done so, identify them by importance. There will always be some things that you absolutely must have and others than are negotiable. When you are in the process of identifying what is the perfect job for you never identify only those factors that are absolutely necessary— always leave room for negotiation. If you’re looking for something that will allow you to telecommute half of the time be willing to settle for one or two days a week instead of pushing a position aside because it doesn’t offer as many days as you would like. There are many different ways to negotiate for a job but not all of the areas are negotiable. With the job market currently at such a low point it is ludicrous to think you are going to get everything you want. You may have an idea in your head about how to get the perfect job but when the economy shows there are more people looking for job than there are available jobs you will find you have to make more sacrifices. Instead of risking not obtaining the job that may indeed turn out to be your perfect job be willing to reduce the number of mandatory options on your list. Conducting Your Job Search There is no one method of conducting a job search that will provide better results than another. However, it is important to keep in mind that the job market today is different than it was even ten years ago and many employers refuse to see applicants until they have seen a resume first. At the same time, very few employers will accept resumes unless they have a job opening available. The other problem is that employers are also no longer accepting resumes without knowing specifically what a job applicant is seeking. It makes it easier for the employer but more difficult for the job applicant who is seeking to work his or her way into the perfect job. Where is the best place to start? Since many employers today are utilizing online resources this may be your best bet. With so many job posting sites, it’s a good idea to look at several job posting boards rather than just one or two. Although some may be more popular than others, they are not the only ones employers utilize. You want to exercise all of your options and you can only do that if you take the time to look at all of the job boards that her available online. Never assume that all employers use what you perceive to be the most popular site. That is the same as thinking that all employment agencies will have the same job listings—a serious mistake in judgment. Since only 20% of available jobs are posted in the local newspaper, does that mean you should not use that as a source? Of course you should not eliminate using your local newspaper advertisements but you should not limit yourself to that source. If you are a serious job seeker, you want to make use of any and all resources that are available. The more potential resources you utilize, the better your chances are of finding the job that is perfect for you. In addition, the more sources of job advertisements you search, the quicker you will be able to find a job. When you limit yourself to only a few resources you will not have access to everything that is available and will limit your search. The more resources you have available, the more options you open and the quicker you will be able to find the job that appeals to you the most. Conducting Yourself at the Interview You have all the qualifications and you have great references, so why don’t you get the perfect job you so desire? It may be the way you conducted the interview that has prevented you from getting the job. Certainly many people become nervous at an interview but failing at the interview goes beyond just being nervous. In fact, there are things that some interviewees do that go beyond the scope of acceptable. Do not smoke during or before the interview Although in today’s world, smoking during the interview is likely to be impossible unless you are outside, you also want to avoid smoking right before the interview and bringing the strong odor of smoke into the room. If you do smoke, have the courtesy to use breath spray or mints afterward. Nothing detracts from a conversation quicker than the smell of cigarette smoke. Turn off your cell phone Under no conditions should you have your cell phone on during a job interview. Unless the interview process is extremely long, there is nothing that cannot wait until you are finished and then only an emergency might be acceptable such as an extremely sick child or a potential life and death situation with a family member. Cell phones should only be in the silent mode and used as stated above for extreme emergencies. If possible, arrange with a family member or friend to take emergency calls and handle them while you are at a job interview. Stay focused Another mistake people make at interviews is failing to remain focused on the interview. Instead of maintaining eye contact with the interviewer they look around the room, look out the window, daydream or any other number of things including looking in a purse, making notes unrelated to the interview, playing with a cell phone and twiddling of thumbs. All of these show signs of boredom and will put you in a negative light when it comes to getting the perfect job—or any job as far as that goes.

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