5 COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID DURING JOB INTERVIEWS

• Categories: General Recruiting, Interview Tips

Avoid these 5 Interview Mistakes to land your perfect Job: Have you ever wanted a job but not received an offer? Most of us have been there. In exploring the job market there are absolutely things any candidate should do to increase their odds at getting an offer and being the chosen one.

First impressions at an interview are very important and from the time you walk through the door you are being judged. In order to stand out from the other applicants, make sure you look alert, competent, and confident during the interview and avoid these five mistakes:

Mistake #1: Arriving Too Late or Too Early

This is a big hot button for SRS. A time is set aside for your interview and you need to respect that. Being late is never acceptable but showing up too early is equally disrespectful and can potentially set a job seeker up for low ball offers.  For most occupations, we suggest announcing yourself no more than 5 -7 minutes prior to your interview although there are exceptions to the rule for some professions such as sales.   Being too late or too early for an interview suggests that you have poor time management skills as well as a lack of respect for your interviewer

Don’t misunderstand; we don’t recommend that any candidate arrives with their hair on fire.  We recommend you arrive in plenty of time prior to your interview just simply wait to announce yourself. If you are more than 7 minutes early, figure out where you are going and then find a place to have a seat to wait until you can officially arrive. Take this extra time to go over your notes and think of any additional questions you may have for the interviewer.

Mistake #2: Being unprepared.

Your lack of preparation will be obvious to your interviewer. If you are prepared, this will help demonstrate your researching skills and how articulate you are at communicating. Successful preparation has several elements:

1. Analyze how your skills match the job description. Make a list of the job requirements and how your accomplishments align with those requirements. Be prepared to give examples of how these skills match.
2. Research the company’s website, LinkedIn and Facebook pages so that you know your answers to these two questions – “What do you know about us?” and “Why do you want to work here?”
3. After reading about the company’s mission and business practices, make a list of questions that will show your interest.
4. Find out who will be interviewing you and check out their LinkedIn Profile. See if you have anything in common with the interviewer, such as attending the same school or belonging to the same professional association.

You should learn as much as possible about your prospective employer prior to the interview.   Hiring managers will assume that you have already investigated the company’s website, so make sure you go beyond the minimum by utilizing your professional network or industry publications to find out more.

Mistake #3: Sharing Too Little/Too Much Information

Not giving enough detail makes the interviewer think you are hiding something, whereas if you share too much information, your interviewer may tune you out. Advance preparation is the key to achieving the right balance. Prior to the interview, think about possible emotional intelligence questions and behavioral questions and how you might answer them. Before you arrive at the interview, you should have already prepared succinct answers to questions about your background that will showcase your skills. Practice these responses with your friends or trusted colleagues as they can give you candid feedback that will help you refine and shorten your answers. Remember less is more and caution against giving TMI (too much information). If an interviewer wants to know more, he or she will continue to ask questions.

Mistake # 4 Getting Distracted

It is very easy to get distracted during an interview, but not paying attention can cost you. Before you get to your interview, silence your phone. Texting during your interview is not only rude and disruptive, it sends a clear message to your potential employer that getting the job is not your top priority.

Make sure you are well-rested, alert and prepared for your interview. If you feel your attention slipping away, make the effort to stay engaged. By maintaining eye contact, leaning slightly forward when talking to your interviewer you will show you are an effective listener

Mistake # 5 Badmouthing Past Employers

It is a smaller world than you think so never make the mistake of badmouthing your employers. When interviewing, you want your employer to know that you can work well with other people and handle conflicts in a mature and effective way. Have an example ready of how you turned a negative situation into a positive one.

One of the most valuable, and underrated, interviewing skills is the ability to listen, pay attention to, understand and absorb what the other person is saying. Try to customize your answers based on what you learn from the interviewer so that you can emphasize the skills you have that are most applicable to the position.

In closing, take the time to do what your competition is unwilling or unable to do.  We promise you will be glad you did!