Interview Tips for Getting That Job

Career Insights with the Old Jarhead: Why Attitude Matters in Interviews

In his insightful podcast episode, the seasoned career coach, known as the Old Jarhead, emphasizes the importance of having the right attitude during job interviews. With experience spanning the Marine Corps, corporate America, and career coaching, he offers a fresh take on navigating the interview process.

According to him, a positive attitude can trump skills at the interview stage. He reasons that by the time you're called for an interview, your skills have already been assessed favorably; what sets candidates apart is their enthusiasm for the role and the company. Instead of rehashing your resume, the interview is your opportunity to showcase your interest in the company and the position, demonstrating that you've done your homework.

Positive attitude aside, he also advises showing you're thinking long-term with questions about career progression within the company and its future prospects. However, he cautions against seeming too needy as it may suggest that you're likely to jump ship at the next best offer.

His final takeaway? Bring a good attitude to your interview, and it could lead to more job offers. And for further wisdom on finding the perfect job, he suggests picking up his book, "Find a Job Fits Your Life," claiming it could be a game-changer in your career search.

Boost your interview game and discover more pearls of wisdom by tuning into the Old Jarhead's podcast and checking out his book for comprehensive guidance.

[Listen to the full podcast episode and get a copy of "Find a Job Fits Your Life" for in-depth tips on successful job hunting.]

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

all right, folks, I'm back again, the old jar head with some great career advice that's based on my three careers in the marine corps, in the corporate world and now as a career coach. So the other day I posted on LinkedIn. I put these short little blurbs out there that are good career advice and, as a side note, if you're listening to this podcast and you want to improve your career and you don't have a presence on LinkedIn, you ought to consider it. And if you do, please drop me a note, let me know you want to connect and we'll link in together. But anyhow, getting back to what I was going to talk about, so my little blurb was about interview attitude and what I said in that was that attitude is more important than skills during a job interview. Attitude is more important than skills during a job interview. So that's about all I said on that LinkedIn post. So now I'm going to expound on that. First is the why. Why is attitude more important than skills for a job interview? Well, that's because you've already passed the initial skills assessment or you would not have been called in for an interview. So that's why I think it's more important. So you don't want to go into an interview repeating everything you said on the resume about your skills. You've already said it, it's in your resume, your cover letter, so you're good to go.

Speaker 1: 1:53

Sure, the interviewer may have some specific questions about your skills and that you should be prepared to answer kind of like the second level of things that you put on there. But the interview is a great place for you to show your enthusiasm for the company and the job that you're interviewing with. So both right the company and the job. You can do that in several ways, okay. First is you got to have a positive attitude, right, show excitement at this opportunity. If you're not excited about this opportunity but just want a job for the paycheck, that will become abundantly clear during the interview and that's not a good way to get a job. Second is to show that you've done your homework, both with regard to the company and the job. You show you've done your homework by having great answers to interview questions such as why do you want to work for our company? You should have that answer in your head before you go to the interview. Second, why does this job, this position, appeal to you? Why do you want it? You have to have that answer already in your head. You have to have that answer already in your head. Okay, you also do this by asking great questions that not only allow you to decide if this job and this company is for you Remember, it's a two-way street here but also to show that you've done your due diligence about the company and the position.

Speaker 1: 3:20

Questions that I always like to hear along the lines of how do I progress in my career at the company? It shows that you're thinking well, I'm here for the long term. And then you ask the interviewer what do you see as the future of this company? That's a great question. You can get a good feel from the interviewer if this is a good place for you to land, if this is a good place for you to land.

Speaker 1: 3:43

When I talk about being enthusiastic, one thing you don't want to do is appear to be too needy. Okay, things like I really need a job. That makes you think that if I hire you and a short time later you get a job offer that's slightly more in salary, you're going to jump ship. So don't do that, okay. So to wrap up this old jarhead a podcast attitude is critical during a job interview, so more than your skills or experience. So be prepared to bring a good attitude and I think you'll find you'll get more offers than you otherwise would. And that's it for now. Good luck interviewing. If you want more interviewing tips, pick up a copy of my book. Find a job that fits your life. You'll be thankful you did. Thanks for listening. Bye, thank you, thank you.