Your resume is prepped, proofread and critiqued by career services (and your mother). Your resume ties well into your cover letter, your contacts names are spelled correctly, you’ve researched the company and you know why you are applying there. Excitement and nervousness build.
Before you go in for an interview, let me touch on a few items you may not know affect your chances of landing your job.
1. Credit score. Believe it or not, companies are actually starting to look at your credit score. It gives them an idea of your level of responsibility and how well you play by the rules. This doesn’t happen nearly as often as looking you up in search engines (which you should assume will happen), but it could be something they base their decision on. So make sure you’re paying your bills on time.
2. Knowledge about the company you are interviewing with. This is huge. If you have not taken the time to research company and the position you are applying for, don’t bother showing up to the interview. A potential employers wants an applicant who cares enough about getting this particular position that they did their homework. The more you can talk intelligently about the company (and how you will fit in), the better your chances of getting hired. Also, do a Google News search for the company so you can comfortably talk about what they have been doing lately.
3. Yawn Factor. Have a recent news items or interesting stories about your work history prepared. Bring them up when you can’t think of anything else to say. Your potential employer is hoping you will speak up and say something interesting. Know what the employer is looking for and make sure you are presenting yourself in an interesting manner.
4. Nerves. It is alright to be nervous in front of your dream company but practicing a few times never hurt. You should take advantage of the resources you have around you, have your friends ask you strange questions about past employment or go to career services and ask them for a list of potential interview questions.
5. Past Job Performance. Most employers will ask you for references. It may look strange if you do not provide a reference for your last employer, and if you are not overly open to talking about your experiences there, your interviewer may assume it didn’t end well. If they think your past job did not work out well before, they may be more skeptical about working with you now.
6. Ability to play nice. You don’t have to like everyone, but you do need to put in an honest effort. If the company you are looking to get a job at is hosting an event in the near future that is open – or more importantly, you have been invited to – be there. Many employers make up their mind about employees at these events and it is in your best interest to show up.
Keeping this six things in mind before the interview will increase your chances of landing that dream job. Good luck!
- Author: RJ Sherman
