As a recruiter, I am often asked for interviewing tips.  While there are many factors that are out of our control in a job search, I truly believe that a positive attitude is the key to success.  Having an optimistic outlook will help you find the job you want!

Every day I meet and speak with new people and the ones that I remember are not always the people with the most impressive background, but rather the people with the most impressive attitudes.  Your experience and your qualifications are not something that you can change, but your personality and your demeanor are factors that you can control!  Think about it, who wouldn’t want to work with someone with a great personality who is going to get along well with everyone at the company and make a positive contribution there?

While I am a very positive person myself, I know that this does not come as easily for most people.  So these are my suggestions on what you can do to take control of your attitude and get the job you want now!

• Smile. Smiling not only makes you feel better, but smiling on an interview can make your interviewer feel good as well. It can hide those nerves and as they say smiles are contagious!
• Dress the part.  When you look good, you feel better.  Wearing a suit is always best for interviews, not matter who you are meeting with it is always better to be overdressed than underdressed.  Pick out a special outfit for your interview!  Lay it out the night before and be prepared.  You don’t want to be unhappy with your appearance because it’ll definitely affect your mood. 
• Get excited Channel your nervous energy into excitement.  View every new situation as an opportunity!  You never know who you are going to meet or what is going to happen in the future. When people are excited about interviews they tend to do better.
• Be enthusiastic. It is important to be and stay enthusiastic throughout the whole interview, even if you hear something you don’t like it is always better to get an offer and turn it down than to leave with a bad impression.
• Stay Positive. It is inevitable that you will not be successful in every interview.  Even if your job search takes longer than planned, do not give up!  If you become bitter it is not going to hurt anyone but yourself.  It is imperative to believe that you will find the right job! After all, like they say “seeing is believing.” No matter what, do not give in to negativity.

The right job is out there and eventually you will find your perfect match. While many of these tips may seem obvious, you will be amazed what can happen if you actually put these into practice how much better you will feel and as a result how much better you will do!

    Becky Garson
    Executive Recruiter – Healthcare