5 Things Kenyan Job Seekers Miss On The Day Of The Interview
By Susan Gitonga
Being called for an interview is the defining stage that determines whether or not you’ll get a job. After applying for many jobs and finally getting an interview invitation, it’s safe to say you are almost at the finish line to getting a job, and it’s upon you to finish strong by being your best during the interview.
Sadly, most people make very grave mistakes on the day of the interview. They neglect very simple instructions and end up wondering why they were denied the job after sending in good CV’s and having good work experience.
According to Florence Mukunya a CV Writing expert at Corporate Staffing Services, below are the key areas job seekers neglect and overlook that cost them jobs:
1.Not researching on the Company
We assume that you are very interested in joining the company you have applied for and it’s obvious that you should show interest by researching on the Company to find out what they’re all about. It’s no surprise that on the day of the interview the employer will ask you a question like, “What do you know about us?”
Unfortunately, very many job seekers attend interviews and when asked simple questions about the company they can’t give solid answers. Research is key and Google is your friend. Find out everything about the company that is related to your job. What services does the company offer? What’s the name of the CEO? When was the Company founded and what’s their vision?
Aim to impress the hiring manager by showing him/her that you are knowledgeable about the company. It shows interest and honest desire to work for them.
For example, you cannot attend an interview at Safaricom and fail to state the services they offer like Mpesa, Internet, Phone Services, or fail to know their brand colors, the CEO and former CEO etc. As a job seeker, not knowing Company information makes you look ignorant and uninterested.
2. Missing the location of the Company
Sometimes you can find a challenge as you try to navigate to the location of the interview and that’s okay. The problem arises when you get lost on the day of the interview and you fail to inform your interviewer because of fear or ignorance. You end up arriving late and you find the employer quite disappointed and ready to dismiss you.
Employers and hiring managers take the issue of time very seriously.
A job seeker called Mercy was attending an interview and she could not get the correct location of the Company. She wasted a whole hour looking for the Company building instead of calling to report that she was lost. She ended up in the wrong Company, which happened to be a competitor to the Company she was supposed to be at. The receptionist had to call the correct company on her behalf to confirm if she was scheduled for an appointment with them.
On reaching the correct Company, she found an angry employer who could not take sorry for an answer to why she got lost.The employer insisted that she should have called to say that she was stranded. She ended up having a lot of convincing to do as the employer was ready to dismiss her.
That said, confirm the location before hand and in case you’re lost, call the Company to inform them and to ask for clear directions.
3. Not following instructions in the Email
Instructions may be indicated in an invitation Email of an interview that may include the following:
- Carry your CV and original documents
- Carry your pay slips
All these are instructions that may accompany the email inviting you for an interview and sometimes job seekers overlook the importance of carrying the documents asked, on the day of the interview.
The employer makes out that you are not interested in the job and you are not keen on simple instructions.
Therefore, pay close attention to the email sent by your employer and present yourself on the day with all the required items.
4. Not going through your CV
This is where most people blunder during an interview, according to a HR expert in Nairobi. People confidently walk into an interview without mastering and understanding the content on their CV’s. When asked a very simple question from their CV, they can’t answer it.
A good example is where a candidate indicates that they worked in a firm/organization for 5 months and a question is thrown at them about their role in the company for those 5 months and they stammer.
This leaves the employer in utter surprise as they fail to understand how you cannot answer your own work experience history. An outright disqualification.
In another scenario, you may have had your CV professionally done for you by a CV Writing expert like Florence Mukunya and you end up getting called for an interview.
You forget that you did not write the CV and you fail to comprehend all the information on the new well done copy. When a question is tossed from the CV, you mumble beneath your breath because you have not internalized the information on it.
With that in mind, regardless of a professional working on your CV , you need to take some time to understand it, so that you can be in a position to answer any questions during the interview.
Also ensure that you marry the content of the CV you applied with and the one you carry on the day of the interview. They should be identical so that you and the employer can flow seamlessly as you go through your qualifications.
5. Not researching on salary
For interview’s sake, never attend an interview you intend to pass and get a job, without knowing:
- What salary to ask for
- How to ask and negotiate
Not only is it ignorant, but very dangerous. One of the most obvious questions you’ll be asked during an interview is, “How much should we pay you?.” It’s therefore very important for you to carry out your research beforehand so that you can state your fair salary expectations.
The downside of not knowing what to ask is that the employer might end up giving you a salary range that is below what he intended to give you, out of your ignorance.
Do your research.
And there you have it 5 mistakes that can cost you your dream job.
