4 interview mistakes youre making in the first ten minutes

4 interview mistakes youre making in the first ten minutes By: Biron Clark Most employers spend days or even weeks deciding if they want to hire you, but it only takes them a few seconds to rule you out. As an Executive Recruiter, I’ve seen first-hand some crucial missteps from interviewees that have cost them the job.Here are four overlooked interview mistakes that are costing you job offers in the first 10 minutes of your interview.You’re trying to decide mid-interview if you want the jobYou should have one goal in your interview – sell yourself and get invited to the next round in the process. Here’s where many job seekers go wrong: They start trying to decide if they want the job while also trying to sell them self and impress the interviewer.You can gather facts and ask questions to find out about the role (in fact you absolutely should), but never try to decide mid-interview if you’re interested or not. You’ll be distracted and won’t sell yourself as effectively.I’ve seen this hap pen over and over as a Recruiter with the people I’ve coached and helped.For example, you might hear something that worries you about the job, and your energy level will drop. You might stop trying to impress them. Later in the interview, you might hear  a few great things and decide you are interested, but it’s too late – you didn’t seem excited about most of the interview and they’re not going to invite you to continue.It’s better to get invited to continue interviewing at companies you’re not interested in than lose a single job offer you wanted because of this mistake. Wait until you’re home to decide whether you are interested in their job.You don’t seem confidentPeople gather a first impression visually before anything else. Within the first one or two seconds of seeing you, the interviewer is judging you – even if they don’t realize it. By the time you’ve followed them down the hallway and s at down with them, they’ve already gathered a strong impression of you – whether it’s positive or negative.This is the importance of a good handshake, posture and overall body language.This isn’t something you can turn on-and-off at will; especially when you’re tense and nervous in an interview. So start thinking about body language in everyday conversations to prepare for your interviews. Try to keep your shoulders back and your head up straight. When you sit down, avoid tapping your hands or feet or doing anything else that will distract the interviewer. Practice maintaining eye contact before your interview too, especially while talking (most people find it easy to hold eye contact while listening, but much more difficult while talking).Finally, make sure to show confidence in your abilities and your expertise when answering their questions.You’re the expert in your field of work. If not, why would they hire you?So show them you have grea t ideas to contribute and are ready to make an impact and use what you know to help them. This is what top employers look for.You’re worrying if the interviewer likes you or notPeople ask me all the time, â€Å"how will I know if my interview is going well?† Here’s what I tell them: Don’t try.Always assume it’s going well and the company is interested in you. If you start to worry, you’ll lose confidence and then you will do badly (even if you were doing fine before). Some interviewers are friendly to everyone, even if they have no interest in hiring you. Other interviewers show little or no emotion even if they think you’re the perfect fit for them.So stop worrying, and just assume you’re giving great answers from start to finish. It’ll be one less thing to worry about and will make your answers come out better.You didn’t ask enough questionsNow, you might be thinking, â€Å"hold on, Biron. I thought this articl e was about the first 10 minutes of the interview. I’m supposed to ask my questions at the end, right?†That’s correct, but you should also ask questions throughout the interview.Asking questions and gathering information shows them you’re confident in your ability to find a job, and picky about which employer you choose to work for (both good things!) So you want to mix questions into the conversation naturally, rather than waiting for them to invite you to do it. The simplest way to do this is to end some of your answers with a question directed back at them.Here’s an example of how this might look:Interviewer: â€Å"Why do you think you’re a good fit for this job?†You: â€Å"Well, my biggest strength is in financial reporting, and from the job description, it seems like that’s an area you need help with right now. Is that right? And if so, can you tell me a little more about the team’s needs?†Interviewer: â€Å" Yes, that’s right. Our biggest expert just retired and we don’t have enough people to do the work. We also need to make our reporting processes far more efficient.†You: â€Å"Very interesting! My last company actually had a pretty inefficient reporting process when I joined three years ago and I worked with them to improve it. Do you have a sense of where the process can be improved most?†This creates a natural dialogue where you can share your knowledge and start to be seen as an expert. You don’t need to do this with every question, but try to do it once within the first 10 minutes, and two or three times in each interview.If you follow the advice above, you’ll stick in employers’ minds and make them much more likely to hire you.  About the author: Biron is a career advice author, Founder of CareerSidekick.com, and former Executive Recruiter for more than 40 companies, including venture-funded tech startups  and Fortune 500 compa nies across the US and Europe.

