Job interview disasters: College grads fail interviews

Younger job candidates text, take calls during interviews

DETROIT – It looks like many new college graduates lack the basic interviewing skills to make sure they land that first job. Human resource executives told USA Today they are seeing some behavior that would be shocking to previous generations of job seekers.

For example, younger job candidates might text or take personal calls during an interview. Some dress too casually, bring their parents on interviews, and there's even one story of a woman bring her cat to a job interview.

Recommended Videos



"It's behavior that may be completely appropriate outside the interview," Jaime Fall, vice president of the HR Policy Association, told USA Today. "The interview is still a traditional environment."

Fall and other executives say surprising quirks have become more common in the last three years. They say the bad interviewing skills can cost some graduates jobs they might have been offered.

The problem doesn't end with the interview process. About half of the HR experts surveyed say some graduates struggle to be professional during their first year on the job. That number is up from 40% of executives just a year ago in 2012, according to a recent survey by the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania.

To see the whole USA Today article, follow this link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/04/28/college-grads-job-interviews/2113505/

 

Related: Five tips for job fairs

You found the job of your dreams at a job fair website and wonder what the next step should be. 

CJ Eason from JobFairGiant.com has these five tips for job seekers.

1. If the websites of job fair producers offer the option, search for jobs in advance, to target the most promising, participating employers. Read the employers' profiles if available, to help you answer the classic question, "Why do you want to work for us?"

2. Plan to take at least 25 crisp resumes to a job fair, 40 or so if it's a huge event. (The job fair might have copy facilities for free or a small fee, which is nice if you run out. But don't count on it ahead of time.)

3. Before a job fair, prepare to interview on the spot, summary style in a few minutes or less. In other words, be prepared to quickly sell your skills, talents and experiences.

4. Visit your targeted employers first with resume in hand, and spend some "quality time" with each. But, remember that they have many more job seekers waiting, so don't try to hog all their time or be offended if they cut it short. Once you've hit all of your targets, "shop" other employers' booths and do some networking.

5. Collect business cards or contact info as you go, and do follow up within 24-48 hours with a thank-you letter to each of the representatives with whom you spoke.


About the Author: