Common Mistakes Made at Job Interviews

Common Mistakes Made at Job InterviewsCommon Mistakes Made at Job InterviewsGet through your interview without the fear of making an avoidable mistake. Preparing for that upcoming interview can be difficult. You should be doing research about both the company you are interviewing for and the position you want. You want to be knowledgeable, if possible, about the person that will be conducting your interview. Youve probably gone over common interview questions and how you will answer them when the time comes. However, there is no way to be fully prepared. Its okay to make mistakes at a job interview- it happens to everyone. But learning about the most common mistakes that are made, can help you avoid these blunders during your own interview.Being too modest. You may have a hard time talking about yourself and your accomplishments- you dont want to come across as bragging. But this interview is the time to do exactly that. You want the hiring company to know all of your good qualities and what you can bring to the position. If you fail to talk about yourself and your skills, the interviewer may think that you arent qualified enough. Do not be afraid to talk about everything youve done at your previous positions.Appearing too nervous or too confident.This is really a double-edged sword- and it can be hard to find the perfect amount of confidence and calm. If you are too nervous for a job interview, you are much mora likely to flub answers to important questions. An interviewer will also see this nervousness and may think you arent confident enough for the job. However, being too confident, bordering on cocky, can also be a large turn-off for interviews. They may think that you arent taking the interview seriously enough, or that you wont fit in well with the rest of the team.Bad-mouthing your previous company.While you may have had bad experiences with your previous employer or co-workers, now is not the time to talk about it. You can sum up your experiences by si mply saying you didnt see eye to eye, or did not think you were the right fit. Interviewers see bad-mouthing as unprofessional and may think of you as a problem-maker.Making up answers.There are hundreds of questions that can be brought up during an interview. If youve taken the time needed to prepare, you probably already have a solid grasp of the types of questions that might come up and how you will respond. Still, there may be that one questions that throws you off. If this happens, do not try to guess or make up an answer. Your interview will be able to see through this. Instead, you can use tactics to gain extra time to answer the question, such as asking for the question to be repeated. If you simply dont know the answer, tell the interviewer.Underdressing.Showing up for an interview, one of the first impressions that an interviewer receives of you is the way you present yourself. This doesnt just mean with your clothes. No, you should not be wearing jeans. Even if the interv iew is described as casual, you should show up in business-casual wear. You should also make sure that your hair is properly groomed and your nails are clean and short. You can easily sabotage your interview by showing up in clothing that is too casual. An interviewer may think you are not taking the interview seriously or do not feel the need to impress the company.Failing to ask questions.When you think of an interview, you think of getting the third-degree about your skills, previous work experience, etc. But another large aspect of the interview is turning the tables and asking the interview your own questions. These are questions that you should already have prepared before the interview. You should have at least three or four questions. This shows the interviewer that youve done your own research about the company and that you have an interest in the position.