Easy-To-Make Job Interview Mistakes

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.
AdvertisementMistake #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,