8 Things You Shouldn’t Do In An Interview and 8 You Should

8 Things You Shouldn’t Do In An Interview and 8 You Should

Wow, You’ve actually got the call and you’ve been invited for the job interview?  That’s great news. But hope you won’t mind if I get you acquainted with the interview do’s and don’ts. Nice decision then. It will be of great interest to share with you some interview do’s and don’ts which can land you the job you have hoped for. 

The Do’s of an Interview

1. Do Research About the Company

The more you know about the company or the employer before the interview, the better for you. This is because extensive research will surely widen your knowledge as regards the company or the employer.  

However, this will surely help you in providing answers to the questions dished from the interviewer.  

2. Do Turn Off Your Phone

To avoid distraction from your phone while the interview section is on, it is advised to have your phone switched off. 

3. Do Introduce Yourself

Among the things you should consider in doing in an interview is to let the interviewers know who you are by introducing yourself,  and other information which you think is of relevance for them to know. 

4. Smile, Be Friendly, and Maintain Eye Contact

Be friendly to anyone you’re in contact with from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you leave. Smiling will create a warm and positive impression of you. However,  maintaining eye contact will demonstrate your self-confidence, focus, and respect for others. 

5. Maintain a Proper Sitting Posture

Do sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor, hands on your lap or chair, and your back against the chair. This open posture will show that you are interested and engaged.

6. Do Take Your Time When Answering A Question

it’s vital you are aware of the interviewer’s body language to identify if your answers are going on too long. Are they looking at their watch or the clock to check the time?

Depending on the question, a one or two-minute response is typically appropriate, but assuming the interviewer knows nothing about you or the answers to the question, you can provide enough detail to answer the questions completely. 

7. Be Positive During Your Interview

They are looking for a candidate that displays positivity. A person who will fit well within their team. However, make sure to use positive and constructive language when discussing conflicts or difficult situations. 

8. Do Dress Properly

This can be achieved by wearing professional or business casual attire, choose a solid colour and subtle patterns and make sure that your clothes are clean, ironed, and not wrinkled. Ensure you are well groomed by having clean and neat hair. This is because your professional image and visual presentation weigh heavily on the employer’s impression of you. 

As a rule of thumb, focus on dressing one step above what they would wear to the workplace you applying to. This may involve researching the company before or asking the person who has called to schedule what the dress code is. 

A good first impression can spark the interviewer’s interest in you. Follow those tips to make a confident and professional first impression. 

Furthermore, don’t wear any clothing that is too tight, revealing, or uncomfortable. You should however avoid noisy or distracting jewellery or patterns, heavy watches, and loud makeup. Be aware of scent-free policies. 

The Don’ts of an Interview

1. Don’t Appear Unprepared

Don’t present yourself before the interviewer without knowing anything about the company or the employer, as that will make you look unserious when you start to fumble on questions you are expected to answer correctly but show no knowledge about.      

2. Don’t Show up Late  for the Interview

Showing up late to an interview tells the interviewer you’re unorganized and could ruin the chances of landing the job. So if you truly know you will be running late, call at least a few hours to the time of the interview to apologize for your unavailability, stating the genuine reason for that.

This will give them the opportunity to reschedule if it is more convenient. 

11. Don’t High Five Your Interviewer

One of the don’ts in an interview is to never extend your greetings to your interviewers in form of a high five or any other form of greetings that might seem improper. You should rather greet either by extending your hand for a not too weak or strong handshake or by a blossom  ‘good morning ‘ or the likes. 

You should learn how to properly shake hands too.

12. Don’t Slouch or Cross Your Arms

It’s wrong to angle yourself away from the interviewer. Poor posture or close body language might make you seem disinterested or defensive. 

13. Avoid Fidgeting

This could be achieved by holding your hands on your knees to be more aware of your leg movements or hold your hands together.

You can as well remove any objects from your vision that you might be tempted to play with. 

14. Make Use of the 7c’s of Communicating During an Interview

Speak clearly and articulate your words. The 7 C’s of communication will help you with that. Show enthusiasm in your tone of voice and maintain an appropriate volume for the size of the room and the number of people you’re meeting with. Mock interviews and practising out loud can help you improve your speech. 

