Myth 1- Once you’ve sent off your CV, all you can do is wait. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can’t contact a company you’ve sent a CV to until they get back to you. Be proactive- do some research on the company to make sure you have identified their needs. One great way of finding out more is to do an internet search for press releases about the company. Simply log on to
www.google.com and type in the company’s name.
Myth 2- If you get a phone call from an employer, it must mean they aren’t interested. Stop right there! Would an employer really waste their time to call you and tell you that they are not interested? Not a chance. Assume your CV intrigued them and they want to know more without spending time on a face-to-face interview - yet. It’s crucial you are in control, so if they call, get them to schedule another call when you can be focused and prepared.
Myth 3- Your goal in the interview is to get the job. Wrong - your goal in an interview is to be invited for a second interview. Never assume you will only have one interview for a specific job. Many companies are now using a series of interviews to find the people they need to hire.
Myth 4- You can’t prepare for an interview, as you don’t know what questions they will ask. Every company is different, so there will always be a question or two that will be a surprise- but the vast majority of interview questions are quite predictable. Draw up a list of your achievements, your job progression, personality, strengths, weaknesses and your goals and prepare for those. Preparation will give you confidence too - so you’ll be less likely to come a cropper on the unexpected questions.
Myth 5- If the interviewer asks about your weaknesses say you don’t have any. Most people view this as a trick question. But actually it means the interviewer is seeing if you can reflect on your own development and express it sensibly. Talk about a weakness that you can prove you have improved on. For example you might say that in your current job you initially found it difficult to write reports - but you are now producing top-quality reports for your boss.
Myth 6- Don’t ask any questions about the role, as they will think you haven’t done your research properly. This is far from true. In fact the questions you ask will demonstrate just how well you have researched the role. Use everything you know about the company to ask thoughtful questions that show the employer the extent of your knowledge.
Myth 7- Once the interview is over, go home and wait to hear. Again, you must be proactive to keep yourself in the recruiter’s mind. Before the interview is over, make sure you find out what the next step is and ask for a timescale by which time you should have heard of their decision. Also write a letter by hand that day to your interviewer, thanking them for their time.
Bottom Line: Fewer and fewer applicants are actually doing any decent preparation and research before their interview- so by following these tips you will be sure to shine!
Hope this helps a little.
Good luck.