10 Easy-To-Make Job Interview Mistakes
Avoid These Common -- Deadly -- Interview Mistakes to Land That Job
What you do during a job interview is viewed as a "sample" of your
work. Everything you do is being judged because they don't know you
Show them you would be a great hire. Don't make these mistakes:
Mistake #1: Appearing uninterested.
This one drives employers crazy. Most employers have more applicants than they need or want. If you aren't
demonstrably interested in them and the job, they certainly aren't interested in hiring you.
To Avoid:
Demonstrate your interest in the company and the job. Know the job
you are interviewing for and why you want the job. Be dressed
appropriately. Turn off your cell phone and focus your attention on the
interview and the interviewers.
Ask intelligent questions that indicate you have done some research,
but do NOT ask a question that could be answered in 30 seconds with a
Google search or a peek at their website's homepage.
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Mistake #2: Being unprepared.
Obvious lack of preparation is an opportunity crusher. And, lack of preparation usually becomes obvious quickly.
To Avoid:
Be prepared! Preparation will help you demonstrate your interest in
them and the job. You will also perform better in the interview when
you are prepared.
Successful preparation has several elements:
-
Analyze the job description and your match with it.
Carefully analyze the job description. Write down each requirement, and how you meet that requirement.
Then, determine your accomplishments that align with those
requirements. Write down your accomplishments, quantified as much as
possible, to help you remember them.
Think of situations where you have demonstrated that you meet this
job's requirements, and make note of them. These are "stories" you can
share, briefly, in the interview to show that you meet the requirements.
They will be particularly useful if you are asked, "Tell me about a
time when..."
Know your answers to the standard job interview questions.
In particular, be ready for the "What do you know about us" and "Why
do you want to work here" questions, related specifically to this
employer and job opportunity. Read Smart Answers to Interview Questions for details on what employers will probably ask and how to answer appropriately.
Use your stories, as appropriate, when you think about your answers to the usual interview questions.
Research the employer.
Yes, check out the website, as thoroughly as you can. What do they do?
Do they state a "mission"? How are they organized? Where are they
located? Are they part of a larger organization? If they have
subsidiaries, what do their subsidiaries do?
Note the names of their products and/or services and get familiar with what each does (unless they have tens or more).
Who are the officers named on the website? Where are they located? Do
you share any common background with any of them (hometown, school,
service, volunteer work, etc.)
Not Researching the interviewers.
Hopefully you know the names of the interviewers, so check out their
LinkedIn Profiles. Do you have anything in common with any of them (as
above, hometown, school, etc.). Do you notice anything else about them,
from the same college degrees or the same military service to similar
smiling (or not) faces?
Being late for the interview.
If possible, do a test run at the approximate time you are supposed to
be there, and plan your departure and arrival for the interview
accordingly, getting comfortable with the drive or ride, tolls or fees,
parking options, etc.
Being late for an interview is DEADLY. If you arrive more than 15
minutes early, find an unobtrusive place to hang out until you can
officially arrive 5 or 10 minutes before the scheduled interview.
Observe what is happening while you wait to learn more about the
employer and, perhaps, have additional questions to ask.
Mistake #3: Sharing TMI (too much information).
Sometimes, people have a whole-truth-and-nothing-but-the-truth
mindset in a job interview, so they "spill their guts" in answer to
every question. Not smart or useful!
I'm not recommending telling any lies, but I am recommending that you
avoid boring the interviewer and blowing an opportunity by sharing too
much information. If they
want more details,
they'll ask.
To Avoid:
Answer their question, and then stop talking. Or, ask a question of your own.
Mistake #4: Having negative body language.
If you never smile, have a limp handshake, and don't make eye contact
with the people you meet at the employer's location, and especially
with the interviewer, you'll come across as too shy or too strange or
simply not interested.
To Avoid:
Show your interest and enthusiasm.Smile, say hello, look them in the eye, and shake hands as though you
really are happy to meet that person, and soon you will be.
Mistake #5. Not asking good questions, or asking the wrong questions at the wrong time.
As bad as having no questions is asking the wrong questions. During
the first interview, asking questions only about raises, promotions,
vacation, and benefits are not usually well-received. Those questions
apparently indicate that you are just interested in specific personal
benefits rather than the job.
To Avoid:
Ask the questions that occurred to you as you were doing your
pre-interview research, as you talked with the people during the
interview, or as you observed people in the location.
Mistake #6: Being angry.
If you were laidoff, fired, or ended your last job unpleasantly, you
may feel very angry. You may be angry over a horrible commute to the
interview, earlier fight with your kids or spouse, or anything else.
Whatever the reason, dump the anger before the interview, at least
temporarily.
Angry people are NOT people employers want to hire. Angry people are
not fun to work with. They may frighten co-workers and/or customers or
clients. They may also abuse both people and equipment (computers, cars,
etc.). Not good contributors to a happy workplace or a prosperous
business, even if they don't "go postal."
To Avoid:
Stop, before you enter the employer's premises, take a few deep
breaths, focus on the opportunity that awaits you at this potential
employer, put a smile on your face, and do your best to switch gears
mentally so you are
not "in a bad place" in your mind.
Mistake #7: Flirting or other inappropriate behavior.
Unless you are interviewing for a job as a comedian or host/hostess
in a social club, don't try to be entertaining or amusing. And, don't
flirt with anyone, including the receptionist and the security guard.
To Avoid:
Don't chew gum or bring food or drink into the interview. Mind your
manners, like your Mother taught you, and be polite to everyone you meet
there. The interview is an "audition" for the job. Show them your best!
Mistake #8: Not collecting contact information or asking the next-steps questions.
Many job seekers leave the interview(s) with no idea of what will
happen next in this employer's hiring process. They also often don't
know who is the best person to contact as well as when and how to
contact that person.
To Avoid:
At the beginning of the interview "play (business) cards" with the
interviewer(s). Hand them your business card (or networking card, if you
are employed), and ask for their card.
Then, as the interview ends, ask what the next steps in their hiring
process are if no one volunteers the information. Find out who your
post-interview contact is and when and how to contact that person.
Mistake #9: Forgetting the interview is a two-way street.
Don't go to the interview thinking that you are the only one trying
to "make a sale." You need to ask questions to help you discover if the
job, the people you would be working with, and the employer are what you
want. You also need to decide if you would be happy working there for
at least one year.
To Avoid:
Have your own list of questions ready (not the ones in #6 above).
Observe what is happening at the location. Are employees and customers
smiling or not? Do people seem busy or bored? Does the environment look
like a pleasant place to spend most of your day?
Mistake #10: Failing to follow up.
Often, job seekers leave at the end of the interview(s) with a sigh
of relief that the interview is over, and they can get on with their
lives. They leave, and wait to receive a job offer.
To Avoid:
Remember this is a demonstration of the quality of your work as an employee
.To
stand out in the crowd of job candidates,
Stretch
your fingers and make a 45° angle with your thumb. Let the skin between
your thumb and index finger touch your partner’s hand and then close
your fingers around his or her hand.
Put
your hands on your lap or on the table. If you put your arms and hands
on the table, then gently lean over to your conversation partners. This
way you emphasize that you are listening attentively. You can fold your
hands loosely, but make sure you don’t squeeze the blood out of your
fingers.
