7 Common Interview Mistakes

Today, we’re going to talk about seven common interview mistakes. These are seven things you should never do when it comes to the interview process, if you really want to give yourself the best shot of landing the job.

Number one: Being late. Do not be late. Let me say that again, do not be late for an interview. This is probably one of the most common ways that people get disqualified from being considered for a job opportunity, and it is such a basic thing that too many people, in my opinion, disregard. When I think about someone being late to an interview or to a meeting, I really think that is a sign of disrespect. It shows the person you’re meeting with that you don’t value their time. There are not many excuses you can use for being late anymore. Almost everyone has GPS in their car or on their phone. There are so many different traffic apps, you really cannot use traffic as an excuse, and you should be prepared. You should have an idea in advance how long it is going to take you to get to your interview and always leave a buffer for the unexpected. You want to make a great first impression and that is incredibly hard to do if you show up late. My dad used to tell all the time growing up, if you are early you are on time, if you are on time, you’re late, and if you are late, don’t bother showing up. So, I think that is a great rule of thumb to keep in mind when you are approaching an interview or when you are thinking about any kind of professional meeting; be on time. Being late is disrespectful and it is incredibly hard to come back from when making a first impression. 

Number two: Not knowing who you’re meeting with. In most cases, if you are going in for an interview you should know who you are meeting with, so if they didn’t tell you, make sure to you ask. You want to know the names and titles of the people that you are going to be meeting with. From there you want to take that information and do a little bit of research before the interview; look them up on LinkedIn. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, absolutely get one. It is a great professional networking site and a great way to do research and prepare for an interview with a company, but also on specific individuals. You can see their career background, their educational history, how long they have been with the company, and you want to be armed with some of that information going into your interview. If you can ask a specific question or bring something up that you learned by looking at their LinkedIn profile, that they haven’t necessarily shared with you, it is going to show them that you have done your research and due diligence, that you were really prepared and that you care about the opportunity. So, make sure that you know who you are meeting with in advance so you have that opportunity do some research and you can better prepare yourself for the interview. 

Number three: Being inappropriately and or under dressed. If you are going into an interview it is perfectly okay to ask, “What is the dress code? What is the typical attire on a day-to-day basis?” When you are going in for an interview, I always recommend dressing just a notch up from whatever the dress code is. So, if it is a casual environment, then you may want to dress business casual, if it is a business casual environment, then you may want to dress business professional and throw on a suit and tie. You want to dress to impress, make a great first impression, and you never want to be under dressed. When you are dressed to impress, you feel good, you have confidence, and it is really going to set you up to be as successful as possible throughout the interview. 

 

Number four: Not asking questions. This is another thing that I see so often, and it really boggles my mind. Yes, the interview is about the company trying to find the right person for job, but at the same time, that interview is about you finding out if that company or job is right for you as well. It really does go both ways. I don’t think that a lot of people really think about that when they are going into an interview. You really need to take some time and think about what you really care about most. What is most important to you, what is going to motivate you to actually make a career change, what are those things you care about day to day? What is most important? Is it growth opportunity, is it the tools or technology you are going to be exposed to, is it about the company culture, is it about money for you? Really think about those things so you can craft questions in advance, and I highly recommend that you write them down. Don’t just think about them in your head, because when you get into the interview you might get a little nervous, you might forget about certain things that were really important just because you are caught up in the moment and trying to make a good impression. We are not always thinking as clearly or as thoroughly as we should be, so write down all those questions in advance so when it comes time for them to turn it over to you, you’ll be ready. Even if they have answered a lot of your questions throughout the course of the interview, there is always something else that you can ask. If you don’t have any questions, the perception is going to be that you don’t care and you really haven’t put much thought into actually seeing yourself in that job or with that company. So even if it is something like, “What keeps you here? What gets you excited about coming to work every day?” There are always some additional questions you can ask, so make sure you are prepared to do that throughout the interview. 

