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Our resident career doctor is here to study your problems and research the best
advice for you by consulting a vast army of experts.
Here, a temporary contractor asks how to shine at interviews when she hasn't
got much to say.
Dear career doctor,
I have worked on temporary contracts for the past few years, although I have
applied for many jobs and have attended many interviews.
As a result, I find I am less confident about interviews because I don't
feel I have anything to say about my temporary work, especially now because
I find my current post is boring. As well as not knowing what to say, I
don't feel very articulate in interviews and wish my command of English was
better. As a result, I 'm losing out on jobs that I know are right for me. I
have the ability, but not the know-how to prove it. Thank you,
K.
Dear K,
From your letter it seems you have the ability, but simply lack the confidence
to project it. You have more potential than you think. You certainly write in
an articulate manner. I receive many letters from people with similar problems
to yours, so hopefully my answer will help others too.
Before any interview you need to:
- Research;
- prepare; and
- practise.
Here's how to carry out each of these three steps and why they will benefit you.
Research:
Gather some information about the company and make a couple of notes and questions in
a smart notebook.
This means that if you feel the interview is flagging or if you are asked:
'Do you have any questions?' you can whip out your notebook and respond with a
list of questions which you put together during your research on the company.
This way, you have something to say and will come across as well prepared. Employers
have told me they are impressed by this approach and certainly don't mind if a
candidate refers to pre-written notes.
Prepare:
The area you need to work on is alerting the employer to what you have to offer. Without
lying or over-embellishing you can turn your perceived weaknesses into strengths.
So, instead of thinking: 'I've moved around a lot in a series of unsatisfactory jobs',
you should be talking in terms of the jobs giving you:
- an overview of different companies and sectors;
- the ability to quickly grasp what's going on;
- the flexibility to fit in with different teams.
Get rid of all your negative thoughts and feelings. It is quite acceptable to talk
about current or previous jobs not offering you the challenge you are looking for,
because not only is this the truth, but also it is also far better than simply
saying you're bored.
Practise:
You need to practise your interview technique. Set up your own role-play exercises
with a friend. Ask them to play Devil's Advocate - asking you tricky questions so
you can start to feel comfortable with your new, more positive answers. Get used to
saying these new statements about yourself and making the upbeat words your own.
Get into a positive mindset now.
Search for jobs with totaljobs.com.
Register for jobs by email.
Register your CV.
Good luck!
Career doctor | 