Published on December 22, 2010
You have tried all the tricks in the book, yet your job search is coming up zilch. You wonder why you can't land a job, where is it that you are going wrong? May be it is your attitude that is doing you in! And before you shake your head all too vigorously, think back on some of your job interview answers.
Interviewers love to indulge in some subtly leading questions like “What did you dislike about your previous job?”, “Why did you leave this position?”, “How did you get along with your manage/colleagues?”, “What are your weaknesses?” etc.
Waiting for this moment, you proceed to wholeheartedly vent your ire on the unfair workload, whine about the company culture, lambast your previous boss, badmouth co-workers and so on. Little do you realise that your grievances (both real and perceived) have begun to actually dominate the interview conversation thus tarnishing your chances for the job.
Yes, you would probably have been hired but for the fact that you were naively brooding over all the slights that happened to you!
What went wrong: Believe it or not, even the slightest negative statement can turn off interviewers making them instantly disqualify your candidacy. So when you go in with all guns blazing and brimming with barely concealed hostility, it is sure to set off bells and whistles in the mind of the recruiter.
Even the most honest observations are perceived as a bad attitude painting you as someone who is unforgiving and holds grudges and thus cannot get along with others in a team. Interviewers are bound to write you off as a habitual complainer.
So even if your anger over being abruptly laid off is justified or the organisation was truly not managed well, speaking negatively about the same is only sabotaging your own future.
Break the negativity habit: First and foremost, it is imperative to change your attitude. Negativity will only adversely affect your job search prospects. So much so that, many organisations actually consider a positive attitude as equal to qualifications/experience in their hunt for job candidates!
In order to truly build and maintain a positive attitude, it is imperative to recognise and acknowledge your feelings that are colouring your job search. Realise that what incidents happened in your past cannot ever be changed. It will affect only you and nobody else!
Try to forgive and let go off the past completely as even any lingering anger, hurt or resentment can subtly creep into the most positive statements. A truly positive outlook will enable you to twist the slights and learn from the experience. After all, focussing on the present and future is the only way to keep moving forward and towards success.
So, never speak ill of anyone, push the blame or resort to providing excuses during the job interview, no matter how however warranted it may be. Even if the interviewer asks why you left your job or something similar, be diplomatic and offer reasonable explanations that show you as positive and optimistic. In fact, a top recruiter advices, “If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!”
Instead, concentrate on giving the interviewer a reason to hire you. Demonstrate that you get along well with others and people like working with you. Speak about what you have to offer and what you can do for the organisation – not how much you despise your boss or what else happened to you.
To sum up, never speak negatively about anything no matter what the question or situation. After all, at times merely complaining about the economy, the traffic or even the weather can weigh against you heavily!
Payal Chanania
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