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Interview
skills key to accessing job market Job interviews. Oh, those scary, scary words. We try to ignore them until the last possible minute, until we realize the only way we are going to get the high-paying corporate job we all desire is to go through a few interviews. However, as we all know, the job market is very tough right now. Whether you’re looking for a job with Soulless Technologies, Inc., Third World Exploitation Enterprises or Microsoft, you’re going to have to compete with droves of other applicants. Many students don’t realize there are some very important skills one needs to be successful in a job interview. Here are a few interviewing tips that can hopefully guide you to the high-rise cubicle job you’ve dreamed about. First of all, don’t be yourself. Whatever you do, don’t try and show your “individuality” to the interviewer. They are not looking for someone who wants to save the world. They are looking for someone who is ultimately going to make more money for them. Let them know that when the decision comes to boost the company’s profit or save an undisturbed wilderness area, you won’t have any problem wiping out a few species of owl or squirrel to clear land for development. Secondly, make sure that you let your interviewer know that you’ll be willing to work long hours to get the job done. If you are a woman, let them know that you’re not interested in having kids because you’re focused on your career. The last thing they want to think about is dealing with maternity leave, or worse yet, day care. Interviewers are turned off by applicants who aren’t interested in long hours and lots of money, so don’t start telling them about how your family is your number one focus. Next, one very important key for interviewing in today’s job market is the way you dress. Make sure that you dress according to traditional gender stereotypes. An employer does not want to see an applicant who “expresses” him/herself through the way he/she dresses. Males should play up their masculine stereotypes and females should adhere to feminine stereotypes. This doesn’t help females or minorities much, but if your interviewer seems to be the “good ol’ boy” type, you might crack a few sexist or racist jokes to break up the tension of the interview a little bit. Last, your résumé is another extremely important part of getting a job. Remember, this interviewer is deciding what you may be doing for the rest of your life, but he has a golf tee time in half an hour, so don’t be long winded. It is best to sum up the last 20 years of your life with a few carefully chosen words that seem to relate to the job for which you are applying. If you haven’t really done anything relating to the job, be creative. College, hopefully, has taught you how to make up something even when you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. There’s no question that the job market is tough right now. It is essential that you not fall behind as a result of poor preparation. There are only so many downtown high-rise cubicles available, so don’t get caught having to work with real people in some friendly, small town. To all of you sweating it out about jobs right now, I can only wish you the best of luck in your pursuits. As for my fellow sociology majors, let’s just be thankful we can rest easy knowing we don’t have to worry about job interviews. Right? Jeff
Dennis is a junior sociology major from Gail. |
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