Where’s the love?: Five ways to show enthusiasm and land the job

photo credit: erin MC hammer

Tip of the day: All else being equal, employers would rather hire someone who wants — really, really wants — to work for them.

Here are five ways that you can display your enthusiasm for the position during the interview process:

1. Always be on time. A job interview should be the most important thing you’re doing that day.  Treat it as such.
2. Learn about the company. How can you know you want to work somewhere if you don’t know anything about them?  Take the time to understand something about the business, and your statements of interest will come across as more genuine.
3. Prepare. In any line of business, if you have a meeting to represent your company, you prepare so that you can put your best foot forward.  To do otherwise indicates a lack of interest in success.
4. Just say it. At the end of the interview, say something like this: “Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me today.  I’m very excited about this position and think I’d be a great fit for your organization.  Are there any concerns that you have about my candidacy?”  This is a way of “closing” the interview — finding objections and giving you the opportunity to allay concerns while expressing your interest in moving forward.
5. Follow up. A thank you note of some kind shows your appreciation and allows you to express, once again, your interest in the role.  Plus, it’s just good manners.

These may seem simple, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t do them.  And it’s their loss — interviewers often read this as lack of interest or lack of professionalism, neither of which bodes well.  Make sure that every time you interview you come across as both engaged and professional, and you’ll see much more success.

Related posts:

1. Interview Question of the Week: Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
2. Top 10 Interview Questions You’ve Gotta Be Ready For
3. Interview Question of the Week: What would your last supervisor say about you?
4. Interview Question of the Week: What qualifies you for this position?
5. Interview Question of the Week: Tell me about your last supervisor.

Tagged as: Career, interview, interview prep, job change, job hunt, job search, preparation