The job search process can be difficult, to say the least, at times – you’ve got the lists and lists of jobs to go through, your CV to perfect, and then you’ve got the interview technique to master. That said; by the time you actually get to the job interview stage, it can be quite difficult to hide your desperation to finally bag yourself a job.
But it’s really important to not let the desperation get the better of you in an interview situation because an employer may actually be put off, and we don’t want that! With that in mind we’ve come up with some top tips to help you avoid looking desperate at your interview.
Body Language
Believe it or not, body language can be a huge tell-tale sign that you’re desperate for a job – someone that is feeling anxious to get the job may look down and fidget. These are all bad signs at an interview because it could be an indicator that you’ve got very low confidence and you don’t deal well with pressurised situations.
So before you go to the interview, get in front of a mirror and practice how you’ll sit and the amount of eye contact you’ll give. A confident candidate will be sat up straight with a smile on their face and make lots of eye contact – you’ll seem a lot more approachable if you do this, and you’re probably more likely to get a job.
Take Deep Breaths
There’s nothing worse than arriving at an interview and not pausing for a moment of air before you start speaking. Take some deep breaths before and during the interview to avoid fumbling through it – you don’t want to be gasping for breath whilst answering a question – it will just seem rushed and put a potential employer off.
Avoid Desperate Language
If you’ve been job-hunting for a long time then it’s understandable that you’ll want to impress your potential employers by ticking all the boxes. That said; you don’t want to sign your life away, as you could find yourself getting a pretty rubbish deal at the end of it if you’re not careful – so avoid phrases like “I’ll do anything” . On the other hand, it’s important that you don’t come across as too cocky and request far-fetched benefits, as you could end up putting an employer off completely.
Think Before You Speak
It’s very easy to come out with throw away comments when you’re under pressure and you really want the job – but these comments can have repercussions. You could answer a question really well but then end it with “but I didn’t get on with my previous employer,” which could be a real turn off.
It can be very easy for these types of comments to slip out, especially when you’re getting on with the interviewer, but you need to make sure you avoid it all costs. Throw away comments could really put off a potential employer, so really think about what you say to avoid coming out with random thoughts.
Keep Them Keen
You don’t want to seem too desperate in terms of your availability, so bring your diary to the interview and have a few appointments in there. You don’t want to say that you’re interviewing with other employers, but it helps to show that you’re in demand as opposed to being desperate for a job!
Don’t Pester Them
Once you finish your interview you’ll probably be desperate to find out whether you’ve bagged yourself a job or not. But it’s important to wait at least 48 hours before you drop them an email – calling 15 minutes after the interview is definitely not acceptable and will probably irritate your prospective employer to a certain extent.
So there we go, how to avoid looking desperate at your interview – if you’ve got any thoughts, comment below.