Page 128 - James Caan - Get the Job you Really Want

Manager, £30,000 a year salary, five years’ experience, must have
graphic skills – but beyond that they are essentially trying to
wing it.
On the day of an interview, the desire to get the job and a
natural adrenalin rush – a positive nervousness – tend to make

you focus on yourself. You are checking everything you need is
in place, thinking about the logistics of how you will get there,
running through what you want to say. There will be a lot going

on in the interview, many di≠erent elements to keep in mind, a
flexible attitude to maintain.
As soon as you can – as soon as you dare – stop thinking
about yourself and put yourself in the mind of the interviewer,
who will be looking at you and listening to you. He or she is

the person who is going to put you through to the next round
of interviews, or make the hiring decision there and then.
Ask yourself, What will be happening in the interviewer’s

brain?

As an interviewer, every interview is in essence a subcon-
scious checklist. All the way through the conversation, you are
ticking boxes in your head, often without even realizing it. And
as the candidate says goodbye and thanks, you have already

mentally scored the individual.
Many interviewers will actually write down a score as the
candidate leaves the room. I do it too: I jot down an A, B or C,

or I write down a number: 7, 8, 9 – I never give a 10. If the score
is below 7, I don’t bother, because that person is not going to get
a second interview. A 7 means I am at least going to bear them in
mind, although I am clearly not sure. And along with that grade

116 get the job you really want