by Matt Furhman - Faststream

Last week we brought you the Top 10 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Interviewing.  Hopefully you did a self evaluation and were able to catch yourself guilty of too many infractions.  This week we right the ship to bring you more helpful tips.

Now let’s take a look at 10 things you SHOULD do in an interview.

1. Be positive: Everyone likes a positive person around.  So be positive and your confidence in yourself will rub off on your potential employers.
2. Don’t bring up money: If asked about money, your answer should be “we can get to that, but I am more interested in the opportunity.”
3. Ask a lot of good questions: Good questions at the end of the interview shows you have done your research about the company and the job.
4. Good eye contact, firm handshake: Out of the book Never Eat Alone, staring 100% of the time into the eyes is considered peering (and a little creepy). Less than 70% means you are avoiding something. Try to stay in the middle of this range.
5. Keep your hands in control during an interview: Flailing your hands all over the place will take the attention off of you and your skills.  You don’t want the interviewer to start thinking “what the heck is this guy doing with his hands.”  The interviewer should be concentrating on your answers, not your uncontrollable movements.  Keep your hands on your knees or the table.
6. Be optimistic: Your glass being half full will increase your probability of getting the job.
7. Tell the company how you will add value: Prior to the interview ask yourself how you can help the company along the way and focus on this.
8. Visit the companies website and study the company: If you do not know the company, then you do not care about the company.  This is just common sense.
9. Dress well: If you have no fashion sense, ask someone who knows what color goes with what.
10. Bring copies of your resume: Assume they won’t have your resume and have never seen it.  Bring extra copies and be prepared to talk about it.

Hopefully these tips will help you in your job hunting.  While looking for work can often be a daunting task, the right preparation and simple interviewing skills will help you get the position you are trying to acheive.

Related Posts

• Faststream’s Maritime Employment Review - Autumn 2008
• Coming Ashore? 10 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Interviewing
• Are You Missing The Drillship Goldrush?
• Maritime Jobs
• New Tools Section
• Are Rising Salaries Enough To Retain Mariners?
• Life on an Oil Rig - Gulf of Mexico

10 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Interviewing

By Matt Fuhrman - Faststream

For most, coming ashore may be easy but nailing that perfect job is tough.  Here are ten things you should shy away from when interviewing for that new position.

1. Don’t be negative about a previous employer: If you go into a company and trash a previous employer for any reason the first thought through the hiring manager’s mind is ‘how long it will take for this person to start bad mouthing our company’.  Secondly if you trash someone specific, there is a chance the hiring manager knows that person or knows someone who knows that person, and you don’t want to burn any bridges… Bottom line; don’t do it.
2. Don’t bring money up as a candidate: Ok, money is definitely a motivator, but if it is the key motivator, no one will want to work with you.  It is all about perception; if your greed is perceived in an interview your stock will drop dramatically.
3. Don’t fail the drug test: Don’t do drugs.
4. Don’t tell the interviewer you are smarter than they are: You are at an interview to sell how you will add value to the company, not how you will take the hiring managers job.
5. Don’t bring a resume of another friend who is also interested in the job: “Oh yea by the way I have a friend that is looking too.” The job is for you and no one else, if you don’t get the job then tell your friend about it.
6. Don’t show up to an interview in corduroys: It never hurts to be overdressed.  Don’t dress medium or down.
7. Don’t tell the employer you’re qualified for the job: “I’m qualified” is no way to sell yourself. It’s not up to you to determine if you’re qualified or not, it’s up to the hiring manager.  They are looking for you to provide examples that prove you are qualified.
8. Don’t question the interview process: Some HR policy maker within the organization wrote them and the hiring managers all have to follow them.
9. Don’t drink or smoke before the interview: If you smell like booze or smoke in an interview, chances are you will smell like booze and smoke every day at work.  Employers don’t like that.
10. Don’t lie to employers about your visa status: Trying to avoid VISA issues is a bad idea.  There is nothing worse than getting the job and then about a week into your new life they ask you to hit the street.

There is nothing worse than going from job interview to job interview without receiving any offers.  If that is the case, you might find yourself guilty of some of the things on this list.  Hopefully these tips will get you on your way to finding that new position that will take your career to new heights.

Looking for work? Visit Faststream: Maritime Recruitment Services

Related Posts

• Faststream’s Maritime Employment Review - Autumn 2008
• Coming Ashore? 10 Things You Should Do When Interviewing
• Are You Missing The Drillship Goldrush?
• Maritime Jobs
• New Tools Section
• Are Rising Salaries Enough To Retain Mariners?
• Life on an Oil Rig - Gulf of Mexico