Failure to Sell Yourself.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 590.

Weak Communication Skills.

How you behave during an interview can be as important as what you say. Many candidates show they lack basic communication skills as soon as they open their mouths. Talking too much, listening poorly and failing to ask questions are leading complaints.

One candidate obviously didn't listen when she was introduced to her interviewers, says Dr. Deborah Gaut, director of education for the International Right of Way Association, a nonprofit group in Gardena, Calif. She spent the rest of the morning calling a key player by the wrong name, says Gaut.

"One of the rules of listening to critical information, whether it's someone's name or a complaint, is to repeat the information back for clarification. You might say 'What I hear you saying is...,' " says Gaut.

Asking good questions is key because it shows that you've researched and thought about important issues. "I learn more from questions that [candidates] ask than from answers they give to my questions," says Echt.

Whether you want to work for Mother Teresa or IBM Corp., you need to sell employers on your skills and future value. The best way to do so is by giving examples, say recruiters.

Describing papers and projects you've completed is a great way to demonstrate your skills, says Soifer. Samples of previous accomplishments are excellent "reference points" that can put your abilities in context and make you more memorable, says Dennis-Whitacre at Mycogen.

Most candidates present their backgrounds as a series of facts, but after 10 or more interviews a day, facts become blurry, says Jacobson. A better way to differentiate yourself is to translate what you've done into benefits employers can use.

Interviewing is a learned skill that improves with practice. Use every opportunity to meet with recruiters, including those visiting campus. If you avoid these seven deadly sins, you'll be the one they don't want to get away.

v Comprehension check

o Answer the following questions using information from the article to support your ideas. Remember to use the article vocabulary to the maximum:

1. Would you lie to get a job? Explain your answer.

2. What do most recruiters develop and what they usually do?

3. What does the phrase “a lack of expression” mean?

4. What communication skills are important at an interview?

5. What is key at an interview and why?

6. How can you demonstrate your skills?

o Explain what is meant by:

A red flag

To be home free

Interviewing is a learned skill that improves with practice