You have interviewed with companies and have put your best foot forward, but none of those has resulted in a job offer. Since you are making it past the initial screenings, chances are that you are qualified to do the job. Here are a few tips to ensure that you make it to the final stage of the job offer next time.
Mock Interviews: Practice makes perfect. Conducting mock interviews with a person who has experience hiring or somebody who can be extremely candid with you can really help you see yourself through your interviewer’s eyes. Using a mirror or a recording device can help you notice little things about yourself that you would normally not have visibility to. Are you smiling enough, do you appear nervous, do you have good posture and eye contact? Mock interviews can be very valuable in polishing up your interviewing skills and ensuring that you are presenting the most professional package.
Get the Interviewer Talking: People do business with people they like. Interviews are easier both for you and the interviewer when they are a two-way conversation. Get the interviewer talking by asking them about their goals, issues and concerns. This will allow you the opportunity to establish your worth by providing relevant examples of your past successes and ways that you can help the company overcome any obstacles they are facing. Make sure you’re your interviewer sees the value in your experience. Remember, your questions and answers show a lot about how you think.
Make Sure You Are Qualified: If you overstate your qualifications and lack the necessary skills or experience, it will come out during the interview. Make sure that you have a firm understanding of the culture and demands of the role in which you are applying to. If you don’t have the relevant industry experience, you often can make it to the final stage of the interview process, but it is much more likely that the company will hire a person with relevant industry experience over someone who does not have it. A helpful tip is to go back and look at the positions that you’ve interviewed for but didn’t get. See who ended up getting the job, and see how well their experience and background align to yours. You can do this by exploring the company’s website or LinkedIn. This will help you determine if you are applying for jobs that are clearly outside your level of expertise.
Ask for Feedback: If you are not selected for a role, it is completely appropriate to ask for feedback. You may not always receive it, but when you do, it can be very valuable. Take the feedback you receive with you to your next opportunity, and tailor accordingly. These insights can make all the difference in the world.
Hopefully these tips will help you move one step closer to the type of work you would like to do. Good luck!