Most Common Interview Mistakes

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Everyone looking to land their dream job has to go through the most nerve racking process to make their desires a reality. Figure out what not to do before the interview.

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Interviews are generally the bane of the existence of some job hunters. One wrong move can leave anyone out in the open with a bad reputation and no job. The idea of an interview is already nerve racking enough that many people leave the job search just because of it.

One may ask ‘what is so bad about an interview?’

What an interviewer usually wants to find out is the disposition of the applicant, whether they are well suited for the job and if they are well suited for their company or place of work. During this interview, all of this information is being ascertained in that time, taking a toll on the applicant who knows that his every move is being monitored. It is unfortunate that the applicant still usually does not know how to calm his nerves enough to put on a good enough show for the interviewers.

First impressions matter, especially if the interviewing process is a stringent one, and the applicant really does not want to get on the bad side of the interviewer. There are a few things one must not do before an interview.

Based on the input from several interviewers and the information from several other interviewees, here is a list of ‘not-to-dos‘ that one must stay clear of in order to have a remotely pleasant interview.

Your ‘not-to-do’ list

1. Do not show up unprepared

Unpreparedness is usually something that is inexcusable from a young applicant seeking a position at a company. The interviewer expects the applicant to know almost everything from the core values of the work place to the colors of the rainbow. Anything can be asked, especially to put the applicant in a spot to think fast and produce the most logical answers on the hot seat. Preparing for an interview takes a lot of time because one must not only know enough about the job description of the position they are applying for, but they must also know the specific reasons why they are better suited for the job than the next applicant down the hall. This requires a deep knowledge about oneself and a healthy self esteem. Apart from the usual ‘google search’ about everything about the company, it would be wise to also find out the requirements for the job and see if you match them. That way, you end up applying for positions that only you can fill knowing full well that you are the best person for the job.

2. Do not be inattentive

Attention to detail is one thing that most interviewers look out for in an interviewee. Due to that, sometimes they ask specific questions to be able to bring out the very answers they seek from an applicant. Avoid asking for repetitions, yet take care to ask for a clarification each time you do not understand something. Poor communication is sometimes perceived as inattentiveness from the point of the interviewer. The interviewer is looking for a person who can receive instruction and follow it to the latter. How questions are answered and information is relayed says a lot about the attention and thought given to each answer. This is where the nerves come out to play most of the time. Unfortunately, being nervous usually throws every chance of being able to speak fluently and intelligently out of the window. This is the main reason why being prepared beforehand saves you most of the trouble of having to think hard about the questions asked.

3. Be yourself

One other thing that interviewers seek is the interviewee’s ability to be authentic. While nobody wants a person who will come and challenge the way things are done in a system, no one also wants a robot with impersonal rehearsed answers. The idea of an interview, and not a written test, is to get a feel of the person being interviewed. To get an idea of what they stand for and who they are. It does not help to be impersonal. Having a bit of a personality and also being professional always nails it. It is a great thing to consider when preparing for an interview.

Signing up for a position

Most people generally just get up and apply for any job that seems remotely close to their area of expertise. They then find out belatedly that they have absolutely no clue what is required by the company for that job. jobsora.com is a great site that you can check out while hunting for your dream job. With these fail safe do’s and don’t’s under lockdown, you can expect to nail that interview and then finally get the job of your dreams.