The past several months I have been interviewing candidates for clients here in Houston and have learned some things that need to be noted when applying for a position. Although I am not a staffing agency and do mostly concierge work, I still have clients that are looking for personal assistants on a regular basis here in Houston. I have really enjoyed helping others find employment.
Show Up. If you are scheduled for an interview actually show up. If you don't plan on showing up, then at least call and let the employer know.
Be Punctual. It's as simple as that. Show up on time. If you know traffic may be bad then plan ahead or at least call the potential employer.
Send in Your Resume. If you are applying for a job actually send in your resume. I can't tell you how many people send me an email and say "please contact me if you want my resume." What?!?! The answer to me contacting you is NO. No, you will not be considered for the position especially if the job description specifically says please send resume or attach your resume.
Check Your Attire and Hygiene. If you are going for an interview wear the appropriate attire and make sure your hygiene is fresh. Don't come to the interview in crop tops.
Communicate. If you are going to be late or miss something let the interviewer know. Don't just show up super late expecting them to see you right way.
Listen. Listen to what the potential employer is saying. Don't be staring off into space like you don't care. If you really are not interested then say so.
Do Your Research. Research the position and ask questions about it if there is something you don't know.
Be Courteous. Always be respectful of others and use good manners.
Smile. Just smile and be happy that you have an interview. If you show no expression at all it makes it look like you do not care to be there.
Make Eye Contact. Look the employer in the eye and try not to wonder around too much.
Practice Your Handshake. A nice firm handshake is always a good idea.
Ask Questions. If you don't know something ask questions. It's better to ask then to assume.
Follow Up. After you interview with the potential employer follow up with them and thank them for the interview this can be a simple email.
Read Over Your Resume. Make sure there are no grammar and formatting issues on your resume. If there are a ton of grammatical errors I usually don't even consider the candidate because that shows me they can't write well and I am often times looking for someone who can write various correspondence.
Put Your Contact Info on Your Resume. I make phone calls to do phone interviews and if your resume doesn't have a phone number on it how are we supposed to get in contact with you? Especially if there is not an email address either.
Phone Etiquette. Speaking of the phone, be sure that your voicemail box is not full and that you have an appropriate ringtone and greeting on your voicemail. If anything is inappropriate I more than likely will not call you back.
No outside noise. If I call and you say you are able to do a phone interview please go to a quiet area with not a lot of outside noise. It is very distracting when you keep talking to your kids and interrupting the interview, the t.v. is on, there is a lot of traffic noise, etc. This shows me you do not care as much about the position.
Read the job description thoroughly. Please apply for the job only if you have read through the job description thoroughly. If I post that it is a part time position, but you are looking for full time employment I probably won't bring you in for an interview because it is not what we are looking for.
Do you have anything to add?
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