After the pomp and circumstance had died down, new graduates begin pounding the pavement in their quest to begin their careers. However, they are finding it harder than ever to land their first job than their predecessors did. Several reports have cited that employees are hesitant to hire college grads, something we haven’t really experienced before at this level.
A recent survey by Intelligent.com of over 800 employers has shed some light as to why this is happening. It seems new many graduates are making rookie mistakes that can be easily fixed. With a little awareness and coaching, we can turn around this issue and get those grads working.
Mistake #1: Not Making Eye Contact
This was the biggest turn off for employers with 53% reporting job candidates struggled with eye contact. Eye contact is your way to connect with your prospective employer. It shows engagement and interest and demonstrates confidence.
These 3 traits are key to communicating and connecting with your interviewer. You want them to like you and know that you like them too – you could potentially be working together so this is important to gauge. Eye contact in an interview also conveys that you’re a professional and will take your responsibilities seriously.
Mistake #2: Asking for Too Much Money
Fully half of new graduates don’t have a clear understanding of what they can ask for in terms of salary. With a little research and preparation this can be remedied. Employers have ranges for given positions and if you are asking for too much, they will think you aren’t a viable candidate as you would not accept the salary they are offering.
Do a little homework before the interview, if the salary range was not posted, try understand what the true market rate is for the position. Then be honest with your level of experience and determine where your true value lies within the range. Don’t undervalue yourself, but also don’t expect to be paid top of the range if you have little to no practical experience for the job you are interviewing for.
Mistake #3: Dressing Inappropriately
47% of job candidates have shown up to an interview wearing inappropriate clothing. Knowing how to dress for an interview is important as first impressions matter. The rule of thumb is to always dress one level higher than the job you are applying for. This could be confusing given our work from home, casual attire society but you can never be overdressed for a job interview, if you are dressed professionally.
Mistake #4: Using Inappropriate Language
Nothing can ruin your chances more for landing a job than inappropriate language and it turns out that 27% of graduates are undermining their job prospects with their language. Slang and foul language are not going to help you in a job interview. If you talk this way out of habit daily, practice filtering your speech so that you can communicate in a professional manner when conducting your interview.
Mistake #5: Not Turning on the Camera for Virtual Interviews
Not everyone likes to be on camera but when you’re meeting a prospective employer for the first time, turning on the camera is key. 21% of recent graduates did not turn on their cameras and may have lost out on job opportunities for it.
This speaks again to first impressions. Even virtually, they matter. Dress professionally, look your best and clean up the background behind you or set your Zoom to have a virtual background if that’s not possible. Even though it’s virtual, the interview and its opportunities for you are very real, so take this opportunity seriously.
Mistake #6: Bringing a Parent to the Interview
What sounds like common sense to most may be news to some and that is when you are looking for a job, employers want to meet you only, not your parents. Shockingly 19% of recent graduates have shown up to a job interview with a parent. Nothing can instill a lack of confidence more than having a candidate show up with a parent.
If you need your parent for support, they can ride with you, drop you off at the door, wish you good luck and go grab a coffee while you have your interview. Never ever bring your parent into the interview with you. The employer is looking to hire you and will wonder about your ability to do the job if you need a parent by your side for the interview.
Thankfully these are simple fixes and when done can make a world of difference in your job prospects. By avoiding these mistakes, you will no doubt increase the probability of job offers and land your first real career job in no time.