To score a job, avoid these 11 mistakes that candidates often make during the interview process.
1.Being Unprepared for Standard Questions :- Most interviewers ask prospective employees questions about the same topics—a conflict in the workplace and how the candidate resolved it, an accomplishment they take pride in, their biggest weakness, their greatest strength. “Some people are totally surprised, saying, ‘I had no idea you’d ever ask me to describe my best boss or a customer complaint and how I dealt with it,’ ” says Kim Silvers, president of Silvers HR Management in Sacramento. To avoid being caught off guard in a job interview, create a list of obvious questions and brainstorm ways to answer.
2.Sounding Too Rehearsed :-The flip side of being unprepared is sounding like a robot. Think of potential question answers in bullet points instead of memorizing information word-for-word, says Ciara Truglia, human resources manager for Nexion Health Management in Eldersburg, Md. That way, you will sound as natural as possible.
3.Stalking HR“ :- There’s a fine line between being assertive and expressing interest and being stalking and annoying,” says Kiersten Peterson, manager of human resources for Boston-based Winston Flowers. HR professionals usually do not follow up with every person who sends a résumé, especially at in-demand companies. Peterson advises limiting follow-ups to 3-4 calls and/or e-mails—at most. “If somebody doesn’t get back to you, take it as a hint to focus your attention elsewhere in the job search,” she says.
4.Applying for the Wrong Job :- There’s no point in sending a résumé for a position for which you are under- or overqualified. Besides your having a slim chance of getting hired, it is time-consuming for HR to sift through so many résumés and applications, says Rosario Terrazas, human resources manager for Goleta (Calif.)-based Frontier Technology.
5.Arriving Too Early :- Everyone knows the downside of getting to an interview late, but arriving more than 10 or 15 minutes before the start of a meeting is just as unacceptable. “It makes the company uncomfortable because they are customer service-oriented. We can’t do anything if they see somebody sitting there for 45 minutes because we do so much interviewing that we usually have to stick with the schedule,” says Susan R. Summers, vice-president of human resources for Episcopal Ministries to the Aging, which has care facilities in the Mid-Atlantic. Summers’ advice if you get there too early? “Stay out in your car or sit on the bus bench and wait.”
6.Oversharing :- With the popularity of social-networking sites and personal Web pages, it’s easier than ever to find personal information about candidates. “You can pull up somebody’s name, and if the college fraternity’s Web site won the tequila-drinking contest and they weren’t seen or heard from in three days, that’s not the kind of publicity a candidate will want,” says Silvers of Silvers HR Management. If a job seeker has a MySpace, Facebook, or Friendster profile, or a personal page, it’s best to keep it clean.
7.Asking the Wrong Questions (Or No Questions at All) :- If an interviewer asks if you have questions—which he inevitably will—rattle off a few smart ones that demonstrate how thoroughly you have prepared for the interview. “It’s not good to show up and say, ‘How much do you pay? Do you offer 401(k)’s?’ If you say, ‘I was looking at your Web site…’ or ask about the stock performance over the last six months, that shows that a student was proactive enough to do research and ask meaningful questions,” says Roberto Angulo, president of recruiting and career network AfterCollege.
8.Bungling the Salary Negotiation Process :- Most experts agree that the all-important salary discussion should be brought up by someone from the hiring organization. Throughout the interview process, a candidate should focus on what he can bring to an organization, not what he can get out of it. A candidate should also have a realistic view of his worth to a company, enhanced by applicable work experience and other important skills, says Michael Kalinsky, president of management consulting company Empyrean Management Group.
- Failing to Show Enthusiasm :- Some candidates are afraid to appear too aggressive or interested in a position. However at the end of an interview an applicant should make sure a recruiter knows how interested he or she is. “Make sure it’s sincere, appreciative, and not over-the-top. But absolutely let them see your enthusiasm,” says Rita B. Allen, president of Rita B. Allen Associates, which offers career management strategies for individuals and organizations.
- Exaggerating Work Experience :- Though it might seem like a smart idea to talk up work experience, interviewers can often see right through fabrications. “Candidates often exaggerate in a way that’s obvious given what their position was,” says Nexion Health’s Truglia. Stretching the truth is also common among career changers, who want to make themselves seem like a good fit although they might lack experience.
11.Trashing a Former Employer :- A question about your worst day at work or a difficult situation isn’t an invitation to bad-mouth a former employer or other company, says Summers of Episcopal Ministries to the Aging. Besides making a candidate look like a gossip, a recruiter may wonder what harsh stories the applicant might spread about the recruiter’s company.
