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There are many career advice blogs where you can get free tips to assist you in the job application process. I just read a good WordPress blog coordinated by Catherine Adenle. This site has over 40,000 hits and has readers from across the globe. Readers from Canada, India, London and Texas have provided feedback about how the free advice given in the blog has assisted them in their job applications. I see other Australians (from Wagga Wagga and Sydney) were visiting the site at the same time as I was today.
The most active post in this Blog is titled ‘10 Things That You Should Never Ever Say During a Job Interview’.
- “Your wife/husband/daughter/dog is smokin’ hot!”
- “Dude” or “bro.”
- “I was fired because management was intimidated by how good I am. They’re really stupid there.”
- “Excuse me; I have to take this phone call.”
- “I didn’t know you sold clothes.”
- “Did you hear the one about the rabbi, the priest and the exotic dancer?”
- “Whatever. It’s not like you’re going to hire me.”
- “4.20 is a holiday here, right?”
- “I’m living with my mom right now because I’m going through a messy divorce.”
- “Sorry I’m late. I just hate getting up before noon.”
Make sure you go to the site to read the full version and other posts such as:
22 Popular Job Interview Questions and Answers
Tips on How to Write an Effective Cover Letter for a Job Application
The 10 Worst Things You Could Say To Your Boss
10 Things that Scream, “Don’t Hire Me!”
and many more.
What do you think – True or False?
1. Spending a lot of time preparing for a job interview will make me seem desperate.
2. While preparing for a job interview, put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes to see things from their perspective.
3. Role playing to prepare for typical interview questions is really important.
4. If you have reservations about your abilities or skills for the position you should tell the whole truth.
5. A job interview is a one-direction conversation, like on a talk show.
6. Interviewers are like dogs; they can smell my fear.
7. The “real me” will shine through whether I’m dressed in pajamas or a suit.
8. Sending a thank you note is an important way of standing out.
9. Making demands for your ideal salary and vacation in the initial interview is a risky proposition.
10. It doesn’t matter if I’m 5 minutes late. Everyone runs late to interviews.
C.J. Liu (professional coach) has provided some comments on these statements in a Payscale blog post. While this is an American blog – from my experience the observations made in this blog post are also relevant for the Australian job-seeking environment. It is worth noting that where an organisation recruits on merit (eg public sector roles), sending a thank you note is unlikely to have an effect on your chances of winning a role.
