Whether you are a recent or soon to be college grad, a mom reentering the work force or someone who’s job has been eliminated, finding a new job in the current economy is not an easy task. According to current data from the U.S. Department of Labor, there are approximately 6.1 job seekers for every job opening. I have no doubt that for more desirable jobs, these numbers are much higher. I know that here at LifeWay Christian Resources, we currently have over 20,000 applicants on file (with less than 20 open positions) and our system drops apps that have been on file for more than 12 months!
With competition this stiff, the initial job interview is absolutely critical. According to a recent survey of 500 HR managers by the Society for Human Resource Management, 63% make a NOT-to-hire decision within the first 15 minutes of the interview. As a manager who has conducted dozens of interviews over the years, I would certainly agree. While it takes me more than 15 minutes to decide to hire someone, it doesn’t take me long at all to decide I DON’T want to hire this person.
In the same survey, the HR managers were asked which behaviors/characteristics exhibited by job candidates during the application process would be considered a major problem or deal breaker. The response percentages were pretty revealing. So, if you’re wanting to make a good first impression and not blow up the initial job interview, here are the top 6 behaviors to avoid.
- Is dressed too provocatively (67%)
- Has typos or grammatical errors in cover letter and/or resume (58%)
- Is late for the interview (58%)
- Talks negatively about a previous supervisor/boss (49%)
- Talks negatively about a previous job/internship (42%)
- The applicant’s cell phone rings during the interview (40%)
Want to make a positive impression and stand out in a very crowded job applicant pool? Dress conservatively for your interview, proof your cover letter and resume, be early for your interview, talk nice about former jobs/bosses and turn off your cell phone. Doing all of these things won’t guarantee you get the job, but they’ll go a long way towards making sure you don’t get shut down in the first 15 minutes.
What’s been your experience on either side of the interview desk? Agree, or disagree? Would love to get your comments.
