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3 interview points you might be missing, if you have not received any job offers

Candidate Advice

Sometimes you interview for jobs but you don’t get an offer without really knowing why. You want to bang your head on the desk. Make sure you are preparing yourself for interviews by:

1. Thinking about what you are asking or not asking. Asking about benefits and salary in the first interview can turn off some interviewers. Do your homework on the company, so you can prepare good, relevant questions. Some questions to consider are: what do you like most about working here, what are some of the challenges, what would be my main projects to focus on in the first year, and/or what is a typical day?

2. Checking your interview skills. Role play with a friend, preferably with someone who has experience hiring and interviewing. Pick a real job posting for the mock interview. Ask for the overall impression of yourself as a candidate and what could you have done better?

3. Following up. Write a thank you note to the interviewers post-interview, sending via email is fine. Quickly complete tests sent to you, within 24-48 hours of receiving; this shows urgency and how interested you are in the position. If you cannot finish the test within that time frame, send the interviewer/company an email explaining why you can’t finish it and when it’ll be completed.

If you are doing all these things, don’t give up, it might not be you. Organizations lose funding for positions, internal candidates are hired, and there might be a stronger candidate. Hang in there the right job is out there – happy hunting.

Pati Kelly is a contingent and retained recruiter exclusive to the electrical industry with a specialty in Wire and Cable. To learn more about how she can help your company identify and attract talent, check out her  LinkedIn profile or send her an email at pk@egretconsulting.com.