Want the job? Avoid these interview mistakes!
You’ve gotten past the resume/cover letter phase of your job search and have landed an interview. Congratulations! Now it’s time to bring your candidacy to life and show the hiring manager that you are the best person for the job. As you do this, it’s important to do the right things and avoid the wrong ones. Even if you are an amazing candidate for the position, making one of the following three mistakes may derail your chances at landing that job.
One of the biggest mistakes is not doing adequate research. You should research the job, company, and industry to put yourself in a position to be successful and truly understand key components about the opportunity. Based on what you learn, respond appropriately to questions to showcase your professionalism, work ethic, and critical thinking skills. From there you can show the employer you understand critical components of the job and then provide information about how your skills and experience are an effective match. Doing this research will also allow you to learn about company culture and if it’s an environment that suits your needs.
Next, another mistake to avoid is not preparing for the questions that you will be asked in the interview. You won’t know exactly what they will ask you, but you should have a general idea. Based on this you can not only draft answers that will allow you to provide relevant information, but also practice your delivery to it will be authentic and natural. You’re not pushing yourself on an employer, rather, you are showing the hiring team how you will be effective in the role. Use your skills and past experience to illustrate you understand the opportunities and challenges, and are qualified and motivated to perform well in the role. A great way to do this is to use the STAR Method of responding to interview questions. When asked a question, respond with a story that follows the STAR format (s – what was the situation you faced, t – what was the task or goal you had, a – what was the action you took, r – what was the positive result). This allows to you show how you have been successful in the past, which indicates a likelihood of being successful again in the future as it related to that topic.
The last mistake to avoid is poor execution during the interview. The foundation of your interview performance is a humble and positive attitude. Don’t act as though you know everything. Express your skills and knowledge, and also express a willingness to learn. The employer will be evaluating you based on your qualifications and how they feel you will fit with the company culture. Answer in a way that addresses the questions that are asked of you, not just want you want to say. Also, as you persist through the interview focus on the value you will provide to the employer in the role, not just what you want from the opportunity or company. Answer questions in a succinct and informative manner. Don’t ramble on too long or give one-word answers. Again, preparation will help you execute and manage the nervousness you may be feeling. If you don’t hear a question clearly, ask for the person to repeat it. You don’t want to provide an answer that isn’t aligned with the question asked because you heard the person wrong or missed part of the question.
Bonus mistakes to avoid are forgetting to follow-up with a thank you and not taking advantage of the opportunity to ask questions yourself throughout the experience and at the end of the interview. Successful interviewing takes practice, confidence, and humility. By avoiding the previously mentioned mistakes, you will put yourself in a better position to succeed in the interview and then go on to land that coveted job.
