Surprising Reasons You Aren’t Getting Hired

Everyone thinks that the end-all be-all of landing a job is how you perform at the interview. If you walk in, say all the right things, and make a perfect first impression, you’re sure to get the job, right? Maybe not. There are a few very specific things that, whether you realize it or not, could be sabotaging that interview and your chances of getting hired. Read on to learn more about how you can give yourself the best chance possible of landing the job.

  • Start With The Smile: First impressions are incredibly important, and that goes double for your professional life. A survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry found that three-quarters of adults feel that an unattractive smile can hurt their career success. When at the job interview, smile naturally; it might seem like common sense, but it’s easy to forget when you’re nervous. And make sure you brush your teeth and look good when you get there. No interviewer wants to see your lunch stuck between your teeth.
  • Keep Busy While You Wait: It’s easy to want to play on your phone or check Facebook while you’re waiting in the lobby, but don’t. Being on your phone, drinking coffee, or even a short snack while you wait can be marked against you for the job. Try to have one hand free if possible for a quick handshake, and spend time checking your notes on the job or otherwise preparing for the interview.
  • Dress Code Matters: Make sure you know the dress code before you get to the interview. Dressing sloppy is always a bad idea, and you should make sure that you look nice even for an interview in a casual office setting. However, don’t dress too fancy either; dressing in a full suit for a casual office can make it seem like you haven’t done your homework on the company. When in doubt, it’s not a bad idea to ask what sort of dress code is used at the office.
  • Have Your References Ready: If the interview goes well, your interviewer is going to want to check your references to make sure everything checks out. If you don’t already have a list ready, you can seem unprepared. Contact your references if you can to let them know you’re using them as a reference, and trust them to speak well of you. If you can’t trust them, then you’ll need better references.

Make sure you land the job by using these four tips. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the difference, and these little changes in your behavior for an interview can be what gets you a call back.

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