Fort Myers, which is located in South West Florida, has the highest unemployment rate of 12% according to recent statistics. Employers are not hiring due to the recession and some employers are cutting back in hopes to stay afloat of the rough times we are encountering. With the few jobs that are available, now employers are asking not only for degrees for a simple receptionist position but for the candidate to accept a lower pay scale.
Years ago going to college or technical school meant finding the position of your dreams as soon as you finished school and being paid accordingly. This is not the case today. With 300 people applying for the same position with the same qualifications, your chances of landing the ideal position has become the same gamble as if you bought a lottery ticket and won.
Now it’s a matter of being able to wow and impress your impending employer with an interview that surpasses all the rest of the applicants.
How? Make sure the position you are applying for is worthy of your skills and you have some kind of track record in that field. If not, many employers will feel you are overqualified if you apply for a sales job for $8.00 an hour in sheer desperation because you just have to work to survive and have been working as a construction worker for $15.00 an hour previously.
While interviewing, don’t talk about your recent divorce or how you dislike any former employee or employer. These are interpreted as negative remarks and can hurt your interview.
I recently ran into a person who mentioned her divorce to an employer and since the woman interviewing lost her husband to an illness, she felt the applicant didn’t apparently fight for something she thought was insignificant. So instead of getting the assistant manager position, she was offered a sales associate position for a lower hourly wage.
In all fields of employment, we automatically are taken for granted that we can get along with anyone. Mentioning a former co-worker in a negative way will make you seem confrontational and not a prospect as a leader. Employers will see you as someone who will find a better position for higher pay or leave because you couldn’t get along with your co-workers.
Talk about how you can be an asset to the company. Remember, it’s never about you. It’s what you can bring to the table of the company. If you have any special skills, certificates or interests, make sure you list them on your resume.
If you don’t know how to write a resume, you can hire someone to do it for you or get a software program such as Microsoft Works. They have many templates already in the software; all you have to do is fill in your information.
And always dress for the part. Remember, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
