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29 March 2024

Desperate for a job? Make sure you don’t sound so during interview

Published
By Shuchita Kapur

Sounding desperate is not going to get you anywhere in your job search and if you do land the job, your potential employer is more likely than not to take advantage of your circumstances.

When the interviewer sees a glint of desperation in your eyes, the first question that comes to mind is if there is something that s/he is unaware of? Your credibility will be in jeopardy, and the employer is likely to decide in her/his mind that you might join at a lower salary or a lower grade, and that you might agree to clauses that will only suit the company… in a nutshell, exploit you.

“You get the call for an interview at a company that you are really interested in. You go through a few rounds of interviews with different people and the excitement of possibly joining them grows and subconsciously, you start getting desperate. This happens to everyone at some stage of their career or job search process,” says Ash Athawale, Recruitment Manager at Reed Specialist Recruitment.

But as you become more experienced in life, you should be able to come out as calm and composed in your behaviour despite the numerous butterflies fluttering in your stomach.

The situation is common with those who are out of the job market than ones already employed. Having been out of work for several months and after being rejected by a few employers only aggravates the problem.

“This is a common occurrence with candidates looking for a job. Those already in a secure role tend to come across as more confident than those who are currently out of work. You should always stay in your current job until you find a new role, even if you are not 100 per cent happy. Having a job is always better than being unemployed – you will still have that security of a salary and a visa and this will not make you desperate,” says Caroline Gentles, Senior Consultant at Cobalt HR Consultancy.

Even though you may be desperate for the job, try to maintain your composure and ask the interviewers questions to know and understand them better. If you are tactful enough, you can also evaluate the company that you are interested in working for during this time.

“Some companies may decide not to move forward with your candidature after going through multiple rounds. So, the trick is to look at every interview stage as a step towards ‘you’. With each round of meeting evaluate if the company is a right fit rather than the other way around,” Athawale told Emirates 24|7.

“Look at these rounds as a series of meetings where you will also be evaluating the people you meet. Ask questions – how long have they been there? Do they like it there? Regardless of your interest, are you looking at the company rather than your role in that amazing company?” he explains.

Besides the one-to-one interaction, look for other venues/people who can give you more information about the company you intend to work for.

“Look at professional networking sites like LinkedIn. How many people have left the company? How long did they work there before moving on? During the course of the interviews, look at the people who work here. Get to the interviews 10 minutes early and observe while you wait at the reception. Once you do some serious research on this potential employer, you will find that you are making more of a practical and professional decision than an emotional one,” advises Athawale.

The point that experts are trying to make is that you can turn the table and be different from other jobseekers. If you clear one round of interview, don’t be pushy. If the employer is interested in you, they will call you for another round.

Treat the interviews as an open discussion. Ask questions that serve your purpose. Let the interviewer know that you are interested in knowing about them as much as they want to know about you. But be wise enough not to sound snooty.

The trick is to keep your desperation level low and keep your standards high with dignity and poise. This will not only leave a good impression, but will also let the company know that you are a professional who will not be pushed and shoved around if you were to join them.