In addition, Be mindful of the pace, clarity, tone, and volume of your speech. Don’t shout, whisper, speak super quickly, or be monotonous. Don’t give answers that are too short or very long. Also, don’t be rude or withdrawn.

Whether you are talking to the interviewer or the people at the reception, be well mannered as you relate.

15. Keep Your Emotions Under Control

Don’t get angry or blame others when talking about previous jobs. Past situations may be emotionally charged, therefore avoid blaming or negative language when discussing previous employers, colleagues, or work environments.

Don’t know how to check your emotions? You can learn to recognize and control them.

16. Don’t Tell Stories That Have Nothing to do With the Job

Do keep your answers straight and relevant. Stay on point and keep the content of your answers relevant to the requirements of the job. 

Conclusion 

Remember, first impression matters. If you stick to the above interview do’s and don’ts,  certainly you would make a good impression at your interview. So go ahead and make a good impression in your interview by abiding by following the interview do’s and don’ts.  Don’t forget to share your comments on how the interview went. 

Remember to share this article with your friends, and you might also like to check out how you can nail down a job interview in 5 minutes

10 Things to Put on Your CV (Resume)

10 Things to Put on Your CV (Resume)

Writing a professionally looking CV could prove tasking. With the constantly changing requirements of employers, crafting a CV that sparks their interest is vital. Whatever format you chose to write yours, there are 10 things to put on your CV. 

Your CV is your selling point. It is a short document listing who you are, your education, skills, achievement, and working experience. Considering, it’s the first contact employers have with you, these 10 things must be present in your resume. 

Writing a good CV speaks a lot about you, professionally. A meticulously written CV can get you closer to an appointment. The more brilliant your CV is, the closer your chances are of reaching the interview stage. 

10 Things to Put Your CV

1. Your Contact Information Should Be In Your CV

The first thing to put on a CV is your contact information. Your contact information should be included at the top of your CV. It includes your name, your job title, your phone number, and email address. Placing it at the top makes it easy for employers to identify and contact you. 

Your name should be accompanied by your job title so that employers can know what you do, closely followed by your active number and your email address. Make sure your email address is a professional one without weird nicknames attached to it. For example, [email protected] is better than [email protected]

Your address can be limited to your state and the country you live in. You can also include your online portfolio, Linkedin profile, and your relevant social media handle only if you discuss matters relevant to the job you’re applying for. 

2. A Profile/ Personal Statement is Needed in Your Resume  

Your CV is meant to introduce you to your potential employer. Considering that they review tons of resumes, you must impress them quickly and your profile statement can help you achieve that. 

Your profile statement is usually a short paragraph at the top of your CV that gives a brief overview of your career qualities, your goals, and your relevance to the organization. 

It should include a statement on who you are, what you do, the skills you possess, and how suitable they are to that organization.

Remember that your profile says a lot about you. It is vital that you professionally outline your qualities to leave a good impression. 

If your CV doesn’t contain one of these 10 things to put on a CV, then consider rewriting it.

3. Your Work Experience is an Important Section of Your CV

Your work experience is a required section you must include in your CV. 

This section should include where you worked, starting from your most recent. It should also contain the position you held, the company’s name, the time frame of employment, and bullet points explaining your skills, your role, and what you achieved while working there. It should look something like this- 

Digital Content Creator.

Techpro Institute, Abuja, Nigeria

2015-2021

•Created engaging advertising content for 10 different brands ranging from food, technology, and Business. 

•Trained over 30+ content interns. 

•Developed a step-by-step content course for beginners in digital content creation. 

Achievements- Awarded best Tech Content Creator at the Digital Content Awards 2017 and 2020.

Detailing your work experience enables employers to know what you did where you worked. It also shows how competent and relevant you’re for the job you’re applying for. 

4. Your Education Details are Another Important Part of Your CV

How detailed the education section of your CV depends on your level of experience. 

If you have substantial work experience, your education section should begin with your recent degree, the name of the institution, your year of graduation. With this experience, emphasis should be more on your skills and work experience. 

However, if you’re writing an entry-level CV or just starting your career, your education is an important selling point of your CV. In addition to the basic details of your education, you should include bullet points detailing your achievements, projects you worked on, relevant coursework, and assignments. 

