By Samuel Rosenberg From Caribbean360

NEW YORK, United States, Thursday July 3, 2014 – Once you know about all the worst things you can do during a job interview, you can plan and prepare properly so that you can commit to an excellent employment interview which will rapidly increase your chances of landing the job and increasing your financial reserves.

You would have heard that it is vital to make a good first impression when you go on a first date with a potential new partner because, according to experts, you make up your mind about somebody during the first five minutes when you meet them. Interviewers, even subconsciously will be using that same first five minutes to decide whether they are likely to employ you or not, so you need to plan to make a positive impact during the entire interviewing process.

Dressing inappropriately

You will know that it is wrong to turn up for an interview as a bank manager, dressed like you have just left the gym, because if you are not extremely presentable and wearing smart clean clothes, you may start your interview by providing a very poor first impression.

Even if the job doesn’t require you to be dressed smartly, it will still pay you to present yourself beyond the standards required during your interview. Dressing smartly, yet flamboyantly, may also prove off putting for the interviewer.

Do you know why you want the job?

You will be asked, at some stage during the interview, why you want the job. If you fail to answer the question with enthusiasm and conviction, the interviewer will know that you have not prepared an answer for the easiest question they will ask.

There are a range of questions you should ask and others that you should avoid at this early stage as they will only become valid if it is likely that you are to be offered the position.

Telling the interviewer which days you don’t want to work or asking how much holiday time is available, will make you sound as though you are bothered more about the time you’re not going to be at work, than when you are there.

Although you may wish to take your potential boss’s place in the next few years, it won’t help your application when you offend or threaten the interviewer’s own job.

When you are asked if you have any questions, the worst thing you can say is; “no”. This shows that you are not interested in the job, the company or the people involved. You should have at least three good questions ready to ask your interviewer so that even if they have already covered one answer for you, you still have two in reserve.

You can prepare questions to ask specific information about the job to show your level of interest. By asking about the immediate needs in your new workplace, they will understand that you wish to know about the challenges ahead of you. It is permissible to ask why the position has become available as this will let you know if a problem existed before that you can overcome or whether a new position is being opened at this time. By asking questions about the company, you will have proved that you have taken the time and effort to do your homework about the business.

People like to talk about themselves, so asking a little about your new manager’s background will give them the opportunity to talk while you weigh up whether you want to work with this person.

By asking about the next steps in the process, they will understand your level of interest in the position.

Final tips

Leave your cell phone off during the interview, giving it no chance to ring, bleep or vibrate. Leaving it on will embarrass you and will show the interviewer that you haven’t prepared properly.

One of the ways that you can create a great first impression, is to follow up with your interviewer as soon as you can, by sending them an email to thank them for the meeting and to provide them with any positive points you forgot to mention, to correct any mistakes that you are sure they will have noticed and to highlight your major skills and applications. You won’t get every job you apply for, but you must learn how to make the best from your errors so that your next interview gives you a better chance of being successful.

samuel-rosenbergThe writer is the founder and CEO of Axcel Finance Ltd., the leading regional microfinance institution. Share your thoughts and email your questions to [email protected]