Interview Tips and How to Get Promoted

Way back before I became a stay at home mom, I used to be a recruiter helping others in career placement.  It was a really fun job!  It was more than a job to me I loved helping people find jobs and also loved helping our clients find the perfect match for a position they needed to be filled.  

The wide variety of companies we worked with keep my job exciting.  One day I would be looking for people with forklift skills and the next day I could be looking for someone with human resource skills.  I was able to tour unique facilities in the IT industry and several others too.  Many companies would have us perform the job ourselves so we were aware of what the position required.  

With this background and conversations, I have recently had with recent graduates and young people looking for summer jobs I thought I'd share a post that could help your teenagers as they are possibly interviewing for a summer job.

What not to do in an interview.

Be late, or get lost.  You would be surprised by how many people are actually late to an interview.  I understand sometimes emergencies happen.  Make sure you map out your route to the location days before you are going.  Give yourself enough time with extra traffic, or if there is an accident.  It is better to be early than late.  Even if you are way early you can sit in your car and practice your interview.  

During your interview do not answer your phone. Turn off your phone or put it on silent before you go into the office.  In this technological world, we live in, it is so easy to forget how distracting your phone or device can be.  Your first impression should be one of respect, you are respecting their time and giving them your undivided attention.   

Dressing appropriately.  People see you before they hear you.  First impressions are important.  How you care for yourself says a lot about you as a person.  If you look disheveled and unkempt, that will say something about you to your future employer.  You do not have to pretend to be something you are not, just put some effort in cleaning up, being well groomed, having work attire, depending on the position that will vary, but you don't want to be dressed in business suit if the job requires manual labor and you do not want to be in jeans and steel toe boots if the job is in an office.  

Don’t ask about raises and promotion on your first interview.  We all desire the opportunity for promotion and increase and it is an important factor but I don't recommend asking about this unless it is brought up by the interviewer.  In my opinion and experience, it also depends on how this is discussed.  Many times, in an interview, if not phrased correctly it can seem as you are already complaining about the pay before you start.  Let your hard work speak for itself.  Again in my opinion, even if a company states that there are no raises or additional commission or compensation, that could easily change if you are a game changer.  If you bring something to the table and bring in money to their bottom line, most companies are going to appreciate that and work with you as you bring value to the company.

Never lie on your resume.  This is so important, do not over embellish or lie, there is nothing worse than getting a  job that you love and then ending up losing it because they discover you lied.  As well as, when you lie you will lose confidence in yourself and you will not be able to sleep or rest confidently in the skills you said you have.  Always tell the truth.  Even if there is a certain requirement, be open and upfront, you could say "I may not have this one skill, but with your mentoring and training, I will".  You could offer to shadow someone on your own time or take courses while you are learning the new industry.   

Don’t talk negatively about a former employer.  Your attitude towards your previous employer speaks volumes to a future employer.  Find something to say positive about your previous experiences.  At the very least every job is a learning and growing experience.  Focus on the positives!

Don’t be clueless about the company/industry. Research the company before your interview.  This shows enthusiasm as well as responsibility.  If you know someone who is in the industry you are applying for, ask them for keywords, ask them what is the most important quality for the position, find out as much as you can before you attend your interview.  

Don’t chew gum.  This is coming from a gum chewer, I love gum, but I will admit it is not the most flattering look on anyone.  

Practice your interview in the mirror.  Practice with your parents or a coach and ask for and receive their feedback.  Ask what can you do better?  How is your posture?  Did you keep eye contact?  When you look down or off to the side, it is not a sign of confidence.  Do you fidget?  Do you repeat words like "um" or "so" most of us have a word we repeat when we are nervous, work on eliminating those words?  

Have a firm handshake.  Your handshake shows confidence.  All of these little things speak volumes about yourself to others.  

Confidence.  Confidence comes from within, how do you feel about yourself?  What are you saying about yourself?  We can all work on our confidence, an easy way to start improving your confidence is saying positive affirmations.  Focus on your strengths!

Smile.  We often do not realize what are facial expressions look like.  Many times we are not mad or sad but may look that way because we are thinking in our head and not realizing what our facial expressions are saying.  When you smile you look more attractive.  If the job you are applying for interacts with people, smiling is very important, you will represent the company you are working for.  

Remember your manners.  It may sound simple but things like please and thank you go along way as well as yes sir, yes ma'am or addressing them by Mr. and Ms.  

Look the interviewer in the eye. I mentioned this briefly before, again I don't think we realize how looking off to the side or down frequently gives the impression that we are not interested.  

Even if this is your first-time job, connect your volunteer work, coaching a team or after school tutoring or babysitting work as experience with people, responsibility, team player.

Have some questions ready, this shows interest and curiosity.

Recently at a local community class, I attended through BillKrauseCoaching.com he shared some great tips on "How to Get Promoted" these are great for everyone as well as for other relationships in our life, not just work related.  As a married couple these are great questions to ask each other, maybe shape them a little differently but still valuable.  

How to get promoted:

Spend time with your boss.  Ask to do a ride along or have lunch.  Sometimes getting out of the office helps gain a new perspective on your boss as well as learn from them in a different environment.  

Go to your boss and ask what you can do to help them, how can you help them solve problems, how can you make their life better, easier, how can you lighten their workload

Ask them what agitates you? Ask what do I do that I need to change.

Ask them will you mentor me, train me, develop me.

I have seen these tips work in my own life and benefit those close to me.  I hope you find these tips helpful and will share with those you know looking for employment or promotion. 

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