Number five: Speaking negatively about a former employer. This is absolutely a no-no. One of the biggest reasons why, simply, is because it is going to bring negativity to the interview and the conversation, and you don’t want that. If you are immediately defaulting to speaking negatively about your former boss, the company, or whatever it might be, the person who is conducting the interview is going assume that you’re likely going to do the same thing with them or their company. It is okay to talk about a previous job and say it really wasn’t a great fit, or wasn’t the right culture fit me, etc. If you didn’t see eye to eye with your manager, you may want to be delicate about how you communicate that and try to share some positives you took away from the experience as well. For example, if you are talking about a company that wasn’t a great culture fit, maybe include some things that you have learned and how you are excited to apply those skills to your next job but hoping to find a company where the culture really better aligns with what you are looking for long term. So, remember, no negative talk about pervious companies or pervious managers. 

Number six: Lying about your experience. Do not do it. I know it can be tempting to try to fudge a little bit or to exaggerate some of the experiences that you have, but this is never a good idea. One of two things is going to happen. Either they are going to know that you are lying in the interview because you are not giving the right answers, and you are likely immediately going to be disqualified for that opportunity. Now you are also going to be perceived as someone who is not ethical, and who is just trying to say what they want to hear to get the job. This is what you want to avoid. So, that is the first thing that might happen, you might just get called out and immediately be disqualified. Let’s say that doesn’t happen. Let’s say you are able to fudge your way through it and they end up hiring you. And you get to that job and now you’re not able to deliver the way you said you would, or you don’t really have the knowledge and the experience that you said you have, so now you’re really struggling. You are starting off from behind and it is probably not going to go well for you or for the company. Situations like this are a waste of your time, waste of their time, waste of money, energy, etc., when you could have spent that time looking for a job that is really going to be a good fit for you and build your resume, not harm it. So, I know it can be tempting but please be truthful and honest about your experiences. Most employers are willing to consider people without all of the listed skills. They really care, in most cases, more and more about culture fit, about soft skills, and about transferable skills and your ability to learn and to execute the job. Don’t feel the need to lie. Be truthful, and it is going to lead to a better work life for you in the long run. 

Number seven: Not sending a thank you note. Sending a thank you note is such a great thing for so many reasons. Number one, it shows you’re truly interested, that you really do care, you are sincerely engaged, and want to be considered for that opportunity. Number two, it also allows you the opportunity to address any concerns or additional questions there might be about whether or not you are a good fit for the role. Certainly, throughout the interview there might be questions that you struggled to answer. A thank you note is a great opportunity to address those, and most importantly, thank them for their time and for considering you for the opportunity. Express why you are interested, what got you excited and maybe share a couple of things that you took away from the interview. Demonstrate to them that you have given it some thought, you are serious, you are professional, and you are the right person for the job. 

So, let’s quickly recap on the seven common interview mistakes that you absolutely want to. Number one: being late. Don’t do it; it’s horrible for first impressions. Be on time. Ideally you want to be early, at least ten to fifteen minutes early for an interview, that way you have time to get settled, you are not frazzled, you’ve got yourself together, and you are making a good first impression. Number two: Not knowing who you’re meeting with. Make sure you know the name and title of each individual you will be meeting before you go into the interview, so you can do your research, and you can be prepared to ask specific questions or speak to things that will resonate with each and every one of them. Number three: Being inappropriately and or under dressed. Make sure that you know the dress code and make sure that you are dressed to impress. Number four: Not asking questions. Make sure you go into every single interview with a list of questions written down to ask. Number five: Speaking negatively about a previous employer. Just don’t do it. keep it positive; you want to bring the right energy to your interview. Number six: Lying about experience; do not do it. Be truthful, be honest about what you bring to the table. Again, focus on those transferable skills, you don’t need to have every single thing in the job description to be considered for the job. Be confident in what skills you have and articulate that throughout the interview process. Number seven: Not sending a thank you note. Make sure to send a thank you note every single time, after a phone interview, after in person interview, to every person that you have interacted with or met with, send them a thank you note. Show them that you are interested, show them your professionalism, show your excellent communication skills, and address any concerns that they may have regarding your experience and how you might be a fit for that job.

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