Think of yourself as a product. What are your selling points? What is it that you can still improve on? How will you go around your weaknesses to reach a wider market? You may not notice it, but how you conduct yourself actually matters in interviews or business meetings.
Your body language will say so much about you, and if you don’t know that by now, try to think of what your client or interviewer would say or think of you if you’re not as marketable as you thought you are.
If you’ve been to plenty of job interviews or client meetings, but you can’t seem to close the deal, here are some problems that you may be encountering without you realizing it.
Preparation
Always remember that you are practically selling yourself in an interview. This means that you need to know what you’re capable of, your market, and how you can target that market. When preparing for an interview, here are some unwritten rules that you need to know about.
Anticipate Questions
Sometimes, an interview will feel like a game of chess, and the best guarantee that you will win is always to be one step ahead. This may seem not easy, but preparing your answers for questions that may arise is vital in any interview.
Review Your Agenda
Before you head out to the interview location, take a good look at your agenda and remember how you want to be in full control of it. Practicing your answers and conducting mock interviews with a friend will significantly help.
Research on Your Client
Aside from knowing your strengths, you also need to know what the company needs to sell yourself. Basically, you have to think of how your skills can contribute to the company you plan on joining. Having the basic skills of any working person and your expertise in related fields will help speed up your recruitment process.
Present Yourself Properly
Without saying it directly, you need to be able to tell the interviewer that you mean business. To be able to communicate this, your appearance should do the trick. Wearing the proper attire, fixing your hair, and even your teeth should be presentable. If that’s an issue for you, there are plenty of dental offices that help people who have oral problems.
The Importance of Appearance
A prevalent mistake we often see among rookies is not to pay attention to their appearance. We’ve mentioned it earlier, but it’s worth mentioning again, you need to showcase your good side without even talking about it, and that’s why appearance is very important.
Dress the Part
Go to the interview as if you already got the job. Although it may seem like you’re assuming, companies want people with confidence. Besides the image you present to the interviewer, dressing up will make you feel confident enough to be on top of the situation.
Business Wear and Grooming
Always keep in mind that an employee is a mirror of the company. You’re basically a representation of the company itself. If you know how to take care of your grooming and dress up accordingly, the interviewer will understand that you pay attention even to the tiniest details.
Mistakes to Avoid in an Interview
Besides knowing how to nail an interview, you also need to know what it takes to ruin it. One simple mistake can have detrimental effects on your application, and here’s how you can avoid that.
Coming in Late
Your timeliness is a microcosm of your work ethics because it shows how you manage your time. If you come in late for an interview, this may signal the interviewer that you won’t keep up with a proper schedule, and that can be bad for their company.
Being Arrogant
Don’t ever make the mistake of assuming that confidence is the same as arrogance. There’s a fine line between these two, and you need to make sure not to cross it. Be confident that you know your skills and how you can contribute to the company, but don’t assume that nobody else can do it.
Truth be told, there aren’t really standard rules set in an interview since you’re not yet part of the company, which means they can’t impose their regulations on you. However, if you really want the job, you need to pay attention to how you present and conduct yourself.
Some details may be of little importance to you, but keep in mind that these unwritten rules actually matter. Knowing about them is vital in making sure that you get the job.
