After all the hours of work you do to land a job interview, here is a cold, hard fact: Half of employers say they know within the first five minutes if a candidate is a good fit for the position. Five minutes. Three hundred seconds.
From self-confidence to self-discipline, find out the top 10 personality traits that will get you hired.
CareerBuilder.com and The Harris Poll surveyed 2,595 hiring and human resource managers nationwide, asking them to list instant deal breakers. That is, if you do this during an interview, then you won’t get the job–no matter how well-qualified you are:
1. Tell a lie
2. Answer your cell phone or respond to a text message
3. Appear arrogant or entitled
4. Dress inappropriately
5. Swear
Body language can also cost you a job you might otherwise get. Like what? Fully 67 percent of hiring managers are disconcerted by a candidate who will not make eye contact.
Other ways your body language can throw an interview include not smiling, playing with something on the table, bad posture, fidgeting, crossing your arms or playing with your hair.
And do watch your handshake! Handshakes that are too weak or too strong can both make you lose the job–before you’ve even had a chance to answer a single question.
One skill in particular may be the key to getting hired. And it could actually be more important than your resume or references.