Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and that means that the fine line between cute and cheesy will be blurred in Montreal this weekend. Working in a placement agency, we realize that job hunting is quite similar to romance. We stumbled on an interesting blog article: 5 Ways to score a job with your dream company. Here is what we have to say about the 5 tips Shawn Graham listed.
Turn heads.
When you are coming in for an interview, it is important to be well dressed for the job you are searching. Don’t forget the first 30 seconds are the most important when you meet people in any circumstances. Different interviews for different jobs, just like different dates in different environment. If you are applying for an administrative assistant job, you want to look corporate and professional as opposed to a job in the video game sector where you can be a little more relax. Our rule of thumb is better be overdressed than underdressed.
Fight first-date jitters.
First-round interviews are like first dates, we agree it can be quite stressful. You don’t know what to expect and nervousness is normal. Focus on connection. The interview is a great opportunity for you to bring your resume to life and show the company what it is about you that makes you the right person for the job.
Avoid generic or pick up lines.
The best way to avoid generic or pick up lines is to do research about the company. Just like on a date where you try to learn more about the person as you are talking to them. The advantage with an interview is that you can do research online and learn about the organization so that when you speak to them, you won’t be using generic lines.
Go for the goodnight kiss.
Graham said it best and it cannot be said better:
“To seal the deal, reaffirm your interest in the position (the equivalent of “call me”) and ask about next steps in the interview process (The equivalent of “will I see you again?”).”
Don’t wait by the phone.
Once again, Graham is right. This is perhaps the area where the dating world is different because playing hard to get would be counter-productive. You are aloud to follow up, in fact if you follow up you can separate yourself from the competition that wants the job, because you are showing interest. Finally, a thank you note will help you because you will be different and professional.
Photo by: Wanda G
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