贏在面試

「不要羞於表達自己的熱情。」在5點鐘俱樂部從事職業顧問8年的57歲的Win Sheffield這樣說。他認為，對眾多求職者來說，至關重要的一點是要讓面試官看到你有多渴望進入他的公司。企業尋找的不僅僅是職業技能上匹配的求職者，尤其是當下，企業比以往更加重視求職者對企業是否有熱情。

「Sheffield說的沒錯。」 坐落在加州奧克蘭的禮品商店「鄉村英迪果」老闆Cynthia Bragdon說道，「我不知道那些應聘者為什麼會選擇這裡，可能他們覺得我的店急需人。」她說有的應聘者草率就給了我答覆，「但是如果他們對於這份工作如此冷漠，我就不得不擔心了，因為任何工作都需要全情投入，如果在面試中表現得毫無熱情，那麼很可能對我的顧客也同樣敷衍，這將是非常糟糕的事情。」

「你可以用很多不同的方式表達你的熱情。」coaches說。Sheffield建議求職者準備好一系列能證明自身技能，優勢和成就的實例，比起空泛的闡述自己的能力，具體的例子更有說服力。你也可以繪聲繪色地講述你是如何成功克服困難達成某項目標，這樣做的好處在於，最後可以由面試官下結論而不是面試者自己。

除了闡述自身能力的實例，直白地向面試官表達你多麼希望能為他和他的公司服務，告訴面試官你的其他OFFER，讓他知道他會是你的第一選擇。

大部分應聘者都知道應該在面試前做足功課，對應聘的企業和職位做全面的了解。但是 ，Cynthia Bragdon 說，"許多面試者往往是到了面試地點還連基本情況都不了解。如果他們在面試中問我工作時間，那說明他們根本沒有為這份工作做好準備，或者是不夠聰明，但是，聰明對我來說是很重要的一個素質。」

可以提前準備一個筆記本，記下你能用到的實例和三個針對該公司和這份職位的問題，面試開始後，請求面試官允許你面試期間記筆記，那麼這個筆記本就成為一個小小的作弊本。

在面試結束前，問問自己，與其他應聘者的表現相比，你在哪個位置，你的競爭力在哪裡，這些問題能夠讓你明白你有多想得到這份工作，並且有助於面試後及時採取相應行動。

」當接到你沒能通過面試的消息時，還是要給予回復。「同樣作為5點鐘俱樂部顧問的49歲的Robert Hellmann說他曾有一個客戶，通過真誠和熱情的回復挽回了局勢，獲得了OFFER。」在面試中，面試官對缺乏分析專業背景這一點表示了他的擔憂，該面試者隨後在這封信中講述了其相關工作經歷，並請求面試官能在銷售數據分析上給予考驗。面試官簡單地回復了她，但附上了一份數據表。她馬上對此進行了分析並緊接著電話請求第二次面試機會，最終她得到了OFFER。「 Hellmann 補充說，「在面試中，有時最重要的是能獲得表現自己的機會。」

Do not curb your enthusiasm. Win Sheffield, 57, a coach for the last eight years with the career counseling firm The Five O"Clock Club, says a lot of job seekers forget that one of the most crucial parts of interviewing is convincing the hiring manager that you truly [...]

Do not curb your enthusiasm. Win Sheffield, 57, a coach for the last eight years with the career counseling firm The Five O』Clock Club, says a lot of job seekers forget that one of the most crucial parts of interviewing is convincing the hiring manager that you truly desire the job. Interviewers don』t just look for applicants who have the requisite skills and will fit in with a company. Now more than ever, they want candidates who want them.

Sheffield is absolutely right, says Cynthia Bragdon, owner of Urban Indigo, a gift store in Oakland, Calif. 「I don』t know why some candidates miss this, 」 she adds. 「Maybe because they think it seems desperate.」 She says the most eager applicants quickly make her A list. 「If they seem aloof, I get very worried, because any job requires a full commitment, 」 she explains. 「And if they are aloof in an interview, they will probably be aloof to my customers, which is a very bad thing.」

In Pictures: How To Ace Your Job Interview

You can get across your enthusiasm in many ways, coaches say. Sheffield suggests that you prepare an arsenal of stories illustrating your skills, strengths and accomplishments. Rather than bragging in a general way about your abilities, describe specific experiences that show you putting those skills to use. You can speak animatedly about the pleasure and pride you took in overcoming obstacles. One advantage of storytelling over plain boasting, Sheffield says: 「It』s the interviewer who draws the conclusion.」

In addition to offering stories that illustrate your strengths, use a direct approach and tell the interviewer how thrilled you』d be to work for her and for her organization in particular. Describe other offers or discussions you』ve got going, and let the interviewer know she is your first choice.

Most applicants understand that they should do their homework, learning as much as they can about a company and a job, before going in for an interview. But Cynthia Bragdon says candidates who haven』t done basic research still show up. 「If they ask me what the store hours are in the interview, that shows me they don』t give a rip about getting the job, 」 she says. 「Or they』re just plain stupid–and intelligence is a big, big factor for me.」

Ahead of time, take a notebook, jot down a few points to help you remember your best stories and note three questions to ask about the specific job and the company. Then, when the interview starts, ask permission to take notes. Use your notebook as a cheat sheet.

Before the interview winds up, ask where you stand compared with the ideal candidate. Then ask how you compare with other applicants. These questions emphasize how much you want the job and help you take action after the interview.

Write a follow-up note that addresses any ways you were told you might not fit the ideal mold. Robert Hellmann, 49, like Sheffield a coach with The Five O』Clock Club, says a client of his turned a no into a yes through diligent, enthusiastic follow-up. In the interview, the hiring manager confessed concern about the candidate』s lack of an analytic background. The interviewee wrote a follow-up e-mail that described her relevant experience and offered to analyze some sales data. The hiring manager sent her a terse note with some data attached. She analyzed the data and followed up with a phone call requesting another meeting. She got the job, Hellmann says. 「In the interview, 」 he adds, 「sometimes the most important thing you can do is get the information you need to sell yourself.」