5. Your Skills Set Must Be Included in Your CV

This is one of the 10 things to put on a CV. Employers are always on the lookout for skilful persons that are fitting for the job requirements.

In this section, you should identify your core skills using bullet points and tailoring them to the job you’re applying for. Your soft skills should also be included as they speak of how resourceful you’re. Assuming you’re applying for a Content Creation post, your skills section could look like, 

 MS Office Suite Specialist 

SEO- expert

Advanced Photography skills

Team player

You may have countless skills to your name, but remember to only list those related to the job you’re applying for. 

6. Your Certifications Can Improve Your CV Outlook 

Adding your certifications to your CV can boost your CV outlook.

Certifications are credentials you earn which affirm your competence and ability to handle a task. It is usually professional, stating that you’ve been tutored, tested, and certified to perform a particular role. 

The benefit of certifications to your CV is that it asserts your ability to undertake a task or role. Earning certifications shows recruiters your dedication to your profession and shows your commitment to self-development. 

When writing your certifications in your CV, write the official title of the certificate, the body awarding the certificate, and the date it was obtained. For example, “TechHub Technical Certification Course 2021”. 

7. An Outline of Your Awards is Vital in Your Resume

A good way of improving your CV’s outlook is by including your awards. 

Awards are an official recognition of your accomplishments. It could be an academic, work, or voluntary award that can be given by the company you work for, the school you attended, or a professional outfit that relates to your profession. 

To include your awards in your CV, write the name of the award, the hear it was awarded, who gave the award, and the purpose of the award. For example, 2021 Storyteller Of the year for ” The Nigerian Culture”, a synopsis of Nigerian History. 

8. Your Volunteering Experience is a Good Feature in Your CV 

This section of your CV is essential, especially if it suits the role you’re applying for. It is very important if your CV is an entry-level CV. 

It is that part of your resume where you include any volunteering work you participated in. You can create a separate section for volunteering experience or you can add it to your work experience. 

To include your volunteer experience, add your role, the name of the organization, the time frame of participation, and bullet points identifying your main duties and achievements. Remember, that whatever volunteer experience you’re including, make sure you tailor it to the job you’re applying for. 

9. Outlining Your Professional Network and Affiliations Is Recommended in Your CV

This is also one of the 10 things to put on a CV.

If you’re a member of any professional body, you must indicate it in your CV. It helps highlight your commitment and dedication to your profession. 

Being a member of recognized bodies illustrates your professionalism in the field of your choice. Include the name of your organization and the type of membership that you have. This could be student, fellow, associate, or professional membership. For example, you may be a member of the Young Africa Leadership Initiative which you could write as “Young Africa Leaders Initiative(YALI), Member”. 

10. A-List Of Your Hobbies and Interests Can Add to The Viability of Your CV 

Your hobbies and interest is an optional section in your CV. It is best considered in an entry-level CV. 

Identifying a hobby that is related to the job you’re applying for is highly recommended. For example, if you love travelling, you can include it in your CV if you’re applying for the post of Air Hostess. 

Conclusion

Having a well-crafted CV has the potential of leaving a good impression about you to recruiters. 

When writing your resume, your profile statement is key to grabbing the attention of recruiters. Highlight the headings of each section in bold so that they can be easily identified. Your profile should be followed up with a skills section to create a view of your ability. 

Finally, include your work experience, education, and any relevant section that is tailored to the job you’re applying for. When next you are applying for a job, make sure these 10 things are included in your CV. 

10 Steps to Make a Good Impression at a Job Interview

10 Steps to Make a Good Impression at a Job Interview

Do you want to make a good impression at a job interview?  Simple steps to know are the basics of impressing your potential employers. 

And at a job interview, you need to make a good impression. Why? Because you need to nail the interview to get the job.

So, what are you going to look out for if you want to make a good impression at a job interview? 

We will be sharing with you 10 steps to make a good impression at a job interview.  

1. Conduct Research on the company 

A successful job interview starts with a solid foundation of knowledge you have of the company. So,  it is always advised to conduct research regarding the employer or the company. The more research you make, the more you will understand the company and be able to provide answers to some questions that would be asked. 

