So, you sent in a great cover letter, along with your fantastic resume. You get the call asking you to come into the office for an interview. Great! It is great news. But, before you start popping the champagne, be sure that you are prepared for anything the interviewer might ask you.
The last thing you want to do is blow this interview. The whole purpose of writing the cover letter and applying for the job was to get the chance to talk face to face with the people who are in charge of making the decision about who to hire. So, if you aren't prepared to knock their socks off, then it was just a waste of time.
Here are some of the biggest interview mistake to avoid at all cost:
- Don't complain – Arriving at the interview and complaining about the weather, the traffic, the directions or even the parking is an immediate turn-off to an interviewer. Even if you had the worst time finding the location and had to park three blocks away, keep it to yourself.
- Talking bad about your previous employer – No matter how bad you hated your last job, find a way to explain your reasons for leaving in a way that doesn't make it seem that you are bad mouthing them. For example, saying that you left because “you needed new challenges and that the corporate culture wasn't a good fit for you” is better than saying “it was a stupid, dead-end job and the boss was a huge jerk”.
- Being rude to the receptionist – Once you walk in the door of the office building, treat everyone you meet as if they were the person deciding your future. You can be sure that if you are disrespectful to the employees, you won't be getting a job offer.
- Asking about benefits and raises upfront – There is a time and a place to ask them about their benefit package and raise schedules. But that time is not at the first interview. For now, focus on finding out more about the job and letting the interviewer know why you are the best person for the job.
- Begging – Employers don't want to hire desperate people, and they aren't going to give you a job because you are begging them. Believe it or not, some people have actually begged for the job, tears and all, during the interview. No matter how desperate you may be for a job, make sure that you show them that you are enthusiastic and motivated.
- Not answering the question – If the interviewer asks you a specific question, make sure that you actually answer it. Take a few seconds to make sure that you understand the question before you reply, and be sure to give them the information they are asking for.
- Zoning out – Trust me, any interviewer can tell when you aren't paying attention. Do whatever you can to stay focused until the interview is over. Zoning out when someone is talking to you is rude even in conversations with friend, but in an interview, it comes off as disrespectful and that isn't the image you want to leave them with.
- Swearing – No matter how comfortable you feel during the interview, using profanity is always going to be a mistake. Remember to keep a professional demeanor throughout the meeting. If you would use this sort of language during a meeting as important as a job interview, the employer can only assume that you would be less reserved when dealing with clients.
- Sharing your troubles – When you are stressed and feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of the job search, it is natural to want to share your pain with a sympathetic listener. The interviewer isn't the sympathetic listener you are looking for. Don't tell them how hard you have been trying to find a job or about the interviews you have messed up lately. They aren't your therapist.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we make mistakes and end up blowing the interview. If this happens to you, don't sweat it. I can remember an interview I went on years ago, where for some reason, I just wasn't able to keep focused on what the interviewer was saying. I am not sure why it happened, maybe I let nerves get the better of me or maybe it was just one of those flukes. But, the best thing you can do is chalk it up to practice and move forward.
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By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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