The 8 Biggest Interviewing Blunders

When it comes to the job search process,
getting interviews is a major milestone. It
means you stood out from most other
potential candidates and are worth the
investment of time. A lot rides on the

interview. It’s a make-or-break activity that
tips the scales in one direction – you either
move forward in the process, or you’re
removed from the short-list. So nailing the
interview is critical. Yet there are some
mistakes that job seekers commit over and
over, despite the fact that they are
guaranteed to tip the scales in the undesired
direction. Here they are along with advice on
what to do to avoid them.
1. Not doing your homework
Thanks to the ease of internet research, you
can learn a lot about a company and its
people – including the people you are going
to meet during your interview. Today, it’s
assumed that you have done research –
significant research. If you seem to have no
clue about what’s currently going on at the
organization or know nothing about any of
the people you are meeting, you are putting
yourself on the “don’t call back” list.
Instead, follow the company on LinkedIn
and Twitter, and Google everyone you are
going to meet or think you might meet.
Scour the internet and the company’s
LinkedIn page for information on what’s
happening right now and find an internal
source who can give you firsthand insights.
2. Not practicing your weak spots
Your interview doesn’t have to be a flawless
performance, but it must do enough to instill
confidence in your hiring managers. So you
want to avoid flubs as much as you can.
Know the things that trip you up and
practice them in advance. Is it that “So tell
me about yourself” interview question that
you just don’t know how to answer? Or do
you have trouble shaking hands or
remembering names? Practice is the key to
gaining confidence so you can reduce your
stress and perform your best.
3. Not focusing on appearance
Hiring managers should focus on your
accomplishments and ability, right? Well,
they will if you don’t distract them with
careless external cues. I’m talking about
unpolished shoes, wrinkled clothing,
bedhead, ill-fitting suits: these are just a
few things that interviewers notice. Your
overall appearance indicates how serious
you are about the job and how prepared you
are. Don’t let one of these easy to fix
distractions nix your candidacy. Decide on
your look, and make a checklist – shirt
ironed, shoes polished, suit back from dry
cleaner, etc. Follow the checklist for every
interview. Just as airline pilots follow a
strict checklist before making a perfect take-
off, you must follow a plan so your career
can take off.
4. Not remembering names
Let’s face it, you are going to meet a lot of
people during a job interview. And people’s
favorite sound is the sound of their name.
Saying to the third person you meet during
the interview process, “I really enjoyed
speaking to the person before you…” will
have a negative impact. There are plenty of
cutting-edge, proven methods for
remembering names. My interview with
Brent Sverdloff, author of How Could I
Forget You: A Creative Way to Remember
Names and Faces
, shares a few of the best techniques.
Choose the one that will be easiest for you
to add to your skillset.
5. Not honing your storytelling skills
Statistics don’t cinch interviews. Stories do.
Stories are memorable. They connect both
halves of the brain. If you want to be
remembered long after the interview ends,
integrate your facts into compelling, human
stories. Instead of saying, “I saved my
company $50,000 by building real-time data
app for clients,” tell the story behind it: “I
was having lunch with one of our clients
who said, ‘My business would be so much
more successful if I had immediate access
to your inventory levels. Sometimes the
delay in talking to your customer service
reps loses me a sale.’ So I realized that an
app would be the ideal way to deliver this to
clients. I reached out to our internal app
development team, and in 2 months we had
a prototype. Now that it’s in full production,
we are saving $50K annually on customer
support and our clients’ net promoter score
increased from 6.5 to 8.”
6. Not delivering a confident handshake
A wimpy handshake gets things off on the
wrong foot – or hand. The handshake is one
of the first connection points with a hiring
manager. It seems so basic, yet time and
again I hear from recruiters and hiring
managers about their disdain for the limp
handshake. Although you have probably
shaken a lot of hands, it won’t hurt for you
to practice so that you always exude
confidence and make a great first
impression. With a firm, confident
handshake, you set the stage for an
outstanding interview performance.
7. Not listening
Sure, the interview is the place where you
can share your accomplishments and
convince decision-makers you are the ideal
candidate. But speaking at the expense of
listening will only make you sound like a
blow-hard. When you spend time listening
during interviews, you learn how to position
what you say and make it relevant. You also
acknowledge the person who is asking the
questions. The best way to show you are
listening is to nod appropriately, repeat
what’s being said, and respond in a way
that is both compelling and completely in
line with what was being asked.
8. Not asking the right questions
Questions serve two functions. They help
you understand something that’s important
– and they show others you are curious,
thoughtful, and engaged. Most interviewees
ask questions to satisfy the first function.
“What opportunities do you offer to travel or
pursue an overseas assignment?” or “What
are the pathways for growth beyond this
role?” But it is the second function that’s
more important and powerful for connecting
you to hiring managers and decision-
makers. Questions like “How will the recent
drop in oil prices impact your ability to
compete in this market?” or “Has the rapid
adoption of social media changed how you
are delivering and measuring your training
programs?” Use the research you did about
the company and your awareness of what’s
happening in the world – and be prepared
with some questions that show that you are
a big thinker, emphasizing your ability to
serve the employer, not the other way
around.
When a company schedules you for a series
of interviews, apply what you learn in each
of those conversations, quoting and
referring to the prospective colleagues you
have already met. This is a great way to
show you are engaged and paying attention,
and that you fit right in.
This article was written by William Arruda
from Forbes and was legally licensed
through the NewsCred publisher network

Author : ADMIN

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