Does the Hiring Manager Believe You?
Although we might not like to admit it, most hiring decisions occur through likability, rapport, and personal chemistry. Not only do you have to prove that you’ve got “the right stuff”, you’ve got to market it/sell it with enough enthusiasm and excitement that the hiring manager really believes it.
How do you overcome this natural tendency to focus on first impressions in the hiring process? One major technique is to do a better job in preparing to interview – this reduces and eliminates the employer bias toward style, personality, and presentation.
We identify this preparation as one of the five key elements of a successful job search.
You can also learn more about limiting the effect of first impressions and reducing the influence of personality and presentation by following out Internet Radio Show where every week we explore a different element of conducting an effective job search. The past programs can be downloaded from our radio show library.
Here’s a post from one of the many blogs I follow that offers an additional perspective:
From Amber Shaw of the Geniusopia Blog
Are You a Believable Candidate?
You need to tell them you’re excited about the job because you want to do this kind of work and work for a company like this. You need to tell them you’re going to be fantastic in this job because your experience gives you this list of skills. You need to say this because if you don’t, it’s fundamentally implying that it’s not true. So you say it.
Except … if you say that you want this job because you want to work at this company but you really want the job so you have a job, they can tell. If you say you’d be absolutely fantastic in this job because of your whatever but you really mean that you’ll show up and do a good job for awhile and then possibly start slacking off, they can tell.
If you don’t believe it, then they won’t believe it either.
The solution is to only apply for jobs for which these statements are already true. Just because you fulfill some or all of the requirements for a job does not mean it’s the right job for you. Just because you want to work somewhere does not mean it’s the right job for you.
It’s the right job for you if you fulfill the requirements, if you want to work there and if you think you’ll be successul there. Yes, that does narrow down the jobs you apply to, but it also saves you time and means you’ll end up in a job you actually want.
http://geniusopia.com/2009/05/are-you-a-believable-candidate/
Barry
Tags: Interview 1st Impressions, Interview Mistakes
Interviewing | Barry Deutsch May 16, 2009
About the Author
Barry Deutsch is a founding Partner of IMPACT Hiring Solutions, co-author of "You're NOT the Person I Hired", and "This is NOT the Position I Accepted". Barry is an award-winning international speaker, retained executive recruiter, and expert on hiring and retaining top talent, and executive job search.
