(1888PressRelease)
January 16, 2009 - With companies up and down the country announcing ‘freezes’ on hiring, or actively reducing headcount, Preston, Director and Head Trainer at sales performance training company Outstanding Results, believes that graduates in particular will be disadvantaged due to their lack of practical experience and that image and conduct will be what impresses employers and graduate recruiters at the early interview stage.
“In the past, graduates came into an ‘easy’ market where a plethora of graduate recruitment schemes and positions have been available to them and graduate recruiters had a large number of opportunities for candidates. But now the market is different. Companies are cutting back on graduate recruitment schemes (and some are abolishing them entirely) and graduates need to realise that opportunities will become increasingly harder to come by”.
Preston believes that a back to basics approach with smart dress and tidy appearance could be the critical factor in a new graduate securing a job, particularly when up against more practically experienced candidates.
“Dressing more professionally than usual will have an positive impact on the interviewer and by this I mean more conventional dress and hairstyles, clean crisp white shirt and plain tie. Why would you wear anything slightly ‘edgy’ to the interview and run the risk of being discounted from the role?”
Preston also advises graduates to adopt a positive attitude and actually sounding interested when the interviewer is describing the role, as listening to what they say and asking questions about an aspect of what they are talking about can reap huge rewards.
“Prepare a list of good questions when you go in – and make sure the first questions you ask are NOT about how much you get paid and how many holidays you’re going to get! Nothing will turn an interviewer off faster”, adds Preston.
For more information visit www.andy-preston.com.
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