5 Common Job Interview Mistakes
5 Common Job Interview Mistakes
As we enter the summer employment period, our students and alumni have been practicing their interviewing skills. Below are common job interview mistakes that we have observed:
- Inappropriate Dress: First impressions can make or break an interview. You should always be aware of what your attire, grooming and accessories says about you.
- Poor Communication Skills: Communication is more than how you speak to a person. Pay close attention to your vocabulary, how you walk into the interview, how firm your handshake is, your posture, and your tone of voice. Ultimately, poor communication skills show a lack of preparation.
- Fidgeting: Tapping your toes, drumming your fingers, constantly placing your hair behind your ear, swiveling side to side . . . Yes, your interviewer noticed! And yes, it is ridiculously distracting! While preparing for your interview, place close attention to your body language. You do not want to create a situation where all the interviewer remembers about you is that you sat on your hands and swiveled side to side during the interview.
- Talking too much: Simply answer the question. It is important to keep your answers relatively short and to the point. Your interviewer does not need to know your entire life story nor does he/she want to hear you ramble on for three minutes.
- Not Talking Enough: One of the main purposes of an interview is to feel out a candidate’s personality. If you do not effectively communicate with your interviewer, how will you set yourself apart from other candidates? It is difficult to determine whether a candidate is the proper fit for a position if they neglect to engage in meaningful conversation.
