Wednesday, May 1, 1991 ~ North Shore News - 39

Zen and the art of job interviews

ALTHOUGH A well-designed job resume and cover letter will get you noticed, the job interview is your opportunity to convince an

employer you're the person for the job.

NEWS photo Terry Poters

The following is a lecture on How to Attain Employment Nirvana at a [ob In- terview by Master Yu Noh Nac.

By Dean Sekyer Contributing Writer

An old master once stated that poor personal appearance is a great hindrance to enlightenment. Your standard orange robe may not be appropriate for the in- terview. It is advised to dress for the in- terview as you would for the job.

Timing is everything. Grasshooper, especially in the art of job interviews. Arriving early shows dependability. and being prepared to answer and ask ques- tions shows you are serious.

If you are nervous, don’t fight it.sur- tender to it. Teil the interviewer that you are a little nervous and then use your sense of humor to break the ice. Even the most disciplined master appreciates a sense of humor.

It is s..4 that an employer may decide your future in the first two minutes of an interview. A lifeless handshake and avoiding eye contact may indicate a fack of confidence. Coricentraie your gaze upon the interviewer and make that per- son the centre of your universe.

Pay attention. Tre student who car- ties a know-it-all attitude will not achieve enlightenment.

Be confident, put not over-confident,

Uniqu

ideas — perfec

t the Park Roy

and stay focused on the subject of the job. An interviewer doesn’t want to know you're allergic to Mongolian sheep or that your cat has a fur-ball.

When telling the interviewer about your experience, use the middle path. Titles like Gas-Jockey or elevated names like Petroleum Transfer Engineer may hurt your chances. Use names like Ser- vice Station Attendant.

The tight attitude is important. Employers look not only for people who can perform the tasks of the job but also for those who can work wel! with peo- ple. Therefore Grasshopper, don’t ex- plain that your last boss was a dummy.

Finally, do not be seduced by greed. This means that you should not ask how much the job pays as your first question. Leave that until the end of the interviews.

This is but a brief Jescription of the way to summer employment nirvana. For a more complete lecture. contact the gurus at your local Student Employment Centre.

— reprinted with permission from *'B.C. Youth,” the newsletter of the B.C. Youth Advisory Council.

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