Having a job interview is exciting yet it could be nerve-racking. Congratulations, you passed the first hurdle!
Your potential employer thinks that you have the right experience and skills and they want to interview you. You want to leave a good impression and do not want to blow your first job interview.
Here are some mistakes you should avoid during your job interview.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Mistake #1 candidates make is that they do not do their research. Do your research before each interview. Learn about the company, what they do, how big it is, and when and how it was founded. Impress your interviewers by providing answers that show that you did your research. Relate your interest in the role of what the company does and where it is going.
If you know the name of the people who are going to interview you, research them and find them on LinkedIn. Find out who they are, what their roles are, where they worked before, and what their interests are. If you have any common interests (for example, playing a similar sport or similar hobby, born in the same town), make a mental note. If an opportunity presents itself, mention this to your interviewers to build some rapport. People like that you took an effort to learn about them.
TAKE YOUR TIME
Mistake #2, it is a common practice nowadays to do a phone interview first before inviting the candidates for a face-to-face meeting. Over and over again, I had to cut short my phone interviews because job seekers often forgot which roles they applied for and started talking about a completely different company and a different role. While it is understandable that sometimes in pursuit of your first job you may have to apply for numerous vacancies, you have all the right to ask the interviewer to call you back at a more convenient time. Recruiters or managers would gladly call you back. You can take your time to quickly look up the company and the role you applied for and have a quick preparation before the interview.
PREPARE FOR YOUR INTERVIEW
Mistake #3 preparing for an interview. If you are not prepared, it would be obvious during the interview. Given the plenty of resources available online, you will simply be considered lazy. You should prepare a short pitch about yourself and why you are interested in the role. Read through the role description or advert and identify what skills and experiences they are looking for and write down the questions they may ask you. Be prepared for behavioral-based questions, when you will be asked to give examples for various situations. Write down 2-3 main points and make them relevant to the role. Practice your answers several times.
LISTEN TO THE QUESTIONS
Mistake #4 is not listening to the questions. There is nothing more annoying than hearing irrelevant answers. Listen carefully to the question and think why they are asking you this and make sure you do not deviate. Do not provide an answer for the sake of answering.
It is better not to answer immediately if you are a bit lost. Rather ask for some time to think about it. You can say: It is an interesting question, can I take a bit of a time to think? Sometimes, applicants assume that they should respond immediately, and they tend to ramble and waffle which can make them look rather stupid.
Don’t be afraid of silence and pause. Silence and pause are more powerful than you think.
Another alternative for difficult questions is that you may ask them if they can move on to the next and come back to this one later as you may need a bit more time to think about it. Another trick is that if you do not know or cannot provide an exact example, you can say that you can provide another one relevant to the situation.
STRIKE A BALANCE OF HOW MUCH YOU TALK
Mistake #5 is talking too much or too little. Be very careful how much you talk. You need to strike a balance. Try to answer to the point and provide concise answers. But at the same time make sure your answers are not too short. Simple “yes” or “no” answers are not enough. This is not an answer the interviewer is wanting. You need to elaborate and provide the context, example, situations, and solutions.
DRESS APPROPRIATELY
Mistake #6 is dressing inappropriately. You may like to be casual, and you believe that you should not be judged by your outfit. But the job interview is not only about you, the job interview is about interviewers. Dressing appropriately is showing respect to others and showing that you are taking this seriously. It is better to overdress rather than underdress.
DON’T LOOK TOO DESPERATE
Mistake #7 is looking too desperate. Even if you feel like you want just any job, just give me my first job situation, never show this. Show you are enthusiastic and really interested in the role but do not tell the interview panel how much you need this role and you are prepared to work for free the first month to show how hardworking you are (yes, there was this kind of proposition). Exude confidence and show that you have a lot to offer.
Your first job interview is your first test. With every job interview, you will get more and more confident, and you will learn a lot about yourself.
If you are looking for new opportunities please go to www.enhancerecruiting.com and apply today!
