There is a familiar trend in the way that job candidates interview. Indeed, this is something that seems to happen with practically every candidate. The mistake is characteristically repeated over and over again not just by individual candidates but also by the same candidate in interview after interview. The mistake comes about due to a durable but incorrect predisposition people have associated with the right way to get what they want.
Most commonly fail to ask for what they want. People may leave clues. People may leave hints. People may talk around it. Yet, people almost never just come out and ask for what they want. A similar behavior occurs with job seekers in their interview.
It establishes an opportunity for you to stand out from nearly every other candidate hoping to get the job. Towards the conclusion of the interview is ordinarily an opportune time to ask for the job. Artfully asking for the job will set you apart from other job seekers who fail to show this level of interest in the job.
Just by correctly asking for the job you can show the employer that you have three essential abilities. You are able to remain focused. You are are able to be direct. And you are a good communicator. Employers often are of the opinion that these traits in an applicant are evidence of future success. Focus in an emplyoee is essential to an employer for the reason that it suggests that the employee will be able to keep his or her concentration on the correct tasks and not be diverted by side issues.
Being direct is important to an employer because it means that the candidate will probably be the sort of individual who is willing to relay needed information. And having good communication skills is important to an employer for the reason that it means that the candidate will most likely not create costly situations due to miscommunications.
Whether at a conscious level or not the potential employer will probably view you asking for the job during the interview as evidence that you would likely say yes to an offer. When picking one of the job seekers in the final stages of the process, an interviewer will be mindful of the odds that the recipient of the offer will take the job.
The risk is essentially twofold. For starters, by selecting from among candidates the employer has, on a psychological level, made an investment in that candidate. The employer has satisfied herself, after taking the time to sort through multiple resumes and interview possibly a significant number of candidates thereby dedicating a considerable amount of time on the selection process, that this was the best candidate. Should their first choice candidate decide against taking the job the employer will even if only to some degree respond as though the next person on the list is just not as good a fit for the job.
It is not uncommon for a candidate to need some time before choosing whether to say yesor no to a job offer. So it will take that long for the employer to know if that candidate has decided against taking the job. The challenge which confronts the interviewer is that the greater the amount of time that passes for the first choice candidate to say yes or no to the offer, the greater the chances that the second choice candidate will accept an offer with a different employer. In cases like this the potential employer could then be forced to compromise for the third tier candidate.
Therefore merely by asking for the job near the end of the interview you are lessening the risks involved from the viewpoint of the employer. The employer will probably have the impression that the odds are that you would agree to an offer because you have expressed this level of interest and that you have several qualities that can make you a good long term employee.
Please do not employ this technique if you are only using this interview as a fall back. Certainly there may be circumstances under which factors influencing your decision may change and you may, in the end, choose to turn down the offer. Yet, if you are going to ask for the job during the interview you should have every intention of accepting an offer at that time.
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