At first glance, it’s puzzling. The job market is finally looking something like its old self, with unemployment at 5.9%, a bit below its 6% pre-recession rate.
乍一看很令人費解。美國就業市場終于開始展露復蘇跡象，目前的失業率(5.9%)僅僅比大衰退之前(6%)低一點點。
Yet, as anyone trying to change jobs (or get one) these days knows all too well, plenty of employers are dragging their feet, taking longer to hire than at any time in more than a decade.
然而，許多雇主卻躊躇不決，其聘用員工花費的時間比過去十多年的任何時候都要長，相信每一位最近正嘗試著換份工作，或者找份工作的人都對此深有體會。
What’s the holdup? Patty Prosser, chair of executive development and recruiting firm OI Global Partners, says at least some of it is “due to the way candidates present themselves, and how they perform during interviews.” That’s not all bad, since, unlike the state of the economy as a whole, “these are issues that are within job seekers’ control.”
為什么如此遲疑?高管培訓與招聘公司OI Global Partners的董事長帕蒂•普羅塞表示，至少部分原因在于“招聘者自我展示的方式，以及他們在面試期間的表現。”這種情況不算太壞，因為跟經濟基本面的狀況不同，“這些問題畢竟在求職者的控制范圍之內。”
OI Partners recently asked its hundreds of North American headhunters and career coaches to list the most common mistakes they see interviewees make. Here are the top five:
OI Partners公司最近對北美獵頭與職業教練進行了調查，要求他們列出求職者犯過的最常見的錯誤。以下是前五種錯誤：
1. Don’t stand out enough from other candidates (mentioned by 67% of those surveyed). Most job seekers don’t talk enough, or at all, about “which personal attributes differentiate them from their competition, and describe what unique value they can bring,” Prosser says. One way to do that persuasively is to “read the job description carefully and perfect your pitch to include accomplishments that match the job specs.”
1. 在眾多競爭者中表現不夠突出(67%的受訪者提到這一點)。普羅塞說道，在被問到：“哪些個人特質讓他們區別于其他競爭對手，并且描述他們能夠帶來哪些獨特價值”時，大多數求職者談得不夠多，甚至根本沒有正面回答。更有說服力的方法是“仔細閱讀職務說明，完善自己的說辭，其中要包含與職務要求相匹配的成就。”
2. Don’t explain how their experience is a good fit for the job opening (64%). “Job seekers often don’t see the forest for the trees. They don’t evaluate what the company really needs—not just listing buzzwords, but showing from their past experience how they can solve problems,” says Prosser. Oddly, the survey suggested that candidates too often downplay their leadership experience, a “strength that should be communicated, even if it isn’t part of the formal requirements for the job.”
2. 沒有解釋自己的經驗為什么適合空缺的職位(64%)。普羅塞表示：“求職者往往只見樹木不見林。他們沒有評估公司的真正需求——求職者不僅應列出專業術語，而且要在介紹經驗的時候展示自己解決問題的能力。”奇怪的是，調查顯示，求職者往往不重視他們的領導經驗。但領導經驗“是應該展示的優勢，即便它不屬于職位空缺的正式要求。”
3. Don’t show enough interest and excitement (56%). A job interview isn’t the time to play it cool, yet it seems some people do. “Telling a story can have a big impact,” Prosser advises. “Try to find something in your research on the company, the job, or the interviewer that really resonates with you and then share a personal story about it.” Candidates often underestimate the value of enthusiasm, she adds. “Remember, employers hire people, not resumes.” If you already seem to be just going through the motions, hiring managers wonder what you’ll be like to work with day in and day out.
3. 沒有表現出足夠的興趣和熱情(56%)。面試可不是擺酷的場合，但許多求職者似乎并未意識到這一點。普羅塞說道：“講個故事能帶來不錯的效果。在調查公司、工作或面試官的時候，盡量尋找一些能夠與你產生共鳴的東西，然后分享一個與此有關的個人經歷。”她補充道，求職者往往會低估熱情的價值。“記住，雇主招聘的是人，而不是簡歷。”如果你擺出一副走走過場的樣子，招聘經理會考慮每天與你一起共事會是什么情形。
4. Focus too much on what they want, instead of on what the interviewer is saying (54%). Alas, according to this survey, most people aren’t good listeners. “In the initial phase of interviewing, the employer is mainly concerned about their needs and how the candidate might be able to fulfill those,” says Prosser. “So you need to get the interviewer talking in detail about what the real issues are, why the company is looking to hire, and what the ideal candidate for the job would be like.” Persuade an interviewer that you’re a great fit, she adds, and then you’ll have his or her attention when you bring up your own needs and goals—but not before.
4. 過于關注自己想要什么，而不是面試官在說什么(54%)。調查顯示，大多數人并不是好的傾聽者。普羅塞說道：“面試一開始，雇主主要關心他們的需求，以及求職者如何滿足這些需求。所以你需要讓雇主詳細介紹公司的真正問題，為什么公司要進行招聘，以及職位空缺的理想人選是什么樣子。”她補充道，設法讓面試官相信你是恰當人選，然后當你提出自己的需要和目標時，才能得到他們的關注——但不能操之過急。
5. Believe they can “wing it” without enough preparation (53%).“Prepare for an interview the same way you would for a presentation to a boss or a client,” Prosser suggests. That includes “practice, practice, practice,” plus doing enough background research on each company, and each interviewer, to “anticipate what the hiring manager is likely to ask, and prepare substantive questions to ask them.” That might sound obvious, but about 40% of headhunters and coaches in the OI poll said they’ve seen candidates go in to an interview knowing zip about the employer or the job.
5. 沒有做足準備，相信自己可以“即興表演”(53%)。普羅塞建議：“要像為老板或客戶準備演示一樣，準備自己的面試。”需要做的準備工作包括“練習、練習、再練習”，對每一家公司和每一位面試官進行充分的背景調查，“預想招聘經理會提哪些問題，并準備一些向他們提問的實質性問題。”雖然這聽起來理所當然，但在OI公司的調查中，約有40%的獵頭和職業教練表示，他們見過許多來面試，但卻對雇主或公司一無所知的求職者。
One more suggestion: Be yourself. One in three (33%) lamented the number of candidates who “lack humor, warmth, or personality” in interviews. To be sure, that may be partly because some people freeze up when they’re nervous. Even so, Prosser says, “Be real and sincere. Most hiring managers will see through an act.”
外一條建議：做好自己。有三分之一(33%)受訪者感嘆“缺乏幽默、熱情或個性”的求職者太多了。確實，人們在緊張的時候容易怯場。但即便如此，普羅塞還是建議：“要做到真實誠懇。大多數招聘經理都能看穿一個人的行為。”
