Michael Rodriguez
Prof. Maguire
BTO 260
08 Dec. 2009
How to be Successful with Interviews
Interviewing is the process of companies evaluating potential employees for
possible employment within their respective organizations. In my opinion, the job
interview process is an important part of business communications because it helps the
company to evaluate the employee and vice versa. The interview process is long and
complex since it involves different aspects of business communication. Those aspects are
written, verbal, and non-verbal communication. To be successful with interviews, you
need to master all types in order to land the job you want.
Written communication concerning the interview process involves applicants
sending written business documents to potential employers. These documents are the
resume, the cover letter, and the thank you letter. The resume and cover letter are sent
before the interview while the thank you letter is sent after the interview. Employers
require these documents because they provide a good assessment of a potential
candidate’s qualifications. Most job interviews require a resume and cover letter. The
thank you letter is optional though it’s recommended so that applicants can increase their
chances of landing a job. All of these documents are vital since applicants can
demonstrate how their skills can be a good fit for the job.
The resume is the most important business document since it summarizes your
skills, education, and work experience to potential employers. According to “The Career
Adventure” by Susan M. Johnston, there are two common resume styles that applicants
should follow. They are the functional style and the chronological style. According to
Johnston, the chorological style focuses mainly on work experience and presents your
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background in reverse chronological order while the functional style focuses primarily on
your skills and abilities. Applicants with extensive work experience should use the
chronological style while applicants with little or no experience should use the functional
style.
The components of a resume are an applicant’s contact information, education,
work experience, skills, interests, and references. Unless an applicant is going for an
internship, an objective is optional. An applicant’s contact information should include
their address, e-mail, and telephone number. It needs to be accurate because if it isn’t
employers will get frustrated trying to contact any potential candidates. Concerning
education, applicants need to put the name of the college, its location, graduation, and
their GPA if it’s good. With work experience, applicants need to list it in reverse
chronological order with the most recent job first along with the name of the company, its
location, the job title, the length of time with the company, and finally the relevant duties
associated with the job. Concerning the skills section, applicants need to list their
technical and interpersonal skills. Applicants should put in an interests component to
show potential employers how broad their experiences are. Finally, applicants need to put
a references section so that employers can check their references to see if they were being
honest about their background.
The cover letter is important because it supplants a candidate’s resume. According
to Johnston, the cover letter is a persuasive document that convinces the employer to
review an applicant’s resume, interview them, and then discuss employment with them.
In the cover letter, applicants introduce themselves to potential employers and explain
how their background is relevant to the desired position. Cover letters have a certain
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format that is similar to a business letter. Applicants need to put their name and address
in the cover letter as well as the date the letter was sent to the employer. Also, they need
to put the name of the contact person and the company’s address. According to Johnston,
“Address your letter to a specific person within the organization, rather than writing to
“Human Resources Director.” If you must send your letter to a blind address, then use the
salutation “Dear Sir or Madam:” rather than “To Whom It May Concern.” Applicants
should try to get a contact within the company so that they can begin networking with
that person. The more business contacts that candidates have, the more chances they will
have of landing the right position.
According to Johnston, “A well-written cover letter follows a logical progression
in each of its paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: This is why I am writing to you. (Newspaper ad, referral)
Paragraph 2: This is who I am and what we have in common.
Paragraph 3: Conclusion: We should get together.
Finally, applicants need to put “sincerely”, their name, and the word “enclosure” if
needed to end the cover letter. If an applicant follows this format wisely, it will increase
his/her chances of impressing potential employers in the end.
Thank you notes have a similar format to cover letters. The main difference is that
a thank you letter focuses on expressing gratitude to the interviewer while the cover letter
focuses on persuading the employer to give applicants a shot at an interview. When
writing thank you notes, maintain a gracious tone and leave out the enclosure. In some
cases, thank you notes are optional though it’s a good idea to do one because it shows
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your appreciation towards any potential employers which could lead to opportunity in the
end.
