You know you have a stellar resume, but you still didn’t get the job post the interview session. What went wrong? Is there anything that you could have done differently? And what are potential employers usually looking for? We spoke to two reputed businessmen to figure that out. Their candid answers might help you ace that next job interview that’s lined up.
Gokarna Khanal
Khanal is the CEO of Saisanket Nepal, a water and infrastructure management company. He believes it is important to create a good first impression while going for a job interview.
When someone comes for a job interview, there is much more we look at than just the CV. What we look at, however, depends on what position we have to fill. In an interview, I usually give people a case scenario that the person may have to face while working with us. When the interviewee is speaking, I pay special attention to the pronouns they use. If we are looking for a manager, we look for people who use the pronoun “I” more than “we”. It gives us an impression that the person has an idea of what they want, and how they want to go about it.
Making a great first impression at an interview
But if we are looking for a person who needs to work with a team, then we usually hire people who use the words “we”, “us” and “they”. It shows me that they can work in a team and that there won’t be any power clashes down the line. The use of these pronouns usually comes innately. Sometimes there are people who start with one pronoun and end with another. The first is the one that they want us to believe, the latter shows the kind of worker they actually are.
Apart from this, we also look at how people are presenting themselves. If someone comes to a job interview looking scruffy, it’s hard to take him/her seriously. First impressions do matter and if they aren’t well dressed, no matter how much experience they have, and how well the rest of the interview goes, there are chances that, as we interview other people, somebody else might end up filling the position. When taking in a new person, it is our job to not just assess the candidate on their own but to also determine how they will fit into the dynamics that have already been established.
Abhay Poudel
Along with being the founder of Reanda Biz Serve, Poudel also heads other multiple businesses and in his opinion the bigger picture is crucial while considering any new recruit.
