You know what they say about putting the cart before the horse.
Want the job? Then maintain your focus.
When interviewing, your goal should be to move the process to the next round. Period.
Too often, though, candidates jump way ahead of themselves.
They ask about vacation time or the benefits package too soon. They come right out of the gate asking if they can telecommute. They start listing their requirements, like the fact that they’ll need some time off to take a vacation that’s already on the calendar – very early in the conversation. And so on.
Ask about schedule flexibility or whether you can work from home before you’ve sold the company on the fact that you’re the best candidate for the job – and there won’t be an offer. Without an offer, everything else is irrelevant.
When you’re interviewing, all your concentration should be on the prospective employer: their challenges…what’s important to them…their goals. Your wants and needs aren’t the top priority at the moment.
Of course you’ll have questions – valid questions – about all sorts of issues. But there’s a time and a place to bring them up.
Until you get the offer, you should be thinking about what the hiring manager wants – not what you want. Once they decide you’re the person they want to bring on board, the dynamic will shift. At that point, they’ll be the ones doing the selling. That’s when you can get your questions answered and concerns addressed.
You may decide to accept the job or not – the point is, by then you’ll be in the driver’s seat.
Don’t get ahead of yourself. Focus on the immediate objective – to move the process forward – and the other things will fall into place in due time.
Comments