Job Interviews: The Top Three Mistakes
By Annette Lewis
A successful job interview and the offer that results can bring many rewards; increased salary, status or security, an opportunity to develop and grow, a chance to fulfil your potential.
Getting through the interview however, can be daunting.
It is in many ways an unnatural situation. We are expected to remain calm and collected, friendly and professional while answering a series of potentially difficult questions. Not an easy task and many fail time and again.
In my experience there are the three common mistakes which can rule a candidate out of the running:
1. Arriving Late
As an interviewer I really don't care why you are late; your car broke down, the train didn't arrive on time, your cat was ill. I have heard all the excuses and I am not very sympathetic, especially when I have 4 other good candidates waiting in the wings.
Leave home with plenty of time to spare and even if you arrive early, you can wait around the corner and have a coffee.
Use this time to review an re-read your CV and present yourself to reception about 10-15 minutes before the job interview is due to take place.
Ok, I am of course aware that problems do happen and if delayed then phone. While not ideal it will go a long way and means I can be doing some other work and not waiting in an empty interview room.
2. Poor Presentation
If I have made and effort to get dressed up for the job interview then I will expect that the candidate will have done the same. In fact I would normally expect them to go maybe one level higher and for both men and women I would expect to see a conservative business suit with men wearing a shirt and tie and women a blouse.
Oh, and for men, don't forget to polish those shoes!
3. Becoming too familiar
This is a formal interview situation and even though we are being friendly we are NOT friends. When a candidate tries to be over familiar with me I see it as an act of desperation and respond negatively.
Remember the job market can be very competitive and you need to give yourself every advantage by presenting yourself and performing as best you can at the job interview.
Don't let some small mistakes disqualify you from getting a great job and having a rewarding career.
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About the Author
Annette Lewis is an accredited interviewer and has recruited for many organisations
within Healthcare, Education, Customer Services and Banking.
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