According to Johnston, “Remember, you want to create a picture with words that
lets the employer imagine you in the job for which you’re applying.” Candidates need to
tailor their resumes, cover letters, and thank you notes to match the right content for the
jobs that they are applying for. According to Johnston, “Your resume should be not only
informative but also attractive and pleasing to the eye.” Resumes should be no more than
a page and it should have an appropriate font like Times New Roman or Arial. Also, use
bullets and bold when necessary to make the resume look more professional. Applicants
need to adjust their resumes to fit the job description. This mostly applies to the skill and
experience components of the resume. For example, if a candidate is going for a fashion
position, the applicable skills and experience would be in art and design whereas
accounting skills and experience would be irrelevant since it has nothing to do with
fashion. According to Johnston, “Words such as “managed,” “organized,” “supervised,”
“wrote,” and “created” work better at establishing an active image than do words like
“was responsible for” or “acted as.” Candidates should use stronger phrases and action
words like the ones Johnston mentioned so that they convey a more active and dynamic
image on the resume. Applicants need to adjust their resumes so that their qualifications
are a better fit for the job in the end.
Similar to the resume, cover letters and thank you notes should be no more than a
page and they should have the appropriate margins and fonts. Also, applicants should
make sure they have the correct contact information for themselves and the companies
that they are applying for. Candidates need to make sure that they have the appropriate
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tones for their cover letters and thank you letters since cover letters have a more
persuasive tone while thank you letters have a more appreciative tone. Most importantly,
applicants need to proofread their business correspondence so that it is error-free. If
employers notice even one mistake, they will throw out an applicant’s resume quicker
than the wind. Job candidates need to maintain proper English and grammar with their
job application packets so that they demonstrate that they are serious about getting the job
in the end.
In my opinion, non-verbal communication may be more important to practice and
emphasize than verbal communication because it is easier to make mistakes with this
type than with the other. Interviewers frequently evaluate candidates more non-verbally
than verbally because they feel that it reveals more about them since people do things
non-verbally that they aren’t aware of, like constantly twitching during the interview.
There are intricacies when it comes to non-verbal communication like appearance,
hygiene, and gestures among others.
Appearance is the first thing that interviewers look for in potential job candidates.
The expression “Dress for Success” means to look your best when trying to impress
others. If the interviewee looks like a slob, they have already blown their interview.
Applicants need to look neat and clean when going on interviews. According to “The
Comprehensive Guidebook for Co-op Survival and Success” by Scott Weighart,
“Basically, if having one earring or nose ring, a Mohawk haircut or other alternative
hairstyle, or wearing funky clothes is more important to you than getting a job, go right
ahead but be prepared to accept the consequences.” Candidates can’t be wearing things
like tattoos, body piercings, and wacky hairstyles because you can come across as
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immature and unprofessional. Applicants don’t have to totally sacrifice their lifestyles for
their careers. However, like Weighart said, if you want the job, applicants have to make
adjustments to their respective lifestyles. This will help to build a foundation towards an
applicant’s professionalism for the rest of their lives.
There are certain dress codes both men and women need to follow when attending
interviews. According to Weighart, the dress code for men is to wear a suit, dress shoes, a
shirt, and a tie to the interview. The suit color should preferably be black or blue. Also,
according to Weighart, men and women should avoid wearing flashy colors like purple or
hot pink because they are distracting during an interview. For dress shirts, go with classic
white or oxford blue though blue shirts are becoming the norm these days. Dress shoes
should be black and polished accordingly. Any tie will do for an interview as long as it is
not a clip on. For men, go light on cologne. Male applicants don’t need to smell like a
flower shop. The dress code for women is to wear a dress, a skirt and blouse, or a suit.
Women also need to wear dress shoes and nylons. Unlike men, women can dress in any
color that they wish as long as it’s not flashy. Women shouldn’t wear excessive make-up
and should wear little or no perfume since these can be distracting or irritating especially
if the interviewer has allergies during the interview. According to Weighart, “In fact, one
student forgot to take the price and size tags off of his new suit and was nicknamed
“Tags” for his whole six-month co-op job!” The applicant should take his/her time to get
his/her interview clothes or else he or she may develop a similar nickname or reputation.
As long as job candidates are patient and follow these guidelines, their attire will be
adequate for any interview.