Second Seminole War, 1835-1842

Second Seminole War, 1835-1842 Having ratified the Adams-Onà ­s Treaty in 1821, the United States officially purchased Florida from Spain. Taking control, American officials concluded the Treaty of Moultrie Creek two years later which established a large reservation in central Florida for the Seminoles. By 1827, the majority of the Seminoles had moved to the reservation and Fort King (Ocala) was constructed nearby under the guidance of Colonel Duncan L. Clinch. Though the next five years were largely peaceful, some began to call for the Seminoles to be relocated west of the Mississippi River. This was partially driven by issues revolving around the Seminoles providing sanctuary for escaped slaves, a group that became known as the Black Seminoles. In addition, the Seminoles were increasingly leaving the reservation as hunting on their lands was poor. Seeds of Conflict In an effort to eliminate the Seminole problem, Washington passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830 which called for their relocation west. Meeting at Paynes Landing, FL in 1832, officials discussed relocation with the leading Seminole chiefs. Coming to an agreement, the Treaty of Paynes Landing stated that the Seminoles would move if a council of chiefs agreed that the lands in the west were suitable. Touring the lands near the Creek Reservation, the council agreed and signed a document stating that the lands were acceptable. Returning to Florida, they quickly renounced their previous statement and claimed they had been forced to sign the document. Despite this, the treaty was ratified by the US Senate and the Seminoles were given three years complete their move. The Seminoles Attack In October 1834, the Seminole chiefs informed the agent at Fort King, Wiley Thompson, that they had no intention of moving. While Thompson began receiving reports that the Seminoles were gathering weapons, Clinch alerted Washington that force may be required to compel the Seminoles to relocate. After further discussions in 1835, some of the Seminole chiefs agreed to move, however the most powerful refused. With the situation deteriorating, Thompson cut off the sale of weapons to the Seminoles. As the year progressed, minor attacks began occurring around Florida. As these began to intensify, the territory began preparing for war. In December, in an effort to reinforce Fort King, the US Army directed Major Francis Dade to take two companies north from Fort Brooke (Tampa). As they marched, they were shadowed by the Seminoles. On December 28, the Seminoles attacked, killing all but two of Dades 110 men. That same day, a party led by the warrior Osceola ambushed and killed Thompson. Gaines Response In response, Clinch moved south and fought an inconclusive battle with the Seminoles on December 31 near their base in the Cove of the Withlacoochee River. As the war quickly escalated, Major General Winfield Scott was charged with eliminating the Seminole threat. His first action was to direct Brigadier General Edmund P. Gaines to attack with a force of around 1,100 regulars and volunteers. Arriving at Fort Brooke from New Orleans, Gaines troops began moving towards Fort King. Along the way, they buried the bodies of Dades command. Arriving at Fort King, they found it short on supplies. After conferring with Clinch, who was based at Fort Drane to the north, Gaines elected to return to Fort Brooke via the Cove of the Withlacoochee River. Moving along the river in February, he engaged the Seminoles in mid-February. Unable to advance and knowing there were no supplies at Fort King, he elected to fortify his position. Hemmed in, Gaines was rescued in early March by Clinchs men who had c ome down from Fort Drane (Map). Scott in the Field With Gaines failure, Scott elected to take command of operations in person. A hero of the War of 1812, he planned a large-scale campaign against the Cove which called for 5,000 men in three columns to strike the area in concert. Though all three columns were supposed to be in place on March 25, delays ensued and they were not ready until March 30. Traveling with a column led by Clinch, Scott entered the Cove but found that the Seminole villages had been abandoned. Short on supplies, Scott withdrew to Fort Brooke. As the spring progressed, Seminole attacks and the incidence of disease increased compelling the US Army to withdraw from key posts such as Forts King and Drane. Seeking to turn the tide, Governor Richard K. Call took the field with a force of volunteers in September. While an initial campaign up the Withlacoochee failed, a second in November saw him engage the Seminoles in the Battle of Wahoo Swamp. Unable to advance during the fighting, Call fell back to Volusia, FL. Jesup in Command On December 9, 1836, Major General Thomas Jesup relieved Call. Victorious in the Creek War of 1836, Jesup sought to grind down the Seminoles and his forces ultimately increased to around 9,000 men. Working in conjunction with the US Navy and Marine Corps, Jesup began to turn American fortunes. On January 26, 1837, American forces won a victory at Hatchee-Lustee. Shortly thereafter, the Seminole chiefs approached Jesup regarding a truce. Meeting in March, an agreement was reached which would allow the Seminoles to move west with their negroes, [and] their bona fide property. As the Seminoles came into camps, they were accosted by slave catchers and debt collectors. With relations again worsening, two Seminole leaders, Osceola and Sam Jones, arrived and led away around 700 Seminoles. Angered by this, Jesup resumed operations and began sending raiding parties into Seminole