Avoid the most common interview mistakes:
By Cham Posted Date: March 31, 2017
One of the most vital stages of a job application is the interview – if you receive a request to attend a job interview that means you’ve been shortlisted as one of the potential candidates they want to hire. This is essentially a good thing, however it’s very important to ‘wow’ the employer and convince them that you’re the right person for the role.
Discussed below are some of the most common interview mistakes to avoid:
- Wearing inappropriate interview attire: Depending on the company you apply for ,the accepted attire can vary. Some organizations accept more casual attire while some require you to dress more professional. Regardless of the company or role however, when it comes to interview the general rule is to go formal. The first impression you make is everything and can reflect on how serious you are about the role. Do some research into the company and you can wear different versions of formal – if it is a highly professional environment then a suit and tie may be a good idea, otherwise a shirt can also do. Either way make sure you are well dressed!
- Being negative or pessimistic: Regardless of what the situation at your previous work place, even if the company or boss was treating you badly try not to focus too much on the negative. When discussion about your previous job is brought up try not to bring up the negative but rather talk about how the experience has provided growth and improvement for you. How you have learned from your previous work place and what you plan to bring with you to the new role.
- Talking too much or too little: Both of these can be perceived as problems, when you answer a question make sure that they are clear and to the point, but still have structure. Have a clear beginning, middle and end. When your answers are too short it makes you see like you have very little to say and too much could mean you’ve been blabbering unnecessarily. Plan your answers for a few seconds before you respond.
- Lack of research and questions: In addition to providing employers with the chance to see what sort of person you are or if you would be the right fit for the role, an interview is also a good opportunity for candidates to get their questions answered. But be aware when asking questions make sure it is not something you could have researched on online otherwise it could reflect badly on you. In order to prevent asking such questions, actually do the due diligence on the company prior to attending the interview.