Getting Hired

Graduation does not necessarily mean the end of homework. Ideally, graduates find fulfilling, life-sustaining work in the field they devoted their four years of studies to. However, it is not that easy; there is competition. A job interview is an opportunity to shine and get hold of your dream job, but many may jeopardize their chances by letting nerves get the best of them, not being prepared and etc. Getting Hired, Pt. 2 focuses on being the best one can be in a crucial stage of getting hired.

Confidence

Some may wonder whether it is better to be more assertive or more submissive during a job interview.

The kind of personality that is preferred, whether assertive or compliant, depends on the interviewer, said Elizabeth Stinnett, recruitment specialist and Human Resources facilitator for Shannon Medical Center. There are always exceptions, but most interviewers do not look for either extreme, she said. It is best to strike a balance between the two, but the most important thing is confidence. One can gain confidence before a job interview by doing some research.

"A lot of it boils down to how much you prepare for the interview and how eager you are for the position," Stinnett said, "and not just because you need a job, but because you really want this job."

The applicant should get the feel of the company by researching the company's vision, mission and etc. through resources such as the company's website.

An interviewer looks for someone who is communicative, will have a fit for the company, and has a sense of what the job is about, she said. Applicants should not claim to be more qualified than everyone else because they "don't know that."

"That would be something I, as an interviewer, couldn't buy into," she said.

They should, however, be confident in their skills and show that they really want the job. Eagerness shows in an interview, Stinnett said.

Practicing speaking with another person or in front of a mirror also greatly helps, Stinnett said.

"If you tend to be a little more nervous in front of people…then having that practice is invaluable," she said.

On the other hand, if someone is more talkative, he or she may have to practice not talking as much, she said.

"You have to be careful about not taking the interviewer over," she said.

It is normal for people to feel nervous going into an interview, but they do not have to fear being nervous in front of the interviewers, said Eddie Salcido, director of SAISD human resources.

"There's a lot on the line in their eyes and we understand that," he said.

Salcido said a goal of human resources is to facilitate a positive environment, optimizing the interviewees' opportunity to show their best.

"We want you to be your best, because that's what we want to see," he said.

First Impressions

Colleges and universities do an excellent job of preparing students, Salcido said, but some students make the mistake of not taking advantage of available resources.

"Listen to the people who come and talk to you," he said. "Take their words and use them."

Salcido and Stinnett said they have both had people dressed in jeans and T-shirts.

"I'd be amazed," Salcido said.

Salcido said that while such a mistake in outfit choice will not totally take an applicant out of consideration, it would not help the applicant's odds.

"Because again, I'm looking for your best," he said.

How a person is dressed or whether the person has tattoos or piercings may affect the outcome of the job interview, Stinnett said, but it ultimately depends on the business or institution. Companies that serve a broader variety of customers will pay more attention to such body modifications as opposed to places such as Pac Sun or Starbucks, she said. Businesses in general, though, are becoming more and more relaxed about it since tattoos have become so common.

Salcido said, though he does 300 to 500 interviews in a typical year, there are the occasional applicants who stand out positively.

 "I've sat through an interview with a young lady and we didn't hire her for the position," he said. "But I kept her in mind because she had done a superb job."

When another position in another field opened that she was certified in, Salcido said, he looked for her specifically. He said she had impressed him with her knowledge and passion.

"I ended up hiring her," he said. "I tell kids all the time, ‘You never know what you may spark.' You may not get that job, but you may spark something in somebody that, down the road, is going to pay off."

Questions

Some students might worry that they do not have much formal, relevant work experience, but they do not necessarily need to have had full-time work, Stinnett said. It can be hard to work full time and go to school. Employers want to see that the person has been committed to something and has goals and has moved forward in his or her life, she said.