territory. In the course of these, his men captured the leaders King Philip and Uchee Billy. In an effort to conclude the issue, Jesup began resorting to trickery to capture Seminole leaders. In October, he arrested King Philips son, Coacoochee, after forcing his father to write a letter requesting a meeting. That same month, Jesup arranged for a meeting with Osceola and Coa Hadjo. Though the two Seminole leaders arrived under a flag of truce, they were quickly taken prisoner. While Osceola would die of malaria three months later, Coacoochee escaped from captivity. Later that fall, Jesup used a delegation of Cherokees to draw out additional Seminole leaders so that they could be arrested. At the same time, Jesup worked to build a large military force. Divided into three columns, he sought to force the remaining Seminoles south. One of these columns, led by Colonel Zachary Taylor encountered a strong Seminole force, led by Alligator, on Christmas Day. Attacking, Taylor won a bloody victory at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee. As Jesups forces united and continued their campaign, a combined Army-Navy force fought a bitter battle at Jupiter Inlet on January 12, 1838. Forced to fall back, their retreat was covered by Lieutenant Joseph E. Johnston. Twelve days later, Jesups army won victory nearby at the Battle of Loxahatchee. The following month, leading Seminole chiefs approached Jesup and offered to stop fighting if given a reservation in southern Florida. While Jesup favored this approach, it was declined by the War Department and he was ordered to continue fighting. As a large number of Seminoles had gathered around his camp, he informed them of Washingtons decision and quickly detained them. Tired of the conflict, Jesup asked to be relieved and was replaced by Taylor, who was promoted to brigadier general, in May. Taylor Takes Charge Operating with reduced forces, Taylor sought to protect northern Florida so that settlers could return to their homes. In an effort to secure the region, the constructed a series of small forts connected by roads. While these protected American settlers, Taylor used larger formations to seek out the remaining Seminoles. This approach was largely successful and fighting quieted during the latter part of 1838. In an effort to conclude the war, President Martin Van Buren dispatched Major General Alexander Macomb to make peace. After a slow start, negotiations finally produced a peace treaty on May 19, 1839 which allowed for a reservation in southern Florida. The peace held for a little over two months and ended when Seminoles attacked Colonel William Harneys command at a trading post along the Caloosahatchee River on July 23. In the wake of this incident, attacks and ambushes of American troops and settlers resumed. In May 1840, Taylor was granted a transfer and replaced with Brigadier General Walker K. Armistead. Increasing the Pressure Taking the offensive, Armistead campaigned in the summer despite the weather and threat of disease. Striking at Seminole crops and settlements, he sought to deprive them of supplies and sustenance. Turning over the defense of northern Florida to the militia, Armistead continued to pressure the Seminoles. Despite a Seminole raid on Indian Key in August, American forces continued the offensive and Harney conducted a successful attack into the Everglades in December. In addition to military activity, Armistead used a system of bribes and inducements to convince various Seminole leaders to take their bands west. Turning over operations to Colonel William J. Worth in May 1841, Armistead left Florida. Continuing Armisteads system of raids during that summer, Worth cleared the Cove of the Withlacoochee and much of northern Florida. Capturing Coacoochee on June 4, he used the Seminole leader to bring in those who were resisting. This proved partially successful. In November, US troops attacked into the Big Cypress Swamp and burned several villages. With fighting winding down in early 1842, Worth recommended leaving the remaining Seminoles in place if they would remain on an informal reservation in southern Florida. In August, Worth met with the Seminole leaders and offered final inducements to relocate. Believing that the last Seminoles would either move or shift to the reservation, Worth declared the war to be over on August 14, 1842. Taking leave, he turned command over to Colonel Josiah Vose. A short time later, attacks on settlers resumed and Vose was ordered to attack the bands that were still off the reservation. Concerned that such action would have a negative effect on those complying, he requested permission not to attack. This was granted, though when Worth returned in November he ordered key Seminole leaders, such as Otiarche and Tiger Tail, brought in and secured. Remaining in Florida, Worth reported in early 1843 that the situation was largely peaceful and that only 300 Seminoles, all on the reservation, remained in the territory. Aftermath During operations in Florida, the US Army suffered 1,466 killed with the majority dying of disease. Seminole losses are not known with any degree of certainty. The Second Seminole War proved to be the longest and costliest conflict with a Native American group fought by the United States. In the course of the fighting, numerous officers gained valuable experience which would serve them well in the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. Though Florida remained peaceful, authorities in the territory pressed for the full removal of the Seminoles. This pressure increased through the 1850s and ultimately led to the Third Seminole War (1855-1858).