Saturday, 27 March 2010

• Will Flirting With an Interviewer Get You a Job?

  

  As ridiculous as this question may sound, an article on FinancialSamurai.com equates the interviewing process with a date. And it kinda makes sense in a way - you want to make yourself look as good as possible to the other person. In both situations, you get dressed up, maybe a little differently depending on what kind of job you are applying for. But you also have to think of the right things to say and avoid those uncomfortable silences.
  

  Some of the things he suggests doing, though, seem a little like flirting with your interviewer. For example, he suggests telling them that your biggest weakness is eating chocolate-covered strawberries instead of, for example, working too hard. Then he even suggests sending them a chocolate-covered strawberry after the interview - seems a bit much to me.
  

  His comparisons of how a date is similar to an interview are pretty accurate, though. And, although it's written from a guy's perspective, it totally applies to women too. Some of the ways he says a date is like an interview are:
  

  1) HOW YOU ROLL

  Date: Do you pick up your date in a Black Range Rover Super Charger, or a Volvo station wagon with missing hubcaps?

  The majority of women will be more impressed with your Range Rover even if they don’t admit it.  The gracious woman will always say it doesn’t matter what car a guy drives, but we all know there is at least some value in appearances.  Beyond the element of flash, a woman will care about safety and creature comforts.  Heated seats during the winter anybody?  That’s always an option to choose if you are buying a car and looking for love.

  Interview: Do you wear an ironed shirt and a sleek dark colored suit, or a hodgepodge outfit with loose threads? Your employer wants you to be a good ambassador to the firm.  She imagines sending you to visit senior colleagues, or important clients and she needs to feel confident you are presentable.  Appearances matter more than you think.  Invest wisely.

  2) DEPENDABILITY

  Date: Have you just come out of a multi-year relationship and no matter what you do, you’re labeled as a rebound?  What about if you’ve been single for a while, and you’re getting up there in age?  Girls start thinking something is wrong with you.  Either way, you’ve got an uphill battle convincing your date you’re an eligible partner.  As a result, you’ve got to work hard to show you are a committed person who will make her happy.

  Interview: Are you a job hopper, or someone with a long employment gap?  Interviewers don’t like seeing someone move every couple years because they think you’ll move on them soon, thereby wasting their time training you.  Interviewers will also question a long hiatus from work.  The longer the employment gap, the more logical their thinking.  If you are such a good candidate, why didn’t someone hire you by now?  Then they start wondering perhaps it’s your lack of effort, and question your expertise rightly or wrongly.  Focus on what you can bring to the table now, instead of the past!

  3) CREATIVITY

  Read the rest of the article here at FinancialSamurai.com.  

  Have you or would you ever flirt in a job interview?
  

  Image Source

  • 4:14 PM
  • 684 Views
  • 18 eProps
  • 9 Comments