I cant figure out what I am doing wrong in interviews!!!

[enchanted771]

I am beyond frustrated now. Someone else from another board, announced she went on an interview today, and hours later got offered the job. I cant understand why I havent had that happen? I have been on formal and informal interviews, and no call backs. I dress professsional, smile, friendly, confident, and polite. Good handshake, eye contact, etc. I was totally qualified for the last job and I didnt get it. I came prepared and everything. It was a pretty short interview, and I didnt get it. I dont know what else I can do. I read some pointers about not indulging any personal info (kids, marital status, age, etc) sometimes there are questions that take me by surprise. How organized are you? describe a situation where you had to take initiative. I hate this recession! my last job, I went to the interview, then got a call a day later, and I had LESS experience. Now, I have more and I cant even get a call back!

[lavenderdove]

What profession are you in?

 

Some professions are really competitive right now just due to the number of applicants.

 

Don't get too discouraged, because you don't want a job where they aren't thrilled with the idea of having you, because you want to be a good match for the job and the corporate culture.

 

Right now, the average time to find a job after starting to look is between 6 months and 18 months, depending on what you do. So it is frustrating, but i doubt anything is wrong with you, just so many people for them to choose from they look for the exact perfect match for the job and their culture.

[orchidrose]

Agreed with lavenderdove. I have friends going through similar crises of confidence right now, and I just keep telling them that it likely has nothing to do with them. It's always difficult to find a good fit for a job; there are so many factors that play into it, like education, corporate culture, etc. But in this economy companies can afford to be especially picky, since so many people are desperate for jobs. There are candidates that you're competing with who may be miles ahead of you in terms of experience and qualifications, and you would've never been competing with them a few years ago.

 

What do you mean that there are questions that take you by surprise? "Are you organized?" is a very common one, especially for administrative positions. They often require a lot of attention to detail and the ability to multitask. I remember being asked that question on the interview that got me my last job, and I detailed the planner that I kept (I was still in college at the time) and the systems I put in place at my previous internship. Describing a situation where you had to take initiative is also fairly standard. Think about these things in advance, so you can be prepared for anything. Think about every aspect of your job and your professional personality, since they can ask about any of that.

 

In terms of personal info, have you been asked that before? If possible, just try to work your way around the question. It isn't anybody's business if you're married or have kids.

[enchanted771]

Well, they didnt straight out ask it but they were sneaky but I am going to work my way around that now. I guess I have to think about these questions ahead of time.

[enchanted771]

What profession are you in?

 

Some professions are really competitive right now just due to the number of applicants.

 

Don't get too discouraged, because you don't want a job where they aren't thrilled with the idea of having you, because you want to be a good match for the job and the corporate culture.

 

Right now, the average time to find a job after starting to look is between 6 months and 18 months, depending on what you do. So it is frustrating, but i doubt anything is wrong with you, just so many people for them to choose from they look for the exact perfect match for the job and their culture.

 

Administrative Assistant, so of course they get hundreds of applicants. If I could get at least 4 interviews a week, it would greatly increase my chances. But its not easy to get that.

[lavenderdove]

OK, if you're an AA, do you have the most up to date tools on your resume? As in things like Microsoft Project, Excel, etc.?

 

You can always take courses in that, and things like accounting, editing, anything that you can add to your resume that make you look like you can do anything they ask for or can even think about.

 

Check out what are the most requested SW skills/programs you need to know how to use... many employment agencies can tell you which ones those are, and make sure you take classes and are proficient in them.

 

And since AA is a generic job, perhaps you could in your spare time take a course to become something else like a Microsoft certified administrator (i.e., a Windows expert) which pay better and will get you more opportunities. These classes are frequently offered online in courses lasting anywhere from a few months to a year, so you could be doing this while lookign for a job.