"One girl showed up for her interview in shorts and flip flops. One of the questions I asked [was] if she had any visible tattoos (which was important for the position she was applying for), and she said no. But on her way out, I noticed that she had a HUGE tattoo on her calf. Really?" says a hiring manager.
Tip: You know not to lie about your qualifications on your resume, so don't lie during an interview either. Companies need to know that they can rely on their employees to not leak company-related information to their competitors or consumers. And regarding tattoos, the hiring manager advises to "use your best judgment about showing tattoos -- at an artsy company, it's fine, but in a more corporate place, you'd want to keep them covered."
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Tip 10: Exude confidence
A website editor advises, "Appearing confident is important when you're interviewing. Being slouched behind the desk and looking mousey can play against you. Posture is something that can really say a lot about who you are -- it sends a message about whether you're confident or not, or interested."
Tip: This is an easy one: Don't slouch. Sit up straight and always make eye contact when speaking. While posture and eye contact may be subconscious, during your brief interview, check in with yourself to make sure you've made an effort to sit up straight and look directly at your interviewer. It will pay off.
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Tip 11: Be disconnected
"I recently interviewed someone whose cell phone rang during our interview. She hit the 'ignore' button, but the person kept calling back -- and she didn't put the ringer on mute. So our interview was interrupted four or five times by phone calls, and it just said to me, this isn't a person who has good common sense," says a hiring manager.
Tip: Telling you to turn off your cell phone can feel like we're asking you to cut off your arm, but trust us, the caller on the other end will survive and time will go on. Better to turn it off than deal with your phone buzzing or ringing in your purse mid-interview. The hiring manager explains, "If your cell phone rings during the interview, it shows me you aren't a person with good attention to detail."
Unemployment can be emotionally (not to mention financially) draining. We've all been there at one time or another, and with the national unemployment rate at a whopping 8.9 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, applying for a job today is more competitive than ever. So, when you do finally secure an interview, it's important to present yourself in a way that sends the right message. First impressions, as we've all heard a million times, are key.
In order to figure out what prevents employers from hiring fully qualified applicants, we talked to hiring managers, human resource specialists and recruiters. Their reasons were kinda surprising. From hangnails left behind on a conference room table to applicants with sweat dripping from their brows -- beauty mishaps were at the top of the list of reasons to show an applicant to the door.
So, while we're hopefully near the end of this recession, don't (for lack of a better clich�) shoot yourself in the foot at your next interview by ignoring these beauty tips.
