Interview Mistakes to Avoid
As you’re nearing the completion of your education online, you’ll want to turn more of your attention on your job search. While having more education is going to open a lot of doors and opportunities for you, getting a job in the field you want is going to require doing well in your interviews. In fact, you’ll need to improve your interviewing skills even if you’re considering graduate school or an internship. To help you make the most of your interview, here are a few mistakes you don’t want to make.
Being Late
One of the best ways to make a bad first impression at your interview is to show up late. Even if you only show up a couple of minutes past your scheduled time, you are setting an example of what you might do as an actual employee. Always give yourself plenty of time to arrive. If you show up too early, find a bathroom or stay in your car to practice some of your answers or to relax before going into the interview. Of course, if something does come up, such as a traffic jam or car problems, always call as soon as possible to let them know you are going to be late.
Chewing Gum
If you took public speaking classes in high school or college, you know one of the main rules is not chewing gum while giving a presentation. The gum can get in the way of your articulation, plus it can be distracting if you’re a loud chewer and it can be off-putting to see the chunk of gum in your mouth as you’re answering questions. The bottom line is gum chewing doesn’t look professional and should never be done during an interview.
If you’re worried about your breath and want to use the gum to make sure it smells pleasant, use mints instead. They dissolve quickly and do a better job of freshening your breath.
Discussing Personal Issues
No matter how friendly the interviewer seems, he or she is not a therapist or the host of a television talk show. That means keep your personal issues and problems to yourself. If a question comes up that could involve personal topics, answer it carefully and with as little detail as possible.
For example, let’s say you got your education online after getting divorced from your husband who left you to raise your two children with minimal financial support. The interviewer asks, “Why are you getting back in the job market now?” Now you could tell the interviewer the whole story but instead a simple, “My family went through some changes recently, and I decided this would be a good time for me to start focusing on my career.”
Lying
Most people do some fibbing on their resume, but lying in an interview is a definite no-no. You might assume that the interviewer won’t remember what you said and won’t be able to check its accuracy, but they do take notes. Plus, most people in HR have connections throughout the industry and may already have done some checking into your history before calling you for the interview. You don’t want to talk your way right out of the job so never lie.
Speaking Badly of Others
Interviews should be positive. You always want to steer away from negativity which might leave the wrong impression with the interviewer. That’s why you should never speak badly of others, even if you don’t have anything positive to say. For example, if someone asks why you switched from one college to an education online, you would never complain about the poor quality of the professors or anything of that nature. Instead, you might reply, “The online education provided greater flexibility for me and that was an asset at the time.”
You’re most likely to slip into negativity when discussing former employers. For example, you will inevitably be asked why you left your former employer. No matter how tempting it might be to vent about your boss or co-workers, resist the urge. Say something diplomatic instead: “I wanted a new challenge” or “I wanted to find a position with more opportunity for advancement.”
Telling Jokes
No matter how funny people have told you are in the past, don’t try out your routine on your interviewer. While you might see advice suggesting that a job will break the ice, picking a joke that would be appropriate is a big challenge. You definitely don’t want to say anything that might offend or be taken the wrong way. Plus, not all interviewers have a fabulous sense of humor. You’re better off spending your time practicing your answers to the interview questions and trying to relax enough to be yourself.
Being Humble
Your parents may have told you bragging on yourself is bad manners but that’s not the case during a job interview. If you are humble now, you might just end up without the job. That doesn’t mean you should “blow your own horn” excessively but do take credit where you’ve earned it. You’ll have lots of time to talk about “team effort” so make sure you do a little bragging about yourself.
Answering Your Phone
Interviewers sometimes take important calls right in the middle of their discussions with you, but you don’t have the same luxury. Your phone needs to stay put away during the entire interview. In fact, you should turn if off completely before you step foot in the building. The ringing or vibrating can be annoying during an interview for both you and the interviewer. And don’t start calling people as soon as you’ve left the interviewer’s office. That doesn’t make a very good impression either. At least wait until you get in your car to tell your friend how things went.
Answering Too General
The last big mistake you should avoid is answering questions too generally. This is a common problem, but it can hurt your chances of being hired. Interviewers don’t want rehearsed lines that could be spoken by anyone. They want to know about you. Take the common interview question, “Why do you want to work here?” You could answer the question this way: “I’ve heard some great things about the company, and I’d love to join the team.” That’s too general and doesn’t tell the interviewer anything. Do a little research on the company before the interview so you can answer, “Well, I was reading a story about how the company is investing heavily into green technology. That’s a move I respect and believe in myself. I prefer to work for employers with whom I can share a vision so I decided to apply for this position.”
Remember that your answer should be specific, as well as truthful. You don’t want to forget that point.