At Work: 3 ways to look smart in job interview
Wear glasses if you need them on your job interview, but don't count on them to make you look smart.(Photo: Photodisc, Getty Images)
I've needed glasses to see past my nose since I was age 7.
Near-sighted people like me wear glasses to walk straight, drive safely, read, watch TV, see who's at the front door and sit on a beach and watch the ocean. So when someone tells me they're wearing frames with non-prescription lenses just because they "look cool," I am mystified.
STORY: These glasses might make you smarter[1]
REVIEW: How to avoid job-hunting pitfalls[2]
But I was downright annoyed when someone interviewing me recently for an article asked if job hunters should get glasses so they look smarter.
I thought the writer for this well-known publication, which will go unnamed, was kidding.
I asked her: "Are you serious?" She really meant it.
If you want to look smart to a potential employer, my advice is to act smart. That does not come naturally to many job hunters, according to dozens of employers I've interviewed.
You've got three chances to act smart: before, during and after a job interview.
Before the interview, you'll look smart by not saying things in e-mails or in a pre-screening phone call like this:
"I don't know much about what you do, but I heard you were a good company to work for."
"I'm looking for a job and thought I'd contact you to see if you had any."
“If you're clueless about what a company does when you contact them, how can you have an intelligent conversation about the company?”
— Andrea KayIf you're clueless about what a company does when you contact them, how can you have an intelligent conversation about the company and how you could contribute? How can you determine whether the company and job are right for you and you are right for the company? You can't.
You'll look smart if you don't crank out the same cold, impersonal letter or email to hundreds of employers. That correspondence will never see the light of day because a one-size-fits-all letter is cold and impersonal and shows you don't give a darn about the company and the job.
Instead, write a thoughtful letter that discusses the problems the job addresses and how you can solve them.
During an interview, you'll look smart if you don't sit there like a bump on a log and act blase and unresponsive. That includes responding to an interviewer's description of the job by saying "Wow!" "No worries." "No problem."
Instead, ask thoughtful questions that someone who is serious about finding a great place to contribute would ask, so you can have a meaningful conversation.
If you're smart, you will want to know what kinds of projects you would be working on, who you would work with, problems the job tackles and what it takes to be successful.
You'll look smart if you don't act like the interviewer is your best buddy and address him as "Hey, man" or "Hey, dude" or "Hey" anything in your correspondence or verbal communication.
You'll look smart if you refrain from trashing your current or past employer or sharing information about your personal life that has nothing to do with your qualifications.
You'll look smart if you take your iPod earphones out of your ears, put them away and turn off your cellphone.
You'll look smart if you don't wear clothes that reveal cleavage, your back, stomach, thighs or underwear; or heels you can't walk in, sandals, sneakers, leggings and Hawaiian shirts. Instead, dress like a professional.
After the interview while it's fresh in your mind, you'll look smart when you take what you just learned and write a fabulous thank you letter to reinforce a good impression.
All of these things I've listed speak volumes about your judgment, maturity, motivation, interest, attention to detail and initiative.
You don't have to be brilliant, just act like a professional who treats others with care and wants a satisfying career, not just a paycheck.
Glasses won't do that for you.
Career consultant Andrea Kay[3] is the author of This Is How To Get Your Next Job: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want. Reach her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.[4]. Twitter: @AndreaKayCareer[5].
References
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/04/16/google-glass-specs/2087467/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/04/25/getting-your-next-job/2110485/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://andreakay.com/ (andreakay.com)
- ^ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (rssfeeds.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://twitter.com/AndreaKayCareer (twitter.com)