Wednesday, October 24, 2012

WERQ! Career Advice for Gay Men

Seven Ways to Blow your Job Interview
By Simon O'Mahony

Congratulations, you have landed a job interview, and with some serious competition in the job market, you don’t want to blow it. There are a lot of great things you should do and ask in a job interview, but more importantly there are a lot of things you should not do, and something’s you should avoid all together. Here are a few things that make me itch when interviewing people.
1.     A loose handshake. It is an immediate turn off. You should always greet your interviewer with a good firm handshake and good eye contact. A loose handshake shows lack of confidence and passion.

2.     Slouching. Sit up straight in your chair. Slouching shows lack of interest and lack of confidence. Good posture is a direct expression of confidence and shows you will not be intimidated by an interviewer.

3.     Nervous habits. We all have them. However, you need to make a point of abolishing them during your interview. They become a major distraction to the point where an interviewer may spend more time watching you twitch rather than listening to what you are saying.

4.     The Debbie Downer. The interviewer will be trying to determine if you will be a good culture fit, fit well with the team, and overall be a fun and positive person to work with. Avoid negative comments and a pessimistic attitude as people generally want to surround themselves with upbeat, positive people.

5.     Saying NO when you are asked if you have any questions. This is simple. Saying "no" shows complete lack of interest in the company and the position. Having questions prepared shows you are interested, inquisitive, and generally are passionate about the company and the position.

6.     The Chatty Cathy.  Talking a mile-a-minute is an annoyance and a hindrance. The interviewer should not have to try to control the conversation to the point it becomes a distraction. Allow the interviewer to get his or her word in, and if you notice you are rambling, take a deep breath and shorten your answers and keep them relevant.

7.     No Resume. You probably have applied online and sent your resume to a recruiter, however always, always, bring a few printed resumes with you.
Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Simon is responsible for hiring management positions for Sage Hospitality nationwide and for their corporate office in downtown Denver. He is also involved in overall recruiting initiatives including college recruiting programs, diversity initiatives, and employer branding. Simon works with several local and nationwide agencies, colleges, universities, in order to build a network and pipeline of candidates. In 2009 he was the recipient of the Sage Innovation Award as a result of his use of social media networking to enhance the recruiting process.

When he is not recruiting, (Recruiters are always working!) Simon enjoys Colorado’s beautiful outdoors. He also has a passion for photography and while it sounds like a cliché he loves meeting new people (which is why he probably loves recruiting!). Simon is a supporter of several non-profit organizations in Denver.


Simon can be reached at Simon.OMahony@SageHospitality.com.