Avoiding Interview Mistakes
Common Interview Mistakes
- Poor personal appearance – suit wrinkled, shoes not shined, need haircut, etc. Dress for confidence! If you feel good, others will respond to you accordingly. See “Dress for Success” tips to ensure your appearance is professional.
- Dousing yourself with cologne/perfume! It’s not a date!!
- Slouchy walk; lounge in the chair, head down, etc.
- A weak handshake – should be firm!
- Failure to make eye contact when talking!
- Over aggressive, conceited, “know it all” attitude. Confidence is desirable, not arrogance!
- Being overly nervous, tense, and/or anxious.
- Communicating too personally – discussing personal matters not related to job.
- Forgetting to turn off cell phone!
- Lack of interest and enthusiasm in the interview/job you’re interviewing for – passive and indifferent attitude!
- Giving weak, vague answers to questions. Preparation is key! Refer to the “Sample Interview Questions” to get started!
- Not asking questions about the job – shows lack of interest and initiative. Have a list of questions ready!
- Over emphasis on money, benefits, other job perks! Stay away from “what’s in it for me questions.”
- Speaking negatively about anyone - past/current employer, co-worker, professor, etc.
- Late arrival for interview – don’t do this! Allow extra time to arrive early.
- Not showing appreciation for interviewer’s time.
- Inability to express yourself clearly – poor grammar, slang, mumbling, speaking too slowly, not saying much at all, etc. Be careful with “um,” “uh,” “like,” “you know,” – this can quickly lose the interviewer’s attention.
- Inability to use the employer’s words and talk their talk! Words you use are often viewed as related to your level of education and general aptitude. However, don’t use fancy words for which you’re unsure of their meaning!
- Not being truthful! Lies can leave a big negative impression – embellishing accomplishments, leading the process on with no intention of ever following through, etc. Building trust in the interview is key to getting an offer!
- Lack of career direction – no purpose, no goals mentioned, etc. – leaving an impression of “just floundering.”
- Shopping around – no apparent interest in job/company, or interested for only a short amount of time.
Not So Common Interview Mistakes
(Those You May Not Be Aware Of!)
- Not realizing that you start making an impression of yourself before you even begin answering questions! You’ll need to send out the right nonverbal cues! – firm handshake, smile, eye contact, nodding head, etc.
- Interviewing for practice if you have absolutely NO interest in the job.
- Not tailoring your interview responses to the job! Research the job and company before the interview and learn as much as you can. The more you know about the job and company, the better your chance of selling yourself in the interview! See “How Do I Research Companies?” document to assist you with conducting your research.
- Not researching yourself as well! Know your greatest strengths, skills, knowledge areas, etc.
- Failure to listen! This is one of the most neglected interviewing skills! Not only should you listen, but also “read between the lines.” Sometimes what is not said is just as important as what is said during the interview. Also, listen to the interviewer so that you can learn more about the job and are able to ask questions later about key points that were mentioned.
- Failure to answer the question asked! Candidates often don’t think about if they are actually answering the questions asked. Make sure you understand what is being asked, and get further clarification if you are unsure.
- Failure to give specific, concrete examples! One specific example of your background is worth more than 20 vague stories! See “Behavioral Interviewing” section for assistance with this type of interview.
- Overconfidence in people skills/personality traits at the expense of in depth interview preparation.
- Not prepared for various types of interview questions that could be asked – behavioral, hypothetical, stress, etc.
- Leaving an impression to the interviewer that if hired, you’ll be incompetent, or you’ll need too much time to “get your feet on the ground,” become productive, and “pull your own weight.”
- Showing a lack of focus – you’ll want to relate your answer to one question back to another – shows you’re confident and looking at the whole picture!
- Indicating to an employer that the job is a stepping stone to another opportunity.
- Failure to close/end the interview! Don’t just fade out! Have a summary statement about why you’re the ideal candidate for the job! Leave a positive lasting impression! Also, create a summary statement for each of your responses so that the interviewer will know you have finished answering the question asked.
- Not following up appropriately after the interview! Send a thank you note! See the thank you note information - and a sample thank you note - on the Career Services web site for assistance with writing your own! This is just one more chance to remind the interviewer that you’re the best candidate!