Why I said that was because,  an interviewer may choose to, or may decide to ask you some of the external problems the company is facing which you think is hindering it from moving more forward, is it the brand?  The price?  The quality? The quality? Etc., And how would you intend to fill the space when you are given the chance to. 

Having a good research knowledge about the company helps, And what needs to be put in place to move the company or the employer forward, you might not be opportune to know. 

Therefore, it is advisable to know more about the company or the employer before you present yourself for the interview. 

2. Plan Your Dressing

Plan out the kind of dress to wear at least a day to the interview. I suggest this because you might be thinking that the cloth is in good shape or good enough, however it may be of a surprise to you that there might be a certain flop in the clothes which might likely hinder your burst of glee. 

The flop may be in the form of a stain, wrinkles, tear, oversized, etc. Moreover, in a situation when the company does not have a dress code, you should wear business casual.  So remember it is better to be overdressed than to be underdressed.

3. Arrive On Time For The Interview 

First impressions matter because there may not be a second chance to redeem yourself. 

Most companies count the time you show up at the interview venue as part of the interview process. Therefore, you need to be very punctual to the venue, at least 10 minutes before the commencement of the interview. 

4. Enter With Full Confidence 

Wait a minute, if you truly want to make a good impression at a job interview,  before you enter the room you are going to be interviewed in, you need to take a step back, take a deep breath, relax and enter the room with full confidence. 

This is important because you need to be able to express yourself confidently, lest you might be forgetful about what you can do and help the company achieve.

Okay? Then you put on a big smile. Because when you enter the room, you can be confident that you wouldn’t only have the best smile that your interviewer has probably seen, but you will appear so much more confident. 

What else would you do to appear confident while entering to be interviewed? 

When you enter, the way you do could make a lot of difference, which means you need to realign your posture. Therefore, you need to keep your back straight; don’t slouch while walking. Because when you keep your head down, you would look like a nervous wreck and it would show underconfidence.

But you should want to enter confidently without showing your nervousness or underconfidence in any way. 

5. Extend Handshake Back And Maintain Eye Contact 

On approaching your potential interviewers, as the case may be, you need to extend back a handshake if they offered but maintain proper eye contact. Mind you, since you have succeeded in establishing that confidence, don’t spoil it by giving a weak or strong handshake. And also for no reason should you withdrawing your eyes contact with theirs. 

According to a psychological study, when you look the person in the face or maintain eye contact, it shows that you are hiding nothing. Furthermore, it shows that you are a person who is ready for feedback. 

6. Maintain Good Body Postures

This means you sit erect, you don’t slouch. You could practice this in front of a bathroom mirror in advance before the interview. 

Check out some guides to maintaining good posture.

7. Don’t Make Unnecessary Body Gestures

This is simply referring to your hands and legs’ movement. No unnecessary shaking of your hands and legs. Make sure to not clutch your hands or arms altogether. It would show you are either nervous, afraid, or not ready for the job. 

8. Matching Frequency 

This depends on how the interviewer interviews you. If he is enthusiastic, then you should as well match an enthusiastic tone in responding. But if he is more sobber, then you adopt little of the mode in responding to questions. In short, you should either be aping or mirroring.  

Moreso, matching the frequency could also be in the way the interview is sitting. 

9. Ask Relevant Questions After the interview 

Most employers are always looking up to an employee who has the best interest of the company at heart, no matter how hard they are to approach. They are always happy when employers ask what are the things they can do in other to move the company forward, or how to get it out of its hole. 

So at the end of the interview, you can as well toss some questions which would feed you more about the company and the things which could be done to improve them in one aspect or the other. 

10. Thank Your Interviewer

This is another most important interview tip most people forget about. At the end of the interview, don’t just dash out through the door without sparing few seconds in thanking your interviewer or to every member of the employer’s staff who interviewed you. 

Forgetting to do this simple act may speak volumes about your manner, and you do not want them doubting your communication skill and ability to have healthy work relationships with other team members.

Conclusion 

Remember, first impression matters. If you stick to these basics, certainly you would make a good first impression at your interview. So go ahead and make a good impression and don’t forget to comment on how it went. 

Remember to share this article with your friends, and you might also like to check out how you can nail down a job interview in 5 minutes.