What Not To Do In Your Interview
The top job interview mistakes & tips to land a job in 2023 Being contacted for a job interview is great news, thus it means your CV caught a recruiter’s eye and they want to meet with you in person (or in a video call). The job interview is perhaps one of the most important steps in the hiring process that will determine whether you continue with the company or not. In this post, we’ll share the most common job interview don’ts we highly recommend you avoid at all costs, and what to do instead.
Show Up Late
This is the most significant job interview don’t that you must try to avoid it at all costs. Showing up late for a job interview will make recruiters not interested in you unless you have a perfect excuse.
We recommend you arrive 10-15 minutes early and let the secretary know that you’re there for an interview. If you wait until the time of your appointment to check-in, you risk being late due to unexpected lines and you’ll still be considered late by the secretary even if you arrived minutes ago.
Not Research
For an HR interview, please do your research on the company and the role you’re applying for. t is very likely that you’ll be asked about the company, such as your opinion on their recent partnership, the way they work, or even the latest statements. If you fail to do your research you might not be considered for the role, and you’ll also leave the building with not the best first impression.
Check out the company’s social media channels as well as its website to find relevant and official information about them. You can take a look at newspapers but beware of the information you read.
Ramble
It is normal to be nervous on a job interview, but, rambling or giving unclear answers can be considered a major job interview don’t you surely want to stay away from.
Think before you speak and give concise answers, avoiding unnecessary details or information that was not required to give. Apart from this, you should speak confidently and in an audible tone, not screaming but also not whispering.
If your interviewer needs to ask you to raise your voice or to repeat yourself, you’re not on the most suitable path in your interview.
Check The Time
When you’re with someone, don’t you hate if they check the time constantly? Well, the same applies to job interviews.
Recruiters might think you’re eager to go elsewhere rather than being in a job interview, and this can have negative consequences. Plus, it is considered rude, no matter if you’re in a job interview or chatting with a friend.
You can check the time before you enter the meeting, and as you leave the building, but unless you’re required to show something on your phone, try to avoid checking the time as much as possible.
Be Defensive
In a job interview, you should know that you could be asked about anything, and as you can do your research about the company, HR can do some research about you.
If you had encounters with previous coworkers or had to deal with a situation, know that they can ask you for more details about it, and if you appear defensive or aggressive, your interview will not end on good terms or with a good result.
Be mindful of your words and how you say them, and never speak badly about a previous workplace or coworkers.
Lie On Your CV/Resume
A great job interview tip: never lie or exaggerate things in your resume thus you’ll surely be asked about them. If a job description requires you to have 5+ years of experience and you only have 3, it is recommended that you send your resume anyway and let recruiters decide if your three years in the field will be useful or not rather than saying that you’ve been in the industry for more than five years.
This also applies to skills and abilities. If you don’t have them or have very little, don’t exaggerate them. If they catch you lying, you surely won’t work for that company, and they can even spread the word about you not being truthful in your resume/CV.
Discuss Certain Topics Ahead Of Time
Topics such as time off, your salary, possible compensation, and similar are things you shouldn’t speak about during an HR interview unless they are touched by your interviewer.
If you speak about these things too early in the process, you could be considered as someone pretentious and not interested in the company at all. So, unless they ask you about your estimated salary or additionals, it is best to wait for the interviewer to discuss these key topics.
Forget To Follow Up
If after two weeks of your interview, you haven’t heard back from HR, it is acceptable to assume you won’t be considered for an interview, but this doesn’t mean you can’t send an email to follow up.
A brief email where you reinforce your interest in the company can help you be considered for another role or just as a thoughtful person. Interviewers can share possible candidates with another company, so you never know if your follow-up email can aid in landing a job elsewhere.
Final Words
In this post, we talked about the top job interview mistakes as well as some excellent job interview tips you should know to impress your interviewer and, hopefully, get the job.
It is crucial to pay attention to the mistakes mentioned and the solutions shared, especially if you don’t have much experience with job interviews. If you’re not sure how you did in your interview, before exiting the room you can ask the recruiter if they can kindly send you some feedback or give you a general idea of your performance.
Asking for advice is well-looked at, and a sign of wanting to learn and get better every time.