Common Interview Mistakes to Avoid at Interview stage of the job search process
A couple of weeks ago my eldest son had an interview for a sixth form … en route to the interview I flipped from Mum, giving him a lift, to Recruiter and started discussing with him how he must handle certain questions and how he must enthuse about the reasons he wanted to attend this sixth form … I could tell my advice and words were falling on stoney ground from his silence. However, he let me finish my prattle and turned to me and said he could only be himself and honest! Wow that stopped me in my tracks!
Interview Mistake 1: Never lie and pretend to be something or someone who are not
My son was completely and utterly spot on. Whilst I thought my words were wise and based on many years’ experiences as a recruiter he was absolutely utterly right! Why would you present anything other than the best version of your true self at an interview? As recruiters we are always saying a job interview is a two-way process and equally about whether the business is right for the applicant. The only way to know this is to be yourself. So based on this I guess the biggest mistake would be to not be your authentic wonderful self … it worked for my eldest as he got offered a place.
However, I appreciate this is a more complex scenario and over and above being true to yourself there are many other things to consider. Having interviewed many candidates over the years and taken numerous feedbacks from job interviews there is one massive thing that lots of it can compensate for other mistakes and lack of it can make good points fade into insignificance and that is, wait for it …. Interest and enthusiasm.
Interview Mistake 2: Not showing interest or enthusiasm
There is nothing more attractive than an interested and enthusiastic candidate. I, and most of my clients, love this! If a candidate can demonstrate that they are genuinely interested in the role and show some enthusiasm and passion for the role and company that they are interviewing for then they are well and truly on the right path. Any other small interview misdemeanours can be forgiven. Employers can train and upskill a candidate once they are in their care, but interest and enthusiasm are either there in a candidate naturally or they aren’t!
I am going off piste here aren’t I? I am writing about what we should do at interview as opposed to what we shouldn’t! So back to what we shouldn’t do … I feel these are all practical and basic points really but things, as an interviewee, are very much in your control …
Interview Mistake 3: Don’t be late
Don’t be late – plan your journey, do a dummy run if needed. This said being too early can be deemed equally disrespectful as being late. If you are very early to an interview, find a café, have a drink and go over your notes and preparation to kill some time. Don’t arrive at the job interview more than 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.
Interview Mistake 4: Never Dress Inappropriately
If in doubt dress smarter. It’s best to feel a little over dressed than to be on the back foot feeling tatty. If you don’t have any smart clothes, there are places where you can hire smart clothing for job interviews.
Interview Mistake 5: Not researching the company and role before the job interview
Don’t rock up without absolute clarity on the role – make certain you have seen the job specification that you are interviewing for. Make sure you are able to highlight all the areas of the spec that you are competent within. Also, make sure you research the company and their culture in detail. This will give you extra details to reference and you can highlight where your personality and values match the firms. Showing that you’ve taken the time to do research, shows your interest and that you are pro-active; putting you ahead of other candidates who haven’t done this.
Interview Mistake 6: Don’t ever be negative
Avoiding being negative in a job interview is huge. There is nothing more repellent than a candidate negativity regardless of the point that they are trying to get over. A point can always be made, and a story told without resorting to being negative. No good ever comes of negativity and it won’t get you the job. If asked why you would like to leave your current firm, don’t bad-mouth them.
For me these are probably the main ‘Don’ts’ from a job interview perspective… so avoid these, sprinkle with lots of enthusiasm and interest and be your true authentic self and the jobs yours … Simple!
Written by Jo Hood, Principal Consultant at Eventus Recruitment Cheshire.
Job Interview Resources
The following resources will help you to prepare for a job interview and to succeed at the interview stage of the job search process:
Questions to as the Interviewer in a job interview to win them over
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