7 things to avoid during a Job Interview
Hello dears,how are you?
Here’s a full new season for my Be-Professional part: All things about a Job Interview. Let’s begin with the most important one, the 7 things to avoid !
Mistake #1: Lying
I know it is tempting. You are sure the job interviewer will never guess? Well, you are probably wrong! Especially if the part of the job application or interview asks you to come clean about any criminal records. The employer will very likely ask applicants to go through background checks in Washington state or elsewhere to back up what’s been declared. And if they find you weren’t truthful that’s the end of that job application.
The possibility that someone in the job hiring team calls an old employer or knows way more about body language than you do is pretty high, so avoid destroying your future employer’s trust because this is a no-go.
Instead: Focus on the positive parts of your resume and have a short but precise answer ready for negative ones. You built the thing, be it with help from a resume service or by yourself, so you should know what it entails.
Mistake #2: Complaining
Your boss is horrible, your work is boring, your colleagues are making you crazy and you had to go one hour under the rain to get to the job interview on time? Well talk about this with your friends and avoid the negative parts during your job interview. It is likely that the interviewer could ask himself, if it is partly your fault.
Instead: Focus also here on the positive things, what did you learn from your horrible boss? How did you react to low moments in the company? And how helpful have you been to your colleagues?
Mistake #3: Be uninterested
Seeming uninterested during an interview is the easiest way to loose the possibility to land that job. If you are not prepared or don’t ask any questions it is likely that your interviewer will assume that you have other interviews that interest you more and will cut you off the potential candidate list in a second. Same goes for questions about salary during the first meeting, it could give the impression that you are only interested in these kind of benefits: if the person in front of you doesn’t start asking you, then keep it for the next round! That said, you do need to politely explain how much you expect to make without demanding anything. Be polite!
Instead: Research the company, know your CV inside out, know exactly why you want that job, be aware of general interview questions, know the job and its necessaries, prepare intelligent questions, show up on time, dress appropriately and turn of your phone.
Mistake #4: Share too much or too little
If they ask you a question and you answer it telling a full fairy-tail around it, it is likely that the interviewer will get annoyed. Same goes for answers that stick to “yes” and “no”, they won’t be happy to hear your full life-story, but likely are also not in the mood to play the “Guess Who” game. If you are somebody that tends to overshare when they are nervous, perhaps read up on some ways to build up confidence so that you are able to answer questions better.
Instead: Take a moment to think and gather your ideas, then answer the question precisely and with one fitting example. If then they want more details, they will ask.
Mistake #5: Using only the “I”
Maybe you are one of the people that just love to talk about “I” or maybe you continue using it because you don’t think about it, either way talking only about “I” signalises that you are not giving credits to others and that you are too much focused on yourself.
Instead: Go with the “we” for general things and use the “I” word in important moment where you want your future employer to focus on. This shows you as a team player and will still give you the credit for the special achievement.
Mistake #6: Forgetting the interview is a two-way street.
The interviewer might be the person who will take the first decision, but if they offer you the job you should know if this is the right fit for you. Changing companies too often is not nicely seen on your CV. So don’t go into the interview only thinking about how you can convince them to choose you.
Instead: Open up your eyes, see if the people around you are smiling, if the working spaces seam comfortable, how the facilities are and ask questions about everything that you can’t see on that first moment.
Mistake #7: You can’t “Tell me about yourself”
Every company has a different interview model, but fairly a lot start with “tell me about yourself” if you don’t know where to start or how to answer this question this is a no-go.
Instead: Prepare yourself for this question and go into the interview with your head-up. Start with the most significant experience for this future job and go through your relevant experiences.
Mistake #8: Failing to follow up.
I know I said #7 mistakes, however this mistake is not really during the job interview but after it.
Instead: Remember that you are showing your future employee how you would treat their clients. Send a thank you not to your interviewer the day afterwards and pass the interview shortly review. This will let you stand out from the most job seekers and shows that you know you manners.
I hope these tips will help you during your job search! Good luck!
Be-Sparkling!
Next post: Questions to ask during a job interview
