Golden Dream Tip: Interviewing
Time to post an example of what my career tips will be like. Today’s GooD Tip is on interviewing.
So in Las Vegas, for those looking to get into hospitality management (with my background, I’m specifically speaking in Food and Beverage), there are a ton of job openings. It’s a tough industry: long hours, 24/7 guest service, very fast pace. I’ve had the opportunity to interview a lot of candidates for different jobs in the industry. Here are some of my observations:
Research the Company
You hear this one all the time, but it’s because it is important. What do you know about the company you want to work for? What are your expectations of this company? Growth opportunities? Cultural fit? Why would this company be the right fit for you? The last thing I want to hear in an interview is that the candidate knows nothing about my company – or worse, pretends to know about my company and recites wrong information.
Take the time to understand what the company is all about. What is their mission statement? What is their focus? What are they known for? How can they support your goals? Can you name specific segments of the company? If you need to admit you want to learn more about the company, then be honest. But there is no excuse to know nothing about what you want to get into.
Where is the Passion?
I’m interviewing a handful of people for a position. I’m definitely not going to hire the person that doesn’t even sound like they want the job. You’ve got to be on your best. This doesn’t mean you act artificially bubbly and scare your interviewer away. It has everything to do with are you the right fit? Are you enthusiastic? Do you have the energy to contribute positive things for the company? There is natural passion that comes from candidates with true confidence in their skills. The right fit is going to be the person that knows what they want. The passion is natural because they really want to be there. Even if you’re not interviewing for your dream job – at least be confident that you are capable of working for that company and that you’d love some element of it. Play your strengths. Be positive. Convince me that it was worth the 15 minutes to talk to you.
Answer the Question. And Then Some.
I am often disappointed with candidates that fail to answer the question. It’s okay sometimes to admit if there is a skill set you lack but are working on. It’s not okay that you avoid answering the question completely because you are trying to skirt around what you can’t answer. Answer the question.
The worst is candidates that can only answer “yes” and “no” style. In an interview, that’s your opportunity to tell us more about yourself. We’ve already reviewed your resume (most likely). If you miss out on the opportunity by answering your questions too short, you’re giving off an impression that there is not much to you. You’ll be working with your employer for a very long time. It’s important that they feel you have substance and that you will be self-driven, enthusiastic, helpful, and that you have a lot of depth, thoughts, ideas, etc. This doesn’t mean you have permission to tell us your entire life story and get off topic… it’s a balance.
More tips to come, but these were some of the top. Good luck everyone!
