You're FIRED!! BEFORE you get hired??


You're FIRED!! 

     ... and, you haven't even been HIRED yet

It's been a long dance.  You've endured hours of interviews, and now you're standing in the reception area of your "new company" engaging in clever banter with your soon-to-be peers.  You nailed the interview, you were spectacular with your answers, and you asked thought-provoking, insightful questions that showed the interviewer how in-synch you are with this firm.  You WOW'd em.  Now, just a few minutes of informal, witty interaction in the lobby, and it'll be time for a handshake and a tour of your new office. 
Then, the innocent question gets asked about what you're looking forward to at this company that you may not have had in your previous position.  You can't resist, and in fact, go into explicit detail about how you absolutely cannot wait to dump that slug you used to work for.  You provide a litany of grievances you had against your supervisor, and the unreasonable and unappreciative company hierarchy, all the way to the top.  You even go so far as to tell your new "friends" that you "can't wait to take whatever I can get my hands on and get out-a-there."  All the while, you're thinking how much better this new company will be to work for.
You have  just shot yourself in the foot, and the job offer you thought you were about to get, turns into the famous "we'll give you a call after we have reviewed all the candidates."  WAIT, you're the best candidate, right?  You WERE, but no more.   Once word gets back to the hiring decision-maker about this casual exchange, in the lobby, the one that you thought was clever and funny, as well as therapeutic to you, you become labeled a malcontent.  Your dance is over.
Interviews are filled with opportunities to fail.  But, even after the interview process, you can kill your opportunity with one seemingly harmless exchange.   You need to keep the dance going until you actually HAVE the job.
Imagine the frustration of working so hard to get work, and losing the opportunity over a slip of the tongue. 
Don't let one slip-up sabotage all of your hard work.  
1.  Never get comfortable - Don't buy into the myth that you should just be yourself in an interview.  Career coaches will say that If you think you're not under the microscope throughout the hiring process, you can make mistakes.  You can't afford mistakes.  You can't afford ANY mistakes.   
Interviewees get comfortable with their interview/conversation and lose sight of the fact that this is an interview -- a situation that can turn quickly, where one negative action can cancel out multiple positives, and where the careful dance between the participants in the interview, can be impacted beyond repair with one mis-step.  
If you appear too relaxed, you may create the impression you don't really care whether you get the job.   In a workshop I did in April-2008, one participant said he thought his interview went great until he was told, just before he left, that he sat too casually in the chair and the interviewer thought  he didn't really care that much about getting the job.  He did care, but his dance ended there.  Sit upright and on the edge of our chair. You need to be a little bit “on edge” so sit on the edge.  If you think the job is yours, NOT YET!!
2.  Deference is essential throughout the interview process. Don't act like the interviewer is your best buddy -- he's not. It’s not over until you start the job.
Follow the First-Date Rule - Interviewees, sometimes thinking that they're getting friendly, may reveal distasteful things about themselves. Most people on their first date present the best foot forward. So, don't share information about your health problems or financial woes.   And, don't talk about your spouse, your ex-boss, or anyone else, in any negative connotation.
3.   Don't babble or ramble - When nervous, job seekers often talk too much, sometimes about the wrong things. To avoid rambling, you should practice what you’ll say. Think about drafting potential questions and even conducting a mock interview with a friend or family member.  Remember, one misstep can end the dance.
4.  Show Up Early - Too often, job seekers don't leave themselves enough time to visit the bathroom, check their hair and otherwise feel prepared. Many career counselors recommend showing up 15 minutes early, giving yourself enough time to visit the washroom. Even take a minute to relax, stretch and yawn, in order to release any tension -- and decrease the likelihood of slip-ups. But, don’t get there too early. You can make the receptionist and staff uneasy by sitting in the lobby for 45 minutes. 
5.  Respect Everyone - People get feedback from whoever you've met at the company. If the receptionist thinks you’re a jerk, her 22 years with the company may pull more weight than anything you do in a 60-,minute interview. If you're rude to anyone along the line, that will get back to the boss. So be nice to assistants, receptionists and everyone else you encounter along the way.
6. Don't Drink - Interviews sometimes are conducted at social events, which might include alcohol. Never, never, never consume alcoholic beverages in interview situations. You can say something like, "I drink on occasion, but I'll have an iced tea today." Alcohol inevitably makes you let your guard down -- don’t let that happen. And, not drinking is always safer than drinking.
Good luck -- remember, don't quit dancing until the dance is over.
One more quick idea:  I found a website that caters to out of work folks, and offers some good articles; in fact they're even touting 1-2 of mine, so they must be good.  So, if you are inclined to look elsewhere, take a look at http://www.joblessjoe.com


McCrabby  (we're moving this week, so go read some past articles and keep my readership up -- we'll be back to more writing soon)...
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