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N
Niall Kennedy |
Published 12/31/1969 |
Careers and
Employment |
Unrated
Top 10 Things People Do Wrong at
Interviews, And How To Avoid Them
A
face-to-face interview is the most
stressful part of the job search for
many individuals, but it is also a
critical component of the recruiting
process. Up until this point, you have
been able to hide behind your resume and
cover letter.
As the selection process starts to draw
to a close, though, it?s time to impress
the hiring team. A large part of a
successful interview is avoiding
potential pitfalls that can undermine
your ability to impress the hiring team.
The top ten critical mistakes that
people make when interviewing for a
position are:
Arriving late to the interview
Arriving late makes a strong negative
first impression and will raise
questions in the interviewer?s mind
about your reliability and punctuality.
Always ask for directions to the
interview site and double-check a map so
that you know where you are going.
Don?t forget to allow extra time for
traffic and other unforeseeable events.
Poor dress attire and grooming
Remember that professional companies are
looking to
hire
professional individuals, not the beach
bum who just shook the loose sand from
his hair. Dress conservatively in a
well-fitting suit and keep jewelry,
makeup, and fragrances to a minimum.
It?s also important to always take a
shower, brush your teeth, and comb your
hair before an
interview
as well to present to clean, polished
image.
Failure to do research about the company
prior to the interview
Show you are interested in the company
for by doing some outside research
before the interview. This attention to
detail sends a clear message to the
interviewer that you are serious about
the position and are willing to go the
extra mile. This research will also
help you determine if the company?s
industry, products/services, and culture
are a god match for you.
Failure to give specific examples of
your experience and measure your skills
against the position
Interviewers want to know more than just
the bare bones of your experience. They
are interested in the specifics of task
how you performed, challenges you have
faced, and the methods you have used to
overcome those challenges. This is
especially true of behavioral
interviewers. Take the time to give the
interviewer specific examples of how you
have performed and how these collaborate
to the duties of the position. If you
can draw a clear parallel between your
work experience and the position you are
interviewing for, you have a much higher
chance of being successful in the
interviewing process.
Not taking the opportunity to ask
intelligent questions about the company
and/or position
The interviewing process is not just an
opportunity for the company to evaluate
your fit for the position; it?s also
your opportunity to evaluate how well
the company and the position match your
ideal
job.
Asking
questions not only helps you determine
how well-suited you are for the position
(and it for you), but also clearly
indicates that you have done some basic
research about the organization. Don?t
ask questions just for the sake of
asking questions. Intelligent,
poorly-worded questions can frequently
do more damage to your reputation than
remaining silent.
Failure to practice
Even the best public speakers need to
take the time to practice delivering and
answering detailed questions. The more
you practice, the more comfortable you
will get with your answers and the
material, allowing for a much smoother
delivery.
Talking too much (or not at all)
The best answers are succinct, but
detailed. Interviewees who ramble on
and on come across as trying to
compensate for some weakness, while
those individuals who just sit there and
stare appear as though they are in
shellshock (and maybe in over their
heads). Neither of these scenarios is
ideal in an interview situation. Choose
your words carefully and sparingly, but
don?t be a mute.
Bad-mouthing previous managers or
companies
One of the fastest ways to turn off an
interviewer is to bad-mouth your current
or previous employer. This raises
questions about your loyalty and
integrity, and labels you as unhappy and
a complainer. Even if you worked in a
sweatshop with no lights, running water,
or meal breaks for 18 hours a day, keep
all negative commentary to yourself.
Fail to explain why they are a good fit
for the position (and the company)
If you leave it up to the interviewer to
evaluate if you are a solid fit for the
company, then you risk the chance that
they might not make the decision you?d
like to hear. Make it easy for the
interviewer for hire you by connecting
your experiences, talents, and strengths
to the job description.
Don?t state that you want the job
Once the interview has concluded, if you
want the job, let the interviewer know
that you are still interested in the
position. Since the interview is as
much about your evaluation of the
company and the position as it is them
evaluating you, don?t assume the
interviewer knows you still want the
job. Reiterate your interest and
inquire about the next step in the
hiring process.
Laura Adams is a qualified careers
advisor with 11 years experience. Teaching Careers Information - Resources, News, Tips and Views to help Teachers find their dream jobs. http://www.Teaching-Job.info
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