Getting The Job After The Interview

“Yes, I can work under pressure.”

“I can work with minimum supervision or no supervision at all. Of course, I am proactive, Sheesh…”

“Team Player? Pfft, I’ve got that cut and laid…like a pro.”

“Wow….I got the job!?! When do I start?”

And that’s how it went down or something close enough. Everyone is catching on to the concept of selling themselves these days and one of the scenarios where this comes in handy is at an interview. But what happens when the interviewer loves your pitch and wants you onboard? How do you reconcile all the “yes I cans” you have spouted, with actual work?

Here are five tips to keep you from looking like you oversold yourself.

Get Familiar With Your Job Description

If you are able to get a copy of your job description from the new company then take the time to read it.

Thoroughly. As in… from cover to cover. It’s likely that there will be one or two unfamiliar tasks and if this is the case then you also need time to research them and prepare yourself mentally. If you don’t get your job description from the organization then you might want to go hand in the cap to Google. It never hurts to be mentally prepared.

 

Set Goals And Develop A Tracking System

Incorporating a tracking system and setting goals will be extremely useful to keep you from losing your initial momentum and slacking off. Believe me when I say people will notice if you start to slack off. Your system should keep track of the dates tasks are received, deadlines, submission dates, and recommendations. Keep track of issues that come up and how they are solved. Consider it a concise report prepared for …yourself! And stick to it.

 

Don’t Get Sucked Into The General Pattern

Everything can seem scary when you are a newbie. There’s talk flying over your head, outlandish stories and from some co-workers, a tired air. Don’t get infected by any of these, especially the tired air. Nothing kills morale like that one. Sometimes the tired air comes from Burn Out, frustration, craving a career change or problems on the home front. Shut them out and learn to filter the talk. Avoid people who want to groan about how Company A pays their staff more than the staff at your company or how Company C workers get more vacation days. It will distract you and take the joy out of your work.

 

Don’t Dumb Down

It’s unlikely that you have been hired to hide in a corner and act like you know nothing. Don’t talk down on your ideas or try to downplay them. Chances are you were hired for your brilliant ideas, so you need to make your presence worth their while.

 

Handle Affiliations With Care

New friendships can be a big help when settling into a new office environment. Someone to show you the ropes, tell you who to avoid and what copier makes a mess of important paperwork. However, you have to be careful about who you choose to get friendly with at the office. You should take a bit of time to study anyone before getting too close. The last thing you want is for people to doubt your capability or sincerity just because of your new affiliations.

 

P.S. During your interview is a good time to get an idea of what your job description will entail. You can ask the interviewer questions like these:

1. What is a typical day in this role like?
2. How many people will be on my team?
3. What are the most important tasks I will be performing?

You should also feel completely comfortable when requesting your job description to be sent to your email. Don’t be too shy to ask questions that will draw out the necessary information. Finally, don’t be too proud to ask for help when it is necessary.