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Hygiene supplants one’s appearance because one needs to look immaculate for
the interview. According to Weighart, “You shouldn’t have to receive a gift-wrapped bar
of soap from a friend, roommate, or co-op coordinator to know that hygiene is an
important consideration.” Like Weighart says, people need to maintain their hygiene.
They can’t go to an interview smelling like a goat. They should shower and bathe before
any interview. Also, they should use deodorant and have their tic-tacs ready when
needed. No one wants to talk to someone when their breath is offensive.
In my opinion, the most important aspect of non-verbal communication is
gestures because candidates say a great deal about themselves in an interview without
even realizing it. All candidates get nervous during interviews since they are facing the
unknown. Due to their nervousness, interviewees might give interviewers the wrong
impression since their emotions are getting in the way. According to Weighart, “The trick
is to use your nervous energy in positive ways.” Some of these ways include speaking
louder and with more enthusiasm and using your hands to be more expressive instead of
keeping your arms folded. Doing positive actions such as these will help interviewees to
control their nerves.
During interviews, interviewees need to maintain a firm handshake because if
they don’t, it will give the interviewer the impression that the candidate lacks confidence.
When shaking hands, a candidate should make sure that their handshake is strong but not
that strong. Candidates don’t need to crush the interviewer’s hand. Interviewees should
practice shaking hands firmly with family and friends so that they will be better prepared
for the interview. Also, interviewees need to maintain eye contact during the interview.
Similar to the handshake, if interviewees don’t do this, they give the impression that they
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lack confidence. Also, they give the impression they have something to hide. Candidates
shouldn’t stare at the interviewer like they want to kill them. Instead, they should
maintain polite eye contact with the interviewer. Candidates need to do this as much as
possible during the interview or else they will be perceived as being inattentive and
uninterested in the job.
Finally, candidates need to be wary of their body language during the interview
process because if they don’t, they could be sending the wrong message to the
interviewer. Candidates need to sit up straight and not slouch during the interview
because if they slouch, they will be perceived as being lazy and laid back. Also,
interviewees need to maintain a positive and enthusiastic tone during the interview. If an
interviewee’s tone is negative, they will come across as being indifferent and impolite.
Maintaining a positive attitude and smiling a lot will help interviewees to ace the
interview in the end.
Verbal communication is important because employers are not just interested in
what you have to say, they are also interested in how you say it. Interviewees need to be
articulate and professional when speaking during interviews. According to Weighart,
“Try to avoid “yeahs” and “uh-huhs”. You want your first conversation with a potential
employer to be very positive and effective”. Applicants need to use proper English when
attending any interviews because using meaningless slang like Weighart said makes them
sound immature and unprofessional. For example, many candidates overuse the word
“like” and frequently take it out of context. If interviewees constantly use the word “like”
during the interview, they will come across as being immature. To avoid this,
interviewees should use other words to describe things other than the word “like”. It
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makes interviewees sound more articulate and mature during the interview. Also,
candidates need to speak at a reasonably loud volume so that the interviewer can hear
them. Candidates shouldn’t yell during the interview unless they want to blow out the
interviewer’s ear drums. To supplant volume, candidates need to speak at a good rate
because talking too fast makes the interviewer miss the strong points that candidates are
trying to convey during the course of the interview. Finally, interviewees need to be
prudent and tactful when speaking to the interviewer. If interviewees are tactless with
their words, they hurt their chances of acing the interview. Interviewees should maintain
their tact and professionalism when speaking during interviews so that they have a better
shot at the desired position in the end.
In short, written, verbal, and non-verbal communications are all interconnected
during the course of the interview process. Due to this, applicants need to master all of
these types of communication so that they can be successful with interviews. As long as
candidates stay positive and believe in themselves, they will grow professionally in the
end. To all prospective job candidates, good luck with your career endeavors.
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Works Cited
Johnston, Susan. The Career Adventure. 4th ed. New Jersey: Pearson
Education, 2006. Print.
Weighart, Scott. The Comprehensive Guidebook for Co-op Survival and
Success. USA: Mosaic Eye, 2003. Print.
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