Seeking advice: Do's & Don'ts for first time interviews

[Tuddy]

I am graduating in a few weeks from a shiatsu and massage program. Having never interviewed for a bodywork postion before, I am looking for advice on how to handle the interviews.

What are the must dos and better nots? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Happee]

Do - go in confident. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with "expecting" to get the job.

Don't - go in and say things like "maybe I'll do this", "maybe I'll try such and such", "I'm not sure you'll like this, but it's how I do whatever".

 

[Ajay]

Sell yourself

Too many interviewees shoot themselves in the foot by focusing on what's in it for them. You should be concerned with pay, working conditions, opportunities for growth / advancement, etc -- but address those after they have decided you are someone they are seriously considering for the position. You can always turn them down if you don't like what you hear, but so many therapists take the attitude of "tell me what you pay before I send a resume so I can decide if you are worth my time" which comes shining through even before an interview.

Do tell them what you bring / add to the organization
Do tell them how eager you are to put your education to work
Do tell them why you want a career in bodywork

Don't ask them what the pay is, how much vacation you get, etc. - -Wait until your second interview or job offer for such matters
Don't tell them you left your last job because of "bad management" - Guess what, you are talking to management and that kind of a cop out answer spells trouble to managers
Don't tell them all the great ideas you have for their business - work there a few months before even considering such topics

 

[ronghui lu]

i've been told that if you leave a job that was less-than-desirable, then your only response as to why you left should be, "i'm seeking a more professional environment." if asked to elaborate, i would then say, "I don't wish to speak ill of another establishment or practitioner. That would be unethical."

 

[Cowgirl_Power]

"tell me what you pay before I send a resume so I can decide if you are worth my time"

I disagree. I don't want to waste anyones time, mine or the employers, if they won't pay at a rate I need. However, I do believe there can be a nicer way to say it than "tell me!".

I do have one other thing, to mention. That is normally, in the past when I looked for some sort of "spa" work, the flexability of hours usually were the first thing I needed to know. I could not go on an interview, if the needed work hours weren't something I could manage. Usually, though that was because I was looking for something part-time and juggling multiple part-time jobs.

There was a somewhat heated thread called Discussing Pay, that does have a lot of opinions in it, if you are interested in reading more about my personal feelings on this.